I said it in the Cafe Atlantico post, I would return.  I did and it was a whole lot better than the first time.

Ahh minibar. When visiting cafe atlantico on the second floor sits a small counter with just six stools. Many without knowing think it is just a small bar sitting area for the one tops, but no, the lucky few that get to sit at those six seats each night are the luckiest people in the restaurant.

With just six seats and two servings each night it is hard to get just one of those hallowed seats. But how do you get a seat at minibar? My only answer is to call, call a lot. Reservations for minibar open up every day when the restaurant opens. But remember when you call you are calling for a reservation exactly one month from the day that you call. So if I call today March 30th, it would be for a reservation on April 30th. Sounds easy right? Nope. One more caviat. They start taking reservations at 10 am and  are regularly booked by 10:01 am.

So what are a few tips for snagging a reservation.

1. Speed dial
2. Redial
3. Start calling at 9:55

It is just like trying to get through to a radio station. Although none of those tips have actually worked for me with a radio station. But, then again I don’t review radio stations. Oh, and I also got a reservation at minibar.

The food is spectacular to look at and quite tasty too. We started with a few appetizers including fresh potato chips, and olive oil bon bons. But then, we had cotton candy foie gras. Sounds odd, sweetness of pure sugar with the savory creamy foie gras. It was amazing. I would recommend the tasting just for that one single taste.

As soon as they had us going they handed us dragons breath popcorn. What is it youmight ask, well it is a popcorn flavored bite frozen with the help of a little liquid nitrogen. When you bite into it, your breath is instantly chilled and you appear to have smoke blowing out of your nose.

Overall the experience was great. The atmosphere was fun and social. Although, there was a lot of ambient noise we could easily talk to the other four lucky individuals. While the food was at best a 3, the atmosphere and show involved were a 5. Jose Andreas has definitely out done himself. So tomorrow morning I would recommend getting on the phone at 9:55 and start calling.

The expectations for this restaurant were very high.  With Jose Andres and Katsuya Fukushima one could expect nothing but perfection.  After eating at Cafe Atlantico I have come to the harsh reality that my expectations were completely wrong.  Everything started great.  We sat at the bar and had a few excellent cocktails.  After the cocktails we were seated and then everything came crashing down.  The first thing that happened was that the hostess came to our table and asked us if we were the group that complained about the restaurant week menu.  We were not, but it just shows the quality and strength of the menu.  To begin with the restaurant week menu was cut down to two choices for the night.  The website and front door menu listed six options for both the appetizer and the entree.  This was not that bad except that they replaced one of the six appetizers with a green salad, and one of the six entrees with a lunch special. 

Dinner menu

Appetizers

• Chef’s special soup of the Day – gazpacho
• MIxed Green Salad (lunch)

Entrees

• Salmon con Quinoa y Cous-Cous de Coliflor
• Specialty of the day (lunch) – Pork served with stewed tomatoes, olives, onions, capers and fresh lime with avocado

Dessert

• Sorbet of the Day, Coconut Sorbet
• Choco-Banana

I had the soup, pork and the Choco-Banana.  My Girlfriend had the salad, salmon and the sorbet.  We also ordered the table side Guacamole. 

Out first came the Guacamole, a mere 15 minutes after we ordered.  For a course that they prepare tableside, it took a long time to get to us.   The Guacamole is rather plain, but really shows of the flavor of the avacado.   I would recommend it for the first timer to Cafe.  Once made it was good, but it was not enough to tide us over until our appetizers came out 25 minutes later.  The appetizers were rather boring.  The only little bit of fun was the fried worms added to the top of the mixed green salad.  The salad was way over seasoned and showed just how much the restaurant likes restaurant week. 

I must digress, restaurant week is a time for restaurants to gain new patrons.  You are supposed to show of the best of the restaurant to get patrons that would not normally enter your restaurant to become repeat customers.  Cafe Atlantico and many other restaurants miss the point.  If you want patrons don’t simplify your menu, don’t offer food that I can get at taco bell, offer me something that distinguishes your restaurant from any other restaurant.  Make me want to come back, make me want to spend my hard earned dollars on your food.  Take pride in your food and don’t offer me something that you are throwing out there just to turn a 100% profit.

Back to the gazpacho.  Good body, good flavor, nice acidity.  It was a well balanced dish.  Probably the best of the night.  Just shows how the night went.  A cold soup beat out everything.

After the appetizers we had a good 30 minute breather before our entrees came out.  It gave us enough time to finish our wine and to discuss how everything was going.  Obviously not very well as it was 1:10 minutes into our dinner service and we had only our appetizers in our empty stomachs.  It was like we were the unlucky guests on one of the first nights of Hell’s Kitchen. 

Finally we received our entrees.  My pork had the texture of country fried pork without the breading.  After I cut out the bones, my portion was half its original size.  It was seasoned alright, but the combination of olives, capers, tomatoes and guacamole just did not work for me.  I just did not understand the guacamole.  The salmon came out well done and on underdone couscous.   This was a bit of a joke at the table as the waiter made sure that we were alright with medium-rare salmon, as that is how the chef liked to cook it.  I guess that the chef was not in, as the salmon came out cooked well done.

Finally we were given the gift of dessert a mere 2 hours after we sat down at the table.  This would not be bad if we were eating a six course meal, but for a three course meal that appeared to be pre-cooked this was horrendous.  The dessert consisted of coconut sorbet (enough said), and a Warm Chocolate cake (actually cold) with Venezuelan chocolate flan, banana foam and fresh banana lime salad.   The cake was cold, the foam was creamy and the flan was, well great.

Overall my experience was horrible.  The staff was inconsiderate, the food was moderate at best and restaurant weekers are treated as third-class citizens.  Would I go back?  Maybe for minibar, but for restaurant week, probably not.  

Reviewed 8/14/07