Bacchanalia   

Ok...I went to Bacchanalia on the recommendation of friends who had been there about a year ago. As the old saying goes..."What A Difference a Day Makes" but in this case it was about a year. Where in the world did they get the reputation that they have as it was the worst dining experience I ever had. Here is what I endured and at an awful price for the 4 courses. Foie Gras Terrine/ Florida Strawberries/ Marcona Almonds (Presentation was a slab of foie gras with nothing to accompany it. I had to ask for some toast points to make the dish even edible. The foie gras had a bitter taste to it and I made mention of this but no word from the Chef. That's if they even have one.) Paula Lambert’s Crescenza / Local Strawberries / Macerated strawberries / Balsamic Vinegar (Presentation was 2 triangular pieces of cheese about the size of a man's thumb nail and about a quarter inch thick. Same strawberries from the foie gras which had either been doused in some sort of unpleasant tasting liquor or had been left in the refrigerator for days until they created their own alcohol and became naturally marinated...again they had a bitter taste) Johnson Family Local / Spring Lamb Tasting / Slow Poached Fennel / Fennel-Green Garlic Puree (Sorry that the lamb had to give up its life to to be served in this manner. The trio of lamb consisted of a lamb sausage patty about the size of a 50 cent piece, 2 small Vienna sausage size fingerlings meat pieces and a larger size piece of lamb. The sausage patty lacked any unique taste whatsoever and felt it was just a greasy as a a Bob Evans pork sausage patty. The fingerling pieces had a pleasant taste but were not outstanding. The larger piece of lamb had a very tough gristle/membrane skin which made it hard to remove the meat from it. I ended up having to scrape the meat from the membrane. The tablespoon size of fennel had such a strong flavor that it over powered the tasteless lamb and was lost on the plate due to its lack luster color.) Warm Honey - Ginger Steamed Pudding / Almond Ice Cream (Was hoping that the desert would save the previous disasters but this proved me wrong. The pudding was far to sweet and I could not even taste ginger. The dollop of favored whip cream might have saved it but the portion was so small that after 1 or 2 bites it was gone. Plating on this dish as very sad.) I do agree with other reviewer that the only highlight was the Hershey Kiss size piece of pastry filled with hot cheese...very good and unique. CONCLUSION: Highly overrated...massively disappointing. Wonder if Visa would return my money.

This restaurant is highly overrated. Small portions, mediocre food, overpriced. Definitely expected a higher quality dining experience. Save your money and give this restaurant a pass.