October 9, 2012 -- Oh boy, where do I begin. OK, let me start by saying that my wife and I have frequented the Venus De Milo many times in the past and it's one of the restaurants in our "rotation", you might say. However, that might all change. We visited the Venus this past Saturday night and when we got there the main dining room was under construction for remodeling. I'm perfectly fine with a restaurant closing parts of its main dining area and kitchen to perform upgrades. I'm also fine with a limited menu, decor, furnishings, staff, you name it, while the place readies itself for a re-opening. I blame myself for not checking before I left for dinner.
This was the case on Saturday. However, after being seated we were handed "new" menus. As I just stated, I'm fine with limited offerings during a renovation. Sadly, this wasn't the case; this was their new menu. You know when you go to a specific restaurant to order that specific dish you can't get anywhere else? The Venus De Milo just blew themselves up! My wife and I went specifically for their signature Seafood Alfredo dish only to find it's no longer offered. Furthermore, they have downsized their menu so much, nothing looked appealing. Seriously.
Thoroughly disappointed to the point where I had to talk my wife into not getting up and leaving -- it would have been rude -- we decided to stay and choose something else. After a long debate, we both settled on the Shrimp Scampi. In the past, the entree came with a choice of soup or salad, and vegetable. Not anymore. Now let me say that I felt the meal was very good, but my wife was able to finish her whole plate then and there. This is the same woman who takes home restaurant food in a doggy bag and eats it for three more meals. What I'm saying is, the prices went up but the portions are smaller. Furthermore, the new menu is a major step backwards in my opinion.
The Venus is also famous for their three-pound baked stuffed lobster. The old menu prominently boasted this fact and that Emiril Lagasse gives it a big thumbs up. The new menu has this listed inconspicuously on the bottom of the first page. I hate to say this, but we're most likely not going back to the Venus. Way too many signature dishes are gone -- signature dishes for crying out loud! -- and the new menu is lacking in quantity, variety, and portion size. Very sad indeed.
