Good Friends Good Food Good Times
Two of our supper club members decided to take the group to Gino's North on 2nd Ave last night. According to the menu's the place has been locally owned for about 80 years. The interior showed that. The bar area is quaint and dimly lit with a "fireplace" that didn't seem to put off much heat. We had a few drinks in the bar area first. We were greeted quickly for drinks and provided with small glasses of pretzels to munch on. We were asked to close our tabs in the bar area before heading in for dinner. We were placed at a large round table that worked well for our group of 8. It allowed all of us to talk and communicate with each other. Our waitress was nice and prompt, as the night went on she kind of reminded me of my grandma, which I took as a good thing. We started with some more drinks and appetizers, the mound of onion rings was overwhelming and the cheese sticks were tasty. My wife ordered a chicken parmigiana dish and I had the ravioli with meat sauce. We received large salads first along with bread. It was a lot of food to eat even before our main entree's were delivered. The meat sauce on my meal was good but a little sweet for my tastes. My other complaint would be that the ravioli were meat filled. I feel that true ravioli are always cheese filled. That is more of a personal preference than an issue. The food was good overall and I would return without question.
Located on Ingersoll a block away from the Star Bar should be a good location for this type of restaurant. The layout was open with high ceilings and ample space between tables, but otherwise their decor eluded me. The beads hanging from the ceiling on the way to the bathroom were a bit "Hugh's Jungle Room-ish" for me. They had a pile of rocks in the bathroom sink - WTF?
The service was slow but the waiter was good, with points for being patient with our "pondering" the menu and dessert options. The kitchen seems to struggle with the concept of completing all meals for that table at the same time. Prices I thought were a bit high, but not outrageous given the market they're going for. The food quality was average at best, however, and did not justify the prices. I heard it said that HyVee Chinese would have been an upgrade - and I'd have to agree. The final nail in the coffin to me was that they had zero tap beer, which made me want to run across the street to Wellmans.
If I found myself with a group planning on eating there I would go, but I wasn't really impressed and there are several better alternatives in reasonable proximity. For an overall ratings I give it 3.5 out of 10.
Last night, I visited Red China Bistro for the second time. The first time I went was opening week of Red China Bistro. My mom and I went there for a Ladies’ Night Out. Upon entering the restaurant I was immediately struck by the ambiance. It is garish and over-the-top. The décor is a weird juxtaposition of a Chinese theme gone wrong, mixed with ultra contemporary. One table features stone like seats, the next has bamboo styled chairs, while the next has silver metal chairs with leather seats. Red China Bistro does not subscribe to the less is more theory. Nowhere is this more evident than on the back wall, where fifty or so, glass vases feature red poppies. Everywhere you turn there is another decoration, that seems contrived.
While my mom and I enjoyed great conversation, we were disappointed by the service. My meal came out ten minutes before her meal. While she and I enjoy leisurely meals, this one felt more like a marathon due to the poor timing of food service. Because, we visited the restaurant opening week, we felt perhaps the Red China Bistro was working out the kinks.
Before visiting the restaurant for the second time, I was very optimistic, and excited to try the restaurant again. This time a goup of friends and I were meeting at the Red China Bistro for our monthly Supper Club. Preston, our waiter, was very professional, and provided excellent service. He was knowledgeable about the menu, and was able to make recommendations to us. As the food was being prepared, our group enjoyed lively conversation. The restaurant was able to accommodate our vibrant group of eight. Once the food came, everybody eagerly dug into their plates. Unfortunately the anticipation of the meal was better than the dinner itself. The majority of our group was disappointed by their meals. My husbands dinner tasted burnt, and left a particularly foul taste in my mouth. Overall the group was disappointed in the quality of the food.
Red China Bistro is a good place to meet great company for cocktails. Then I recommend going someplace else for dinner.
Meredith