One of my favorite restaurants, pre-dietary restrictions was Le Cellier. The steaks have always been amazing, the cheddar soup fantastic, and the overall service excellent. My mom wanted to stop here as we celebrated her birthday. However, we all quickly made the discovery that some things have changed at our favorite restaurant, and not for the better. Unfortunately, I think Le Cellier has suffered some major changes since the dining plan has become so popular. The menu has drastically changed and the restaurant always seems packed to the hilt. That being said, my meal wasn’t horrible, but not great either.
When the chef came to greet me, he seemed less than thrilled. He asked what I wanted, and I mentioned that I’d be interested in the salmon. He said there would be no way that could be safe. After several minutes, I finally just asked him what he suggested. But he wouldn’t give me much direction. I finally said that I just wanted something, “remotely safe,” which made him laugh, but still didn’t get me much assistance. We finally came to an agreement on the spice crusted pork chop and that he would replace the polenta with roasted potatoes. I also salad of mixed greens with a white balsamic vinaigrette. This turned out to be a big NO-NO for me. I have some issues with vinegar and this did not sit well at all. The pork chop was served medium, but more on the medium-rare side. To the point that I really had wished I would have asked it to be well-done. It seemed very pink. But, I was assured it was safe to consume and that this is the common way to serve pork these days. Well, consider me not common. I didn’t like it this way. The spice crust was also very overpowering and a bit bitter. I wasn’t a huge fan of it. The potatoes also had balsamic vinaigrette (double whammy on the vinegar) and I wasn’t a fan of the citrus endive salad either. I was given tapioca rolls with olive oil, but nothing new there. I was offered a blood orange sorbet, but I passed.
Spice crusted Pork Chop with roasted potatoes and citrus endive salad.
I wish I could give Le Cellier a glowing review, but I can’t. Even those without dietary restrictions did not enjoy this meal. The service was subpar and the accommodations for dieatary restrictions were not much better. Overall, I’d give this a 5 out of 10.
