230842 Mon Feb 06 22:53:02 -0800 2006 11 18 Manhattan 0 1225827 A friend and I really wanted to love this place, because who doesn't like dessert! But we had the unfortunate experience of being almost totally ignored while the chefs showered the two women next to us with extra desserts - they must have been in the food industry or something. When we tried to ask questions about ingredients, we were dismissed with a wave of the hand and the phrase "It's a secret and we're not going to tell you." Later, it got busy and I can understand how they couldn't answer questions with more people to take care of, but it was like pulling teeth to get the check or any more service at all. I had the "white chocolate margarita" and it was OK but rather too sweet and a pretty small portion for $9! Mon Feb 06 22:53:02 -0800 2006 0 K.D. 1 1225837 I was there tonight also! I thought the whole place was too precious. i can't see how its going to last long on what they're serving. The great thing about chickalicious is that the food there has substance. Everything here was kind of frothy in a bad way. And the prices were ridiculous. Tue Feb 07 00:11:12 -0800 2006 1225827 0 Jay 2 1225880 I can't disagree with you. That is changeable though. Hopefully they will round out their edges soon...otherwise they will just float on the buzz for a little while and then...crash. Tue Feb 07 10:14:25 -0800 2006 1225837 0 * 3 1225884 Strange--I've been there twice and have found everyone to be exceedingly friendly. So much so that the last time I went there my fiancee resisted going because we were tired and she didn't have the energy to have a conversation with the chefs! They were also very accomodating to the (difficult) dietary requirements of my fiancee. Prices seem in line with what you would pay for dessert at a first-class restaurant, which is what the place is aiming for as far as I can tell. The desserts are creative and delicious, although sometimes a little precious. What they are not is large servings of classic desserts. If you don't enjoy them, fine, as I am sure a lot of people don't--just as a lot of people do not like dining at WD-50. I personally hope they keep on producing interesting stuff instead of slinging out apple pie and chocolate cake. Tue Feb 07 10:24:55 -0800 2006 1225880 0 Dave 4 1225897 I'm not looking for apple pie and chocolate cake. I actually thought the dessert looked and sounded much more interesting than it tasted. But I'm glad you got more committed service than we did. However, it's not a good sign if service is not consistent among different customers. Tue Feb 07 11:09:51 -0800 2006 1225884 0 K.D. 4 1225910 This is also dkstar1, sorry about that. I happened to find the service to be uneducated about the desserts...but they were very friendly. The chef is very kind and hospitable and even offered some tastes while we waited. But...$3 for a wisp of cotton candy (1/4 of the dish known as Infance that costs $12 total) made from a child's toy is pretty pathetic no matter how you look at it. Tue Feb 07 11:36:17 -0800 2006 1225884 0 * 5 1225953 I think your line of criticism is a bit misplaced. $5 for a coffee at Starbucks that has $0.10 of ingredients is also "pretty pathetic" by your logic. You don't hear that many complaints about the value (or lack thereof) of Starbucks, because you pay for the total product and experience, not for individual itemized components. Starbucks gives you a consistently good product in a sterile, corporate, yet comfortable and familiar environment, and people are willing to pay. Similarly, Room 4 Dessert is betting that people are willing to pay for the total experience of eating & drinking there, not for the individual components of their food. Tue Feb 07 13:59:00 -0800 2006 1225910 0 Dave 6 1225955 nah. I'll stick to my logic. And Starbucks is garbage, and yes, it is pathetic to spend that much money on mediocre coffee. Tue Feb 07 14:06:33 -0800 2006 1225953 0 * 7 1225972 Forgive me for being slightly pedantic here, but my comparison to your logic was that your line of reasoning would result in the outcome that it was pathetic to *charge* that much money for mediocre coffee, not to pay for it. I don't think it is pathetic to charge what you think the market will support for a product, ever. That said, in the case of Room 4 Dessert, I can't explain to you what their logic is for including the cotton candy in the particular dessert tasting in question. After speaking with the chef on my two visits, however, I would be surprised if it was included for purely economic reasons. Tue Feb 07 15:05:46 -0800 2006 1225955 0 Dave 8 1225981 fair enough. I happen to agree with you for the most part. I actually like the concept of the place, but am afraid that there are too many holes in the plan. One of them happens to be serving a four item dessert that includes less than a teaspoon of air whipped sugar on a stick as one of them. It's basically a gimmick...and one that customers will soon see through if they don't start making more substantial dessert items as a part of their spread. Tue Feb 07 15:20:33 -0800 2006 1225972 0 * 9 1225992 Quite frankly I didn't really like any of the "infance" items they served, especially the dehydrated marshmellows--cute, but not good. The other three items we tried (lychee sorbet "glass", chocobubbles "glass" and the tasting with the nutella) were pretty good. The chocobubbles was absolutely delicious, especially with the sherry pairing they had suggested. Tue Feb 07 15:59:49 -0800 2006 1225981 0 Dave 3 1226776 when me and my husband went, we were the ony ones there and the service was a little over-bearing. we felt obligated to chat up the chef and kind felt like the the help was "listening in" on our conversation when we weren't chatting with them. but that aside, the deserts were really delicious and creative and the atmosphere of the bar is lovely. I do feel that it is a bit over-priced...have been to chickalicious many times and it is still my fave (more reasonably priced in my opinion). so i probaby wouldn't go to Room 4 Dessert again, unless they lower their prices a bit and "chill out". Sat Feb 11 16:49:43 -0800 2006 1225880 0 jenmia