text: Avalon though it has the potential failed to live up to expectations It is sad to see a fine chef undermined by a poor frontofhouse operation but that is what happened to us tonight The food and the atmosphere were first rate but everything else dragged the experience downnnThings started off poorly when Open Table was not able to make a reservation for a party of six though there were plenty of openings when I called The service though courteous was unbearably slow despite a nearly empty house on a Tuesday night Requested items such as a dessert menu were not brought to us No bread was brought to the table till we requested it after entrees were served The coffee was cold the first time around I am aware that in some circles it is considered proper for a check to be presented only after it is requested but it took minutes to get a servers attention to request it The restroom was out of towels For this they did not deserve the tip which was automatically added to our billnnNevertheless the food was first rate Be warned that for better or worse the menu may bear no resemblance to the one on their web site We enjoyed a bottle of Red Dirt Red wine All the salads were great though the promised goat cheese had to be substituted due to a shortage The crab cake was unique and wonderful The rack of lamb was wonderful if small The couscous was delightfully flavorful The short rib was perfect The barramundi was a pleasant surprise Regrettably the only dessert we tried was the brownie with roasted marshmallow which was merely ordinary with no hint of mint in the mint chip ice creamnnOur experience says it is a good though expensive place for a quality meal but too risky to bring guests