Restaurant Review by Jennifer Kumar.
Meet and Greet
As we entered on a Friday night about 7pm, it was quiet. There were no lines and no waiting. I had called for a reservation a few hours previous, though I was told reservations are not required. That was very true on this night, because besides us there were only three other tables occupied inside and about 4-5 occupied for outside dining.
Mise en Scène
Driving to this place, one may miss it unless you are observant. It is located on
Inside it was nice and serene. The area was spacious and tastefully decorated. I think I remember seeing a fireplace inside, but not quite sure. Past our room was a room with French doors where they served a buffet or brunch. It was not open for dinnertime.
Wearing casual or semi-formal dress is sufficient. Though looking around, it seemed we were the youngsters in the house as most others were older or elderly. The party next to us, comprised of about 12, was throwing a birthday party for a cute baby turning 1. But, beside the baby at the table, all others appeared to be older than us.
**We did not have to use restrooms, so no comment on that ambiance!
Choosing a Veggie Treat
Before making the reservation, I checked the menu on their website. I was surprised to find a few interesting vegetarian options, such as the Raspberry Brie appetizer and the Eggplant, Tomato and Goat cheese stack. (We went for the Raspberry Brie, pictured in the beginning of this review, which was very tasty indeed!) And, for the main menu items, few items seemed very intriguing in addition to the pasta dishes which can usually easily be made vegetarian if required.
For main course, I chose the “Eggplant and Asparagus Roulades Grilled marinated eggplant,
Boursin cheese and asparagus roll ups with fire roasted red pepper sauce.” I tried to snap a picture of it, the best I got is shown below. I liked the presentation- very artistically done, but somehow the taste of the dish was very confusing. The asparagus was wrapped in grilled eggplant. The inner roll of this was smothered with some creamy sauce (I guess the Boursin cheese) and the ‘fire roasted red pepper sauce’ was on the outside of the roll. The Boursin cheese sauce was very creamy and too much a contrast with the red pepper sauce. I think one sauce would have sufficed- preferably the red pepper sauce. The price for the dish seemed to be a bit steep, but the presentation itself takes some labor and patience, I suppose. Above and beyond the main course, the sides of mashed potatoes and steamed zucchini were amazingly fresh and tasty!The other dish on the menu that seemed intriguing was the “Mixed Field Greens with Pear and Blue Cheese.” Somehow I like the thought of these contrasting flavors- semi-sweet pears with bitter blue cheese. It was a chilly day that day and I felt the blue cheese and pears would make me feel too cool. The eggplant and red pepper sauce really warmed me up.
Checking In
We were attended to in regular and prompt intervals. Service was very good.
See you later
I remember waiting for the bill and waiting for it to be paid was seamless. By the time we paid, we were one of the last customers left in the building at 9pm. Seems they close very early for a Friday night.
Pay Scale
$16-20 per person / $21-25 per person
This location can be slightly too very pricy depending on your eating habits.
If you eat like us, by sharing an appetizer and having your own entrée, it’s possible to exit for as low as $20 a person (about our costs).
If you come here for a four course meal, enjoying an appetizers, salad, entrée, and desert, it would be very pricy (most likely from $40-$60 per person).
Tips
10-12% was sufficient.
Star System 2.5/3
Though we have no overt complaints, this location just does not fall within our typical taste buds or price range. It is a nice place to come to try exotic western dishes that I would not attempt to make at home and it’s a nice place to come to relax and eat, no doubt. We may come again to try the brunch/buffet and possibly for that pear salad!
To find/Contact
Hawthorne's Restaurant
(585) 385-4959
Get directions
No comments:
Post a Comment