Which Restaurant Disappointed Most ?
Oct 23rd, 2001, 02:00 PM
#4
Guest
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Emeril's in Orlando at Universal Citywalk. Very mediocre food and a waiter who replied "It is a pink fish" when I asked him how the salmon was prepared. The place was mobbed and I don't know what all the fuss is about. Maybe it just has the best food in Orlando, which apparently isn't saying much.
Oct 23rd, 2001, 02:30 PM
#7
Guest
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Hemingway's at Grand Cypress in Orlando. It gets raves, but I suppose those people have never eaten true Caribbean fare or visited Key West. The service was terrible, the food even worse. Tasted like.... um.... hotel food. Atmosphere was similar to going to a retirement home in So. FL - lots of "condo art" and bad wicker. Could've been any overpriced "casual" seafood trap. Ernest is surely rolling over in his grave.
Oct 23rd, 2001, 02:46 PM
#8
Guest
Posts: n/a
I'll probably get slammed for this since it is so highly recommended here, but Il Mulino in New York.
We liked the place, it's size, it's cozy dining room, the very friendly and efficient waiters, and the delicious antipasta they served complimentary. We even had a surprising but nice episode with the wine. The Amarone we ordered (which seemed extremely well priced) was out of stock and the waiter suggested a new unlisted Barolo that was actually less money than our original choice. It was decanted and served and was excellent -- one of the best wine values we had in New York.
However, there was the food -- simply awful.
First we split an order of pasta (and we were pleased that they suggested it, something most restuarants don't like to do as starters these days). It was a "straw and hay" fettucini with peas, mushrooms, and proscuitto in a "light cream sauce". When it came, after a very long wait, we each got a big bowl of very soggy noodles (no al dente here) literally drowning in tons of a very watery sauce. My first taste indicated flour. I surmised that the cook had tried to whip up more sauce and had tried to thicken it with flour but didn't even bring it to a bowl, hence its runniness and its taste.
The waiter had suggested a special -- rack of "baby" lamb, so my partner ordered that. First I had questioned if it might be a rack for two as is sometimes the case in more traditional restaurants, but the waiter assured us it was a single portion. I order a veal chop stuffed with proscuitto, mushrooms, and fontina cheese. When the meals came we nearly had heart attacks. His rack of lamb was easily 12 chops and covered a huge platter. If this lamb was a baby, it must have been the size of a horse because the rib bones were 9 to 10 inches long. It was cooked rare as ordered, but rather tasteless. My veal chop looked like something Fred Flintstone would order. The waiter came as I had taken my first bite and I mentioned that I must be crazy, I thought the veal tasted like liver. He said, "oh, I forgot to mention that the chef has added foie gras to the recipe." Will someone explain to me why a sane chef would add foie gras to that combination already in overkill with the richness of the other ingredients and a very rich sauce?
(to be continued)
We liked the place, it's size, it's cozy dining room, the very friendly and efficient waiters, and the delicious antipasta they served complimentary. We even had a surprising but nice episode with the wine. The Amarone we ordered (which seemed extremely well priced) was out of stock and the waiter suggested a new unlisted Barolo that was actually less money than our original choice. It was decanted and served and was excellent -- one of the best wine values we had in New York.
However, there was the food -- simply awful.
First we split an order of pasta (and we were pleased that they suggested it, something most restuarants don't like to do as starters these days). It was a "straw and hay" fettucini with peas, mushrooms, and proscuitto in a "light cream sauce". When it came, after a very long wait, we each got a big bowl of very soggy noodles (no al dente here) literally drowning in tons of a very watery sauce. My first taste indicated flour. I surmised that the cook had tried to whip up more sauce and had tried to thicken it with flour but didn't even bring it to a bowl, hence its runniness and its taste.
