
At one point in my life, I looked forward to my birthday. Hey, I got presents and who doesn't like presents? It was especially fun since we had a large group of friends who would "chip" in to get a killer gift. Well, sadly those days are gone since everyone has their hands full with kiddies (and their gifts). Furthermore, as every year passes by, it just serves as a reminder of our advancing age. Viv thinks that I have not mentally aged since 20, so at least I can stay young in theory. Tonight, we decided to celebrate my birthday a bit early at CRU. Bubbly M had been here before and decided to join us as well. Yah, it might seem a

Our reservation was originally for 2 people at 5:30pm. However, when I increased it to 4 people, I was notified that we'd have the table until 7:00pm. In my mind, that didn't seem like an issue. However, the evening went a bit sideways due to a large party dining at the same time. Everything in theory would've worked out fine if we had gotten our order in promptly. However, M&M were a tad late and part of our

Viv and I shared a few items starting with the Smoked Albacore Tuna. Visually appealing on the plate, it was topped with beats, crispy shallots, micro greens and truffle vinaigrette. Honestly, no complaints here. The combination of subtle smokiness, the crunch and aromatics of the shallots, the tender beets and the smooth citrusy vinaigrette was an illustration of balance. If the tuna was balanced and gentle, the "Cellar Door" Caesar is a bold version of the usually standard salad. With grill

For my "main", I went for the Crispy Duck Leg Co

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Our food didn't stop there, we also shared the Miso-Marinated Sablefish. Since it's so expensive, the portion size was predictably and understandably small. The perfectly cooked fish was tender and melted in our mouths. We felt that it was a bit salty (a bit too much miso). The sauteed kale was absolutely perfect being fully cooked while still retaining a slight crunch. Good thing too since the cauliflower puree was ultra smooth and understated taste-wise.


Chill had the Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio to start. I did not get to sample this dish since Chill is a big eater and he needs all the food he can get. Once again, much like the time at Pied-a-Terre, all I got out of him was "good". Then came the wait. In fact, it was roughly a 45 minute wait until their next dishes arrived. However, this was mostly due to the fact we didn't get our order in on time before the large party. Our server did apologize many times for the delay. Finally, they each received their order of sablefish. Unfortunately,

Personally, I thought the food was pretty good for the prices. On the whole, it was well executed and thought out. Service was attentive and friendly under the circumstances. Bubbly was not amused at the wait and thought that the situation could've been handled differently. However, I respectfully disagree with her since our entire party was not present at the designated time and thus,

The Good:
- Reasonable prices
- Food is generally executed quite well
- Decent portions (sablefish withstanding)
The Bad:
- Dining area is very tight
- Long wait between courses (understandable in this particular situation)
2 comments:
I've enjoyed Cru all the times I've gone, usually for special occasions. Tightly put together food, solid execution and good service, and accessible. Good to hear another voice on this place similar to my own opinion (so I know I ain't totally out there!). :)
Yes, it was a good experience. i was surprised at the quality and solid execution of the food for relatively reasonable prices.
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