4. Ristra

My first visit to Ristra was a disappointment. The decor is warm and inviting, yet modern and the service was attentive. However the food was nothing more than mediocre. I began with the prawn flautas which were served along side a citrus salad and what appeared to be a sauce of mint and mustard. The flautas were deep fried and dripping with grease. Rather than crisp, they were somewhat soft and oily. The main dish, a duck breast with raspberry sauce and a potato galette, arrived merely plopped on the plate, rather than presented. The fat on the duck breast had not been fully rendered and was thus not crispy. But, you could not taste the duck anyway, since the quantity and quality of the raspberry sauce was so overwhelming. The potato galette was rather tasteless. This was followed by dessert, a chocolate souffle. The soufflé was undercooked; except for the very top layer, it was all batter. I cannot recommend this restaurant; it was such a great disappointment and yet a fairly high priced meal.