• Location-176 North Canon Drive, Los Angeles, Ca.
• Cuisine- Wolfgang Puck Austrian Creative

At last, Gagit,after a 25 year absence gets back to Spago, this time not on Sunset but in it,s new location on North Canon Drive.Gagit visits this time with a ” Hollywood ” sidekick from Cuba rather than the one from Brooklyn.

We arrive for our reservation early and are led to our table by the surgically enhanced hostess, this is Beverly Hills after all.We are greeted by the professional host who introduces us to our waiter , this is a ceremony in BH. 90201.After the formalities, we order glasses of Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, usually perfect for Wolfgang,s food as I remember.The wine is perfect and after a long flight and work settle on some starters rather than the heavier mains. We both order the Marinated Japanese Hamachi and Tuna Sushimi,Sticky Rice, Wasabi. Soy-Sauce and Pumpkin Seed Oil, shown above. This is a perfect light dish and the Hamachi and Tuna perfect doused in the sauce detailed above.

The second starter now comes ,”Hollywood ” ordered and is served the dish as shown above, Gnocchi with Ragout of Braised Sonoma Lamb, which we share and enjoy every last taste of the perfectly cooked pasta and the dynamic flavor and taste of the lamb.My second dish was a Austrian speciality ,also shown above,”Kartnter Kase Nudeln” Giant Farmer Cheese Ravioli, This dish was Viennenese perfection that only Wolfgang could serve in Beverly Hills and satisfy his upscale clientle.

How can we pass on dessert from the Viennese genuis, the answer is we cannot and we order and are served ,as shown above, Rasberry and Plum Strudel with Vanilla Ice Cream. We finish every bite of this dessert with desires for more and more but not tonight.

Let the Truth Be Told,Wolfgang Puck has been a major innovator and leader of culinary genuis in America since the early 70,s and Spago was the foundation of his empire . Unlike many other establishments started in this early period, Spago not only stood the test of time but improved upon it for the year 2000 and beyond. There can be no doubt that any “foodie ” in America or the rest of the world must visit Spago before they can rate any restaurant in any rating criterea.My rating is based on a starter and dessert only menu and with a main course would of course be higher.

Rating:

• Location-2031 N. E. 2nd St.,Deerfield Beach, Fl.
• Cuisine- Seafood

Gagit is dying for some real New England seafood and our good friends the Marcbeths have raved about the Whales Rib so I grab Foodiechic and we are on our way to the Whales Rib.We drive to Deerfield Beach in 20 minutes, get a parking place right in front,and enter the front door welcomed by Debbie and told there is a 15 minute wait for a table. We sit at the crowded friendly bar and enjoy the special Bloody Mary,s, spicy with a shrimp on top.

Our table is ready so we sit down and greeted by our friendly server, Mary. In fact as far as friendly goes, this is as good as it gets. We start out by ordering Whales Rib Fries shown above as we decide on the rest of the order. The Fries are served by Mary hot and with dipping sauce but really not tasty or crispy enough to rate up to the Globe Bar,s standard of excellence. We order along with a cold Black and Tan our starter soups, Lobster Bisque for Foodie and Chowdaah for me. The beer comes not so cold but the chowdaah for $3.50 and shown above was perfection for this Bostonian as was the Lobster Bisque also for $3.50 was perfect for Foodie.

I was tempted for my main to get the Lobster Salad Sandwich for only$10.99 but had to have the Ipswich Steamers flown in fresh from the main home of Steamers. The Steamers shown above were again perfection for this frequent visitor of Ipswich and for $19.99 a bargain for the size. Foodie had the scallops which were no more than so so but everything cannot be perfect.

Let the Truth be Told,thanks to the Marcbeth,s the trip to the Whales Rib was well worth it. However, it isn,t the Clam Box in Ipswich and if you do not order wisely it is closer to a typical Florida Seafood Bar than a New England Seafood paradise.

