the chalkboard

tonight we celebrated my 50th birthday. my husbandorderedthe beef wellington which was delicious and so tender that he could cut the steak with a fork. i had the pan seared duck which was also delicious. the crabcakes we had as an appetizer were tasty, and the seasoned butter that came with our crusty bread was delicious too. we let them know ahead of time with the reservation it was my birthday, and i received a complementary bread pudding. all of that along with a glass of wine totaled $120. we'll go again for a special occasion.

so we had a reservation for 2 for 9:00. we walk in, and there is literally one table. we think, ok, a little scary, but we want to eat quick, so this is perfect. well, it's presently 10:01, and we have not received our mains. the crab cake appetizer was just ok. not something i would come back for. the cocktails are ok, although my girlfriend described it as "drinking a salad" andorderedsomething else, so take that for what it's worth. not worth the effort, for sure.

our anniversary dinner at the chalkboard restaurant proved to be such a delight. definitely some of the best food i have ever eaten.

i had the beef wellington with cauliflower risotto. my husband had the market fish. both dishes were superb although my husband noted that he wish he would haveorderedthe wellington. the owner confirmed that this is the signature dish. even the bread and butter were very tasty.

great, friendly service. our waiter was friendly and attentive and we had a chance to speak with both the owner and chef.

pricy, but nice for a special night out.

will try again on a "normal" night.. three times a year, every decent restaurant is full: easter, mother's day and valentine's day. i had booked a room at the attached ambassador hotel (which despite being in the middle of remodeling some areas is great) along with a dinner for my lady and me on the evening of the 14th.
things didn't start out so well. i was told initially that the credit voucher i'd gotten along with my room rate at the hotel wouldn't be honored. nonplussed, i sort of stared at the server and i could see her looking over me at someone else. i guess it was a manager who had initially told her to be the "tough cop", but immediately she said that she was mistaken and they would credit the $100 toward the meal. guess the manager changed his mind. i thanked her and told her i was standing down from defcon 1. in fact, a little later i went further and told her that if there was a serious problem i'd take it up with the hotel since they had booked the package. she assured me that wasn't necessary and everything went fine from there.
my dateordereda beet salad to my lobster bisque and chicken cordon bleu (over pasta?) to my filet of beef. desserts were her cheesecake to my mousse. the lady's meal from start to finish was very good, especially considering the volume of food the kitchen was required to turn out. my steak was perfectly cooked and the bisque was very, very good. the mousse was just a large enough portion to top off the meal and it was very smooth and tasty.
the only problems i had with the food were the sides for the steak. the kitchen attempted a saffron risotto for a side dish, and it was an epic fail. they get a do-over on that one some day, because making a dish so complicated for that many people at once was a daring, if ill-fated, thing to do. it was mushy and flavorless. the heirloom (or whatever) carrots were pretty lame, too. the other thing that was problematic was that this was one of those eateries that doesn't put salt and pepper on the table. hate that! the steak needed a little salt and the risotto needed all the help it could get, but when asked, our server (who was really excellent and cheerful under such pressure) produced both shakers immediately.
two wine-oriented quibbles: first, they provided a complimentary glass of "champagne" to start the meal, and i guarantee you it was anything but. it tasted like a sparkling moscato to me, and not a very good one at that. a better sparkler would have gone very well with the mussel "shooter" that led off the meal, because some bubbles would have gone well with that flavorful one-bite treat. the bottom line is that if it's not champagne, please don't call it that. if it's not, please say it's a sparkling wine. lastly, if it's not from chardonnay, pinot noir and/or pinot meunier, say what grape(s) made the wine. as in, "it's a sparkling (whatever grape) from (wherever)."
second, their "reserve" wine list had, with the exception of one bottle from washington state, nothing but california wines on it. it would be nice to see something more representative of the world of wine if a place is going to separate one set of wines from another.
all said, though, the chalkboard was a lovely place with excellent service and as the title of this review states, i will definitely try it again on a less-busy night. i'm sure it will be a pleasure.

i had dinner at the chalkboard last night with a friend. my friendordereda french martini. shortly after ordering drinks, we placed our dinner order. my friend was very specific that she wanted her entree without goat cheese. she repeated this several times. moments later, our first course arrived. my friend still had not received her martini. our first course was cleared and we were waiting on our entrees before her martini finally arrived. our entrees arrived and hers was covered in goat cheese. we got our waiters attention and he immediately took her dish back to get a new one prepared. her new entree arrived as i finished my entree. within a few bites of her "new" entree, she tasted goat cheese and was then finished. for a $100 dinner without dessert, i expected better service and attention to detail. the staff was courteous and apologetic but our dinner experience was disappointing.

perfect for impressing.... i was taken here for date night. the atmosphere was formal (we went in the evening, of course) with dim lighting and most guests wearing formal and attire. i'd recommend the same for you. our waiter was well informed and pleasant. iorderedthe fillet, my boyfriendorderedthe beef wellington. both meals were cooked to perfection, though i'd order the beef wellington in the future. the only complaint i have was seating was a bit crowded. overall, i hope to return in the future. the food was spectacular and the overall dining experience was exceptional.

up-ity. i dined here on a date. i made a reservation for 2. make it for 3! we were seated at a table where the hallway belonged. they are in high demand so seating is tight but the lighting gives you the comfort of privacy during your meal. i happened to be "suited up" and did not feel on bit over dressed. started with foie gras aka duck liver... it was very good. iorderedthe beef wellington and so should you. it is very rare to come across this delicacy due to the fact some ingredients are hard to come by. the absolutely best thing i have ever tasted. i was amazed...amazed! so, reservations for three if there is only two in your party and know what to order!

good. ate here for lunch on a tuesday in august.

my wife and i bothorderedthe burger with fries. the burger was very good, but it suffers the same problem that almost all burgers at high-end restaurants do. the burger patty is so juicy that after several bites the bun begins to fall apart and eating the burger becomes a messy chore. french fries were excellent.

service was fast and friendly. quick with the refills.

lunch prices are as expected for this type of restaurant. lunch entrées are around $12. i'll have to come back for dinner sometime and try the beef wellington as that seems to be what they're known for.

restuarant was clean and well-mainted. restrooms were clean.

-----04 aug, 2012-----

requires reservations. i called on a saturday and asked and was told that they require a reservation. you'll find nothing on their website about that.