Restaurant Review : Embers in Deer Park/Madeira

Embers - I am not totally sure if this area is considered Deer Park, or Mason, Montgomery, or just Kenwood. But it is located very close to Kenwood Mall on Montgomery Road near the corner of Galbraith on Montgomery. Just wanted to clear that up - it is in Deer Park/Madeira according to Urbanspoon.

Now on to my experience. I had a Groupon for half off that expired on May 7th, the very next day! I originally had planned on taking my mother here for Mother's Day on May 7th so I could use it before it expired, but when I tried to make a reservation for Saturday, May 7th the day before and found that there were no openings, that only left Friday, May 6th. I had to use that Groupon before it expired! (Come to find out later, if it did expire I could have still got my money's worth for the amount that I did pay, just not the free portion, so I wouldn't be losing any money). So on that Friday the only opening they had for that evening was at 6:00 PM. So I had to rush from work to get there on time!

I wouldn't say that this fancy sushi and steakhouse is in the best location. Like I said, it is near Kenwood Mall, so that is a plus (or a minus if you hate going near the crowded area)! It looks like it's located in a strip mall kind of area or setting, right by a gas station. But that's not all bad. No biggie. They do have valet, but I chose not to take that route and just parked my car myself (is that rude, or cheap? lol). They do appear to have a nice bar scene with bar food, but we chose to eat in the fine dining area.

We were seated in a booth, which was comfortable and spacious enough which I always appreciate. It's nice to be comfortable while dining. I ended up taking my girlfriend, Kac, because she was in town and we were already scheduled to meet up that evening and do dinner, so this all worked out perfectly and she was excited to try a fancy place for a great deal! We were trying to catch up and chat since we hadn't seen each other in awhile, and the waiter kept coming back and asking us if we were ready. We felt a bit rushed. We kinda just wanted to enjoy our time there and a nice dinner, but be able to talk too without feeling rushed. So that was a bit of a turnoff.

 

On to the food.... she ordered the Rotisserie Chicken Spring Rolls for $10. They were 4 large spring rolls with a dipping sauce and Asian slaw - at first we were afraid she wouldn't be full but there was enough there especially for a girl, plus she also had the House Salad for $6. The salad also seemed large - with toasted pine nuts (which I recently discovered that I LOVE!) and cranberries, which I also love in salads, with blue cheese crumbles and a honey balsamic vinaigrette. I didn't try either one but I can confirm that it seemed like plenty of food, and everything looked delicious! I would definitely order that salad if I went back. Sorry, I didn't get a picture of the salad, wasn't thinkin!

I had the Kobe Beef Short Ribs which I believe were $32, and they were so tender and melted in my mouth. The sauce was delicious as well. I am always a sucker for short ribs, when cooked correctly. They were served with some mashed potatoes and sauteed broccoli. I hope I am remembering correctly, but I think the mashed potatoes were like a horseradish or wasabi flavor, and I enjoyed them. The broccoli wasn't too great, but then again I never really like giant, hard steamed veggies. This short rib entree isn't the one that is shown on their menu, I don't know why. It was a bit more expensive than the one listed on their website menu. I was very satisfied with the taste of my meal, besides the broccoli (or maybe it was broccolini?).

We both also enjoyed a glass of their Guenoc Cabernet Sauvignon California red wine for $9 a glass. I am on a California Cabernet red wine kick. I am not a red wine expert (in fact I am a red wine newbie) by any means but I liked it, and would purchase it if it were reasonably priced by the bottle. I will have to look into that... Much cheaper than going to Embers to have a glass!

I would return but it is definitely overpriced, and I'm not the only one who thinks so. Be prepared to drop $30-$45 for a steak dinner, just for one person! I do like the diverse menu - steaks, seafood, sushi, chicken etc. I am a steak and seafood kinda gurl, after all, so their menu does appeal to me. I would go back but only for very special occasions, and would be prepared to spend more than $100 for a quality date night. It's not my first choice for special occasions but I would probably go back one day.

Peace, and bacon grease!