"A second visit; my wife and I enjoyed a memorable Valentine 's dinner there in 2023. It 's a cozy little place, with the ambience of a cherished French bistro. And a good experience last night, but three stars because I want Gypsy Apple to improve. $45 for mains asks for something special; it 's the most restos ask in our area. A solid outing: food was professionally prepared and delicious. Filet mignon/ red wine and mushroom reduction, with asparagus and mashed potatoes x 2; seared salmon with lobster mashed potatoes; rack of lamb/ mint sauce and potato chimichurri. Local sautéed morel and lobsterhead mushrooms and crab cakes for apps. Vermouth/ sherry cocktails and glasses of Italian and Spanish red and white for dinner. We declined dessert, because after ordering the crème brulée were informed that the refrigerator broke down. Meats were all expertly cooked: a nice medium on the steaks, and a nice rare on the lamb, with good searing on both without affecting the juiciness within. Vegetables were the right texture and color, fresh green yet cooked just right. A good crabcake, and tasty mushrooms. Server was engaging and professional, removing bread crumbs before the mains arrived. A few constructive criticisms: The room was empty when we arrived at 6 sharp, even though it soon filled up. But it took 1 hour for the appetizers to arrive, and another hour for dinner. 2 hours pass before your guests get to enjoy your wonderful food? Our dining companions, who were recognized and greeted warmly by our server as semi regulars, said that you are getting this reputation. So three hours for a dinner of 3 4 courses was not an off your game evening. No free glass of wine to apologize for your delay? The music, while not technically loud, was brash and intrusive. '90s hip hop and random alt rock at a classy place, with many of your guests over the age of 60? I still have some Biggie lyrics memorized from my 20s, but an elevated experience is NOT where I want to remember college parties. You can do better; think of your guests. No music is best, but perhaps a little acoustic instrumental of any genre can work in the background, to muffle separate conversations. The presentation of the food was uninspiring, and most of the accompagnements were mundane. For $100 per person for everything (drinks apps mains tax tip), you can do better than simply steaming/ sautéeing asparagus stalks. And they were not even broken in the middle the spear is the best part, not the stalk. Your mashed potatoes were a lost opportunity. Nothing outside of simply boiling one kind of potato with some butter and some salt? You can and should strive to inspire. Meat and potatoes can be elevated; use your creativity. Yes, for one of the plates, you used lobster mashed potatoes: bravo! But for the others, why not, for instance, some hazelnut oil? Or perhaps, a special kind of heirloom potato, or combination thereof? It can still be an effective template for the meat, without being intrusive. Also, please do not serve good bread and allow some of it to be frozen in the middle. We will be back, Gypsy Apple, because we support you, but please improve to the level of which you are capable."
