Maybe it’s because I don’t normally eat in this sort of restaurant, but I was impressed. My meal came to my table on a sword – that’s right, a sword – oh, and it was on fire. The risotto was amazing. No dessert for us, no room, but they brought a platter of fruit, nuts, and really good fancy cheese anyway, to round out the meal. I ached for hours afterward because of how much I ate, and I was even splitting all of it.

OK, the filet mignon was succulent and as thick as any steak I’d ever seen. The service was attentive, with waiters coming at you like staff sargeants. But for the value—$50 a steak— I’d rather have Ethiopian, Greek, Thai or Spanish food for less than half the price. The mashed potatoes? Skip ’em. Would never have set foot in the place without a gift certificate and likely never will again without one. We had a memorable 2.5 hours, but the company had most to do with that.