I went to Yvonne’s last night - the food is good and I like the cocktails but man oh man is it a scene. Lots of men in ties and women in heels at the bar. It was packed!
So I had been meaning to go to Yvonne’s for a little while now but never had the chance. I went last night with a group from out of town. Had to say I very much enjoyed it. It reminds me a LOT of a place in Vegas called “Rose, Rabbit, Lie” (which is great fun in Vegas if you’re ever there). The space if just very cool (even for us middle aged people), very designed - loved it. I almost don’t want to describe it all so it doesn’t take away from things if you go. Its’ down an alley in a strange part of downtown for “dining” and has a great old world “opulence” feel to it.
The cocktails were great and we all enjoyed everything we had - and we had 1/2 the menu practically. It is mainly small plates with a few “large format” items for the table to share. My only complaint about the food would be that a few items were a little salty for my tastes - and a few were much smaller than I expected for their prices (but this is Boston and I’ll keep saying it - I’m still getting used to Boston prices even after being here for a year).
We had:
Scallop Gratin (I didn’t try this one as it was too small for us to really share with everyone)
Tater Cubes - very tasty
Charred maitake mushroom toasts - very good but a little salty for me
tico tuna crudo - tasty
Octopus - i love octopus so loved this one
ceasears fall salad - overpriced
chicken and quinoa meatball - salty for me but a favorite for several at the table
crispy rock shrimp - loved this one
brussel sprouts - good
Niman Ranch Ribeye - very well cooked
I know not very descriptive but there were lots of elements for each item and I thought on a whole the food was very well done and the flavors well balanced. Our service was great, though the reservation process seemed unnecessarily complicated for a Monday night. We were a group of 6 and could only get a reservation at 5 or 8:30 - we ended up with a 5pm spot (opening time) and left at 8:30 - and many tables were unseated the entire time we were there. So not sure what the problem was (I understand not flooding the kitchen but like I said, many tables were unseated the entire time we were there).
Here is my big issue - and I will likely start a new thread about this - when the bill came there was a “Kitchen Appreciation” charge on the bill. What the f*ck is that? I am completely against “hidden fees” in hotels and now completely pissed about them in restaurants. Utter bullshit if you ask me. Our total bill before tax was $389.50 and the “kitchen appreciation” charge was $8.10. I didn’t ask about it, didn’t complain, and paid it but wow has it gotten under my skin.
What’s the problem with men in ties and women in heels ?
It doesn’t look like they mention it on their website- do they mention it on the menu? Or just slap you with it?
If it was mentioned on the menu somewhere I never saw it. So it just appeared on the bill.
If they’re not CLEARLY disclosing this charge up front it is a BS gouge plain and simple. I assume that many people who notice this just net the amount out of their tip (yes I know they go to different places).
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Don’t recall seeing this the last time we were there, but the bill was sufficiently large (both in terms of items and total) that I could have missed it. That said, we know it’s a bit overpriced but it’s a hoot. My SO and my 12-year-old both love it. Looking forward to Christmas eve lunch there following the Nutcracker which has become a family tradition.
That’s my dilemma now. We had a great time and loved the place. It is expensive but we were willing to pay it because we enjoyed it so much. But that charge really rubbed me the wrong way and is easily overlooked since it is a small plate restaurant, so the itemized bill is lengthy already. And honestly I usually don’t check out the bill very carefully (gasp), I have a rough idea of how much I think it should be and if that is around where it is then I just pay it.
I didn’t bring it up with the waitress or manager because honestly who wants to have that type of discussion after having a great evening with out of town guests. I certainly wasn’t going to have the discussion at the table in front of everyone (I paid the full bill) and I had already been away from the table to ensure the check wasn’t dropped for someone else to grab it.
Unfortunately it will likely impact when (and if) we go back - so silly over $8 but I just thought it was sneaky.
And honestly, with as hard as it was to make a reservation and then there being several open tables the entire time we were there . . . if they had a better booking process and the kitchen could actually handle a full restaurant (since we are assuming the kitchen staff deserves the “appreciation”) they’d make up the revenue with more covers. And for anyone who hasn’t been, it is a small plate driven place so things come out at various times, not all at once (or at least ours didn’t) so it isn’t like a table of 8 means that all 8 entrees need to be fired and coordinated.
Just got word that they will NOT be open for lunch Christmas Eve day this year. They are doing the throwback “Locke Ober” menu for lunch on the first 4 Fridays in December, 12-2 PM, however.
