Foods from The Shore Club
Comments
2013 May 4
Had another very nice meal at the Shore Club at the Westin. The dining room itself is a good part of the appeal--very classy, quiet, and spacious. The quality of the fish is absolutely exceptional--had the black cod--would love to know where they source this, as I would be all over it like a cheap suit at my next dinner part. The focus for most dishes is simplicity perfectly executed (seared fish with a soy-based sauce, steamed broccoli)--so don't go there for complex, innovative cuisine. Banana cream pie was among the best I have had ever--glad I saved room for it.
Service was...well-intentioned. It was one of those evenings where the "tone" was smooth and professional...but they kept messing things up in minor ways...and then apologizing profusely. Creates an interesting contrast. They comped us our cocktails, which was nice.
Service was...well-intentioned. It was one of those evenings where the "tone" was smooth and professional...but they kept messing things up in minor ways...and then apologizing profusely. Creates an interesting contrast. They comped us our cocktails, which was nice.
2013 Feb 19
Went for dinner on Friday night and I had mixed feelings. I was expecting something different and what I got was sort of the same old thing.
After reading all the reviews on here I thought it was going to be a different vibe, but ended up being like a more upscale version of The Keg.
The service was attentive, but one person brought bread, another butter, another drinks, another food, another water etc... We ended up being asked about 50 times how we liked our meal. Sigh....not very relaxing when you are being interrupted every 10 seconds.
The food was delicious. I had the oysters to start, and then instead of a main I had two appetizers: the crab cake and the lobster bisque.
The crab cake is how I rate a restaurant and this one was chock full of REAL crab. Breadcrumbs were only on the outside where they should be. YUM
The lobster bisque was really good.....but really rich and the portion was far too large for that reason. Every other time I have had it, it's come in a much smaller portion and understandably so as you can only eat so much of something that rich. And at $18 it's pretty pricey for a soup.
Desserts were pretty standard and boring so that didn't impress me much. How about going out on a limb and offering something other than creme brule and key lime pie?
I realise this is essentially a hotel restaurant so they decided to play it safe with decor and menu. For the price point, I personally found that disappointing.
I likely won't return just on the basis of plain boring-ness (is that a word - LOL).
(Next time you are in NYC, go to Koi restaurant in the Bryant Park Hotel. Now there is a hotel that wasn't afraid to try something different. No boring restaurant there!)
After reading all the reviews on here I thought it was going to be a different vibe, but ended up being like a more upscale version of The Keg.
The service was attentive, but one person brought bread, another butter, another drinks, another food, another water etc... We ended up being asked about 50 times how we liked our meal. Sigh....not very relaxing when you are being interrupted every 10 seconds.
The food was delicious. I had the oysters to start, and then instead of a main I had two appetizers: the crab cake and the lobster bisque.
The crab cake is how I rate a restaurant and this one was chock full of REAL crab. Breadcrumbs were only on the outside where they should be. YUM
The lobster bisque was really good.....but really rich and the portion was far too large for that reason. Every other time I have had it, it's come in a much smaller portion and understandably so as you can only eat so much of something that rich. And at $18 it's pretty pricey for a soup.
Desserts were pretty standard and boring so that didn't impress me much. How about going out on a limb and offering something other than creme brule and key lime pie?
I realise this is essentially a hotel restaurant so they decided to play it safe with decor and menu. For the price point, I personally found that disappointing.
I likely won't return just on the basis of plain boring-ness (is that a word - LOL).
(Next time you are in NYC, go to Koi restaurant in the Bryant Park Hotel. Now there is a hotel that wasn't afraid to try something different. No boring restaurant there!)
2013 Jan 7
Hey, Delizioso, we may have crossed paths! I was at the Shore Club on New Year's too.
We also had a really nice experience, despite it being busy. And bonus points for the layout of the place; now that I've seen it pretty packed, I can say that the noise levels were still accommodating enough to be able to hold a conversation.
Dishes this time around were:
Calamari: my first time trying this dish here, and it was well done. Tentacles and nice sized pieces in a not-too-greasy batter.
Fennel (side): first time trying fennel ever, and I liked it! So they must have done something right?
Tempura onion rings: wrong but so right. There was SO much batter on these things, and they were huge. But so crispy and tasty.
Sauteed mushrooms (side): a generous portion of well-herbed shrooms (standard variety). I remember cumin as being the prevalent spice here.
For the main course, I had the King Crab Legs and wow, how succulent and meaty. I felt kinda guilty paying $50 for just that dish, but given the enjoyment I got out of it, the guilt won't last long.
My eating buddy got the Salmon Wellington and he was quite pleased with it.
They also served us an amuse-bouche which was a single mussel done ceviche-style. I didn't care for this as I thought it tasted only of vinegar. Still a nice gesture though.
No room for dessert but we did manage to guzzle down 2 bottles of Veuve and several well-made cocktails.
Service was attentive and professional as usual. I liked that they didn't rush us even though we took a bit longer than 2.5 hours.
We also had a really nice experience, despite it being busy. And bonus points for the layout of the place; now that I've seen it pretty packed, I can say that the noise levels were still accommodating enough to be able to hold a conversation.
Dishes this time around were:
Calamari: my first time trying this dish here, and it was well done. Tentacles and nice sized pieces in a not-too-greasy batter.
Fennel (side): first time trying fennel ever, and I liked it! So they must have done something right?
Tempura onion rings: wrong but so right. There was SO much batter on these things, and they were huge. But so crispy and tasty.
Sauteed mushrooms (side): a generous portion of well-herbed shrooms (standard variety). I remember cumin as being the prevalent spice here.
For the main course, I had the King Crab Legs and wow, how succulent and meaty. I felt kinda guilty paying $50 for just that dish, but given the enjoyment I got out of it, the guilt won't last long.
