Contemporary Foods - Harrington Park

The food was very good but they were short staffed and the service wasn't great Espresso was cold, the table had crumbs and plates that supposed to be cleaned b... read more The food was very good but they were short staffed and the service wasn't great Espresso was cold, the table had crumbs and plates that supposed to be cleaned by the waiter had to ask for

Overall it was a reasonably fine experience. The service was reasonable and the food was served hot and definitely tasty. We were last there when the restaurant... read more Overall it was a reasonably fine experience. The service was reasonable and the food was served hot and definitely tasty. We were last there when the restaurant was called Raw. The restaurant did not have truffle oil for the truffle mac cheese and they also did not have sorbet available on the dessert menu. At the table next to us was a family of four, parents and two little girls. When one of the girl 's food arrived, the waitress noticed that her pasta came out with tomato sauce instead of butter, the way it was ordered. The waitress offered to correct the kitchen error, and the little girl/parents said it was ok. These are little things that have subtle implications for the restaurant being just short of getting an excellent rating. There seemed to be only one waitress. When we arrived shortly before our 6 pm reservation the restaurant had only one other table occupied. Therefore, the restaurant was pretty quiet. However, it obviously got louder as it filled close to capacity around 7 p.m. I understand that a restaurant can/will run out of items that are on the menu, however, our reservation was for 6 p.m.

Sadly, this dining experience does not live up to my prior times there the food was pretty meh just lacking in flavor. I guess it's because Augie wasn't in the... read more Sadly, this dining experience does not live up to my prior times there the food was pretty meh just lacking in flavor. I guess it's because Augie wasn't in the kitchen that night. Oh well

The atmosphere and setup was very nice, my only complaint is their seating with the booths is it's awkward to get in and out of next to another table. Service w... read more The atmosphere and setup was very nice, my only complaint is their seating with the booths is it's awkward to get in and out of next to another table. Service was very slow, but I fault the cafe for being understaffed with the amount of tables they have, it's too much for the low staff count. Despite having a reservation and being a very low key group of 3, we waited about 45 minutes to even get our 1 appetizer served and it was an hour and a half before we got dinner. In the time we were there we saw 2 groups opposite us not only get their dinners, but also dessert and checks. Again not faulting the server with the number of tables being monitored, but simple things like getting bread to the table were forgotten until they looked at our table and realized we'd been sitting for awhile and it hadn't been delivered. Had to get up multiple times to ask the server or even the hostess to fill our water glasses. Of the dishes served the only standout was the chicken milanese. Bread was good, but should preface to diners that one option has some spice, bread was probably the best part. We also ordered Spiedini Alla Romano, Butternut Squash Ravioli, house salad with grilled chicken, and short rib ravioli. The Spiedini was not well pan fried, it was soggy and like it had been sitting out, not hot upon delivery and overly salted. The butternut squash ravioli were over done and were difficult to cut/chew, but the filling was good. The short rib ravioli were undercooked at the edges and the filling was so disappointing. It tasted store bought, like a lower cut of beef pureed with dairy. Salad was OK, but for what is being charged I'd expected more than just iceberg lettuce and more of a blend. Dressing on the salad was good and grilled chicken was done well. We didn't even bother to stay for dessert since we were there over 2 hours just to get dinner. We also didn't want dessert to be a disappointment and chose to go elsewhere.

Menu was guest friendly, great variety, Food was fanstatic, large portions and dollar value. Service high energy and very hospitable. Ambiance was terriffic! I... read more Menu was guest friendly, great variety, Food was fanstatic, large portions and dollar value. Service high energy and very hospitable. Ambiance was terriffic! I am looking forward to my return as there are many other items on the menu I would like to try.