Martine

Martine
Sorry it’s been so long since I posted last. For some reason my family went on a new-restaurant-hiatus for a month and a half. So this weekend I tried Martine, an upscale Tapas bar. Martine has been hailed for having authentic Spanish tapas, but I didn’t appreciate it. My fellow diners and I left disappointed and asking for more.
The restaurant itself is nice enough; hip décor and a modern menu make it acceptable just reading about it, but once I actually tasted the food I developed a different opinion. I ordered beef tenderloin tips and garlic potato chips in a bolognaise sauce. The beef tips were perfectly tender, and the chips weren’t overpowered by the garlic undertones. However, the meal only got worse from there. As an entrée I received the fattiest cut of lamb I have had in my entire life; there was practically no meat. As I worked my way through about a quarter of it as to not offend, I eventually gave up. Also, several others at my table ordered the same dish with the same result. Several others at my table ordered seared calamari, as oppose to the normal fried variety. Normally, I am open to new cooking techniques, but the squid came out dry, tough, and rubbery. Although it had an appealing charred flavor, the texture caused it to lose some respectability among our table.
Overall, I expected much more from Martine. My parents had told me that I was in for a treat; that I should expect a great meal. I left wanting more.

MARTINE---6/10