Elderberry Pond Restaurant
3728 Center St
Auburn,NY 13021
Food 5
Service 5
Ambiance 7
Overall 17
Good For romantic lunch
I admit I am a true sucker for this local and organic food movement. If a restaurant advertises as such I have fantasies of seeing my pork slaughtered before me and them masterfully cooked on an open flame, while some rugged women tears fresh salad and root vegetables from the ground to pair with the finely grilled meat. What can I say- Michael Pollen inspired the quest for hog hunting in me. In any case, Elderberry Pond Restuarant is on a small working farm and advertises much of the food and wine on the menu as coming directly from them. So although I have yet to taste the marvel that is Blue Hill Stone Farms, I imagined this might be in the same vein.
It is out of the main drag, nestled among other farms and residences in deep country Auburn. Driving there at 7:30 pm at night, few street lights shining our way, even with the GPS we got lost twice. Finally, we arrive upon a charming country farmhouse- the interior an interesting mix of understated modern accesories and original wood detailing. The dining room is small and cozy. I wished I had come for lunch because the windows hints lovely exterior views which in sunlight might be all the more heart warming.
After being seated and perusing the menu, I was troubled to find very little"local or organic" on the menu. The wine list had maybe 2 or 3 wines from the region and the food menu had about the same in ingrediants from the farm. The farm apparently harvest produce as well as chickens and pork. The wine list was small and well priced with an interesting sampling of wines from around the world.
For appetizer I opted for the farm heirloom tomatoe ,mozzarella and basil salad while my husband had a potatoe leek soup. My salad was crisp and refreshing while his soup was underseasoned and lacking in the expected creaminess common to this soup type. For main, I ordered the duck breast while he went for their farm organic chicken. I had ordered my breast rare, and it arrived medium. My breast, while well seasoned was served with an unappetizing potatoe mash. I was quite hungry by the time my breast arrived, owing to an unusually long wait between main and appetizers , and I was in no mood to return it. However, I did let the waitress know that the duck had been overcooked. Imagine my surprise when she stated she had not heard me ask for my duck breast as rare. Our waitress,aside from this gaffe, was inexplicably absent for most of our meal. We were puzzled by this as the restaurant is very small and did not have a full clientele that night. Back to the food, my husbands chicken was bland , its meat was tender enough but the skin was soggy. Desperate for some food maginificance, we trodded to dessert. We opted for a blueberry lemon curd tart which was refreshing in its simplicity and taste.
Overall, the food was adequate but for the pricing, our bill including 3 glasses of wine left near to 120 dollars, left much to be desired in regards service and quality. Their lunch menu seemed more reasonable in price and given the lovely ambiance of the grounds might entice me to try them one more time. The restaurant is a destination- as it is away from the main Finger Lake area and any main town. However, they do have farm tours and if you are truly into the organic local movement might be worth a quick trip. Certainly of our three restaurants, this was one of the best. However, overall the food sampled in these parts was pricey and subpar for the quality. If I return to these region, I will try my hand at the more numerous and well reviewed restaurants of the Ithaca area.
The Quest continues.....
Showing posts with label Finger Lakes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Finger Lakes. Show all posts
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Bistro 1
Bistro 1
1 E Gennese St
Auburn,NY
Scaled 1 to 10, 1 being repulsive and 10 being orgasmic (of course!)
Food 5
Ambiance 4
Service 6
Overall Rating 15
Good for drinks and quick lunch
I booked Bistro One primarily because of a few good reviews and its proximity to our hotel. It was a short 5 minute walk away and was touted as the only fine dining in the heart of Auburn. We initially passed by the understated entrance and when we finally entered the restaurant were warmly welcomed and promptly seated in the half empty restaurant by our cheery hostess. The interior decor was standard and unoriginal, a mishmosh of neutral warm toned orange sponged walls and mahogony colored furniture, very Jennifer Convertibles and not at all Bistro. The tile floor screamed bathroom or kitchen tile and the ceiling screamed 1970s outdated white cheap cork like tile. But as I said ambiance is a small part of what I look for.
The menu was surprisingly small and again a mish mosh assortment of American bar food a appetizers with attempts at inventive Nouvelle Inspired mains. Underwhelmed by the appetizer options, we settled for a lobster risotto to share. It arrived a large mass of overcooked rice and minimal amounts of fishy tasting lobster on a bed of salad. No creaminess or cheesiness in this risotto, rather it tasted like a heavy ricecake.
As we prepared for our mains, we reviewed the wine list which showcased a variety of well priced wines, although surprisingly very few local wines. As we pondered on our red choices, our waitress informed us that in fact,because of a party the night prior, they only had TWO bottles of red wines varieties to choose from. Now although this is the weirdest thing I have ever heard, thankfully of the two there was pretty decent 40 dollar Russian River valley pinot noir.
Prior to the mains, we were served a complementary salad, laced with balsamic vinegarette. This was a very ordinary garden salad,although I was surpised at the addition of what look suspiciously like iceberg.
