The Emporium: An American Brasserie

The vibe in here is so nice and the food once matched the elevated space. Unfortunately, that’s no longer the case. I used to love their salmon dish with the beet purée and was looking forward to ordering it today. They got rid of that item and had a new salmon dish on the menu, it was no longer gluten free but I asked if I could get it without the gluten item (farro). The waitress told us she would check and let us know. She never came back to confirm if it was possible or what I’d be getting and when I finally flagged her down about 20 min after ordering, the food was already out. For a $33 dish, I was given salmon and wilted greens. I asked if there was a substitute offered for the farro and she said she could do mashed potatoes. They came out quickly which I appreciated but had I not asked, the meal would have been very disappointing given the wilted greens were the only thing paired with the salmon. The greens were witty and ruined the taste of what I imagined to be a great pairing. For the price, I expect to have fresh food. Luckily, the salmon was delicious. We usually don’t complain (or even give bad reviews) but we decided to let the waitress kindly know about the greens to which she offered us a free dessert but we weren’t looking for anything for free, just better quality for the next person. When we got the bill, we were charged the full price for the salmon (which was expected) but with an add on for the mashed potatoes. It’s not really about the cost, but the principle of the matter and how poor the service was. The plates are all $30-50 and I feel with that cost should come a certain quality in food and level of service. Unfortunately, I don’t see us dining here again which is a bummer bc it used to be one of our favorites… I’d recommend going to blue agave or the regional instead!

Great cafe in the Elizabeth Hotel! Gluten free options too!!