Rating:

• Location-Cunucu Abao 37, Aruba, Dutch Caribbean
• Cuisine- Continental

The first time in Aruba in five years and Gagit only thinks of the great food in St. Maarten, but maybe tonight will be up to that standard. RB, nephew of the B Brothers of ST. Maarten, is treating us to the best Aruba has to offer. We are joined by Rb,s long time trusted employee and friend, Nirmal and Fernando ,of course ,of Casa Sanchez fame.We get to the popular restaurant ,sit outside in the muggy air and have cocktails,Charro Negra for Gagit tonight but with Diet Coke with the Tequila instead of regular Coke, lol.

Nirmal arrives and we go inside to the crowded restaurant but the muggy air follows since air conditioning has not been introduced here yet.Our waiter Thomas, the twin brother of Joran Van Der Sloot, introduces himself, and I think, is Thomas really the twin? Of course, he has a charming personality and we order another round of drinks.

We study the extensive menu and there are many choices ,but I am looking for local specialties. I pass on the starter and order the huge Pork Schnitzel Vienna style ,sauteed in butter with Lemon Slices. RB has a starter of Janette,s Crab Cakes with spicy Aioli and a appetizer of Hot Shrimp as a main. Fernando has the Dutch Tenderloin topped with Gouda,Tomatoes and Onions..Nirmel has the Jumbo Shrimp “Coco di Rasta” breaded in an Almond Coconut Sauce and served in a Thai Red Curry Sauce with white rice.We also order the signature sides, Janette,s Creamed Spinach and her famous Potato Au Gratin with of course Aged Gouda.

We order another round an await our food, in a timely manner the food arrives, The three dishes of my associates are shown above along with my whopper Schnitzel. It is so big as shown above , hanging off the plate , I need help in cutting it. The lovely server Myra cuts my meat to perfection, lol, and even feeds me the first bite, now this is service. After the first bite I cannot but comment to Myra , it is quite dry but I order some Marinara Sauce to supply some moisture and flavor. This is not the best way to enjoy it but it is necessary to finish off this piece of meat. The highlight of my meal is the Potatoes Au Gratin and Creamed Spinach, this combination could have been my main ,especially the Potatoes that I will include in Gagit,s, Hall of Fame dishes.The others enjoyed their dishes and no food was left on the plates.

We order after dinner drinks, a shot of Patron for me ,as we toast to good friends, good service, and good times, but Let the Truth be Told, if a good time is to be had in Aruba go to Madame Janette,s but if you really want good food go to Saint Maarten.

Rating:

• Location- Itaim ,Rua 139 Viradouro, Sau Paulo,Brazil
• Cuisine-Japanese

Gagit was told that this was the best Sushi in Sau Paulo by a foodie friend from E Gullet Forums.He takes his associates along with his V.I. P. Brazilian customer.We enter the restaurant and as we are seated, I go to the Sushi Bar ,and introduce myself to George San, the owner chef ,shown in pic above,and a friend of Alex. Alex had given me a list of George,s specialities and I told George San to bring it on. As, I go back to the table,we kampai George,with our Chipiarinhas and Chipirusscos, Gagit,s,favorite and tell the waiter to not leave our glasses empty this night.

We start with the Carpaccio of Yellowtail, with George,s special sauce, see above, unfortunately it really did not have the burst of flavor that Gagit expects and gets at his local favorite , The Sushi Bar at Oshai Thai in North Miami and of course, Nobu. The next course is a nice selection of Sashimi,shown above but very ordinary , no Toro nor Otoro or any speciaties flown in from Japan as I get at the Sushi Bar.Fill the glasses waiter, we are not through yet.

The next course is Sushi with a few of Georges,s specials ,shown above also, they include Salmon Tartere wrapped in Salmon and my favorite, Wasabi flavored and green colored of course fish eggs,Smelt Roe ,,wrapped in Cucumber.Great flavor and taste and very original,However, the rest of the Sushi was very basic and ordinary.Next, a nice roll of Shrimp wrapped in Salmon with a nice tasty sauce,again good but not a wow, I was looking to get from George San.Fill the glasses waiter,we are not through yet.

I now am brought a Vegetable Tempura and this was a pure dissapointment, flavorless batter and a boring selection of Vegetables. I need a special taste to finish the night as we finish our last glasses of drinks, I order and receive a hand roll of the Wasabi flavored Smelt Roe ,also shown,and are now ready to leave on a high note as we kampai George San on the way to our taxi.

