I've been sitting on writing this review for awhile, probably longer than I should, but I still…read moreremember the evening pretty well and recently came across the photos that I had yet to post, so here goes nothing! But that is kind of the point, a restaurant like Marisol should leave you anxious to go home and tell others about what a great eating experience you had. In my case, while the food overall was good, I wasn't taken aback by anything, and at this price point, I feel that I should have been.
Things started off really well, the server was eager to explain the restaurant and menu, and stayed very attentive throughout. Honestly, for my taste, overly attentive. But it's not a big place, and also wasn't very busy, so it makes sense he would have stayed vigilant with us. After ordering drinks, we received a small starter of goat cheese on crostini with some bruschetta, a nice way to kick things off. Then, one of the highlights, the basket of incredible breads was presented to us. If he had left the basket at the table, we probably would have run through it all, but we did have a few pieces with butter, that were beyond excellent.
The appetizer course was fantastic. Flash fried buttermilk shrimp, house made gravlax, tomato pie, cavatelli, and a duck special. The tomato pie, I honestly wish i could have ordered a larger slice for my entrée, because I could eat that every day. The gravlax was kind of like eating lox, and I dug the texture with the crispy bread and shmear. The shrimp were plump, but given the price, nothing about them set them apart from fried shrimp elsewhere. The duck.. I said earlier about the tomato pie, maybe just give me the duck and tomato pie for an entrée, I would have been happy.
For my main, i got the blackened NC mountain trout, and like others at my table, this is where the meal started to fall flat. The trout just didn't set itself apart in any way, other than the fish being clearly fresh. The blackening didn't add much flavor, nor did the sauce that it came with. For this being the supposed centerpiece of our experience, it was disappointing. I found myself wishing I got the duck breast that someone else had.
For dessert, we shared the vanilla bean creme brulee and the bread pudding. The crème brûlée was well executed, which is no ordinary feat, so big props for that. The bread pudding however was the total opposite. I have never really encountered dry bread pudding before, but this was it. Even though it was covered in chocolate sauce (would have just liked a dish of that) and ice cream, still somehow dry to the bone. I was surprised the waiter didn't ask about it, given it was barely touched by all of us, and he had been so attentive to everything else.
In the end, for the money, I don't know that I would return. As I said earlier, at this price point, it kind of needs to be great from top to bottom. Some of it was, but the most important part was kind of pedestrian. I could definitely see myself coming back for drinks and apps though!
