341972 Sat Nov 11 23:03:40 -0800 2006 5 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 2014300 First, Tanglewood is a beautifully designed space. Dark woods complement a sleek, modern design. The automatic art glass doors in the kitchen are a nice touch. But what's with the attitude? We walked in at 11:45am Saturday to an almost empty restaurant. A waiter was standing around and stared at us as we walked in, like he was shocked we were choosing to dine there. He didn't say a word. Finally I broke the uneasy silence and said "A table for two, please." Long pause. "Two?" he asks. Finally the two of us and our shopping bags are ensconced in a comfortable banquette with a view of the open kitchen. "Would you like to see the wine list?" the same waiter asks. "No thank you," I politely decline. He gives us another weird look and smirks, "Still recovering from last night, eh!" Huh? We're 2 well-dressed women who are obviously having a good time shopping... Anyway, on to the food. We both chose the lobster roll at $19 each. I have absolutely no complaints about the taste. It was delicious. Fresh, large chunks of meaty lobster on a toasty buttered roll. BUT IT WAS 3 INCHES LONG! And that's a generous estimate. The width was at the most, 1 inch. It looked comical all alone on the giant plate. The lobster roll comes with onion rings, but we decided to substitute french fries. We received a total of 8 french fries, stacked like Jenga blocks. They were well-seasoned and perfectly fried , crispy on the outside... but 8 small fries? We also received a tiny frisee salad with lemon vinaigrette. Great, light dressing with a perfect balance between the acidity and oil, but maybe a total of 6 pieces of salad greens, measuring about 1 inch square. Luckily for us, the iced tea came with free refills. It too was delightful, slow-brewed, not from concentrate, served with a miniature pitcher of simple syrup as sweetener and cheesecloth over the lemon halves so the seeds wouldn't fall into our tea. Nice touches. Total with tax $46 for 2 lobster rolls & 2 iced teas. A Lilliputian meal. The food is of great quality, but I can't stomach spending almost $50 and still being hungry afterward. We walked across the street to Cocola and had a dessert each. I'm glad I tried Tanglewood at lunch. If I went for dinner I probably wouldn't have enough money to shop - and I'd still be hungry. Sat Nov 11 23:03:40 -0800 2006 23298 SanJoseHound 1 2014416 Thanks for the great description of the lobster roll. Recent reports had me considering putting this place on my list when I'm down that way. Probably not. Did they use a proper New England hotdog roll for your three inch lobster roll? Description of the fries cracked me up. Sun Nov 12 00:00:02 -0800 2006 2014300 10264 rworange 1 2014537 No, it wasn't a hotdog roll. Not the smooth texture of a hotdog bun on the outside... more like a piece of buttered white bread, the ends had crust. =) Sun Nov 12 01:30:32 -0800 2006 2014300 23298 SanJoseHound 2 2014540 That actually sounds like a New England hot dog bun ... a tiny, tiny New England hot dog bun. Sun Nov 12 01:33:12 -0800 2006 2014537 10264 rworange 3 2015136 At least they're trying to be authentic, then. I've really got to try Old Port Lobster Shack when I 'm up north... Sun Nov 12 14:56:41 -0800 2006 2014540 23298 SanJoseHound 1 2014883 THe food is good but it is too expensive. If they plan on being here for the long haul, a quick adjustment of their prices is immediately needed. We have eaten there 3 times and each time the cost is higher and we did not eat more. I think till they reduce the price, we are done !!! It is not Gary Danko or French Laundry for crying out loud - it is a "diner" in a mall. Sun Nov 12 06:16:47 -0800 2006 2014300 52479 desgun