My sister and I decided to eat at Valens today after looking at their Summerlicious menu online. We were so naive to not check out the reviews before actually deciding to eat there...
First of all, I came in and had to slowly walk straight in to the restaurant, past the tables, to the bar/kitchen area to ask a man who was cleaning glasses to be seated. From what I could see, there were only two people working (him, and our server). In the end, there was no greeting upon my arrival.
For appetizers, my sister got the Tuna Bruschetta and I got the Baby Mixed Greens with Goat Cheese, Dried Fruit and Nuts with a Maple Dressing. Our server wasn't exactly rude but she also didn't say a word to us at all. The bruschetta looked amateur with nacho toppings on toasted pieces of baguette. My "baby mixed greens" weren't baby mixed greens. It was limp romaine with one spinach leaf and two purple cabbage pieces.
For mains, I ordered the Pan-Roasted Chicken Stuffed with Butternut Squash and Fig Topped With Strawberry Creme. The chicken was dry but I didn't mind because I normally like dry meat (haha). The strawberry creme was visually unappetizing and also notttt good, especially with the chicken and herb roasted potatoes and grilled veggies. It was too sweet and creamy, and reminded me of melted strawberry ice cream. My sister's Pan-Seared Atlantic Salmon with Mixed Nuts Maple Sauce was literally an unseasoned piece of a salmon with the sauce on top (no time for it to marinate or anything).
The dessert was the "best" part of the meal but even still, it wasn't anything special. The White Chocolate Lava Cake seemed like a store-bought microwaved cake.
Luckily, for $15, even a mediocre three-course meal was bearable, but I'm glad we paid for a Summerlicious meal, not a regular priced meal.