Let the Truth be Told,I appreciate the courtesy of George San of taking care of me for our mutual friend but it does not meet the standard of excellence of originality ,variety, and flavors I can get at The Sushi Bar. I therefore invite George San and Alex to be my guest the next time they are in my neighborhood. lol

Rating:

• Location-2305 Collins Avenue,Miami Beach, Fl.
• Cuisine- Chinese

This new hot spot was shown on a TV news show one night when it caught Gagit’s attention along with my favorite Chinese restaurant ,Tropical Chinese .If this restaurant is in the same category as Tropical,I must try it ASAP.

The Gagit’s were driven to to the restaurant in less than 10 minutes at 110mph by the Racecardriver and the Oil Baroness. We enter the restaurant as part of the Gansevort South Complex, and are greeted by three lovelies who check our reservation and try to head us to our table upstairs,hold on not for Gagit, another try to a side room, not for Gagit, the main dinning room near the open kitchen and the action bar, ok Mr. Gagit no problem.

We are greeted by our server Jason, who we inform we are there for a good time and do not rush us. He promises to let us enjoy and brings us our Grey Goose on the rocks with various condiments, onions for Gagit, for only $16.00 a drink. We pick a few starters as we enjoy the drinks and the view of the lovelies at the bar looking for Mr. Goodrich, see picture above for a sample of the view.

Our starters arrive,Duck Spring rolls,3 for $16.00, shown above which will be discussed later and are $8.00 at Tropical and Pork Siu Mai for $ 9 .00 are $3.50 at Tropical,also shown above. The starters are equal to Tropical in all ways except the price but the portions ,especially the Spring Rolls at $16.00 ,are underwhelming at best. In fact, we order another Siu Mai order just to satisfy our starter tastes.

Our waiter Jason now comes over to refresh our drinks and we order our mains. We order Foodiechics favorite Peking Duck for $65.00 which Jason tells us will take 45 minutes ,which we agree is fine, but tell him to bring our other mains,Green Prawn for only $58.00, with such expensive ingredients as cashews nuts, peppers, black mushrooms ,and water chestnuts, what no truffles here.An equivalent dish at Tropical would be $19.50. Our other dish was Mr. Chueng’s Noodles with veal stock for $14.00 sounds fair for noodles but let us wait and see.

As we wait our 45 minutes we enjoy the crowded bar scene and such celebrities as Alonzo Mourning and George Kennedy and wife.No food arrives and Jason hides, the CEO comes over an apoligizes for the delay,ok, but still no food for another 30 minutes, thanks for the free drink while we wait lol.

The Duck now arrives with the rest of our dishes and all are shown above. the Duck carved by a talented trained Chinese elder who professionally slices off the chest meat and skin,as Jason brings over cold Pancakes, cold Bok Choy ,celery, and Hoisen Sauce for us to make our roll, as compared to Tropical , where at half the price $34.00, they not only roll the pancakes but they serve them hot with the same condiments. I guess they can justify the $65.00 since the rest of the duck will be served later and maybe equal to Tropical.

The green Shrimp dish was spectacular and will enter the Gagit Hall of Fame, but for $58.00 for the size of this Shrimp dish could only be justified if black Truffles covered the shrimp. The noodle dish was the perfect side for the duck, but for $14.00 the portion was a true side dish enough for one let alone 4, these noodles must be made of Gold. And now for the rest of the Duck served as a second dish at Tropical but missing entirely at Phillippe for twice the price. But wait, we did have the rest of the Duck in our spring rolls and for only $16.00 luckily we ordered them at least we got to eat the Duck we paid for twice , so that makes our Duck cost at least $76.00 compared to the $34.00 at Tropical.

Now for dessert ,all shown above, a Velvet Cake and a Chocolate Cream Tart, good but not spectacular, and coffees for all.Jason now brings over the checque for $450.00, not bad considering at Tropical it would be at least $150.00 including the whole Duck. The good news, since we ate dinner here , our parking was only $16.00 instead of $25.00, what a break to the restaurant customers.

