a/stir

My wife and I met up with some friends here for dinner. Due to Celiacs, they’re on a gluten free diet, and suggested this place as an option, and oh my god. The food was absolutely divine. My wife had a risotto dish, and I the Spanish Flank Steak; we cannot recommend both those dishes enough! Will definitely be visiting again!

I have mixed feelings about this place. The food was pretty good. We got the tasting menu and I loved the caprese salad. The risotto was alright. It seemed strange to me to serve the entree in such small bowls as it made me feel a little cheated, but it ended up being a good amount of food and filling. My partner enjoyed the lamb dish he got, but it wasn’t anything to really talk about. The desserts were surprising texture wise. The pistachio gelato was icy and was not at all smooth. There were bits of pistachio all throughout giving it a rough texture. It was very different from the creamy gelato you would typically get at a shop. The tahini chocolate mousse was very thick which is for a mousse. But it didn’t have any balance. It needed some cream on top or berries to balance out the bitter and sweet overwhelming chocolate flavor. The service was shockingly bad. Our server was good with all aspects of the job except for hospitality. They remembered our orders, brought food in a timely manner, etc. But they were extremely brusque. When we arrived, they didn’t ask us if we had dined there before nor did they even introduce themselves to us. They told us nothing about the restaurant or the menu. We didn’t know how the tasting menu worked so we asked and just told us we order the first 2 courses now. When they asked us how our food was, it was super brief and they didn’t ask if there was anything else we needed which is typically also asked at this time from servers. When it was time to order dessert, they said the options so fast and asked in a way as if we had already decided when I didn’t even remember what they were. I asked them to repeat them, which they did, but they didn’t tell us anything about the dishes to accompany it. Lastly, and most egregiously, they gave us the check while my partner was still midway through his ice cream. As a side note, they serve water in these cider bottles which is a bit confusing. I love the idea of reusing them, but they could at least take the labels off. Especially as someone who does not drink alcohol, this felt a bit weird. The decor felt a bit weird like they weren’t sure what aesthetic to commit to. The paintings and vases were odd and did not fit with the overall atmosphere of the place. I wanted to like this restaurant especially as someone who is gluten intolerant but I sadly will probably not be coming back.

a/stir is a gem! We started visiting for occasional date nights since my husband's celiac diagnosis, but our most recent meal there earned my review. Chef Ton made a lemongrass-encrusted sea bass with green curry sauce and veggies that was straight-up INCREDIBLE. Don't sleep on this special if it's available during your visit! We're big fans of this a/stir, and I appreciate their varied menu because it means we can swing by to scratch an itch we can't meet elsewhere (fried chicken sandwich for him, fish and chips for me) or come in for upscale date night. Staff are fantastic, always helpful, welcoming, and efficient. We will be back, many times!