Shulas II, The Wrath of Don:
Having dispatched my advance recon team two weeks prior, for some appetizer data on the current BlueZoo menu, and never hearing back from them, this first meal was undecided until game day. (Turns out that my recon team became hypnotized by the charms of the audio-animatronic looking Chef Todd English, and failed to report back. They will be missed
.)
Staying at the Swolphin for the first few nights, we had ample time to check the various menus there. The idea of steak came up, and staying at the Swolphin, there really was only one option. But upon closer inspection, the current Shulas menu did not have Oysters Rockefeller listed, so I was not totally convinced. Just in case, I called and made an ADR for dinner. I was surprised to find out that the only times they had available were 5:30 and 6:45. With no big convention at the Swolphin, I expected the times to be wide open. So, while we desired 6:00, we took the 5:30, to not interfere with our evening plans.
Noticing that the BlueZoo listing on the Swolphin television network (which I call SDTV) continues to show the BlueZoo lounge as open at 3:30 p.m., we decided to swing by there to see a) if it was really open before 5:00 p.m., b) if they had any happy hour specials, and c) if the littleneck clams flatbread was on the current menu. Arriving just before 5:00, we walked in to find that we were the only two people there who werent part of the staff. But yes, they were open, and
yes, the littleneck clams flatbread is available on the bar menu, though not listed on the dinner menu. With no Oysters Rockefeller to look forward to at Shula's, we decided to spend out appetizer dollars here. We spent the next 30 minutes quizzing the knowledgeable bar staff, drinking a Kirkland, some weird microbrew, and enjoying the littleneck flat bread. The drinks were right on, and the flatbread absolutely delicious, though not as garlicky as we remembered. Another couple came in twenty minutes after us, but otherwise, we were the only patrons there this early.
Paying up, and now properly appetized, we went to Shulas, arriving right on time. The place was empty. Im talking really empty. We were escorted to our table, and it was just us, the hostess, and some tumbleweeds blowing through this ghost town. With the ADR time we wanted unavailable, I had expected it to be, well, at least somewhat occupied. Once seated, we could see one other occupied table in an adjacent alcove. Not exactly jam packed.
After being handed our football menu, our server quickly arrived. He seemed to be less than happy, Id even say snarky, which I felt bode poorly for the evening (I guess when we opted for tap water, he must have taken it personally). Upon returning with our water, he immediately asked if we were ready to order. The interesting thing here is that, between appearance, diction, and borderline surly attitude (to begin this meal), our server reminded me of Ricardo Montalban. Seriously, let me count the ways:
1 Dressed all in white, like Mr. Roarke from Fantasy Island.
2 Speaking with a noticeable accent, I kept expecting him to mention fine Corinthian leather (of which the football may have been made).
3 A rather short, unpleasant and growly greeting, like we were bothering him by being there. Reminded me of Khan, in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Robert P, not terribly happy himself about having to take an early ADR, yet sitting in an almost empty restaurant, just wasnt having it. We dispatched him for drinks, and more time to peruse the football. Upon returning with drinks, his demeanor had greatly improved (maybe our alcohol tendencies shown through, and he was expecting us to run up a large bar bill). While I, as a server, may have not been happy with a party of 2 seated at my four top, at least they were customers, and money would be made. Still, even after the attitude improvement, we did not get the customary beef cart presentation, which I always enjoy (except for the poor lobster that sometimes rides the cart).
Mrs. P ordered the filet mignon, while I ordered the giant 32 ounce prime rib. We decided to split a baked potato, both of us saving room for the chocolate soufflé dessert, which we also ordered at this time (due to the required prep time, or so they tell you).
While people watching and chatting for the next 20 minutes or so, we noticed a few sundry things. Other tables were getting the beef cart presentation from their servers. The chef working the pass was stationed outside the kitchen, on the dining room side. Of the 30 diners or so who came in and were seated, at least 5 people we saw were wearing blue jeans. 3 were wearing t-shirts. 2 had on ball caps, though the matriarch at the table made the guys remove them once they were seated. 4 men had on jackets, but only 2 had ties on with them. Ended people watching mode here, food had arrived.
The filet was, as expected, a large thick cut, cooked perfectly as ordered, medium rare. The best filet of 2009 for Mrs. P, though still not as good as the fork tender filet at BlueZoo a year or two back.
(I maintain ny opinion that the BlueZoo filet was the best on property, even though BlueZoo is seafood based). The 32 ounce prime rib was served bone in, and must have come off of a brontosaurus.
It was huge. (At first I thought that a small cow had jumped onto my plate, because the table rattled when it was set down). It took up the entire plate, and I halfway expected the table to tip over, ala the scene from the Flintstones cartoon credits. It was probably way too much food for me to eat (which you wont hear me say very often). Ordered medium, cooked medium, decent crust flavors, and just about perfect as prime rib go. We ended up taking large portions of both entrees back to the room, to chomp on later.
After the service team cleared the plates, and used the crumb shoehorn device on the tablecloth, it was dessert time.
The chocolate soufflé for two was an absolutely delicious souffle, served with Haagan Daaz ice cream, and served with crème fraiche. The presentation this time differed from our previous visit, in that the dish was plated for us at the table, then the crème was added to the individual plates. On our last visit, it was all crunched up and slathered inside its original baking dish, before the individual plating. We had properly budgeted our remaining stomach space, from our BlueZoo appetizers forward, to allow for the total annihilation of this dessert, down to the shiny parts of the plate. There may have been plate licking involved, I cant say for sure. I'm so ashamed....
Summary:
The service started shaky, but improved. The service team style they use never left long gaps between refills or plate clearings, and we found the team members to pleasant enough to make up for the gruff intro moments from the lead server (though he improved quickly). At over $160 without appetizers, while this was an excellent meal, the price for 2 adults is a bit of a turn-off. One of the best meals of the trip, but one of the highest prices as well.
From a value standpoint, bang for the buck, we cant add Shulas back into our regular rotation, and will likely leave it in the wings for a visit during odd numbered years.
Next Up: Fresh (breakfast)
Honestly, if someone gets a PM and they don't know the sender or understand the message is it that hard to respond with a simple, "Ooops. Don't think you sent this to the right person." 
I definitely sent it ... still have the message receipt ... but now I know why you didn't respond. I just thought you were busy. 
