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Bar food is classy at The Isle. Presentation not so.
Props to the developers of The Isle at Pompano Park. The place has a great feel to it. Nicely designed. Good vibe. Decent slots.
I think it’s a class operation.
So imagine my surprise Saturday when the dinner I ordered at the upstairs bar -- paid for with slot winnings, I'm happy to say -- was delivered to me in to-go containers.
I got my Caesar salad and a gourmet pizza as if I had ordered them in my skivvies at home. The flatware was like something you’d get from a fast-food place -- plastic utensils, salt and pepper and a napkin wrapped in a cellophane sleeve.
“There must be some confusion,“ I said. “I’m going to eat this here.”
But that’s the way they serve food at the bar at The Isle.
I was a little apprehensive when I asked to see a menu and got a tri-folded sheet of paper that looked like it came off a copier. The menu was small, but it was from Bragozzo - chef Luke Palladino’s Italian eatery and wine bar.
I thought about sending it back, but I was hungry. And inside the cheesy packaging, the food was great. The salad greens were fresh and crisp, the dressing thick. The pizza was excellent, especially the light and thin crust.
But to sit at a nicely appointed bar in what purports to be a high-class establishment, eating out of cardboard boxes, brought The Isle down a notch. And it did not go unnoticed. I got several looks and comments from patrons.
“Where’d that come from?”
“You order that here?”
I’ll still go to The Isle. But I won’t order from the bar. Perhaps I’ll take a table at Bragozzo. Or try one of the many other restaurants there.
Have you eaten at The Isle? How was your experience?
-- Joe Schwerdt
NICK SORTAL began playing 3-card "gut" and "Indian poker" on high school band trips, early training for his...
Comments
Bragozzo does a lot of carry-out business of pizza's and snacks for the poker room. Bragozzo's dining room is an excellent restaurant with quality china, flatware, etc. Next time, don't eat at the simulcast or poker room bar. You can order a snack in Bragozzo and eat at either the bar overlooking the show kitchen or the cocktail bar. Bragozzo is an excellent restaurant. Isle needs to promote it more.
Posted by: Anonymous | February 9, 2008 9:36 AM
I've only been to The Isle once, right after it opened. The restaurants were all very busy and seemed like an extension of early birds from Palm-Aire.
The buffet that was advertised at $18 bucks was suddenly $25 bucks, which ALWAYS irritates the crap out of me. Does food cost more to prepare on Friday and Saturday? We asked to look at the buffet and told we couldn't. So we said ENOUGH of The Isle and have never gone back.
I see The Isle has a billboard on I-595 with 1st time $50 free play. Of course we aren't eligible because even though we've never played at The Isle we did sign up for their player's club for the whoopee discount for the buffet we never ate.
Now I see the billboard has had added "Next day rebate", so apparently they have pissed off so many people that they actually had to change the billboard.
The problem with the pari-mutuals isn't the Seminoles, it's their sorry/lack of marketing. They fail to realize that many times they only get one chance to impress anyone enough to return.
Posted by: KCK | February 10, 2008 9:02 AM
I commented on your negative post about Bragozzo two days ago. It hasn't appeared, so I'll try again.
Your implication is that the bar at Bragozzo serves food in carry-out boxes without real silverware. This is not the case, and you do a very good restaurant a disservice.
Bragozzo does provide a bar menu for the poker room and the simulcast area, and the food is not served on china.
Why didn't you eat at the bar within Bragozzo, either the one overlooking the show kitchen or the main Bragozzo bar. In either case, you would get linen napkins, good quality flatware and china and excellent service to go with the superior food.
You owe one of South Florida's better restaurants an apology for your misleading comments.
Posted by: detroit1051 | February 10, 2008 9:16 PM
Bragozzo provides a service to the players who just don't want to leave the action long enough to eat. They're more interested in having a decent bite and getting back, fast, to the simulcasts or the poker table,than what type of container the food comes in or what kind of "silverware" they're using. Meanwhile you have a choice of pizza or sandwiches much better tasting than the usual takeout. Next time, treat yourself! You can't lose by having a quick dinner at the food counter or a snack at the bar in the restaurant itself.
Posted by: jwf | May 9, 2008 9:32 PM