Monday, January 28, 2008

Minissale's Wine Cellar Cafe - Misses the Boat

I was so excited to try this restaurant - I mean, come on, it has "Wine Cellar" right in the name -
What could be better?

Well - unfortuantely, the name had little to do with what we got -

My dining companion, who I'll call "S", agreed with me, this place was completely forgettable. Nothing was outstanding - in a good or bad way...
The bread with olive oil for dipping was fine. The salads were oversized and fresh, but nothing out of the ordinary. S. tried the homemade soup, a Pasta Fagiol - it was thin without much body.
We both had a "special" entree - me, the broiled haddock, which although cooked nicely, had an odd, stale flavor I couldn't explain.. I ate less than a third of it, hoping with each bite that unexplained taste would disappear.. it didn't..
S. 's dish was the highlight of the meal - broiled scallops in a tomato, herb broth. This was very nice - the scallops were perfectly cooked, and the broth was flavorful, not greasy or heavy.
Both dinners came with a starch (we both opted for the baked potato) and steamed veggies, which looked okay, but honestly, after the salad I had my fill of the green stuff..
The wine by the glass menu was extremely limited - especially for a place with "Wine Cellar " in it's name.. so we opted for a very mediocre Montepulciano D'Abruzzo...on special for $18 a bottle. Nothing I'd try again..
The service was fine, the atmosphere was nice and cozy, but we felt we over paid for a meal that was disappointing. Perhaps next time we should try one of the pasta dishes.. Although honestly, I doubt we'll be back to do that...

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