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| - We are big fans of Pita Jungle, a Mediterranean-style restaurant with great hummus, salads and other delicious fare, so we had big expectations for their new spin-off, The Grand Blue. Perhaps it was the newness of the restaurant that was at fault, but the experience could have been much better. Here's a rundown of the place in outline form:
- Decor: It was bright and open, with a glass retractable wall that separates the interior from a pleasant terrace with awnings, pretty blue lights, colorful tables, and when the weather is hot, misters. Five stars for that.
- Service: I got the sense the waiting staff hadn't really done this before. Our server was very uninformed about the menu, had no recommendations on food or wine, and seemed to forget about us for long periods of time on several occasions. The result: The appetizers and main course came at the same time, the wine I ordered was forgotten until the very end of the meal (with no apology for forgetting it), and our water glasses, once emptied, were never refilled. Also, a busboy promised to bring another plate. That never happened. One-two stars.
- Menu: Be prepared to be confused. I guess some consider it to be a mark of restaurant excellence to have so many choices so as to be in utter confusion as to what to order (with no help from the serving staff - see above). Menu simplification would go a long way towards improving the experience. Two-three stars.
- Food: We ordered two sushi rolls from the Happy Hour menu. They were fine, but unimaginative and chilled (meaning that they had been prepared, not rolled to order). For main dishes, we ordered the shrimp on hummus (probably the best dish of the night), grilled wahoo (a very tiny piece of somewhat overcooked fish with absolutely no seasoning applied) that came with okay broccolini and nearly okay beans and asparagus (I was not a fan).
The last dish we ordered was a poke bowl. You choose the protein, add-ins, and sauce. It was okay, but not particularly inspiring. The protein (yellowtail and octopus) seemed like it was pulled from a jar and that, along with the diced veggies and rice noodles, made for a very so-so meal. Three stars.
Will we be back? Maybe...in awhile...after they have had a chance to get their act together.
Final thoughts: We spend part of the year in a seaside town on the east coast. Generally speaking, the seafood there is great (one would expect nothing less), so I suppose we have high standards. Still, if you are going to open a restaurant in the very competitive Scottsdale market and go through the trouble of buying fresh fish for your establishment, as The Grand Blue clearly has, you should not waste the opportunity to wow the desert community by simply putting that seafood on a plate, sometimes overcooked and under seasoned and without any particular flair.
***UPDATE***: Thank you for your response Kevin. It is good to know that management is listening and I am hopeful for a better experience should I return at some point. I wanted to respond to a few of your comments for the sake of clarity:
- Service: I did see other servers who were much more engaged with their patrons, offering opinions, suggestions, and looking in frequently on their guests. I just happened upon one that was far less attentive. Consistency is key, though.
- Sushi roll: It is good to hear that rolls are made to order, but that leaves me a bit confused. I am a sushi fanatic, having been to sushi bars throughout this country and abroad, and usually when a roll is made, the chef will take rice from the cooker (not cold) and work with the fish and other elements of the roll. Because the rice is at least warm, the resulting roll will be slightly cool or room temperature. The rolls we had were as chilled as they would have been had they been left in refrigeration for at least 15 minutes. Thus, they did not seem made to order.
- Wahoo: I am also glad that the protein is weighed for a consistent serving. Perhaps because it was overcooked, the fish appeared smaller than its pre-cooked weight. As I am sure your chef is well aware, a white fish should be cooked just until opaque and when cut should glisten. That was not the case with my piece, which I shared with two other people for their concurrence (and they both agreed).
- Poke bowl: Perhaps I overstated my disappointment in the yellowtail and octopus by the jar reference, but I had thought the yellowtail would have been more tender (there was even a piece of bone or sinew in one small cube) and the octopus was sliced ribbon thin like one might have mixed in a salad. I had hoped to have more robust pieces of octopus to truly appreciate the rich flavor it has to offer.
I wish you the best as your restaurant settles in. I do not seek nor want any special treatment for my frank review, though. Should I return at some point and my experience then is better, my updated review will reflect it. Thanks again for your response.
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