The waiter had suggested a special -- rack of "baby" lamb, so my partner ordered that. First I had questioned if it might be a rack for two as is sometimes the case in more traditional restaurants, but the waiter assured us it was a single portion. I order a veal chop stuffed with proscuitto, mushrooms, and fontina cheese. When the meals came we nearly had heart attacks. His rack of lamb was easily 12 chops and covered a huge platter. If this lamb was a baby, it must have been the size of a horse because the rib bones were 9 to 10 inches long. It was cooked rare as ordered, but rather tasteless. My veal chop looked like something Fred Flintstone would order. The waiter came as I had taken my first bite and I mentioned that I must be crazy, I thought the veal tasted like liver. He said, "oh, I forgot to mention that the chef has added foie gras to the recipe." Will someone explain to me why a sane chef would add foie gras to that combination already in overkill with the richness of the other ingredients and a very rich sauce?
(to be continued)
Oct 23rd, 2001, 02:54 PM
#9
Guest
Posts: n/a
Il Mulino (part 2)
The final insult was the dessert. I was too full, but my partner asked for a suggestion. The waiter first suggested their sampler platter which we had seen at the table next to us and it looked like something you'd see on a grand buffet on a cruise ship. Then he suggested their "famous" tiramisu. When it came, it was the biggest thing I've ever seen -- about 6 or 7 inches square and about 4 or 5 inches high, but it was mediocre at best. There was not a hint of a taste of espresso or coffee, or mascarpone, or even ladyfingers, although there were some soggy lumps that might have originally been ladyfingers.
I'm not opposed to expensive meals and we did some very expensive and great ones in New York, but this place was simply overpriced. While most cleverly composed and involved desserts top out at about $10 these days even at Grammercy Tavern or Le Cirque, it is hard to comprehend this tiramisu being $15. We had not asked the price of the rack of lamb for one, but were somewhat surprised that it was $54. For weeks after that my partner ordered rack of lamb at a number of great restaurants (his favorite) and it was always better than this one and I believe never over $35.
If you judge the quality of the meal by the size of the portions, you'll love Il Mulino, but we prefer quality to quantity. Or maybe the chef called in sick that night and a bus boy took over the kitchen. It is especially hard to figure out how such a highly recommended Italian restaurant could screw up a pasta so badly. Incidentally, even the waiter commented on how "soupy" the pasta was that night, to which I added that I thought the sauce hadn't thickened as it tasted like flour. My comment was ignored.
The final insult was the dessert. I was too full, but my partner asked for a suggestion. The waiter first suggested their sampler platter which we had seen at the table next to us and it looked like something you'd see on a grand buffet on a cruise ship. Then he suggested their "famous" tiramisu. When it came, it was the biggest thing I've ever seen -- about 6 or 7 inches square and about 4 or 5 inches high, but it was mediocre at best. There was not a hint of a taste of espresso or coffee, or mascarpone, or even ladyfingers, although there were some soggy lumps that might have originally been ladyfingers.
I'm not opposed to expensive meals and we did some very expensive and great ones in New York, but this place was simply overpriced. While most cleverly composed and involved desserts top out at about $10 these days even at Grammercy Tavern or Le Cirque, it is hard to comprehend this tiramisu being $15. We had not asked the price of the rack of lamb for one, but were somewhat surprised that it was $54. For weeks after that my partner ordered rack of lamb at a number of great restaurants (his favorite) and it was always better than this one and I believe never over $35.
If you judge the quality of the meal by the size of the portions, you'll love Il Mulino, but we prefer quality to quantity. Or maybe the chef called in sick that night and a bus boy took over the kitchen. It is especially hard to figure out how such a highly recommended Italian restaurant could screw up a pasta so badly. Incidentally, even the waiter commented on how "soupy" the pasta was that night, to which I added that I thought the sauce hadn't thickened as it tasted like flour. My comment was ignored.
Oct 23rd, 2001, 05:57 PM
#10
Guest
Posts: n/a
Normally I'm not a fan of these 'worst of. . . " threads, but this one evoked such an immediate and strong memory I must reply, if only to warn others lest they befall the same grisly fate.
When my wife and I arrived in Las Vegas last year (our first visit), I was looking through various restaurant guides and saw glowing recommendations for Battista's Hole in the Wall. It sounded fun -- Italian-American, homey, with solid food and a charming atmosphere. We were already parked nearby, and I thought, why not? A kitschy-and-fun introduction to Vegas dining would be perfect.
