Julia's Bistro

01/19/09

Very pleasantly surprised with both the service and food.

by mark23658 at Citysearch

I went to Julia's with my wife and another couple for the first time last Friday the 16th. My wife was very pleased with the understated but classy decor. Me, I just want a quiet place to eat some good food. We had a very good time and some wonderful food. I started with one of their foo foo speciaty drinks called a picojito which I would normally avoid like the plague but actually liked real well. It was a very nice blend of mint, pineapple, Bicardi and club soda. I don't care for wine but my companions were pleased with their selections. My friend ordered the black bean soup and quickly ate every drop saying it was very good. I had the Chipotle Caesar salad, it was crisp and not overpowered by the dressing. The women didn't order any starters. We all had different main courses, I had the pan seared scallops and man were they big, tender and flavorful. The other entres we had were the grilled chicken in a creole sauce, grilled ribeye and pan seared tuna. Everyone went home happy and wanting to return again. (what else do you want from a restaurant?)

Julia's is on the same block as the Continental Club and the Big Top Lounge, both usually have some good live music if you are into that.

• Pros: Good food with nice variety of selections. Quiet enough for easy conversation.
• Cons: Some fresh bread would be nice to have with the meal.

01/08/09

Slightly embarassed

by CuriousZeal at Citysearch

I visited Julia's for the second time on New Year's Eve. I took 3 friends, all first time visitors, so I was slightly embarassed at the poor service and subpar food, as I had been the one to pick the restaurant that evening. We were given ONE special menu set for that evening, but were not given a wine list. We requested one, and were given ONE....we passed it around the table deciding on cocktails. We asked if we could order from the regular menu. We were given ONE in the form of some loose sheets of paper...we took turns passing around the menu, holiday menu, wine menu, and cocktail menu (all loose papers), since our goup was expected to share menus...(we were one of only four tables there). They took forever to take our order...and our specialty drinks took 20 minutes (order something they can pour out of a bottle to save time). We had made two reservations (accidentally) but neither were on the list when we arrived. We were told we needed to be out of our table by 8:30 to accomodate their 9pm reservations, but they were so slow serving us we didn't get our last course until we questioned if it was coming at all...around 9:20! The empanaditas were hot and savory, complimented by a great sauce...as were the crabcakes. The ceviche was dry for some reason, but the black eyed pea soup was good and comforting. The lobster, and filet were just okay, accompanied by bland overcooked vegetables. The cheesecake we received tasted as if it had just come from the freezer. We had to chip away at the outside shell to get to the softer center. However, the chocolate mousse was really smooth, creamy and worth every bite. The biggest disapointment was when our itemized bill was not reflective of what was listed on the menu. Not sure if their prices are outdated or what...but it makes a difference when ordering more than one cocktail per 4 people. I will not go back to this restaurant, nor will my friends. Hopefully they keep the faith in me for choosing future restaurants.

• Pros: Easy to get a table even when they lose your reservation
• Cons: Service, Food quality not reflective of pricing

06/29/08

Average, but not opposed to returning.

by DinnerNight08 at Citysearch

My wife and I met another couple for dinner on a Thursday night. There were only four other tables occupied in the entire restaurant, so we got prime seating at the front windows. For entrees, the scallops were perfectly seared and tender. The fillet was cooked to order, but the sauce with which it was topped was too salty and made the steak nearly inedible for my wife (who is a filet fanatic). I had the Broiled Flounder and was disappointed; the fish itself seemed fresh, but it (and the stuffing) was surprisingly bland. The accompanying potato cakes were flavorless and dry.

The decor was modern and open. We would not be opposed to returning, but there are several other restaurants we prefer. A note on valet parking ? the parking lot behind the restaurant is small (perhaps 10-15 spaces) and is (complementary) valet only. The night we were there, the lot was empty, but I still had to valet. I simply could not justify a tip for someone moving my car 10 feet to park it and another 10 feet to pull it around. Ridiculous. However, we agree with another posting here: the area can be sketchy at night.

• Pros: Ambience, scallops
• Cons: Valet parking, service not-to-par