My eating buddy got the Salmon Wellington and he was quite pleased with it.
They also served us an amuse-bouche which was a single mussel done ceviche-style. I didn't care for this as I thought it tasted only of vinegar. Still a nice gesture though.
No room for dessert but we did manage to guzzle down 2 bottles of Veuve and several well-made cocktails.
Service was attentive and professional as usual. I liked that they didn't rush us even though we took a bit longer than 2.5 hours.
2013 Jan 7
We went here with a group of 6 for New Years Eve and had an amazing time. We weren't expecting out of this world amazing food because sometimes the rush of new years can cause the quality to suffer. The food, service, and atmosphere were exceptional and I will definitely be back.
FOOD:
- Clams casino: Portion seemed a tad on the tiny side when compared to other dishes but tasty
- Calamari: Exactly what you'd expect. Fried calamari, light batter, perfectly cooked, nice dipping sauce.
- Trio of fish tartare: Didn't try but he said it was delicious
- Beef Tenderloin, with seared foie gras, and oxtail wellington (special): SOOO GOOD! Steak cooked a perfect medium rare, foie gras was velvetly and smooth, and oxtail wellington was just as creative as delicious. Still can't stop thinking about this
- Other steaks: Everyone else seemed to have some sort of steak with various sides. No one was disappointed.
- Tiramisu: Good but not great. I've eaten a lot better but also a lot worse. A lot more whipped cream than the traditional version but a huge portion for $10.
SERVICE:
Excellent service. We were in no rush that evening but were offered an amuse bouche and a palate cleanser on the house because they felt it was taking longer than it should. It was new years so we didn't mind the wait, anyone who expects dinner in less than 2 hours is a bit unrealistic.
OVERALL:
It was a great night and the food/service were wonderful so I will definitely be returning. The cost is what you would expect in a steak and seafood restaurant so although we can't go every week we'll definitely be back for special occasions in the future.
FOOD:
- Clams casino: Portion seemed a tad on the tiny side when compared to other dishes but tasty
- Calamari: Exactly what you'd expect. Fried calamari, light batter, perfectly cooked, nice dipping sauce.
- Trio of fish tartare: Didn't try but he said it was delicious
- Beef Tenderloin, with seared foie gras, and oxtail wellington (special): SOOO GOOD! Steak cooked a perfect medium rare, foie gras was velvetly and smooth, and oxtail wellington was just as creative as delicious. Still can't stop thinking about this
- Other steaks: Everyone else seemed to have some sort of steak with various sides. No one was disappointed.
- Tiramisu: Good but not great. I've eaten a lot better but also a lot worse. A lot more whipped cream than the traditional version but a huge portion for $10.
SERVICE:
Excellent service. We were in no rush that evening but were offered an amuse bouche and a palate cleanser on the house because they felt it was taking longer than it should. It was new years so we didn't mind the wait, anyone who expects dinner in less than 2 hours is a bit unrealistic.
OVERALL:
It was a great night and the food/service were wonderful so I will definitely be returning. The cost is what you would expect in a steak and seafood restaurant so although we can't go every week we'll definitely be back for special occasions in the future.
2012 Dec 26
I can't comment on the lunch service but I've been three times now for supper and it's been great each time. The servers really know their stuff, both about the food & wine there and elsewhere.
I've always done the small plate thing (many times to excess) and so I've tried many dishes. I can comment on these off the top of my head:
Mussels: nicely prepared, broth not too salty, and most importantly, no grit or sand! That's a huge pet peeve of mine in restaurants.
Fish tartare: very tasty but small portion for $17. For this reason wouldn't order again.
Steak tartare: solid, but not the best I've had (Metropolitain's is the best I've had so far).
Popcorn shrimp: addictive, crispy, rather evil.
Vanilla battered prawns: I wasn't crazy about this dish because I found it overpowering, but if you like vanilla flavour, you'll likely appreciate this.
Manhattan clam chowder: finally a place that serves the non-creamy version! Good amount of nice seafood in a delicate broth.
Salt & vinegar shoestring fries: vinegary and crispy. Exactly what I was hoping for given the name.
Asparagus: normal, maybe a tad oily.
And cocktails are good and stiff.
It's not a place I can afford to eat at every week, but I do have reservations for new year's eve and am looking forward to going back.
I've always done the small plate thing (many times to excess) and so I've tried many dishes. I can comment on these off the top of my head:
Mussels: nicely prepared, broth not too salty, and most importantly, no grit or sand! That's a huge pet peeve of mine in restaurants.
Fish tartare: very tasty but small portion for $17. For this reason wouldn't order again.
Steak tartare: solid, but not the best I've had (Metropolitain's is the best I've had so far).
Popcorn shrimp: addictive, crispy, rather evil.
Vanilla battered prawns: I wasn't crazy about this dish because I found it overpowering, but if you like vanilla flavour, you'll likely appreciate this.
Manhattan clam chowder: finally a place that serves the non-creamy version! Good amount of nice seafood in a delicate broth.
Salt & vinegar shoestring fries: vinegary and crispy. Exactly what I was hoping for given the name.
Asparagus: normal, maybe a tad oily.
And cocktails are good and stiff.
It's not a place I can afford to eat at every week, but I do have reservations for new year's eve and am looking forward to going back.
Older
Pasta lover
The food and drink was spot on and the waiter was courteous and knowledgeable. The only beef I had was with the 90 minute wait for dinner to arrive. The restaurant was packed on Christmas day and I was with a large group so I expected a wait but it was longer than anticipated. Complimentary bread or appetizers would have been great but we were out of luck. The waiter did in fact bring bread but with dinner. I still enjoyed my meal though and hope to go back sometime.