Monday Morning Quarterbacking: Alizee
When I asked my husband whether he would give the food at Alizee, which I reviewed yesterday, four stars, he said it was very difficult for him to separate the food from the service.
It wasn't exactly bad service we got there, just that we had to wait for so long for our dishes. He also asked for more bread, and it didn't arrive until he had almost finished his entree.
I fared a little better because I was the one of us four who got her drink (and I went ahead and drank my glass of wine; it had been a long day). I was just about finished mine when the other three arrived, after some prompting by us. ...
Probably the most frustrating thing for me was at the end of a long evening seeing our desserts go from the kitchen to the bar and then back again before coming to us because of some miscommunication. (Another waiter had pitched in to help, I guess, who didn't know where we sat.) I was ready to leave.
And yet, I enjoyed every morsel of my dinner and as much of everyone else's that I could talk them out of. I was expecting it to be good, but not as good as it was. Chef deLutis has been honing his skills since I last ate his cooking.
If you read the review in the print edition, by the way, there was a misunderstanding about the oysters; and one of the sentences was changed to suggest the smoke was introduced under them. That should have been "under the cover." Sorry for the confusion.
(Lloyd Fox/Sun photographer)
Categories: Monday Morning Quarterbacking
Comments
Total topic swerve: I just heard that Gourmet Magazine is shutting down. What a shame.
Posted by: pigtown | October 5, 2009 12:38 PM
Went to Alizee Saturday night, and I agree completely with your 4 stars for food. Fortunately, the service was much better for us. The servers were attentive and the meal was timed well. We started with the charcuterie plate and enjoyed 2 types of sausage as well as the chicken liver pate. The pate tasted just like my mother's chopped liver (a good thing) but with a different texture. My husband had the Kobe beef strip steak, a special that evening. He loved it and was kind enough to share a couple of bites. It may have been the best steak I've ever tasted in a restaurant. I had the pork which was delicious and falling off the bone. My only complaint was the too salty sauerkraut. We finished with a nice chocolate mousse cake and very good coffee. Alizee is too pricey for us on a regular basis, but it is certainly someplace we will go again.
Posted by: LRN | October 5, 2009 1:21 PM
A friend and I went to Alizee for lunch. I was eying the crustacean bisque and a salad, but she just wanted a sandwich, so we both ordered sandwiches. Her chicken salad sandwich came with red grapes (in the sandwich) and tarragon. She said the chicken was very dry. There was also a small salad which smelled very vinegary. She took a few bites and left it. I had the triple club sandwich, which was full of tasty things, but the good wheat bread was cut so thickly that I could barely get the sandwich in my mouth. My lunch came with French fries, which were tasty, but limp. We also got crusty rolls which must have been left over from the previous day. I was afraid of breaking a tooth. On the plus side, there were plenty of servers and we were in and out in just about an hour. I will give them another chance (and not just because I want some of that bisque!)
There is also a "lunch express" menu--you can get either the soup of the day or a small salad, plus a limited selection of entrees, and a sweet--and for $15.
Posted by: Dahlink | October 7, 2009 6:24 AM
Sorry-that should read "all for $15."
Posted by: Dahlink | October 7, 2009 6:25 AM
One more thought on Alizee--it was great to see people in that handsome space again. Fingers crossed that they will make it work this time around.
Posted by: Dahlink | October 7, 2009 6:48 AM
4 stars huh? Even with bad service, sub par bread and average desserts? Sounds uneven, like say- B&O or Blue Hill- or any of the other recent reviews published here. Lets hope 4 stars isn't the kiss of death (3.5 star curse) be damned.
The desserts weren't average at all; I'm not sure where you got that idea. They were clever and delicious takes on classics. And what's service got to do with it? That's a separate category of stars. Both B & O and Blue Hill Tavern had uneven food, but good service. My experience at Alizee was excellent food and uneven service. Why do those things sound the same to you? EL
Posted by: iknow | October 7, 2009 10:32 AM
Is there a nice way of saying "Here we go again"?
Posted by: Laura Lee | October 7, 2009 11:20 AM
Sounds like a great place for dinner but bad for lunch and since I normally only go out for lunch I take a bye on this place.
Posted by: Elite Elephant Lover | October 7, 2009 11:26 AM
Well being a hotel I guess it has to offer breakfast and lunch AND dinner. While the main focus (at least of the review and such) seems to be dinner, Im sure its a very different crew running breakfast and lunch. Perhaps those two meal periods will get up to speed in time.
Posted by: hmm | October 7, 2009 11:55 AM
I wasn't trying to say it was a bad choice for lunch, but I think we could have made more inspired selections from the menu to see what the kitchen can do.
Posted by: Dahlink | October 7, 2009 3:10 PM
I thought rosti were Swiss, not Swedish? Not that it matters. I love the stuff either way.
Posted by: Lissa | October 7, 2009 8:39 PM