Have you ever been there?

I have, twice (didnt pay the $165 myself either time- yeah, thats right, $165 price fixed meals. Of course, that was a few years ago- now, its up to $195.)

And the food was ok, certainly not "premiere" (oh, and I LOOOVE that extra "e" on the word premier- really makes it classy and continental sounding).

The whole experience, though, was kind of like a bad horror movie, where the evil madwoman running things, unlike the mask wearing freak in Saw, is instead a Laurie Ashley flowered dress wearing, scrapbooking hippie mama wine nazi.
In a restaurant that is a wierd combo of a "country diner" with olde (with an "e") crap on the walls, and Hobbit architecture. Something about old yard sale crap nailed on the wall that really aids the digestion, I guess.

Its run kinda like a catholic school in the 60's- they tell you what to do, when, and it seems like it will never end. Hours of horrible easy listening "classical" guitar, endless blather about how smart they are, how good the food is, and how expensive the wine is that they are pouring you thimblefulls of. The meal, which drags on for something like 4 hours, is constantly being interrupted by uplifting new age lectures.
"Ties and jackets are not required for men, but are certainly not out of place."
OH, and there is no ordering on your own- just like in the lunchroom, you eat what is put in front of you.

I would not go again if you paid ME the $195.

Have you ever been there?

I have, twice (didnt pay the $165 myself either time- yeah, thats right, $165 price fixed meals. Of course, that was a few years ago- now, its up to $195.)

And the food was ok, certainly not "premiere" (oh, and I LOOOVE that extra "e" on the word premier- really makes it classy and continental sounding).

The whole experience, though, was kind of like a bad horror movie, where the evil madwoman running things, unlike the mask wearing freak in Saw, is instead a Laurie Ashley flowered dress wearing, scrapbooking hippie mama wine nazi.
In a restaurant that is a wierd combo of a "country diner" with olde (with an "e") crap on the walls, and Hobbit architecture. Something about old yard sale crap nailed on the wall that really aids the digestion, I guess.

Its run kinda like a catholic school in the 60's- they tell you what to do, when, and it seems like it will never end. Hours of horrible easy listening "classical" guitar, endless blather about how smart they are, how good the food is, and how expensive the wine is that they are pouring you thimblefulls of. The meal, which drags on for something like 4 hours, is constantly being interrupted by uplifting new age lectures.
"Ties and jackets are not required for men, but are certainly not out of place."
OH, and there is no ordering on your own- just like in the lunchroom, you eat what is put in front of you.

I would not go again if you paid ME the $195.

"Premiere" is actually the wrong word.
Premiere == the opening of a performance.
Premier == first in importance, size, or quality.

And unlike whoever "they" are, I have actually been to other parts of the world- and the HerbFarm aint world class.

Unless you mean world class pretentious.

Gomez wrote:

I thought they kicked the Elite and two other businesses out in the first place because the owners wanted to consolidate and lease out the whole space as a single unit.

Sort of. They weren't kicked out, but were encouraged to leave. I don't remember the specifics. Maybe it's the same thing.

Original plans were to demolish, but when they got inside, they found some cool beams or something and decided the building was worth saving.

So is this restaurant taking over the Elite's single space?

I did not get that impression.

And, of course, the spaces have remained empty to this day. [...] Did market conditions lead the owners to change their minds?

Instead of taking the first crappy business who was willing to fork over the rent, they spent a year looking for a good tenant.

Holding out for businesses that will be a good fit is something the Chamber is encouraging property owners on the Hill to do. That doesn't necessarily mean fancy-schmancy restaurants, but it definitely doesn't mean big national chains that you find everywhere else or another of something that we already have 15 of. As I don't engage as shopping for entertainment, I'm mildly repulsed by some of the market analysis with which the Chamber's retail strategy committee has been provided, but I believe that in general, the Chamber's efforts in this area will do a lot of good for our neighborhood.