Let the Truth be Told, if you want to enjoy and eat the best Chinese food in Miami, Tropical is the only choice, if you want to enjoy the lovelies at the bar, see celebrities ,and pay twice for your Duck , Phillippe is by far the only choice.

Rating:

• Location-Harbor Shops-1841 Cordova Road,Fort Lauderdale, Fl.
• Cuisine-Asian Fusion

Gagit and Foodiechic head over to this restaurant after seeing it raved about on Check South , Please. The last restaurant raved about so much, Jeff”s Bar and Grill, see my review, has closed since being on this show. We park in the empty parking lot of the mall and enter this empty restaurant, it is summer in South Fla. We are seated promptly by the hostess in this very nice setting in an uncomfortable booth and get ready to see if the restaurant is in the Oshi Thai or Galanga class as it is portrayed on the show or just another Thai /Sushi joint that exists in almost every strip mall in the area.

Our waitress Melanie takes our drink order, Tsingtao Beer is our favorite for this type food. We peruse the extensive menu that includes Kobe Beef $19.00 an ounce, Frois Gras $39.00, and even Dover Sole for $39.00, this is Oceannaire prices in a mall restaurant but we choose to test there Sashimi and Thai dishes for taste, quality ,and freshness before we try their gourmet food.We start with Samosas, with sweet peas and potatoes and curry sauce with peanut sauce and cucumber on the side,see above. The picture was perfect but the chef left out the curry sauce and the dish was tasteless. The next starter was the spicy Conch,sliced conch and cucumber in kimchee sauce. I take my first slice of conch and cannot stop chewing to finish it. It was only not fresh but tasteless ,accounting for the chewiness of course.The kimchee sauce was spicy as promised but did no more than mask the lack of freshness of the conch. The cucumbers were in abundance but for $16.00 thay should be,lol. After this dish, I know I was not eating in a restaurant like Oshi Thai or even Galanga but another strip mall Thai restaurant.

We now with much trepidation order and receive our main dishes as shown above. Foodiechic gets her usual Pad Thai,and it is not only lacking in any taste but also lacks any moisture that the spices should supply. She asks the waiter to bring a chile sauce to make the dish eatable. I order the Red Curry,with pork. As, you can see from the picture it resembles Curry soup rather a dish of vegetables and fresh basil. The taste also was missing,the chef must have lost the spice tray.

I ask for the check and when received see that they suggest tip levels of 18,20, and 25 percent , what happened to 15 ? and is this a Michelen rated restaurant. Let the Truth be Told, this restaurant is indicative of the restaurants shown on Check Please, all style no substance. Frois Gras and Kobe Beef are good talking points ,but if the restaurant cannot serve fresh sashimi or tasteful Thai food they should not be rated in this category. If, the reader wants to find just fresh simplicity in Thai and Sushi ,try Thai House 2, and if they want gourmet quality go to Oshi Thai and if they want to be dissapointed go to Coco’s.

Rating:

• Location-233 Lantana Blvd,. Lantana

• Cuisine- Lobster and Seafood

The Gagit’s are invited by Russian Girl and Brooklyn Boy to this Lantana seafood landmark.The company was great as we laughed and enjoyed for many hours and we thank them for this night which was a definite 5 star .

However, Gagit was looking foward to rate this restaurant and to compare to my favorite lobster restaurant, The Lobster House in Sunrise. Our server for the night was Heather and her team and as I will remark below she was the best of her team that had many service flaws. As the Lobster House has a weak lineup of appetizers, I was hoping The Station would be stronger in this category,but was really dissapointed. I ordered one of my favorites Oysters Rockefeller,and there interpertation with Hollandaise Sauce could not have been worse. see picture above.The topping of spinach had absolutely no flavor and underneath was absolutely so little oyster that I thought the chef forgot to use them. Foodiechic had a Lobster Bisque that was still had lumps of flour in it instead of lumps of lobster, yuck.Our hosts had raw oysters,the best I can say for them at least they were fresh.

