It looks like it has been a while since there has been a review on B.A.N.K. so I’ll get it going again. I'll start with the bad and end with the good.\r
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We had a party of 9 for New Year's Eve. Reservation was at 9:00 and we arrived at about 8:30 for drinks at the bar. The restaurant was very empty and I thought it would be more crowded due to the special occasion. People may have read the bad reviews. The specialty cocktail menu was small and the glasses of wine (while a good selection) were way overpriced. When we were seated we were asked by a couple of different people, who I assumed would be waiting on us, if we were OK for drinks and then given a while to look at the special menu for the evening.\r
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This ""special"" menu consisted of an amuse-bouche (cheese with jelly), 2 starters (beet salad or lobster bisque) 3 main courses (duck, ribeye and fish) and 2 desserts. These were a la carte options and not a tasting menu. When our ""waiter ""came back and we asked for recommendations he said, ""Well, I'm actually the bartender and I haven't tried anything on the menu."" Helpful. I will say that we enjoyed our ""waiter"" though – he had a good attitude and was fun. \r
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First we get our starters. The beet salad was very tasty. The $14 lobster bisque was cold, grainy and fishy. You could just smell how fishy it was. The texture to me was like they took the whole lobster (shell and all) and just threw it into a blender. We had 5 orders of duck, 2 ribeyes and 2 fish at our table. It took a long time to get our food, especially considering how dead the place was. I am fairly certain my duck was still quacking when it came out. The 2 slices they gave me were way too thick for duck. There was a layer of fat that was not even a little bit rendered and it was completely inedible. My sister and I sent our duck back. This was only after we waived someone down because no one came back even once to ask how things were. Why would a bartender know to do that though, especially when serving is not his job?? This duck dish was served with brussel sprouts (a total of 3 that were cut in half) and a potato cake type of thing that was about the size of a quarter and WAY overcooked - dry, burnt, and flavorless. When my duck came back out the 1st piece was edible, but I literally could not eat the 2nd piece. It was way too chewy, fatty and salty. Our bartender apologized and said he would comp it. I didn't eat over 1/2 of the dish so I was thankful he offered to do that.\r
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Let's talk about the ribeye and the fish. The ribeye was priced at $40 and it was literally 2 small medallions of beef. Who even knows if it was ribeye? The portion was ridiculously small for the price. Of the 2 fish dishes, only one of them was cooked thoroughly. There were a couple people at our table who did enjoy their meals, so I am glad for that. I promise that I am not the type of person to send my food back unless I find it's necessary. It was just one thing after another. Needless to say we skipped desert.\r
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While we were enjoying our champagne that we brought on our own (good decision price wise) the Executive Chef came out to ask how our food was. I explained mine was horrible and that I had to send it back twice and his response was, ""I am sorry about that. Please come back and try us again."" I am sure that he felt uncomfortable and embarrassed that I was so direct in my response but, unfortunately, I won't be back. My opinion is this place needs a major overhaul. If there isn’t good food at a restaurant, then I don’t go back. \r
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Oh, and I almost forget to mention that they were cleaning with one of those big industrial floor cleaners while we were trying to enjoy our dinner. \r
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The best thing about this place was the ambience. It is a beautiful space. And, the chairs were comfortable...\r
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