Riverstone Restaurant & Tavern

User Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

After reading all the hype about this place, I was attracted to it by the much-touted "extensive" wine list. Yes, the wine list is huge...but I've been in places that have one page wine lists that have a MUCH better selection!!! I was simultaneously disappointed and amused by this wine list(it was like visiting someone who bragged about their extensive cd collection, only to find that it consists of 2 or 3 versions of every AC/DC album mingled with 2 Rolling Stones and 1 Bathory, but not a good one!)... one wonders if the 'mastermind' behind the list has ever heard of, oh, say, Italy or France or the continent of South America! Don't get me wrong, there were selections from those regions, but the preponderance was U.S. and Australian...not that those are bad, but with so many wines to choose from I find it hard to believe that these were "selected" so dominantly over other regions' wines. My experience was last year, so perhaps it has changed since then? NOW, about the food and everything else: I had a veal wellington, which was superb. My fiend had a steak, which was apparently "adequate" but not thrilling. One thing that may dismay casual diners is the lack of "choice" of side dishes; the side dishes for each dish are described on the menu, as the chef sees fit for the individual dish. Probably diners can substitute if so inclined, but I'm not sure. The rest of the menu was very interesting and unique, it was hard to decide; I would not call the prices outrageously expensive, either. The place was jam-packed when we were there, but the wait-staff and kitchen handled the high volume very well (though I heard some other customers whining that they had to wait). Speaking of 'volume', however, the place got VERY loud; the acoustics are such that large crowds tend to become troublesome, if that's a concern of yours. The decor was pretty sophisticated, not dreadfully "oh, look how Northwoodsy WE are!" style. We didn't get a chance to sit at the bar, but that looked pretty nifty. All in all, it is a wonderful place, but wine afficianados should prepare themselves to be disappointed with the over-hyped "extensive" wine list (unless it has changed). Despite that, I'll be back and I continue to recommend it to others.

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User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

very nice restaurant. The duck was amazing. The variety of food was great, and each dish had individual character. The wine list was huge. The atmosphere is nice, however relaxed, especially considering the price of the food. Expensive but unique.

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