An earlier reviewer suggests that the bad reviews for Bennett's are a result of the fact that the reviewers don't appreciate European cuisine. My family has lived in Euope, I have eaten at more than 1000 restaurants all over Europe and I have dined at hundreds of restaurants on every continent, except Antarctica. We have enjoyed evey major cuisine in Europe. Bennett's has nothing in common with any ot them, except possibly for pasta tourist traps in Italy. The major problem with Bennett's is that its ""pure"" food is very unhealthy and its menu is stuck in the 1980s when it was common to bathe food in butter, pork and salt. It's the cuisine of (now deceased) Julia Child. Her reputation was built on the very unhealthy content (e.g., butter, pork fat and pasta cholesterol) of her meals in the 1980s. Why emphasize such an unhealthy cuisine decades after the world learned of its dangers? The only reason I can think of is that the owners of Bennett's hope it will drive additional sales at two other busineses they own ([Pasta & Company and Beecher's cheeses). Apparently, the owners don't realize that Mercer Islanders are conscious of what they eat and they are not going to dine on food that has the same fat content as fast food restaurants. Eurpopeans would fall down laughing if they saw what Bennett's charges for most of its appetizers and main courses. The only positve thing my family can say about Bennett's is that it is convenient for Islanders. But Islanders know that you can get much better bistro food by venturing just 15 minutes from the Island. As for Bennett's very limited and expensive wine menu, unless you have a craving to try something from a mediocre winery that you have never heard of, take your own bottle and pay the corkage charge. Even with the corkage fee, you will save money and you will probably have a much better wine.
Pros: Convenient for Islanders
Cons: Food that is very unhealthy; servers don't know the source of their fish, but claim it is ""pure""
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