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| - I really wanted to love this place. Ambiance is five stars. Great light fixtures, bathroom was fantastic, fun little lounge area in the bar. Our server was extremely friendly, a little chatty, but some people dig that so I won't fault them for that. My drink was also super tasty.
In theory, the dishes sound great and I enjoy the fact that they locally source some menu items, but they just really dropped the ball on execution. The number one issue: salt. Only one of our dishes came out almost seasoned. It blew my mind how every single dish was lacking the quintessential seasoning. Kosher salt is your friend, kids. And the fact that they didn't have any placed on the table was a real misstep.
Our fried brussel sprouts came out rather soggy. If the batter had been crisp and hit with a sprinkle of kosher immediately after the fry, they would've been great. The mashed potatoes which came with our (unseasoned) fried chicken tasted like a straight boiled potato fresh out of unsalted boiling water. I'm not someone who has to drown everything in butter to make it taste better, but when mashing potatoes you have to add a fat component to get that creaminess- whether it be butter, cream, or even milk. There seemed to be nothing but straight potato.
Smoked salmon was... odd. It seemed somewhere between raw and smoked in texture. Very little smoke flavor. Potato pancakes served with this also needed (you guessed it) salt. Luckily it was served with capers which added a nice salt component.
Overall it was a pretty bland meal which is really unfortunate. I think they're almost there, but just really need to step up the game on seasoning. You don't need a ton when you have good ingredients but that doesn't mean you can omit it completely. I hope they pull it together because I'd love to return and be blown away. Rooting for you guys.
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