Robert, a friend of mine told me about this place. I thought it would be a nice place to celebrate Piero's birthday (dance instructor & friend). It has a live band that plays songs from the 20's to 50's era. Last Friday was the night we decided to check it out. Most people dress accordingly. It is so nice to see young people really get into it; complete with the hairdo's and hats. It takes you back the days when people dressed up, had a nice dinner and danced the night away. Sandi and I were able to find something from our closets...had to improvise.
Sandi and I got there first. We were in awe of the ambiance with a big chandelier in the middle. They had a dance floor by the orchestra and an additional one upstairs by the bar. The prix fixe dinner that night was $49 plus $20 admission fee. So for $69 you were guaranteed a table. We expected more friends to come after dinner. The regular admission was still $20 but you are not guaranteed a seat. You could go upstairs by the bar and seating on sofas are on a first come first served basis.
The dinner was not bad though we thought it could have been a lot better for the price. Our main complaint was that it didn't have enough flavor. Good quality meat, shrimp and crab but not tasty. The chef had the nice ingredients but seemed like he/she didn't know how to make them delectable. Presentation was good though. Our first course was the Tiger Shrimp stuffed with lump crab wrapped in Kataifi (angel hair pastry) with a trio of caviar sauce. Doesn't that sound great? I was so excited. It was just okay. For entree, we all picked the "Maxwell Special"; Braised Short Ribs with vegetables and mashed potatoes. The presentation was nice, the meat was tender but we all agreed that it lacked the oooomph. (flavor) Sandi and I decided on the Creme Brulee. Again, it looked good but it was too rich (nothing wrong with that) but somehow it tasted like something from a mix or a can. We both ate just the top. Piero had the Chocolate Molten Cake with vanilla ice cream and fruit for his birthday dessert. No comment. It's really too bad because the food can and should be a lot better to suit the venue.
After dinner, Tom (my other dance instructor and friend) came with Yvonne. What a nice surprise! Later on, Alessandra and Monique came to join us. By that time, the dance floor was packed! It is wise to come early when you can still dance on the floor. Later on, it's just too hard without stepping on someones toes or worse, getting stepped on.
Despite everything, we still had a lot of fun. It was an experience. This is a nice place to go with friends. Next time, we might eat somewhere else then just pay the admission fee to get in shortly before the orchestra starts playing.
Wishing Piero a Happy Birthday!
Couldn't have said it better! Thanks for having us Karina! Good times.
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