A bowl of salad,see above, was next served with Russian dressing, what else with Russian girl , the salad was definitely fresher than Lobster House but not worth traveling to Lantana.The real test the lobster will determine the outcome of this Lobster Battle. Foodiechic and I order a three pound female steamed, Brooklyn Boy a 2 and a half pound,Russian girl a 2 pound ,see picure above and below the results.

The lobsters arrive and as the team server, Speedy, arrives he puts the lobster in front of us and we ask that he breaks the claws and shell,he said he will and returns only we ask again.As. we wait for his return, I sample the my side coleslaw, and just leave the rest as it was tasteless. Foodiechic had some tasteless rice and Russian girl vegetables with no flavor. I thought the side bake potato was small at the Lobster House but these tasteless sides made me want the baked potato.

Now, back to the lobster Speedy returns with gloves and starts cracking my lobster with much difficulty, he finishes my lobster and the Boys but has to take the girls lobsters into the kitchen to finish which he probably should have done to start and what the Lobster House always does. The first bite of lobster for all and we all notice the meat is lukewarm and ,not the hot lobster meat we expect and get at Lobster House . The lobster is satisfacory but being on the cold side does not let us enjoy the full lobster flavor. As, we are eating our lobsters,Speedy is reaching over clearing our sides and then returns when I finish my lobster as the rest of the table is still eating. “Hold on,” I say and wait until we all finish, his actions were not only unprofessional but almost rude.He must have had hot dated tonight but not my problem.We finish the lobsters and tell speedy to please clean the table.

Our hosts have heard about their famous Apple Pie but they were dissapointingly sold out,and settle for a Teramisu,which was more Ready Whip than anything ,so much for dessert. We have our coffee and say goodnight and thank you to our gracious hosts.

Let the Truth be Told . the Lobster Battle was more like a toy war. The Station House definitely has a more desirable atmosphere but from there the Lobster House is a clear winner. The treatment,cooking, and taste of the lobster at Lobster House cannot be surpassed.The price difference, which I did not want to mention until all the lobster was eaten is significant. The three pound lobster ,$29.95,at the Lobster House was $54.95 at the Station House, in fact , I had the 5 pound lobster for $45.95 at Lobster House. The special 7 pound lobster at Lobster House $56.00, see review, and at the Station House $125.00. And, in addition, at the Lobster House, I can have one of my favorites Lobster Cantonese for a $1.00 more.The final verdict is in ,the Lobster House reigns supreme in the Lobster Battle.

Rating:

• Location-335 S. Biscayne Blvd.,Miami, Fl.

• Cuisine-Italian

The Gagit’s are joined by the Oil Baroness and the Racecardriver who got us to the restaurant in 15 minutes flat from Aventura.We both shared the memories of the total rip-off of Il Muhlino at Aqualina but based on recommendations of friends we decided to give Il Gabbiano a try.The owners are different then the Florida Il Muhlino who they sold the name too but from the original Il Muhlino in New York ,the Masci Brothers, Gino and Fernando. We park our car , enter the restaurant, and our seated at a great outside table on the bay overlooking Fisher Island, the Cruise Port, and the almost empty condos in the area.

Our waiter Matteo greets us in Italian , English might be his 4th language,and takes our drinks orders, this night Grey Goose all around, onions for me , olives for our guests, and with orange slice for Foodiechic. Only $60.00 per round, we better enjoy this food. lol. We are then plyed with the usual Il Muhlino fillers, sliced garlic Zucchini, tomato Bruschetta, a chunk of Parmagano cheese, and garlic bread. I wish they really tried to get me to forget Il Muhlino rather than remember by copying these already lame and old tastes .

As we peruse the menu , another waiter from another foreign country explains the specials in broken English, what is Bak-ed food. A third waiter takes our second drink order since it took it seems 30 minutes to explain the specials in his English . We place our orders with Matteo and are real concerned that he wrote down what we ordered our what he understood we ordered.

