08/28/08

Wonderful cozy atmosphere

by connectorkat

We really enjoyed our evening at Deluxe. You feel like you are in a fine dining restaurant without the attitude. The food was divine and the service was great. I would recommend it.

• Pros: Great food and service
• Cons: Very small dining room

07/27/08

definatly deluxe

by dengrl

I went on a blind date to Deluxe being very nervous. As I met my date in front for our 7:00 reservation, they did not have a table ready for us yet. The hostess said we need to reset a table for you and it should be about 15 minutes, but feel free to go to our new bar Delight next door for a drink. We went for a drink, and it was nice for an ice breaker. I had their special watermellon mojito, it was so refreshing for the Summer, and it calmed the nerves for the guy I met. Within the15 minutes our table was not ready. I was sort of annoyed, but they said they could sit us as the chefs counter, so we went. Our server very polite and friendly, I believe he said his name was tracy. The fried oysters and dumplings were amazing to start. He ordered the paella and I had the trout special, we both kind of shared. Both were so good. It was a great blind date spot, because we were right in the kitchen and could interact with the chef for questions. The chef was very funny but don't remember his name. He helped us get through those awkward silences, and it was a great conversation starter to watch them all cook. The two of us will definatly be back.

• Pros: the staff
• Cons: waiting for a table

06/24/08

Not so "Deluxe" of an experience

by healthfoodie

Disclaimer: Having worked in many restaurants as both a chef and a server, I have a high standard for service and food quality in my dining experience.

Last Friday, I dined at Deluxe for the first time. When we made reservations, the host made it seem like we were lucky to get in the door. When we arrived, there were tables open. The ambience was chic and the noise was somewhat loud, as to be expected on a friday night. Our server greeted us promptly taking our drink and appetizer order. Here goes...

It took quite some time before our three drinks, a bottle of beer, a bottle of water, and one cocktail, came out. Mind you, the place wasn't slammed by any means. Ten minutes later an appetizer came out, not ours though. We ordered the red beet carpaccio. They brought us dumplings. What? The server quickly apologized blaming the kitchen for the mishap. Not quite sure how a kitchen or a server can mix that one up. Carpaccio doesn't require cooking, so it shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes to assemble and deliver. Finally, we are able to begin enjoying our food, thinking that dinner would quickly follow. Not quite. Dinner took almost 45 minutes to come out. The server never checked in to see if we were okay. At this point it was near 10 o'clock. I saw the server in the back eating and drinking a beer. The chef was doing very little in the kitchen. WTF? After much anticipation, the food came with much disappointment. My dinner was overcooked/burnt. To top it all off, portion sizes were grossly inconsistent. This is why I waited so long? Meanwhile, my company tried to enjoy their servings of thai shrimp. I had more mashed potatoes than they had combined. Overall, I left the restaurant very unsatisfied, hungry, and disappointed that I had to go down the street to get a slice of pizza to curb my hunger. Meanwhile, the server was filled with excuses for every bad decision that created our not so "Deluxe" dining experience.

• Pros: atmosphere
• Cons: food, service