We chose Zitune from OpenTable.com based on our wonderful experience with Moroccan food at Tagine in the One & Only Royal Mirage, Dubai. OpenTable.com categorized Zitune as a $30 and under restaurant, which is really a half truth. The entrees are indeed less than $30, but you won't get the whole experience with just an entree. So it's better to be prepared for an expensive meal even though the dress code is casual.
The Service
Our reservation was for 7:30 pm, but by 6:30 pm, we were done with our day and hungry. So we showed up an hour early to a mostly empty restaurant. The hostess greeted us kindly and promptly. She explained that they had many reservations for the next hour, so she couldn't seat us immediately, in case everyone showed up for their reservation. Since we were early, we had no qualms about hanging out at the bar and ordering some appetizers.
We took the four seats at the front of the bar so we could see one another and have a decent conversation. These were great seats for me, since the large picture windows let in plenty of light, which I love. The darker interior would have taken much away from my enjoyment. The bar stools were comfortable and stable. The seat back was great for leaning back occasionally, and the ledge was at the perfect height for resting our feet. The stools were spaced perfectly for intimate conversations, yet gave everyone plenty of room. The bar top was deep and spacious, and we didn't have to get rid of any of our plates or glasses before we were ready. The tables, on the other hand, did not look like they offered this luxury.
Josh, the bartender, was instrumental in making our evening wonderful. He greeted us immediately, came by periodically with some good stories, and made incredible drinks. He never interrupted our conversation and without hovering over us, was always there to refill our glasses or pick up our plates.
The Food
I hesitated with the sourdough with olives since I don't like sourdough or olives. Yet the two strong flavors canceled each other out just enough for me to enjoy it. blogger14, on the other hand, likes both sourdough and olives, so she enjoyed the bread without picking out a single piece of olive. The hummus, instead of butter or olive oil, was of course far superior to what Safeway sells.
For our appetizer, we chose the Rock Shrimp Mchermel with extra pita points (Josh's recommendation.) The mixture of shrimp, tomatoes, chorizo, and harissa aioli was flavorful and sumptuous. It was so good that, after finishing the extra pita points, I resorted to the sourdough with olives to clean off the plates.
Our entrees included a beautifully spiced Orange Lavender Duck Breast and a deliciously sweet Roasted Monk Fish Tangeroise. In comparison, the perfectly cooked Moroccan Cornish Hen and the light Rock Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto lacked a distinguishing kick. The Rock Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto actually reminded me of Asian fried rice because everything was mixed together. In other words, it was a great companion dish for both the duck and the monk fish, but I would not recommend it as an entree on its own.
Zitune
325 Main Street
Los Altos, CA 94022
(650) 947-0247
Summary
Food: Excellent
Cleanliness: Excellent
Service: Excellent
Price: Expensive ($90 for a 3-course meal and a glass of wine, including 10% tax and 20% tip)
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Monday, April 16, 2007
Marcel's
Marcel's decor exudes understated elegance from both the inside and the outside. I've walked past it numerous times, yet I always forget that it's there. Reviews by friends and on the web all give the restaurant high marks for food and service, so I was looking forward to our dinner reservations on Sunday night. The experience was like watching a great movie with a bad soundtrack. The music should have complemented and enhanced the movie, except it interrupted the wonderful story just enough to degrade the movie from excellent to good.
The Service
The only reservation we could get was at 5:30 pm, so the place was nearly empty. Disappointment started to build as soon as we walked in. I was greeted nearly immediately ("Welcome, young lady."), even though two of us walked in at the same time. On the positive side, they offered to seat us even though we were waiting for one more.
As we got to our table, I indicated my seat choice out loud, but was politely told by the host that "the lady usually sits in this seat." Caught by surprise by this odd and unwarranted comment, I yielded to the host's "suggestion."
We were promptly offered drinks while we waited, and we looked over the wine list while waiting for everyone to arrive. Once everyone was seated though, we waited several minutes before anyone walked the three feet from their stations to offer us menus.
Since we had such an early reservation, we had the opportunity to review the regular menu, the tasting menu, the daily specials menu, and the theater menu. Our waiter dutifully explained the four menus to us in a subtly condescending manner that mirrored the host's "young lady" greeting. Not what you would expect from a pricey restaurant.
Our appetizers and entrees all arrived freshly prepared, but both times, our main waiter had to correct the servers about which dish goes where. The dining experience was further diminshed by the servers walking around our table with large metal trays. Despite the well-lit environment and unobstructed view of our table, the servers kept looking over our shoulders to see if we were finished. Again, not what you would expect from a nice restaurant.
The worst offense of all came when we ordered dessert. Since we were given no prioir warning about how long the souffle would take to prepare, I assumed their "souffle" offering was probably some kind of molten hot chocolate cake. That was fine. I just wanted chocolate. Our waiter's non-comment about my souffle order seemed to confirm that I was getting some random chocolate concoction. He took everyone's orders, and as an after thought, told us the souffle would take about 12 to 13 minutes to prepare. What an appropriate end to a bad service experience all night.
The Food
To be continued...
Marcel's
2401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 296-1166
Summary
Food: Excellent
Cleanliness: Excellent
Service: Good
Price: Expensive ($90 for a 3-course meal and a glass of wine, including 10% tax and 20% tip)
The Service
The only reservation we could get was at 5:30 pm, so the place was nearly empty. Disappointment started to build as soon as we walked in. I was greeted nearly immediately ("Welcome, young lady."), even though two of us walked in at the same time. On the positive side, they offered to seat us even though we were waiting for one more.
As we got to our table, I indicated my seat choice out loud, but was politely told by the host that "the lady usually sits in this seat." Caught by surprise by this odd and unwarranted comment, I yielded to the host's "suggestion."
We were promptly offered drinks while we waited, and we looked over the wine list while waiting for everyone to arrive. Once everyone was seated though, we waited several minutes before anyone walked the three feet from their stations to offer us menus.
Since we had such an early reservation, we had the opportunity to review the regular menu, the tasting menu, the daily specials menu, and the theater menu. Our waiter dutifully explained the four menus to us in a subtly condescending manner that mirrored the host's "young lady" greeting. Not what you would expect from a pricey restaurant.
Our appetizers and entrees all arrived freshly prepared, but both times, our main waiter had to correct the servers about which dish goes where. The dining experience was further diminshed by the servers walking around our table with large metal trays. Despite the well-lit environment and unobstructed view of our table, the servers kept looking over our shoulders to see if we were finished. Again, not what you would expect from a nice restaurant.
The worst offense of all came when we ordered dessert. Since we were given no prioir warning about how long the souffle would take to prepare, I assumed their "souffle" offering was probably some kind of molten hot chocolate cake. That was fine. I just wanted chocolate. Our waiter's non-comment about my souffle order seemed to confirm that I was getting some random chocolate concoction. He took everyone's orders, and as an after thought, told us the souffle would take about 12 to 13 minutes to prepare. What an appropriate end to a bad service experience all night.
The Food
To be continued...
Marcel's
2401 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20037
(202) 296-1166
Summary
Food: Excellent
Cleanliness: Excellent
Service: Good
Price: Expensive ($90 for a 3-course meal and a glass of wine, including 10% tax and 20% tip)
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