The girls ordered the Insala Gorgonzola e Pere to share.The salad arrives and was not only ordinary but they thought the cheese was Goat rather than Gorgonzola, Matteo really takes offense here and the girls really know the difference, I wonder if Matteo does.Racecardriver orders the Clams Casino for only $16.75, not a bad value for 6 Littlenecks if a plane ride to Rhode Island to get the clams were included.I thought Il Muhlino had no shame but the price of this dish would even embarrass them.

The mains now arrive and are shown above, I had Scallopini Pizzialo , tomato,peppers, mushrooms, and onions with a little spice.Not only was the spice missing, but the veal was really tasteless, and a quality I would expect in Mama Mia in Hollywood but not here. Foodiechic had the Picatta di Vitello Lemone, veal in lemon butter and white wine.Her only comment was consistent with mine, the quality of the veal was so inferior for a $27.75 dish , what a great way to make a profit at the customers expense. Our guests both had the Pollo alla Scarpariello, chicken and sausage with wine and garlic. the dish arrives and the Chicken is the low quality level of the veal,overcooked, and guess what no sausage for $27.75.

Matteo now comes over to our table and admits this time the sausage is missing,business is slow during the week,they have to cut corners.He offers us the house dessert on the house, a glass of Limoncello on the house,and coffee which we were charged for making the total bill, $400.00. Racecardriver got us back home in 10 minutes as we discussed which restaurant was a bigger rip-off,Il Muhlino or Il Gabbiano.

Let the Truth be Told, as long as a restaurant has any association with Il Muhlino , old or new,customer beware unless you need to be seen or impress your friends that you need to spend money for inferior Italian. If you really need to spend this money,at least go to Cafe Martarano where the food quality, taste, and service is really worth this amount of money.

Rating:

• Location-4141 2nd Avenue. Miami , Fl.
• Cuisine- Italian Bistro

The Gagits and his counsel arrange to meet at this new Design District hot spot. We entered the restaurant for our hard to get reservation and are greeted by the owner/chef and staff, nice touch even for Gagit.

We are seated in the main dining room of this furniture showroom with high open ceilings and a very open kitchen . Our server for the evening Guissipe, greets us in his native Italian and takes our order for drinks. They do not have hard liquor and only Italian wine and Italian beer along with speciality non-alcoholic drinks.Foodiechic and I order a glass of Rosato to start, a little to sweet for us and not comparable to a crisp French Rose , the Kitesurfer orders the Peroni Stout, the only flavor and quite heavy for the Miami atmosphere,and my counsel orders the best drink a refreshing lemonade-ginger or Limone -Zinrore perfect for the night.

We are now presented by a menu of many choices, antipasti starters of meat, cheese, and vegetables, a failure at Sardinia in Miami but a winner of Mario Batalli’s Otto in New York. We try the trio of Salumi starter,a Sopressta,Filine, and the fennel-studded Finocchiona all for $16.00 and a nice size and a tasty order much like Otto.We next order a Primi of Pasta for the table, ” ravioli evelini “, homemade ravioli, with herbed ricotta,brown butter, and parmagano sauce,as shown above. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the taste subtle yet flavorful.

We now have a tough choice deciding on our mains, but after consulting with the Chef we give Guissipe our choices and wait for them to arrive as we drink a few glasses of a Italian Merlot. As we wait the restaurant is now full and the noise level is almost deafening with the high ceilings,there is a side room that I would request for my next visit with low ceilings and much better for conversation.

The mains arrive all shown above,Foodiechic has the branzino alla Francesina,mediteranean Sea Bass, brown butter, lemon and capers, a nice dish but a little to subtle in flavor to say wow. My counsel has the young chicken ,with swiss chard and potatoes,again a nice dish but not wow. The Kitesurfer has a signiture dish,rissoto milinase, with’ boneless ossobuco’ again a nice dish but lacking the big flavor punch in the rissoto and the meat.I order a house speciality tonight, Grouper Cheeks,on a bed of couscous with chic peas. The Grouper cheeks were perfect in taste and consistancy, I wish there were more than three pieces for $27.00, the couscous and chic peas needed a flavor lift. I think the chef is afraid to use spices, he should go to Michael’s for a flavor lesson.

