We went to TC for dinner on Saturday. I forgot to bring the camera, so there are no pictures, but that is no great loss as I was extremely disappointed with the food. The service wasn't that flash either.
For the entree, I had the risotto with the salt and pepper baked (or fried?) quail. The quail was overcooked and tasteless - except for the skin, which tasted only of salt. The risotto wasn't terrible but was flat and boring. The combination of the quail and the risotto was just poorly conceived as the two didn't go together IMO. I've had good risotto, so I know what I'm talking about. A good risotto can have wonderfully complex, complementary flavours that make you go, "OOO" when you have that first taste - this one was just a big blah.
D had the rabbit (can't remember what else it came with). I didn't try it but D said it wasn't great. I would have guessed that just by looking at it because it was crumbed and deep fried and looked like two sticks of fish fingers. Not something you'd expect in a restaurant charging fine dining prices.
For the mains, we both had the rib eye, medium-rare. I had the same thing about 2 months ago and thought I'd give it another shot. It was worse this time. I have never in my life had such a bad cut of meat in a fancy restaurant...TWICE! This is the punishment I get for giving it another chance. The steaks I usually get at fancy restaurants are tender, juicy and 'melt-in-your-mouth' delicious. This place has taken to serving the kind of grisly, fatty meat (not in the marbled Kobe beef kind of way - more like in the 'chunks of fat you have to spit out' kind of way) I had previously thought I would only find at road-side food shacks back home or cheaper "$10 steaks" establishments. The only thing half decent about this meal was the hand cut fries, which were chunky and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
I was so annoyed that I didn't want to stay for dessert (the dessert menu did not offer anything interesting IMO anyway) and I will never dine there again. That dismal meal set us back $98, which is expensive for two courses and no drinks, at a "bistro". Having said that, the price wouldn't have mattered if the food was good. Bad food at high prices however, is a double whammy and is inexcusable.
