10 DOWNING.

Last Sunday evening, we patronized 10 Downing, which is right around the corner of my apartment (a helpful location when you realize you forgot your camera as you are being seated). We dined there on an interesting night because it just so happened to also be the 1 year anniversary of the restaurant's opening. The kitchen was serving up a very limited a la carte menu and also a prix-fixe menu that isn't normally offered. The restaurant was at its full capacity when we arrived for our 8:30pm reservation. I'm not sure how 10 Downing looks on a normal night, but the place was certainly abuzz and seating full capacity with a lively and diverse crowd that all seemed to know one another. Keeping all of these factors in mind, I am aware that the review I will begin in just a few moments is somewhat biased and also may not be representative of 10 Downing on a more typical evening.


The main complaint I have of 10 Downing is the customer service. Our waiter was rude, abrupt, and showed little interest in catering to any of our needs. We were seated for quite some time (long enough for me to physically leave the restaurant, walk around the corner, climb up three flights of stairs, dig around my room for a camera, stumble down three flights of stairs, walk around the same corner, and re-seat myself) before our waiter even thought to maybe swing by to take our order.


I began with the Roasted Cauliflower Soup. I was envisioning more of a cauliflower puree, but the actual soup was a bit too creamy and not cauliflower-y enough for me.


Next up was the Sauteed Skate. At first, I was presented with a plate of salmon...I inquired to the waiter as to whether or not the fish on my plate was skate and he replied with a blunt, "No." Welllllll...I ordered skate azzzholeeeeee. "I thought you said salmon." And with that he grabbed my plate from the table and stomped off without even apologizing for the horrendous infarction that had just occurred. 15 minutes later, and I was still seated at the table sans entree. I called the waiter over to ask him when he expected my meal might arrive. "I don't know." And before I could even finish screaming "MAKE SURE IT'S THE NEXT PLATE OUT OF THE KITCHENNNN," he had already stomped off. WHAT NERVE. I WAS TALKING TO YOU!!!!! Well anyways, my skate finally arrived and it was cooked well but a tad too salty. Underneath the skate were some brussel sprouts that weren't mushy enough to my liking (you know how I love mushy vegetables), some uninspired fingerling potatoes, and a scant scatter of truffle oil.


And finally the dessert. I ordered a Banana Split..which was....OK. Some unmemorable scoops of ice cream, a few slices of banana, possibly a few candied nuts, and some drizzled chocolate. I could have lived without shoveling this in my face.

Overall bad impression of the restaurant...but there are items on the actual menu that are compelling enough for me to want to return and give 10 Downing another chance.