Jill and I have have been dating for exactly one year and one day now…. We went to Bordinos for our one year anniversary last night.
We made reservations, got dressed up, and went to enjoy a great evening at one of the few restaurants that passes as “fancy” in Northwest Arkansas.
This was my first time at Bordinos, so I was excited, and had heard alot of great things about the food, atmosphere, and service. (And the interior was designed by our friend Kathy Thompson, who also had several paintings hanging there.)
We enter, and were seated, given menus, and proceeded to browse the wine and champagne selections.
We ordered two glasses of champagne, and decided to start with:
Kalamata Olives, Roma Tomatoes, Baby Artichoke Hearts, Organic Mixed Greens, with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette and Crumbled Feta Cheese. $6.50
After a few moments, we FLAGGED DOWN THE WAITER to order:
Smoked Salmon with a Goat Cheese and Peppered Bacon Mousse, Lemon Vinaigrette, Basil Oil, Tapenade, diced Roma Tomatoes and Puff Pastry “Crackers”. $8.50
Time passed, and we noticed that we were missing bread (which all the other tables around us had), so we tried to get the waiter’s attention again. No luck. After a few failed attempts, Jill actually stood up, and had to walk over to the waiter and tap him on the shoulder to get his attention and some bread.
We ordered our Secondi Piatti:
Jill: Two sautéed Chicken Breasts with sautéed Spinach, Tuscan Bread Pudding, Marsala Cream Sauce and drizzled with Truffle Oil. $18.50
Chris: Grilled New Zealand Lamb Chops with sautéed Spinach, grilled Red Bell Peppers and a Tangy Balsamic Bing Cherry Reduction. $29.50
The Insalates and Antipasti arrived, and they were both excellent !
We each ordered a glass of wine. I had a Zinfadel, and Jill had a Pinot Noir. (The wine menu on their website is 6 months out-of-date).
The entrees arrived, and were amazing. The Bing Cherry reduction on the lamb was devine. Jill’s chicken breast was smooth, and moist, and delicious ! She actually refrained from eating one of the chicken breasts, and the waiter said he would box it up for her. Jill had lunch for today !
I ordered the Lamb medium/well, and it was very very good. I probably wouldn’t order the lamb again, because I want to try some of the other dishes.
The waiter clears the plates, and says “Will that be all for you tonight?”.
He didn’t even offer us the desert menu ! We had to ASK FOR DESSERT ! WTF. He was rushing us out of the restaurant !
After we asked for the dessert menu, we ordered…
Tiramisu: Our Homemade Version of the Italian Classic. Ladyfingers Soaked in Espresso Roast Coffee and Layered Between a Mixture of Mascarpone and Whipped Cream. Dusted with Cocoa Powder and Garnished with Raspberry Coulis. $6.50.
Jill ordered a glass of Port, and I ordered the Chocolate Martini (Our Famous combination of Godiva Chocolate Liqueur, Vodka, and a Splash of Cream Garnished with Chocolate Sauce. $6.50 ).
Halfway through dessert, he brought us the check ! RUSH RUSH RUSH !
We pay ($115 plus a reduced tip), leave, and walk down Dickson for a few minutes before heading home.
We get home and Jill realizes that the waiter never gave her the leftover chicken breast. This totally bummed her out because she refrained from eating it, and was looking forward to having it for lunch today !
Bordinos has excellent food, but the service was horrid. I’ve had better service at local fast food restaurants. The waiter was rushing us throughout the evening, forgetting our table (which was in the second dining area), and he was dull ! All the other waiters and waitresses were smiling, talking, and seemed to be having a good time, but we were stuck with a non-smiling, somewhat surly waiter.
Something else I noticed… I was one of the most dressed-up men in the restaurant, and I wasn’t wearing a tie or jacket, just slacks, my pink Kenneth Cole dress shirt, and shiny dress shoes. Why can’t people in this town GET DRESSED UP to go out to a “nice” restaurant?
I would recommend the food from Bordinos, but overall…. I could care less about going back there… the experience was less than satisfactory, and put a “bad taste in my mouth” (except for the flavor of the food).
And the worst thing – it really ruined our anniversary.
