JimInLoganSquare wrote:Seriously, it sounds like maybe you were there on a very off night for what is really one of the finest kitchens in the city. Try going back on a Sunday through Wednesday night, and you will likely have a much better experience.
When this came up a few months back, I was tempted to reply. Not having had been to Sabatino's in a while, I felt not fully qualified to address this statement, even though my feeling at the time was, "are you sure that's what you mean...finest...kitchen..." I always liked Sabatino's, but finest?
Well, now I've been to Sabatino's recently. We went for a festive occasion, and really, I had no expectation I would make my reply. When the choice came up of Sabatino's for the affair, I thought great, maybe not finest of kitchens, but great choice. I mean, I "get it."
I also get it. I need to reply.
It seems that, perhaps, probably, that whatever was fine in the Sabatino's kitchen has departed. Obviously, my wife and I asked ourselves that age old question when disappointed by an old friend: us or them.
I think my wife right, when she put the blame on them. Of course our devotion to local foods and such has made us highly intolerant of crappy ingredients, but we maintain soft spots for places like this. My wife and I both like Tom's AND Golden Steer. This was much worse. My wife's argument, was the McDonald's syndrome.
Where as once a meal at Sabatino's was a bit of a treat, not horribly expensive but a stretch, it is now darn right cheap. And cheap demands something be cut. There are just too many short cuts here to make up for the prices. The main culprits being food kept around way to long. Rich mentioned up-thread the minestrone and its thickness, and that was one example. Much worse, embarrassingly worse (especially as I told my daughter it would be a safe choice) was the lasagna*. Not worth a lot of details telling you it was bad, just believe me, it was as bad as a bunch of noodles sitting around for days can be.
I can go on with the details on how nothing on our table was very good; not the pizza bread, not the bread bread, certainly not the flaming baked alaska, but, again it's not worth it, although I do like the comment my other daughter made of the pasta sauce tasting like coney sauce. One has to experience this place to see how it has fallen. But don't.
*Am I not mistaken but is not lasagna a Northern Italian dish?
Think Yiddish, Dress British - Advice of Evil Ronnie to me.