After receiving a kind note from the owner of Calistro about my "2-star experience", I had to give Calistro another chance. The owner explained that he had stepped away from the business and shouldn't have. He assured me that he is hands-on again and Calistro is back to his original conception.
My boyfriend and I decided to visit for happy hour last week and had such a pleasant experience! Everyone was very attentive and helpful and the food was excellent. We created a tapas experience for ourselves, ordering a variety of appetizers. I'll sum up my thoughts on our order:
Hummus - I find most restaurant hummus is generally good. This falls into that category. A nice creamy consistency and fresh flat bread resulted in a cleaned plate.
Lamb meatballs - These were interesting. They were served with pickled julienned vegetables and gorgeous bright green large leaves of lettuce. Our server said they're meant to be eaten lettuce wrap style and I'm not one to break rules.... I enjoyed them and only wished for more meatballs.
Fire Roasted Shrimp - YUM! This had excellent flavor. I loved the roasted vegetables and the seasoning. Will definitely be having this one again.
Crab Cakes - I had these the first time I went to Calistro and remembered liking them. My memory didn't fail me. Two small crab cakes are served with a small mixed green salad. Great combo of flavors.
Braised Pork Taco a la carte - I was a little nervous about this one because on my last visit the pork was vastly over-salted, but my boyfriend insisted. I'm so glad we tried them! The pork was delicious... tender and very well seasoned. It was topped with pickled vegetables and had a cream sauce served on the side. Excellent!
I also ordered "That Spicy Mango Thingy" off the drink menu. It's basically a margarita made with serrano chile and mango infused tequila. I couldn't really taste the mango but the serrano gave it a very interesting bite. If you like a little spice in your life, give it a try!
After typing all of this out, I'm realizing how much we ate (slighly embarrassed!) It was worth it. Calistro, you have most definitely redeemed yourself. Thank you!