Since we weren’t that happy with our first tasting, our venue asked us to come back for a second one, where the executive chef, Phil, would be present. This experience was much better and I’m a bit more relaxed now.
We started with the Crab Cakes which were still not lump crab meat but tasted much much better. They were the right consistency, fork tender, but not mushy. Presentation was again, very nice.
The Kung Pao Calamari was very distinctive. Each crispy fried piece was cooked perfectly and tossed in a Kung Pao Sauce with assorted nuts. I loved the different textures and really enjoyed the unique taste. It was a bit too sweet for me but perfect for Lon, who was ready to lick the plate clean.
Next, we were most impressed with the Sesame Crusted Striped Bass. The pretty sesame coating added a nice crunch to the tender fish. It was laid across a great Parmesan Risotto, but to be nit picky, it really wasn’t risotto, more of a rice version of mac & cheese. Still, it was delicious, creamy and cheesy, with fresh scallions. We made note to ask for less sauce too, but it was really a fantastic dish.
The Duck Legs were way better than last time. The skin was still not crispy, but the duck had the aroma and flavor of duck. The sweet potato mash was just as good as last time, and they added skinny crispy French fries on top, exactly the way I like them.
The one dish that was worse than last time was the Filet Mignon. It was cooked medium-rare, as ordered; it was just the meat itself that we did not like. We both thought there was some off-taste to it. Each of the main courses were served with a neat little bundle of string beans and carrot that were perfectly al dente.
As we finished up, Chef Phil sat with us to discuss our meal and what I came away with is: Some things will not be perfect because there’s always going to be a glitch here or there, especially when you’re as picky as I am. But, I can tell that Chef Phil and Gary (the manager) are listening to our critiques and working hard to make things as wonderful as they can for us. Even our waiter, John, was fantastic, just like our waiter last time. Carlyle on the Green is truly a service place.
As full as we were, they insisted on bringing us a grand dessert platter, like last time. I couldn’t eat much more but I managed to free up some space for that insanely good ice cream sandwich.
This killed my hope of going light so I hope it’s worth it.
On the site and more so offline, I often talk about how important service is to me. I can cook as well as most restaurant chefs, so rarely am I going out to eat purely for the cuisine, although I do enjoy being inspired.
So I want to highlight the importance of the wondrous and rarely seen service that Gary, the General Manager at Carlyle on the Green, has ensured and provided.
First, he is consistently gracious, even during our regular quality checks. Second, he has done a stellar job in staffing, John, the manager of the restaurant, Andrew, the waiter who served us last time, Phil the Executive Chef, and even the busboy who tended to us (I didn’t catch his name), were so helpful and easygoing. They all knew their job and treated us like royalty.
Whether you’re about to pay tens of thousand of dollars to a business or just ten dollars, you should always receive this level of service. So even with the minor food glitches, my hat is off to the team at Carlyle.
And finally, third, when we bring up issues, it is purely for the purpose of identifying and resolving those issues. There is zero mal-intent. And it makes me so happy to work with Phil & Gary who both pick up on that and work to resolve the issues immediately.
What a wonderful experience. If the wedding is like this, we are going to be very happy!
I should know better than to read your blog when I am hungry… or even when I am not hungry. Sometimes I think I can actually taste the food just from the descriptions you provide. I am very excited to go to your wedding. I already know what I am going to order. And Lon, I agree with you about service. I think service is a key differentiator in business, especially among New Yorkers.