I really wanted to love this place, and I will probably come back in a few months to give it another try. Unfortunately, I was not impressed with my first visit.
Getting seated was a challenge. We had reservations, arrived 5 mins early, but weren't seated for nearly 20 mins. We were asked to wait outside due to the restaurant size. This was fine as it was a pleasant evening, but I could see that being an issue in East TN. We specifically booked a dining room table, but were asked if we could sit at the bar instead. Online reservations are booked out for weeks, but another table said they called and were fit in that evening. This makes me think that the restaurant may be overextending itself, which is frustrating for those who made reservations ahead of time.
The inside is very cute, but not particularly comfortable. Some of the tables are extremely close together. I am a small person, but I couldn't avoid bumping into the person behind me. When their server needed to speak to the table behind me, he was essentially hovering right over me. I noticed a 4-person table where there was a pole positioned so that two of the diners couldn't even see each other.
It was extremely hot inside. I'm not sure if there was something wrong with their AC, but at one point they set up fans and opened to the door to get some air flowing. I was also really surprised by how loud the music was. Now before you write me off as a curmudgeon, I honestly don't think I've never noticed/complained about a restaurant's music before. It felt like I was in a nightclub. My husband and I had to shout at each other to be able to hear over it. There is one, single-stall bathroom.
The food:
I started with the heirloom tomato/anchovy dish. I'm used to anchovies being cooked down for the umami flavors, but this was just two anchovies sitting on top of the tomato. The anchovies were too strong- they completely overpowered the beautiful heirloom tomato. Not a fan. Portion size- one slice of heirloom tomatoes and two anchovies.
Next I had the potato dumplings. They were decent, if a tad bland. Reminded me of Russian vareniki. Portion size- three dumplings.
For my main I had the hake. It was very good, but a small portion, maybe a few ounces.
For dessert I had the chocolate mousse. It was good, but I didn't understand why they plated it at the table. They bring this big dish of mousse out, plop some on your plate, then sprinkle the toppings over it. I couldn't' figure out why they didn't do it in the kitchen and ensure a nice plating. It felt a little gimmicky.
My husband said that the mussels tasted like they were in an Indian curry dish. I think it came with 5 or 6 mussels. He said he prefers the mussels at Osteria Stella or Emilia's.
I usually enjoy a prix fix menu, but I don't enjoy paying $75 pp and leaving hungry. I almost never eat all my food when I go out to eat, but I ate everything. We ordered a decent bottle of wine (under $100), and after tax and tip, it was nearly $350 total. I expected this, but I did not expect to leave hungry as well.
I will say that the service was good, and everyone was very kind. I will probably return in a few months to see if they've worked out any of these issues. read more