For mains, I opted for the intriguing pork shank confit , especially when my waitress informed me there was only one left . My husband opted for the New York shell steak with roasted potatoes and grilled vegetables. My husband's steak arrived well seasoned and grilled, a healthy portion of meat served with a well sized portion of undercooked roast potatoes and well charred eggplant. The steak was overcooked as it was served medium although it had been ordered medium rare.
My pork confit arrived a small fried smoked ham hock next to a lovely potatoe mashcake and grilled vegetables. My pork was not confit at all. Primarily bone with a 2 inch sliver of meat it was reduced to a sad inedible hunk of meat. I love a good ham hock as well as well braised pork so I was disappointed to find neither of these in the dish. I returned my poor pork in exchange for chimichurri lamb chops. These fortunately were perfectly cooked as ordered,rare, but lacked seasoning. The chimichurri sauce served with these was watery and lacking in flavor. The star of my dish was the potatoe mash and grilled vegetables. Our waitress throughout was attentive and apolgetic and entertaining, truly the best thing about Bistro One.
We finished with a banana bread pudding, which also suffered from the dry hunk syndrome of my pork confit. Well flavored, it had likely been cooked the night before and left congealing in the refrigerator.
Bistro One suffered from the same syndrome as Simply Red( check out my earlier review). Truly not Bistro standard, but better in flavor profiles for price than the Simply Red.
The Quest continues....
1 E Gennese St
Auburn,NY
Scaled 1 to 10, 1 being repulsive and 10 being orgasmic (of course!)
Food 5
Ambiance 4
Service 6
Overall Rating 15
Good for drinks and quick lunch
I booked Bistro One primarily because of a few good reviews and its proximity to our hotel. It was a short 5 minute walk away and was touted as the only fine dining in the heart of Auburn. We initially passed by the understated entrance and when we finally entered the restaurant were warmly welcomed and promptly seated in the half empty restaurant by our cheery hostess. The interior decor was standard and unoriginal, a mishmosh of neutral warm toned orange sponged walls and mahogony colored furniture, very Jennifer Convertibles and not at all Bistro. The tile floor screamed bathroom or kitchen tile and the ceiling screamed 1970s outdated white cheap cork like tile. But as I said ambiance is a small part of what I look for.
The menu was surprisingly small and again a mish mosh assortment of American bar food a appetizers with attempts at inventive Nouvelle Inspired mains. Underwhelmed by the appetizer options, we settled for a lobster risotto to share. It arrived a large mass of overcooked rice and minimal amounts of fishy tasting lobster on a bed of salad. No creaminess or cheesiness in this risotto, rather it tasted like a heavy ricecake.
As we prepared for our mains, we reviewed the wine list which showcased a variety of well priced wines, although surprisingly very few local wines. As we pondered on our red choices, our waitress informed us that in fact,because of a party the night prior, they only had TWO bottles of red wines varieties to choose from. Now although this is the weirdest thing I have ever heard, thankfully of the two there was pretty decent 40 dollar Russian River valley pinot noir.
Prior to the mains, we were served a complementary salad, laced with balsamic vinegarette. This was a very ordinary garden salad,although I was surpised at the addition of what look suspiciously like iceberg.
For mains, I opted for the intriguing pork shank confit , especially when my waitress informed me there was only one left . My husband opted for the New York shell steak with roasted potatoes and grilled vegetables. My husband's steak arrived well seasoned and grilled, a healthy portion of meat served with a well sized portion of undercooked roast potatoes and well charred eggplant. The steak was overcooked as it was served medium although it had been ordered medium rare.
My pork confit arrived a small fried smoked ham hock next to a lovely potatoe mashcake and grilled vegetables. My pork was not confit at all. Primarily bone with a 2 inch sliver of meat it was reduced to a sad inedible hunk of meat. I love a good ham hock as well as well braised pork so I was disappointed to find neither of these in the dish. I returned my poor pork in exchange for chimichurri lamb chops. These fortunately were perfectly cooked as ordered,rare, but lacked seasoning. The chimichurri sauce served with these was watery and lacking in flavor. The star of my dish was the potatoe mash and grilled vegetables. Our waitress throughout was attentive and apolgetic and entertaining, truly the best thing about Bistro One.
We finished with a banana bread pudding, which also suffered from the dry hunk syndrome of my pork confit. Well flavored, it had likely been cooked the night before and left congealing in the refrigerator.
Bistro One suffered from the same syndrome as Simply Red( check out my earlier review). Truly not Bistro standard, but better in flavor profiles for price than the Simply Red.
The Quest continues....
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Simply Red Bistro
Simply Red Bistro
Scaled 1 to 10, 1 being repulsive and 10 being orgasmic (of course!)
Food 3
Ambiance 5
Service 4
Overall Rating 13
Good For the view , a glass of wine and a straigh foward cheese plate
7448 County Rd. 153 Ovid, NY 14521
Tel 607-532-9401
Well I must confess that the biggest reason why I decided to stop here for lunch is that this restaurant is at the Sheldrake Point Vineyard , whose reisling has drawn great reviews as a bargain jewel. As many of the Cayuga reislings, I didn't love it much especially for the price point. The menu seemed inventive with a supposed focus on local ingredients. Lunch, was outside in a nicely landscaped garden with unfortunately obstructed views of Cayuga Lake. It might have been a sign that those running this establishment are not the brightest kids on the block that they would hire a landscaper that would block what is the place's greatest asset. The food I would soon learn was not in this category.
