"I'll gladly repay you Tuesday for The Gladly's chopped salad today"
-- Wimpy on Weight Watchers
Food: 4*
Service: 4*
Ambiance: 2*
For Restaurant Week The Gladly's menu looked very intriguing. It had all their greatest hits on the menu so I decided to give them a try. I had thought that making a reservation during the weekday would ensure that it wouldn't be too busy but the dining room was pretty crowded when we got here.
I had the chopped salad, duck meatloaf and the sole option for Restaurant Week dessert was a chocolate olive oil torte. I absolutely loved the chopped salad. It had everything I look for in a salad: fresh ingredients, a melange of textures and flavors, the perfect amount of dressing, and it was beautifully presented to boot. I would go back here for the salad alone!
The duck meatloaf was decent. For me the real star of the show in this dish was the foie gras mousse. It was so silky smooth and rich. I didn't really like the slightly mushy, nearly risotto-like texture of the millet with the meatloaf. I felt like the textures of both were too similar and the meatloaf's flavor didn't gel well with the millet.
The torte was also decent. I love Korean pear but I'm not sure it was the best choice for a dark chocolatey dessert such as this torte. With such a delicate flavor the pear was overshadowed by the chocolate. The texture of the torte itself was also a little grainy for my tastes.
Service was friendly, albeit a bit frazzled due to all the customers eating here.
The one real killer for me was the noise level and the general ambiance. It was fairly full when we were here, maybe 70-80% of capacity. It was so annoyingly loud in the dining area and I could barely hear conversation at our table or not hear at all. The ambiance seems to have an identity crisis, for the lighting was so dim as if it was attempt to create a romantic atmosphere but the table set up and lack of sound dampening in the room indicated otherwise.
There is a nice patio out back which does seem better for dining in a more relaxed environment so if I go back maybe I'll try some al fresco dining.