OK.
That's what I would say about our recent dinner for six at Dish + drinks (and yes, for those inquiring minds, according to the menu, this is actually the name). Dandd is definitely not a special occasion kind of place, but the food was fine, if properly prepared, for the most part.
We started with "Chicken spring rolls...honey sambal dipping sauce" and Conch fritter Martini with Cuban lentil salad and Mojo sauce. Both were 7 bucks, and in the case of both efforts, the sauce and accompaniment was better than the object they were there to serve. Think Cheesecake factory plus here, if you are looking for mouthfeel.
The lobster bisque (Chef's soup of the day) that a few had next was slightly better than average, with a nice back-of-the-spoon coating consistency and genuine creamy essence of lobster to the soup. The only thing it was missing was any sign of lobster meat as a garnish, or at least as a reward for those brave enough to trust this kitchen to pull this off. Others played it safe with "Mixed greens...goat cheese crouton & honey-champagne vinaigrette" and "Butter lettuce salad...Maytag bleu cheese, citrus segments, peppered pecans & raspberry vinaigrette". Neither salad was offensive or left a pool of dressing on the bottom of the plate, and the lettuce seemed fresh. The raspberry dressing was a bit on the sweet side.
The main courses that followed were mostly straight forward. The "Grilled beef tenderloin on crispy potato, shitake mushrooms and red wine sauce" was a crowd pleaser, with the meat coming out perfectly cooked. Also good was the "One-half chicken...mashed potatoes and pan jus", which also arrived equally as good as Cafe Deluxe version. These two dishes were clearly the dinner's strong point and was greeted by nods of approval by those who went this route. Other menu choices included crab cakes, pepper crusted salmon, pan seared rockfish and a pork chop. None of these got the call, however. We did, though, get to see the kitchen's attempt at pasta, listed n the menu as "Dish pasta...egg fettuccini, forest mushrooms & mascarpone cream", to which could be added roasted chicken, grilled shrimp and hanger streak. (The shrimp came out well-done and the hanger steak, like the other meat, came as requested.) The pasta itself was overcooked, however the sauce was excellent. A refined, creamy, surprisingly complex tasting concoction.
Do you see a trend here? Whoever had the meat station was on that night, as was the saucier, since in every case, the sauce noticeably outclassed the food it was designed to enhance. True for the chix spring roll, the fritter, as well as the pasta... and if I see so many ellipses on a menu ever again I will have to mail a copy of Strunk and White to someone.
We bailed on desert and had Double Rainbow chocolate ice cream at home (Thank you Trader Joe's).
All in all, not a bad meal, and certainly good company, which alone made it worth a getting a sitter for a night out with friends. But would I go there again? No. Was it better than a large chain dinner? Not much.
A decent neighborhood choice, certainly. But with gas over $3 a gallon, I wouldn't even give my car a sideways glance to get here for dinner.
