EDITOR'S NOTE: City Restaurant Week continues through Saturday. Keep reading Second Helpings for more reviews. Staffers will be grabbing tables at all participating eateries.By PETER BOTHUM
The bread that's offered at a restaurant is kind of like a handshake.
On one hand, it's simply a gesture and a free, non-binding formality. Then again, it does provide a first impression of what's to come.
So what happened before an otherwise tasty two-course meal at Cafe Mezzanotte (1007 S. Orange St.) was kind of a bad moon rising. If its offering of bread was indeed a handshake, the hand awkwardly missed its target and fumbled clumsily into the person's rib cage.
When my dining partner and I sat down, no bread was to be had. Drinks were ordered and delivered, a specific request was made, and still no bread. Meanwhile, it seemed like all the other diners in the restaurant were soaking slices in generous amounts of oil and enjoying every tasty morsel in their mouths - I think I could hear an adult film soundtrack playing in the background.
The bread finally arrived, and, of course, it really wasn't that good. But Mezzanotte rebounded with the first course, which had us thinking that maybe that early harbinger was nothing. Cheese and tomatoes paired up in a circle around the greens and carrots and drizzled oil in the Italian Mozzarella Salad. The Pasta e Fagioli soup was surprising in its depth of bean-and-tomato-led flavor.
But then the Omen of the Bread came to fruition. Our waiter offered many apologies and made several "it's up next" visits, but it took a good solid 45 minutes for our lunch to come out (they did make up for the faux pas with complimentary desserts). Probably just a mix-up in the kitchen, but if Mezzanotte is going to score the lunch breaks of downtown workers, that's not going to cut it.
If, however, owner/chef Sergio Pellegrino can build his lunches quickly, they will come for the masterful blends of flavors. The Polpettoni pulled together hearty meats (ground chicken, ham, salami) and generous amounts of mozzarella.
Meanwhile, every bite of the gourmet pizza had something different to offer, depending on what combination of mozzarella, red peppers, eggplant, artichoke hearts and bacon bits (the real stuff!) your mouth found. And, in all honesty, this pizza beat the life out of the $15 mini-pizzas at Pizza By Elizabeths. Yeah, I said it.
One critique here: On one of the slices, the crust at the end was slightly crispier, and if the whole pizza was made that way it would have been insanely good.
8 comments:
Well Pizza by Elizabeths sucks. It's a joke.
I ate here just before going to see Spam-a-Lot at the Dupont Theater. The food was HORRIBLE.
Even the water tasted bad. We told them when we sat down that we had to be out in time to see the show and they assured us that wouldn't be a problem (they even had a "theater special" so they were well aware of the theate crowd coming in). Regardless, we almost missed the show because the food was slow in coming out and the waiter took forever to give us the check, even though we asked for it.
This place SUCKS. Don't waste yout time or money.
Please excuse the comment by the person above me. For the food to be called 'horrible' is a complete and total hyperbole. Are you serious? The food is far from horrible, it's one of the best restaurants I've ever eaten at. I've been coming there with my family for years. It doesn't serve french fries and hamburgers. You obviously don't know good Italian food if you are calling Cafe Mezzanotte's food "horrible". Where do you eat? Olive Garden?
The service is friendly and very welcoming. Dear Anonymous, unless you come to terms with the fact that any restaurant around the DuPont theatre is packed, then you're a lost cause. No offense, but a restaurant that is packed with people cannot go ahead of their other tables just to please you. I, too, was there for the show. But I chose a certain time that I knew wouldn't interfere with my show. To blame a restaurant, and it's service, for your tardiness to going to a show is unnecessary. I never missed one show, because I always made a reservation in on time.
In my honest opinion, it is like insulting where I have been bringing my family to for about four years. It is definitely worth your money. No other Chef I know would come out once and a while to introduce himself to his costumers. The hospitality is remarkable.
Please, do me a favor, learn about quality food.
Well then. When we asked if they would be able to serve us in time for the show, and their response was, "no problem at all. Plenty of time."
Maybe they should think twice about that response from now on.
Oh and that still doesn't change the fact that the food was HORRIBLE.
Are you kidding? Chefs come out to the dining room all the time. Especially in Italian places. And who cares is someone is insulting a place where you take your family? That makes no sense.
Seriously.
The poster was simply giving their opinion. If you like their food and service just say so and don't berate someone for feeling a different way. That really is rude of you to say that because they don't like the same resturaunt that you do, they don't know abotu quality food.
You need to grow up and understand that the world doesn't base your opinion as fact and anyone who disagrees with it is wrong.
And apparently you know nothing about the theater and local restaurants catering to that crowd. The restaurants know what time the theater starts and they will have special deals on the menu for that crowd. Usually about 30-45 min. before the show starts, the "theater deals" are over. In other words, if the restaurant is still running the special, then they are saying that you should be able to eat in time. The poster also said that he/she even asked if there would be enough time and the waiter said yes.
Never eaten at Pizza by Elizabeths, but I would like to invite Elizabeth to Elizabeth.
Elizabeth invites all Elizabeths or Elisabeth (first or middle name) to:
Gathering of Elizabeths, where everybody knows your name, June 27, 2009.
Goal to break the World Record 435 Elizabeths Gathered In One Place At One Time set in 2008.
For the Gathering of Elizabeths event information and registration go to www.MostElizabeths.com
If you can not attend please share this message and website with your friends, colleagues, church community and family. Someone you know is either named Elizabeth or they know someone named Elizabeth.
E. Rudy Pascoe
Co-Chair
Gathering of Elizabeths
general@mostelizabeths.com
PS: Attached photo is the group picture of all Elizabeths Gathered June 28, 2008.
Post a Comment