The menu offered delectable choices, the pictures from the website documented the chef’s eye for culinary detail with his creations and the only negative that Chez could find from the reviews was the scarcity of suitable parking. Well-armed with this information, Chez and his dinner companion ventured forth to see if the ‘hype’ about this place was well deserved…
Sadly, it was not. The noise level of the placed had passed the ‘vibrant’ stage many dBs ago and was now operating in the ‘painful’ range. The background music and its over-amped bass setting was no doubt made all the worse by the presence of the plethora of televisions that festooned the walls, each on their own channel and adding to the cacophony.The staff, who must have thought that it was still Halloween and all had decided to go as The Addam’s Family, did all of the ‘right things’ but from the demeanor of the host to the black fingernail adorned, waitress, to several of the clientele who wandered in during our stay, it gave the whole place a decidedly creepy feel.
Cocktails, our standard fair – the Martini, rated only a C-, due to the pronounced lack of ‘chill’ on the drink and the rather lackluster presentation… a bane of this establishment that was to permeate the entire evening.
The appetizer for the evening, the Saganaki (Flaming Cheese) was the savory highpoint of the evening and its distinct flavor won the day, but it too was lacking any panache in its presentation… so sad.
The salads, looking like refugees from the local Denny’s, failed to achieve any culinary points in either the taste department or in the presentation category. Now that I think about it, this statement might be doing a great disservice to Denny’s, since they DO NOT offer themselves out as a fine dining establishment.
For the main courses, Chez opted for the New York Strip with Au Ju and when it arrived, it did so: a) Fatty and gristly,
b) Sans the Au Ju,
c) Served with over cooked veggie garnishes (no presentation points here),
d) And served with cold, limp, greasy French Fries.
b) Sans the Au Ju,
c) Served with over cooked veggie garnishes (no presentation points here),
d) And served with cold, limp, greasy French Fries.
The meal was a great disappointment and when you juxtapose this steak to the steak featured on their website… well, I am considering filing a Truth in Advertising Suit against the establishment, but I think my wife will talk me out of it.
For her main course, my wife chose the Chicken Piccata and she said that it was acceptable but hardly worthy of Star Status. (She is so much nicer than me.) I found the sauce to have a flour-taste reminiscent of library paste and it too lacked any beauty in presentation. No dessert course here. No sense adding insult to injury and besides… we were both getting a headache from the noise.So, what is the bottom line evaluation? This one is easy…
The establishment may be a local hot spot and ‘The Place to Be’ in Elgin, but as a fine dining establishment, Chez warns you to steer clear of this place.
All it gets from him is the Big Raspberry! 
