Q: negative

A: WHY? WHY? WHY? I used to go to Baton Rouge for the ribs but after living in the US and getting a taste of wood smoked ribs, I was done with utilitarian ribs. This week I went back since there's a Baton Rouge right outside the office with the team. I had forgotten the insane prices at this restaurant for straight a no frills trying to be everything to everyone menu. One shouldn't have to remortgage his home to eat out at lunch. That being said, it was an office lunch and I was going. This Baton Rouge also has a very nice terrace to eat outside and enjoy the nice summer weather and make you forget you are downtown. The service is acceptable but they fail to distinguish between lunch service and evening service. If your restaurant is between two large corporate glass towers, you know your lunch crowd is a working crowd that doesn't always have time for a long lunch. On to the food... I ordered the NY steak which is a beautiful cut of meat and also easily prepared. The fat alone can flavor it and it doesn't need much more than some spices. So done deal right? You would be SOOOOOOOOOOOO WRONG. When I got my steak just from the sear marks I could tell that this steak had been constantly thrown around the grill. From the way the fat strip was curling off the meat I could tell the steak had not finished thawing before being grilled - which rendered the meat tasteless. There were no salts, peppers or spices. EPIC FAIL. The potato, and I'm only speculating, tasted like last night's oven baked potato because it was so dry and bland that even the quarter of a cup of sour cream, cheese and bacon dressing on it couldn't save this potato, which also had no seasoning. No third party veggies were made available. Louisiana touch, my ass. Half an ear of corn would have been a nice southern touch with my steak. But there's NOTHING Southern or Cajun on their menu. I'll blame consumers for this disaster in my plate. Why? Because no one ever bitches and complains about their bad food quality they are being served in restaurants, especially for a 38$ NY steak. Like I said to my colleague and former chef, I can make a 5 dollar strip loin from a super-market into a feast you'll think I got from a pro butcher. I cringe that a restaurant cook can't have steaks at room temperature ready for lunch time - if your boss is too much of a cheap bastard to buy it fresh - and season them appropriately to taste and for the sake of all that is good in life when you drop a steak on a grill, the next time you touch it is to flip it and after that to remove it - stop paddling and twiddling the meat, you will ruin it. Same for a potato. If you can't bake a fucking potato... GO HOME. What's so hard with crusting it with olive oil and coarse salt and make the tatter explode with extra flavor? Why am I bitching? Cause that plate cost me 38$ plus tip and all I got was a badly prepped steak and an old dry potato. For 30$ I made all 3 Rib-Eyes, Duck Sausage, Beef Ribs and potatoes at home and we foodgasmed for hours. For a single plate at 38$ plus tip, I'm expecting some added value to the experience, not leftovers. What a total complete ripoff to be charged so much dinero for such lack of care and passion. Again another establishment that values form over function. I'd rather eat at a shack that serves me great awesome tasting food in a paper plate than go to an upscale looking restaurant made for corporate power-lunchers but serves me barely edible badly prepared low quality products. A lame 1 outta 5 stars

Q: negative

A: Symposium has a great atmosphere for hanging out with friends, it accommodates large groups very well, and is one of the few restaurants along King St that is open late. However, their food quality has seriously gone downhill over the years - it was decent back when i was in 1st year, but when i came here recently (4 years later), the quality of food was terrible! Their turkey bacon wrap had no traces of bacon - when I asked the waitress, she said "ohhh don't worry, it's in there, just really small, but keep looking!" ....seriously?! And their calamari was laughable - pretty much all battered and deep fried dough with calamari pieces here and there that were so small you can barely see/taste them. Also their pitchers of sangria and mojito had pretty much no alcohol content in them and they still charged $13 a pitcher on their "pitcher special" night (don't waste your money on it - better off buying a jug of juice for a fraction of the price across the street at valu-mart)

Q: positive

A: I didn't like the fact I couldn't valet park for the event I saw (PBR). The arena sound and events were great. We had a great view of the show. The vendors are major rip offs. I got a vodka tonic and it was $20. Beers pretty high too. We didn't even eat the crap food cause it was so much money. The seats were so small it was awkward when a lady sat next to me. Elbow to elbow. And we are ladies... Some bigger ladies and men would have a hard time sitting in these seats. Overall though enjoyed the event and would return.

Q: negative

A:
We were a party of 8 on a Sat nite. The noise was deafening and table conversation was not possible. I like "small plate" restaurants, but I don't think the concept works with traditional entrees (Piatti) like pasta or burgers. Our wait person said the food does not come out at the same time as you are supposed to share. With a party of 8 it is difficult and seems like the kitchen can't serve 8 people at the same time. I may return to Davanti, after they have had a chance to refine their "issues" but I don't know what they can do about the oppressive noise. I left with a headache.