I have heard about this place for a while. My girlfriend's parents have informed us more than once that this place serves really good food. We have driven past the place a handful of times as the parking lot was usually full and finally stopped in to see what all the hype was about. There weren't many people there a little after 3PM on a Sunday. As I'm writing this review a couple days after the experience, my critique may not be the utmost precise, but I don't have much to say about the restaurant anyway.
The place looks fancy. With stained glass doohickeys hanging in the windows and subdued incandescent lighting, it doesn't look so bad. But I didn't show up for a fancy atmosphere.
For starters, you're served freshly made bread with whipped butter. The bread was so good, I was thinking about asking the waitress for some to take home! A slight aroma of herbs emanated from the warm bread, making your munchies satisfied with more than just a simple pleasure, but a craving for more. My girlfriend started dipping the bread in my soup, and I followed, but we both came to the conclusion that the bread stood on its own. No need to bring broccoli soup to 'this' party, the party in my tummy that is.
I ordered some sort of fish, which came with some options. As previously noted, I ordered broccoli soup, as well as fries. Just as any ol thick broccoli soup, it was naturally good. The fries, though, were the type with that odd outer layer of what can only be described as crumbs. I've been to a few restaurants that serve fries this way, and they don't taste the worst, but they just look and feel like they've been battered for reasons unbeknown to myself. I don't prefer them, but at least they weren't soggy. Some places have really good fries, and I wouldn't add Georgio's to that list.
If I would have truly loved the main dish, I would have remembered what it was I ate. It was some sort of fish with marinara, and with a side of spinach. Let's start with the spinach; it was raw. I really have no one to blame but myself on this point, as the menu did specify spinach and not buttered spinach, creamed spinach, spinach with any extra flavor, etc. It was just ... spinach. Steamed I believe, but not much else. I put some butter, pepper, and salt on it, but it was still just spinach. I should get over it though. After-all, raw is healthy.
The fish was nothing to write home about. While executed mostly correctly, there were no frills beside the marinara, which was just a marinara. The edges were seared a little past fork tenderness, but the fish as a whole wasn't overcooked. The fish could have used some sort of garnish, or possibly could have been cooked in something with more flavor. While not bad, it just didn't stand out.
While I did not order a salad, I tried some of my girlfriend's. I don't know what kind she ordered, but it had chicken, fresh blueberries, and dried cranberries in it. The result? It was actually really good. So if you see some sort of salad with these things in it, I'd recommend it. Also, it was very large. My girlfriend only finished about half of it.
I almost forgot - the drinks! I got a "peachtini" (peach martini) and my girlfriend got some other peach drink, with a smoothie texture. While I regret ordering a martini, since I constantly forget that I don't really like them, it wasn't all that bad. If you're the type who likes martinis, this one definitely had a peach taste. My girlfriend's drink, of course, was actually a lot more preferable, and was really good.
While the restaurant certainly had some good food, none of it was on my plate. The service was a tad slow, but nothing to get up in arms about. The prices weren't too bad, but they were higher than I would have liked. For these prices, I would expect a little more oompf in the taste. The price for two including $6 drinks was a bit over $30 from what I recall. The menu lacked selection and detail. You know how you go to some restaurants and can't make up your mind between a few things on the menu because they all look so good? That didn't happen here. It was lackluster, boring, and didn't make me want anything in particular. Some creative descriptions would help, along with pictures perhaps.
Would I go there again? Personally, I'd rather try out a different place when I'm in the area. Who knows, maybe I just ordered the wrong thing. I thought the fish would be good, but nothing else on the menu was all that alluring or descriptive enough for me to make a better choice. In all, the place didn't stand up to the hype, which is a bit disappointing. read more