First impressions count. Usually. The first waiter who attended to us here was obsequious to the point of parody; exaggerated pauses, every move performed with a flourish, an affected Italian accent when pronouncing the dish names. The first wine he suggested to me also cost $124 a bottle. Annoying? Yes! It's not like we exuded the air of high-flying corporate lunchers. We don't even wear suits (although a couple of years ago, that would have marked us as millionaires). Hell, our extra guest today (Michael) didn't even order any food.
The waiter got better. More on that later. First, let's talk about the prices. Ouch! I knew it was an expensive place, but not this expensive. Excessive? Perhaps, even for the prime location in Southgate, but truly excellent food could justify some of it, and perhaps make us ignore the strange waiter.
Alas, we were to be disappointed. At least until dessert and the bill settlement (again, more later). I ordered the soup of the day, an oxtail broth, which was actually quite good and not too expensive ($9.50). But the mains were less than overwhelming. Dave ordered one of the specials, which was turkey fillets, cooked I forget how, covered in a sauce I forget what (Bad reviewer! - Ed.). Dave's meal was tasty enough, but nothing extraordinary and perhaps not worth $36.50. My meal certainly looked better, and had an elaborate name (Coniglio arrostito con carciofi e fave su polenta morbida). Stuffed rabbit leg, in clearer terms. Stuffed with what, I couldn't quite tell. It also was tasty enough, but way too dry to be properly enjoyable. I don't think even a naturally dry meat should be dry to the point where you can't finish it. Certainly not worth $37. And I didn't pay $37. More on that later.
Wines: Alexander Park Pinot Noir and Dal Zotto Cabernet Sauvignon. Both perfectly drinkable, not outstanding.
Dessert was much much better. We both had the Bacio al gianduja, which was a warm, runny chocolate hazelnut pudding ($14.50). One of the better examples of this type of dessert (the chocolate soufflé class). Thoroughly enjoyable. I wanted to compare the Belgian Chocolate Soufflé but we didn't have enough time to wait for them to cook it (20 minutes minimum). Michael and I both had coffee ($4), and it was excellent.
The restrooms were very basic for a place this expensive. Small and cramped, if clean, but the real linen towels were a nice touch.
Between the mains and dessert, the maitre'd did something I've never seen before. He came by with a little pen-like instrument, sort of a long metal squeegee, and scraped the crumbs off the table. Not onto the floor; the squeegee had a scoop shape and he carried the crumbs away in it.
Now onto the (somewhat) saving graces. The waiter's behaviour became less contrived as the restaurant filled up and he got busier. Also, he wasn't the only one who served us - three people seemed to share responsibility for the entire dining room. And when he asked me how my meal was, I told him it was too dry to really enjoy. He apologised and said he'd speak to the chef. When the bill came, he scrutinised it before handing it to me and quite explicitly said "it's correct." I thought it was a bit strange, and upon examining the bill we discovered that I had not in fact had the coniglio, but two lemon lime and bitters at $3.50 each! Thinking it was a mistake, I studied the bill more closely when the same waiter passed by and again stated "it's correct." Suddenly I realised that he had basically given me a $30 discount on my meal! That kind of accommodation, if strangely discreet, certainly made us rethink the probability rating we were going to give this place. When the maitre'd came to give me my credit card and receipt back, he also apologised that my meal was not entirely satisfactory.
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Dave's summary: "You have my permission to make something up."
Probability that we will return: 25 / 42 (increased from 20 due to the dessert and the strange discount)
Note that the probability rating is affected by the fact that there are hundreds of places to eat around here.