06/01/09

NO LONGER gluten free

by SpecialPhysX

Oh my dear! We went to Impromptu last night with light hearts. I had learned from GlutenFreeGirl's website that this is The Chef's restaurant. I had heard that The Chef converted his restaurant to all gluten free.

Unfortunately, we learned upon arrivel that the restaurant was sold many months ago. The current chef was very kind to accomodate my gluten free needs and the Tall Grass organic strip steak I ordered was prepared to absolute perfection.

The bigger disappointment was in the wine service. I ordered a lovely, really lovely Sangiovese blend priced at $12/glass. For this price, I got a THREE OUNCE pour served in a white wine glass so that this delightful beverage had no chance to breathe properly over the course of the meal. People at the next table did have red wine in the proper glasses. Not sure what went wrong at our table, but I really have to mark them off for such a faux pas. This should not have happened.

• Pros: Tall Grass grass-fed organic beef
• Cons: Short-sighted wine service

01/29/09

Perfect for Date Night

by ParsonJ

I wanted to take my wife out to a romantic restaurant because we hadn't been out to a nice dinner in quite a while. A friend suggested this wine bar/restuarant to me because they had been there recently and had had a really nice time there. We arrived and were given a great table for two by the window. The restuarant was warm and relaxed, and every table had candle light. The server helped us pick out a great bottle of wine. We enjoyed appetizers of homemade soup and winter vegetables. Our entrees were phenomenal, my wife loved her stuffed chicken and I had the 24 hour braised short ribs that just fell off the bone. We couldn't remember the last time we had such a great meal. The server was attentive and the meal was not rushed, so my wife and I were able to really enjoy a nice meal together with out the kids! Overall we had such a great time, and would recommend this restaurant to all our freinds.

• Pros: No kids allowed!

01/18/09

Great After Work Spot!!!

by jillianglass

My girlfriend and I were looking for a place to meet after work to have a nice glass of wine and catch up. We decided to pick a place in between both our jobs, she works in Bellevue, and I downtown. Madison Park is such a cute neighborhood with a beautiful view of Lake Washington. I arrived first at this cozy wine bar and was warmly greeted. Upon looking at the wine list I was very impressed by their selection of both local and international wines. They offer about twenty different wines by the glass and many wines by the bottle. Once my friend arrived we discussed our options with the manager and were very pleased with her knowledge and descritiptions of the wine. I hate it when I feel like certain wines are being pushed on me, and she was very helpful in her descriptions of all the nuances that each of the wines had to offer. She also let us know that Impromptu has happy hour every day of the week from 4-6, and wines by the glass were half off. We decided to go with different wines, and we both loved them! After a long day of work we were both hungry and took a look at the menu. Everything on the menu was tempting, but we went with a Dungeness crab coleslaw and the half order of thier homemade pasta. Who could pass up fresh homemade pasta? Everything was so delicious and the combination of flavors was perfection. I'm a little embarassed to say this, but ladies, the chef alone is worth the visit. A man who is that good looking and can cook delicious food, is a sight not to be missed. Great service, amazing food, even better wine!! It was a wonderful find, and we are looking forward to our next visit.

• Cons: only one bathroom