Well, the atmosphere I suppose might charm someone from, let's say, Jupiter, who had no better idea of what Italian dining is all about. But the food -- the food was an abomination!!! It was the worst restaurant food I have had anywhere except for Moscow in the pre-glasnost era!! McDonald's is a gourmet palace next to Battista's. Gloppy pasta with Ragu-style sauce, only with even less attempt at seasoning; school-cafeteria-style chicken cutlets masquerading as Chicken parmegian, and the world's very worst cappuchino -- I've had better from a vending machine in a gas station in Iowa!!
It wasn't terribly expensive, but even on a weeknight there was a long line for tables, which at the time made us think this place was actually worth waiting for. Why on earth does a place like this not only survive but thrive?
When my wife and I arrived in Las Vegas last year (our first visit), I was looking through various restaurant guides and saw glowing recommendations for Battista's Hole in the Wall. It sounded fun -- Italian-American, homey, with solid food and a charming atmosphere. We were already parked nearby, and I thought, why not? A kitschy-and-fun introduction to Vegas dining would be perfect.
Well, the atmosphere I suppose might charm someone from, let's say, Jupiter, who had no better idea of what Italian dining is all about. But the food -- the food was an abomination!!! It was the worst restaurant food I have had anywhere except for Moscow in the pre-glasnost era!! McDonald's is a gourmet palace next to Battista's. Gloppy pasta with Ragu-style sauce, only with even less attempt at seasoning; school-cafeteria-style chicken cutlets masquerading as Chicken parmegian, and the world's very worst cappuchino -- I've had better from a vending machine in a gas station in Iowa!!
It wasn't terribly expensive, but even on a weeknight there was a long line for tables, which at the time made us think this place was actually worth waiting for. Why on earth does a place like this not only survive but thrive?
Oct 23rd, 2001, 11:33 PM
#11
Guest
Posts: n/a
The Three Crabs along the Dungeness Spit in the Olympic Peninsula of WA State. A worthless, terrible tourist trap. Lots of visitors to the OP stop there because the view is spectacular, but it's just as easy to go for a walk along the spit, get an even better view, and then eat elsewhere. We were living in the OP, so had no excuse.
The food was basically deep fried and tasteless and the service was hostile. There are so many wonderful restaurants in the OP, like Khu Larb Thai (in PT, not Sequim), Sentosa, etc., that there's no reason to ever patronize a rip-off like the Three Crabs.
The food was basically deep fried and tasteless and the service was hostile. There are so many wonderful restaurants in the OP, like Khu Larb Thai (in PT, not Sequim), Sentosa, etc., that there's no reason to ever patronize a rip-off like the Three Crabs.
Oct 24th, 2001, 03:05 AM
#12
Guest
Posts: n/a
The 101st Airborne next to the Nashville airport. I had been told many years ago that it was a neat place for plane lovers..you could watch the planes come and go, full of memorabilia, and they broadcast the tower chatter. We went at night last spring, and I was so disappointed. The host was rude, would not give us a window side table because we walked in without reservations(I know this to be the only reason, because 4 window tables remained empty during our entire stay), could not see any of the active runways, no tower chatter, just old 40's music, and the memorabilia was just WWII stuff. So I put all my hopes into the food. Boring, same old steakhouse fare. At of course much too high prices. How disappointing.
Oct 24th, 2001, 04:56 AM
#13
Guest
Posts: n/a
OK, i'll get slammed for this one, but what is all the fuss about Chantarelle in NYC. It is consistently rated one of the best in the city for food and service - well I disagree. We went there in August for our anniversary. The room is nice, sparsely decorated but you really don't notice. The service was absolutely horrendous. Our waiter never spoke to us about the menu, the sommelier never came over to us to discuss wine choices, bus boys and waiters reaching across the table to pick up plates etc. Yes, we did say something to Karen Waltuck at the door when we were leaving and got a curt - sorry. Sorry, we spent $300 is what we're sorry for.
