text: nnThe setting is very nice and the menu sounds wonderful I hadnnnThe Bison tartar for an appetizer andnnHalibut with roasted carrot roasted orzo and wilted chardnnThe last time I had steak tartar it was at Maison Robert it was traditional with eggs and caper and was out of this world I realized this appetizer was going to be completely different and it was The bison was sort of dry and the main flavor was salt Honestly the whole grain mostado with pickled onions on the toast was better than the tartar and it was about a teaspoon in size For a meal with tax I do not mind small portions but I expect to be dazzled with flavornnLikewise the halibut was lacking in flavor It was cooked well and tasted fresh but I enjoyed the orzo and chard more I think I noticed a hint of fennel in the orzo which I will try at home so at least I learned an alternative preparationnnThe service was about what you can expect these days as the waitstaff talked to one another it was later in the evening about minutes before they closed when I checked out and they were attentive nnIn the days when tips are expected and the majority of reviews rave about the food I want to be objective I am rating House of Tricks based on their prices reflect fine dining Maybe I ordered poorly but I chose items that I typically would not cook myself and sounded different than I could get elsewhere The food was by no means awful it just lacked pizazz