Disappointment at Pier 4

So here I was advocating all of these great ideas for getting the most out of restaurant week and the one place I go to ends up being a bust...typico!

My partner in hunger (as he calls himself) and I decided to venture out to Anthony's Pier 4 by the waterfront.  It satisfied all of my criteria: it is an expensive place, a place I had never been and a place I wouldn't consider going any other time. 

We arrived and it was all swanky and promising except for the fact that, being the only customers under the age of 65, I felt we were judged the second we walked in.

My first complaint is regarding the service.  Our waiter seemed to be completely over the place and dead tired. When I asked him a simple question about the salad, he answered in the most simplistic terms that really gave me no more additional information than what was already on the menu. 

Their food was actually pretty good, just not worthy of their regular prices.

For starters, my friend made a wise choice and ordered their lobster bisque, which was creamy and delicious.  They bring you a huge popover at the start of your meal as well, a touch I quite liked.

I ordered their baby Maine shrimp salad which was actually quite good apart from the two pounds of oil I found at the bottom of the plate by the time I had finished.

For our entrées, I ordered (upon the waiter's suggestion) their grilled halibut over couscous and grilled vegetables.  I ended up getting a piece of dry rubber with a tasteless paste over top. (They could have used some of the excess oil from my salad perhaps...)  I actually had to send it back. I am convinced they just gave me a mistake from the kitchen...little did they know who they were dealing with! 

My second attempt at an entrée was infinitely more successful. I ordered their fisherman's stew and it came out piping hot with large succulent shrimp, linguça sausage, scallops, monkfish and mussels.  It was really delicious.

My friend somehow received the memo not to order seafood at this seafood restaurant and was happy with his grilled filet with roasted fingerling potatos. I tried a bite and it was indeed very well done, although I found they went a bit overboard with the sauce.

For dessert, I again received a completely helpless response from the waiter and ended up ordering their tartufo, which was completely ordinary.  My friend ordered their sticky toffee pudding which was clearly the right choice.  Lucky for me, he is not a 'sweet' person so I gallantly agreed to finish off most of his dessert.

In all fairness, I probably just ordered the wrong things...but who would think that ordering halibut at a restaurant supposedly renown for its seafood would be a huge mistake?
I can forgive the shortcomings with the food, but the service was really what got to me. It seemed as though everyone working there was having a miserable time and I got the feeling that from the minute we sat down, our server wanted us gone..which was ironic, because the rest of the restaurant was empty.  This feeling was exacerbated when they brought our entrées out before we had finished our appetizers.

I can say one thing for sure, I will not be going back to this place, nor would I ever recommend it to anyone, even during restaurant week!

Apparently, I am in serious need of having a good food experience, pronto!