Rick's Pond View Restaurant

Cora Murphy _{on Google}

Oct 16th, 2003

My parents took my husband and I to Rick's Pond View for my birthday. I gave this restaurant 2 stars for these 2 reasons: the cocktails were perfect, and the food did not make anyone sick.
Service: was attentive but did not notice that 90% of our food was left on the plate.
Beverages: cocktails were perfectly made, all had to ask for water which tasted funny so you have to have lemon in it.
Amuse bouches: Were a mixed seafood seviche in tequila and citrus with diced bell peppers and onions. The delicate calamari and lobster were overpowered and toughened by the brine and the pieces of onion were huge. We were left with overpowering onion/fish breath.
Appetizers: I ordered the pate. The pate was not made in a tourine, but had been smooshed into a "patty" which was green and smelled foul. Its former pink color was still to be seen inside. I gave it the benefit of the doubt and it tasted like dirt. The clam chowder was passable, and my husband's bacon-wrapped scallops were excellent, however.
Entrees: My mother ordered the baked stuffed haddock. It was overcooked. The top piece was oversalted, but the piece underneath was completely unsalted. My father ordered the filet and lobster. The filet was ordered rare, came to the table medium-rare and tough. A shame at $35. My husband's pork chops were slightly undercooked, I could see the grill lines but they were just pressed into the meat, no searing at all. He was pleased with his parmesan risotto, but beware that this was not risotto, it was just rice. My order was a half of a roast duck over yukon mashed potatoes and steamed bok choy with a cherry reduction. This duck was completely dried out. Not a drip of fat was left in the skin or the meat of the poor bird. The sauce was wonderful. The potatoes had perfect flavor, but were a little lumpy. The bok choy was steamed to a beautiful hue of green - but lacked flavor and was not complementary to the meal.
Setting: I was disappointed to see that the ugly floral napkin rings were still in use. They're dusty and dirty and need to go. The restaurant has been cleaned up a bit but needs a lot of work. The view of the pond and waterfowl outside was lovely, with the exception of the large piles of goose yick all over the walkway directly outside the window.
Conclusion: This place still stinks of a business on its way out. We did spend about $150 there, but we'll never go back. I suspect many families will do the same and the Pond View will only last another year or two - unless it undergoes radical changes in appearance and they hire a new chef and a new expediter. The quality control of this place was deplorable. Such a disappointment.