We used to be regulars at 34th Street, but after 1 very bad experience and two mediocre ones, I won?t be going back. About six months ago we had a very average meal, as opposed to the excellent ones we?d enjoyed over the years. Nothing was horrible, but nothing was exceptional either. We decided to give it another try about a month ago, to disastrous results. We started with the raw oysters, which basically ruined the entire meal. They were foul ? bad smelling and even worse tasting. They were rubbery and tasted ancient, maybe even spoiled. The waitress was gracious when we sent them back, but I wasn?t sure she or the chef understood how inedible they were. We eat oysters out a lot and after having some great ones recently (in Las Vegas at Bouchon and here at Parkside), these were just terrible. The awful taste stuck with us through the entire meal. I had the vegetable plate, which had good and bad spots. The couscous wasn?t as good as what I make at my house. It was dry and flavorless. The roasted beets, however, were very good. Another vegetable (which escapes me) was tough and dry. The kitchen was kind enough to make the chicken enchiladas for my husband even though they are no longer on the menu, but he said they were a little hard around the edges and not as good as they?d been previously. I also had a disappointing lunch there this week. I took my sister for her birthday. She liked her chicken quesadillas, but I did not enjoy my lunch. The gazpacho was like eating pico de gallo in flavorless tomato broth. It was unreasonably chunky yet flavorless. I had the mandarin orange salad with goat cheese and toasted pecans. The dressing was bitter and it was difficult to find the infinitesimal amount of goat cheese in the salad. The pecans were flavorless as well. I am disappointed in the decline of a restaurant that I used to enjoy so much.
more