We arrived before the lunch rush at 12:30 pm. Although the place only had 4 tables seated, it took about 10 minutes for us to be seated. Our waiter, a fresh faced teen, fumbled through the specials while we pondered the overpriced and all over the place lunch menu. There were only three appetizers to choose from none of which made our mouths water so we opted to go straight to mains. 10 dollar chicken sandwich to a 22 dollar roast half chicken.. I settled upon a 14 dollar 4 cheese pizza which my waiter stated was his favorite and truly filling. My husband opted for the 10 dollar free range chicken sandwich. Both were served with a side salad.
My pizza arrived, appearing suspiciously like a 6 inch thin crust frozen pizza jazzed up with dressed salad greens placed on top. Aside from the odd placement of seasoned greens in the middle of a pizza, the greens were quite good and fresh, with an interesting mix of fennel fronds,arugula and others. Unfortunately, the pizza tastes as uninspired as it looked. Because I was so hungry and after seeing the sandwich my husband got, I calculated that the kitchen was fundamentally flawed and suffered through my frozen pizza main. My husbands sandwich tasted a little worse than a Au Bon pain sandwhich, heavy on the mayonaisse, with fennel oddly strewn in, on a tasteless whole grain bun. After the disappointment of our mains, we decided against dessert as we were not willing to waste any time or money in this place.
To call this place Bistro is a decided slap in the face to any halfway decent bistro out there. I have to say that even as I write this review, the memory of that pizza, leaves me sad and partially embarrased. After having tasted the amazing simplicity and flavor profile of pizzas in Italy, I am always confused when American high end restaurants have such problems rendering a good pizza. A good pizza is after all predicated on 3 things: dough, sauce and cheese. I might venture to say the same about a good chicken sandwich: chicken, bread, tasty vegetables. That this restaurant could not get right the simplest of fare makes me shudder at what dinner here would taste like. Never mind the cost.
The Quest continues....
Scaled 1 to 10, 1 being repulsive and 10 being orgasmic (of course!)
Food 3
Ambiance 5
Service 4
Overall Rating 13
Good For the view , a glass of wine and a straigh foward cheese plate
7448 County Rd. 153 Ovid, NY 14521
Tel 607-532-9401
Well I must confess that the biggest reason why I decided to stop here for lunch is that this restaurant is at the Sheldrake Point Vineyard , whose reisling has drawn great reviews as a bargain jewel. As many of the Cayuga reislings, I didn't love it much especially for the price point. The menu seemed inventive with a supposed focus on local ingredients. Lunch, was outside in a nicely landscaped garden with unfortunately obstructed views of Cayuga Lake. It might have been a sign that those running this establishment are not the brightest kids on the block that they would hire a landscaper that would block what is the place's greatest asset. The food I would soon learn was not in this category.
We arrived before the lunch rush at 12:30 pm. Although the place only had 4 tables seated, it took about 10 minutes for us to be seated. Our waiter, a fresh faced teen, fumbled through the specials while we pondered the overpriced and all over the place lunch menu. There were only three appetizers to choose from none of which made our mouths water so we opted to go straight to mains. 10 dollar chicken sandwich to a 22 dollar roast half chicken.. I settled upon a 14 dollar 4 cheese pizza which my waiter stated was his favorite and truly filling. My husband opted for the 10 dollar free range chicken sandwich. Both were served with a side salad.
My pizza arrived, appearing suspiciously like a 6 inch thin crust frozen pizza jazzed up with dressed salad greens placed on top. Aside from the odd placement of seasoned greens in the middle of a pizza, the greens were quite good and fresh, with an interesting mix of fennel fronds,arugula and others. Unfortunately, the pizza tastes as uninspired as it looked. Because I was so hungry and after seeing the sandwich my husband got, I calculated that the kitchen was fundamentally flawed and suffered through my frozen pizza main. My husbands sandwich tasted a little worse than a Au Bon pain sandwhich, heavy on the mayonaisse, with fennel oddly strewn in, on a tasteless whole grain bun. After the disappointment of our mains, we decided against dessert as we were not willing to waste any time or money in this place.
To call this place Bistro is a decided slap in the face to any halfway decent bistro out there. I have to say that even as I write this review, the memory of that pizza, leaves me sad and partially embarrased. After having tasted the amazing simplicity and flavor profile of pizzas in Italy, I am always confused when American high end restaurants have such problems rendering a good pizza. A good pizza is after all predicated on 3 things: dough, sauce and cheese. I might venture to say the same about a good chicken sandwich: chicken, bread, tasty vegetables. That this restaurant could not get right the simplest of fare makes me shudder at what dinner here would taste like. Never mind the cost.
The Quest continues....
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