Oct 24th, 2001, 04:59 AM
#14
Guest
Posts: n/a
Beachbum, I just had to laugh at your post. There's a similar restaurant in Miami. Our company had a small conference near the airport and needed a restaurant in walking distance for our party. I didn't have really high hopes for it, but the description did sound really really neat. Things started turning down when I called to confirm our reservation; I told the host we might have 13 instead of 14. She replied rudely "Well, I HAVE to know exactly how many!" BTW, it wouldn't have mattered; there was room. Your description of the memorabilia and 40's music is right on. We could see the runway but there was also a 4 or 6 lane highway between the us and the runway. No tower chatter that I remember. I think you had to be in a special area and ask for headphones or something. My salmon was really dry (I can't even do that at home--but a restaurant that charges $20 for it can?) and I swear the mashed potatoes were instant. A chain to avoid.
Oct 24th, 2001, 05:12 AM
#15
Guest
Posts: n/a
I'm spoiled...I live in New Orleans where we have more than our share of fine restaurants. We visited Washington DC recently and on the advice of Travel & Leisure Magazine we had dinner at Kinkaid's. I found it VERY expensive for mediocre food. The only thing worse was the coffee...but, as I said, I'm spoiled and used to drinking Cafe du Monde. Sorry, Washington! But your museums are FANTASTIC!
Rob
Rob
Oct 24th, 2001, 07:49 AM
#16
Guest
Posts: n/a
Wow, I must not have very good taste buds! I've eaten at several of Emeril's joints and have consistently had good to great meals. Sure, a couple were slightly over-priced but so is everything else in Orlando. I actually found his restaurant NOLA to be my favorite in New Orleans (IMHO). Again, I must have gotten to Il Mulino on a good day. I ate lunch there and it was one of the best meals I've ever (yes ever) eaten. Yes, it was expensive but about what I expected for a top notch restaurant in NY City. I don't know, maybe I've been eaten too much Armadillo recently? Anyway, my least favorite and/or over hyped joint(s) are any of the Mortons or Don Shula steak houses. If you've ever been to one you've actually been to both and just didn't know it. $50.00 for a steak and they won't throw in a 10 cent potato? Give me a break!!!
Oct 24th, 2001, 08:10 AM
#17
Guest
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Bubba I think your taste buds are just fine. I ate at the Emrils in Vegas and had a wonderful meal, but I've heard other people did not. I think a lot of these places can be hit or miss. My biggest disappointment was the Masion on Turtle Creek in Dallas. Way over-priced for the quality of the food and the ambiance just wasnt't that great. I was looking for a romantic evening and I think the restaurant is geared more towards large gatherings of family and friends or special occasions. My husband and I were crammed into a two person table on the end of a banquette with another party of at least eight. Really, I felt that we were the bastard step-children of the family. The food was good, but I've had finer dining experiences.
Oct 24th, 2001, 09:33 AM
#19
Guest
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2 restaurants in my hometown of Boston have utterly disappointed me:
1. Rialto - supposedly one of the best in the city - service was HORRIBLE. Waiter spilled wine glass onto us, while clearing plates we were still eating from! Then, in a huff, tossed a wine list down and said 'Just pick a glass of wine, on the house.' in 'apology'. We left after the appetizer portion of the meal.
2. No. 9 Park - rave reviews everywhere...get excited to go...service is above snooty, and the 2 of us got food poisoning. When we called to say 'take these items off your menu b.c we got sick', they gave us complete attitude. To be honest - the food was mediocre in the first place...not sure what the big deal is about this place.
That's my 2 cents!
1. Rialto - supposedly one of the best in the city - service was HORRIBLE. Waiter spilled wine glass onto us, while clearing plates we were still eating from! Then, in a huff, tossed a wine list down and said 'Just pick a glass of wine, on the house.' in 'apology'. We left after the appetizer portion of the meal.
2. No. 9 Park - rave reviews everywhere...get excited to go...service is above snooty, and the 2 of us got food poisoning. When we called to say 'take these items off your menu b.c we got sick', they gave us complete attitude. To be honest - the food was mediocre in the first place...not sure what the big deal is about this place.
That's my 2 cents!
Oct 24th, 2001, 09:50 AM
#20
Guest
Posts: n/a
Gustavino in New York. It came highly recommended by friends. This was the only time that I have sent a meal back in a restaurant. The setting was great and so was the rest of the food but not my main course. Would I go back there again? yes but to sit at the bar and enjoy the atmosphere plus probably have appetizers at the bar.