We now are shown the dessert menu by Guissepe, Foodiechic has the Ameretto pear ice cream ,a nice way to end the evening, kitesurfer a flowerless Chocolate cake and my Counsel, the best dessert,almond strawberry cake, with vanilla, a real stunner as shown above. I am dieting so only a Macciato for me. lol.The check comes and the place is now overflowing with patrons waiting to be seated so as soon as I sign the reasonable amount, $60.00 a person, we are basically led out but graciously at least.

Let the Truth be Told,after a dissapointing dinner last week at the new Pacific Time,Fratelli did not dissapoint. However,The Chef should add a little choice of spice flavored dishes, like the Kimchee Pork Belly at Michaels or the BBQ Shrimp at Redlight to really give us foodies a choice of tastes as we navigate our meal, Jonathan Eismann and Michelle Burnstein do not get it, hopefully, Ken Lyon will.

Rating:

• Location-35 NE 40th Street, Miami Design District, Fl.
• Cuisine- Bistro

One of my favorite restaurants on my arrival to Miami over 10 years ago was Pacific Time,a culinary experience of Asian Fusion tastes ahead of its time.A year ago it closed and a void of its tastes was created.However, the good news it has now reopened with its Chef /Owner Jonathan Eismann in the kitchen and hopefully,to recreate the tastes and excitement of the past in his new home in the Design District and with the now popular Bistro cuisine.

The Gagit’s arrive at the restaurant,kind of surprised we did get a reservation a few hours ago ,not possible at Michael,s,not a good sign. There is lots of outdoor seating but this night is to sticky for this ,so we head inside. We are greeted by the door and seated immediately in the half empty restaurant at 7:30pm Saturday night, is this a warning?We are now greeted by our waiter Andreas who brings the menu /wine list and offers us water and bread to begin the night. We decide to drink a lighter red wine tonight and the list has some reasonable choices,and we order “The Zin.”as we peruse the menu. As we look at the menu ,we are not sure where we are, Michael’s or Michey’s, snacks, small plates, main plates, without the strong Asian Fusion seafood influence that we expected from Eismann.

We decide on three small plate starters to get a flavor of the tastes before we order our mains. We order the Sauteed local Grouper with red curry, bananas, coconut water,and Chinatown pork ribs, soy brine and peanuts, and my choice steamed clams with sake,onions, tomato and tarragon,all shown above. We sip our more than acceptable wine and wait in anticipation of our first starters. They arrive rather quickly since the place is more noisy than crowded, the two of us can hardly talk and the place is still half full. We start with the ribs and even though they are meaty there is absolutely no taste sensation here,the clams next and the same nice presentation no explosion of flavor that I expected from Eismann,he has learned the art of underflavor from the queen , Michelle Burnstein. The Grouper arrives , this does have more of the Eismann touch but still not enough punch to excitement to want to order again.

After, these three starters we decide to order a few more rather than try a main plate , where the choices are not only limited but again not exciting enough to build our interests. In reality, we see a few dishes served to others, swordfish and a skate dish that looked ordinary by Eismann,s old Pacific Times standards. Our next round of starters arrive,Sweet corn and leek soup with peeky toes crab dumpling,coriander ,shallot crisp, and mustard oil. I expected with mustard oil , the soup should have a little bite but the ingredient mix was really to subtle for me to want more.Our last dish shown above next to the soup, was grilled butter Asperagus,toast, egg milanese,prociutto, unfiltered olive oil, and preserved lemon.Foodiechic and I both agreed that this was the highlight dish of the night, but we also agreed we did not come to Pacific Time for a Italian Asperagus dish .

Andreas now brought us the dessert menu, and it really was as uninteresting as the mains,we pass get a Macchiato and receive the only spice of the night, the check for $150.00,a carbon copy of the Michy no spice experience. Let the Truth be Told, the new Pacific Time experience was as far from the old as possible and a tremendous dissapointment from such a creative chef. I can now only ask the readers to see my reviews on Michael,s for his Bistro cuisine with a bite and for Redlight where Kris Wessel,s cajun cuisine is dynamic before they are influenced by the notoriety of Burnstein and Eismann and there punchless Bistro cuisine.

Rating: