[SlideDeck id=’302′ width=’100%’ height=’300px’] Tonight the family took the ferry over to South Beach and went to a highly recommended restaurant called Barton G’s. The descriptions people used to describe this place was “exquisite” and “caterer food.” Those two words are far apart. When I asked for more descriptive examples they said the food was displayed very creatively. So, I thought what the heck…lets give it a whirl. It is a beautiful Friday night and so we decided to be seated on the patio. The kids are super excited to see what this place has to offer. We initially see martini’s coming by with smoke billowing from them and a chocolate monkey hanging off. That was neat. Looking at the menu it is eclectic American fare that has kitschy names and after seeing the drinks I am sure to be served in a unique fashion. We order the tower of fries and to our surprise it is a 2 foot tall wine holder with cones filled with sweet potato froes, tater tots, french fries and chips. To be honest…it looked great but tasted like the stuff I buy from the Schwann’s guy back in Oklahoma. So, I am giving the presentation on Appetizers a B and the food a D.
Now we are in for the dinner….Caytie ordered the BG Mac and Cheese served on a large mouse trap along with a wedge of cheddar.
Jackson ordered the Brick Chicken which was served on its own brick in a terracotta flower pot pan!
I got the Caesar Salad complete with parmigiano-reggiano and my own personal grater!
Then there was Jack’s….the waitress mentioned it was a “rather large presentation.”As large as this presentation might have been and then all of the fuss when they set in front of him…the taste was fair at best. The steak was overcooked and not medium and then the lobster was tough like a tire. I wanted it to be amazing and exquisite but it just was not. Caytie’s mac and cheese was just ok. Nothing to write home about and certainly not worth the price!! My caesar salad was good and Jackson’s brick chicken was actually the best…. cooked perfectly. It was moist and served with roasted sweet potatoes and a arugula slaw.
I am sorry Barton G that I did not love your place. I DO love your style and presentation. However your place pretty much solidifies my philosophy in cooking; “that if the food tastes great there is no reason to fancy it up!” Your place ended up being a lot of smoke and mirrors…..big forks, mouse traps and bricks! As a final note I asked my hubby what his overall thought on this $200 dinner and he said, “it is not the size of the fork but what it tastes like that matters.”