This place is closed and is reopening March 15 as Empire, dropping the Grill part. Head chef will be Norm Aiken, of Juniper fame. New Menu, updated decor. For those interested, read about it on Ron Eade's blog. Sorry, couldn't get copy and paste to work.
Were it not for the good service and the enjoyable time I had sitting drinking wine while I awaited my meal, I would have awarded only one star to reflect the very poor steak. I have had good experiences at this restaurant in the past but my experience on this occasion was so unimpressive that I am not in any rush to return.
I went to the Empire Grill with a friend for lunch today.
My friend had the beet salad with chicken. It was ok but not great.
I ordered the duck spring rolls. They were good but not outstanding, certainly not worth $13.
I also ordered the chicken satay skewers. When they came, they were not cooked through. The waiter told me it was red because they were thighs. I know the difference between cooked thigh meat and raw meat and these were certainly raw.
The manager came by to to a QC check and took them away. Another order was brought but I was charged for both. After mentioning this, they took off the cost of both chicken satays.
Although they made it right, the whole kerfuffle took an extra 20 minutes to deal with, not pleasant when we have to head back to the office after lunch.
On top of it all, the wireless interac machines were not working, so there was an additional ten-minute delay while this was worked out.
Overall, the waiter was not very attentive. We got better service from the other waiters.
I do not agree that diners get good value for the price of the food here. There are certainly better choices in the market at this price point.
again my torrid love affair with the search for perfect seafood pasta continues. not bad @ empire. big portion though but i can handle it. came with mondo shrimps, crab, tomatoes and each noodle was evenly covered for that balanced taste. back to the gym though...
pei steamed mussels @ empire. with white wine cream sauce. sometimes you get a good stroke of luck and get these p.e.i. suckers as phat as b.c. honey mussels. other times they are so tiny and shriveled up you just have to send them back. but when they are this plump and juicy, you can't stop slamming these in.
the cure for obesity, phat asses and virtually every disease that you have has a lot to do with the alkalinity of your blood pH. now let's see if you can find a chef who can advise you this. you hear this foodies? don't be foolhardy, take in some of this bad boy dish each and everyday: roasted tomatoes with aged balsamic. plump, phat and juicy @ empire grill. restore your blood pH as close as possible to 7.44 equivalent to that of a newborn baby... and BABY you will have discovered the fountain of youth and will look young forever. crow's feet, stretch marks and spider veins magically disappear! warning: side effects include your clogged arteries unclogged!!
@ empire grill - chicken supreme stuffed with granny smith apples and smoked cheddar topped with maple jus. the flavors of chicken and maple syrup is an awesome pairing so much so that it is a marriage made in heaven. and no no no... they'll never EVER be trouble in paradise. EVER. as long as the game is played forever. heheheh.
empire grill - shrimp and pernod was a light and fresh with a light pernod cream, leeks and roasted garlic just right as to not overpower the subtle taste of prawns. i heart absinthe. something about that hallucinogenic wormwood can unlock the keys to the universe and help you visualize kaleidoscopic big bangs.... but if i can't enough pernod (aka - a poor man's absinthe) in my cream sauce, someone tell empire grill to use more of it to bring out that star anise flavoring to make phat shrimp even more magically delicious. did you know marilyn manson makes more money selling his award winning absinthe than all the albums he's ever sold? the music industry sucks.
@ empire grill. friendly rocket salad with baby arugala, olive oil and balsamic dressing, roated pine nuts, shaved parm, and tomatoes. top that with an ice cold drink and your summer patio fiestas can start on a good note and last all night long. BABY.
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