Julians Dining Room and Lounge: Delicious food unexplainably let down

Cold and wintry, Jullians was only open in the Zebra Room Lounge this December. With seating capacity of 6 tables, it was directly adjacent to the bar festered with rowdy rednecks with blown-up egos. I was within an earshot of their whiskey-laden machismo-convo for my entire dining experience. And the waiter’s service was NOT helping…

But the menu definitely was. Refined and simple- a sign that Jullian’s has seen many, many moons. It still carried choices of salads, burgers, pastas, and seafood items. The price points for martinis (on the first page) were astounding- $5.95 for anything from a signature Jullian’s martini to a key-lime concoction that was very tempting. But with other plans ahead, I delved right into main course- Chicken Marsala ($16.95), Jullian’s Classic Roast Beef dip ($8.95), and sides of garlic mashed potatoes ($3.50) and (for piquing my curiosity) a Gorgonzola cheese sauce ($3.50). To round things off, a savory-sweet Pumpkin cheesecake ($5.95) was ordered at the end.

My malady started when service became spotty- failure to replenish water (he had just 2 tables to attend), a fork for dessert, or a plastic bag for the carry-out. His saving grace was that he was personable and well-mannered. The food was surprisingly good and showcased the tenure of whoever was cooking it in the kitchen. The Marsala had a great range of earthy flavors that the button mushrooms just catapulted out of the ballpark. The chicken was moist and was cooked to perfection. Another notable feature was the humble looking cheese sauce served in a small side bowl. It was so flavorful and rich that I ended up using it as a versatile garnish on both the entrées. CALLING ALL CHEESE LOVERS! I highly recommend this one. The roast beef dip was nothing extraordinary, unfortunately. It needed something extra to really call it one of the restaurants signature dish. What was a toss-up was how scalding hot the mashed (actually, creamed) potatoes were. I liked them that way- better than served cold, right?

As dessert arrived, I realized that this place really needed to focus on ambiance and service- the food just happens to be half the equation of a dining experience. Exhibit A- Stonewood, a chain restaurant directly adjacent, had a completely packed parking lot. Exhibit B- I can concede that this wasn’t the main restaurant, but Steve even forgot to turn on the front sign light the evening we went.

IN A NUTSHELL: Go for the food. The ambiance and service match the tide of the ocean a block away. Chef, I am sorry that you don’t come out of the kitchen and see how well your food is being received and note how everything else could be improved.