Great Dinner at Patina Last Night

[aching]

SO took me to Patina for my birthday last night and we had an excellent meal. I was a little concerned after reading some not-so-flattering posts here, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good everything was. I had asparagus veloute (chilled soup) and poached red snapper filet with potato dumplings and sauteed rapini, while SO had a market vegetable salad and lamb rib-eye with stuffed piquillo pepper and potato gnocchi. We shared a quartet of sorbet for dessert - cilantro, mimosa, yuzu, and strawberry. The veloute, I have to admit, was too salty, but everything else was spot-on, including the bread and butter, amuse bouche, and little candies at the end (I think those were special for my birthday) - and the lamb was nothing short of phenomenal. Not a cheap eat, but comensurate with other high-end restaurants in the city. Definitely a fun special occasion place!

[Griller141]

This thread totals 3 positive comments - the most I've seen on Patina since they opened. Did you have the cheese service? How about the wines?
Maybe it's time to try again. Downtown could certainly use a reliably good class act. Thanks.

[aching]

We did not have the cheese service although we watched with great interest as their cheese cart meandered around the dining room - it looked (and smelled) great but I just can't stomach paying the markup when it's so easy to buy great cheeses and eat them at home for a fraction of the price! And I can't speak to the wine - don't drink - sorry! But I will say again that the food was delicious.

[Griller141]

Thanks.
I'm not so sure you can get cheeses like this, or have them described by such a knowlegable "fromageur". And they are not overpriced. The cheese service is the opposite of everything else at Patina in my experiences there (the last of which was two years ago).

[clairelouise]

It's so nice to see someone post a topic that is positive! I think it's so easy to fall into snarkiness. I know it is for me.

I have always had a lovely time at Patina with great food and excellent, friendly and knowledgable service.

Happy Birthday.

[ipsedixit]

Glad you enjoyed it.

Patina gets panned here quite often, but I've always been pleased everytime I've been.

[slacker]

I think they cook up some fabulous food. But last time some friends of mine were there (I wasn't with them), they got the worst snotty bad treatment, so that does give me pause about returning.

[aching]

Our service was excellent throughout - maitre d', waitress, and sommelier were all very nice.