Restaurant review: The Redstone Grill
Still smarting from my recent so-called meal at the Salsa Shack at Tobay Beach on Long Island, my family and I ventured into New Hope Pennsylvania for two days of rest, relaxation, and mostly…eating. My wife and I are both on fairly strict diets, have each lost a ton of weight, and frankly, just wanted to cheat a bit.
Sure, we started at the Salsa Shack, but as you might have noted from my previous review, that didn’t go exactly as planned. Check out my review on this page, and stay tuned as I send a copy of it to the management of that horror show.
Nevertheless, and undaunted, we ventured into unknown territory Thursday night simply on the recommendation of our hotel’s desk clerk, and headed out to the Redstone Grill for a meal that we hoped would be fun, different, and above all, GOOD.
We were seated quickly in a very spacious booth, and admired the décor. Wine bottles on racks form the walls surrounding a huge bar, dimly lit, and just crowded enough. In fact the whole place was crowded. A good sign.
Then….the waiter comes. Introduces himself as Larry, and proceeds to tell us about the food, the menu, the location….my eye rolls were in full bloom. It’s a peeve of mine. I don’t NEED to be told how to read a menu, especially by some hipster who apparently is taking himself and his job way too seriously!
But wait…this is different! I ask Larry about a certain craft beer, and he says he is embarrassed to say he doesn’t know the answer but will ask the bartender. And he DOES! Comes back with the bottle too, to show me. I appreciated that, and tried the beer which I enjoyed (some ginger infused thing that seemed good at the time). Then he proceeds to take our order in the most professional, pleasant way possible. Answering questions. Giving tips, but not in any type of overbearing way at all. I like this guy!!
So the food comes. Oh Wow. It’s really good! The boy has a big steak cooked perfectly. Sue and I both have baby back ribs that completely fall off the bone, and that are accompanied by a savory Cole Slaw that might be one of the top 20 things I’ve ever eaten. COLE SLAW, for Chrissakes!!!! Delicious! Julia had her typical pasta with grilled chicken, but even that was different. Seriously, this was a dynamite meal. Now, about that steak. You can get it with a sauce. Any real meat eater will tell you not to bother, that a good piece of meat needs no adornment. However, my son Matt is a wildly adventurous eater and wanted to try the Béarnaise sauce. However he hadn’t ordered it when he placed the order for his steak.
Larry to the rescue! I called him over, asked for the Béarnaise sauce on the side, he said “sure” and disappeared for about two minutes. Then the manager, not Larry, comes over with the sauce. Now, that’s impressive enough, but the manager said that he knew it was our first time at their establishment and how was everything and could he do anything more for us…no thanks, he did enough. HE RESTORED MY FAITH IN HUMANITY!! Ok, hyperbole for sure, but dammit that was the right goddam thing to say at that time to my family and I.
Desserts. Larry tells us they are big enough to share, so we order two. Some peanut butter / chocolate cake thing, which was huge but truly didn’t work for me, and then the Apple Cobbler/Crisp with a Cinnamon ice cream scoop on top. Huge and delicious!!! REALLY good!
Now here’s the thing…this feast (and I didn’t even mention the flatbread pizza appetizer which was wonderful with tomato, basil and fresh mozzarella) cost a bit less than the mess we had at Salsa Shack. Delicious food, good, reasonable portions, and service that was beyond professional and accommodating. What an absolute joy! I was sure to tell the manager on my way out what a great meal it was, and how appreciative we were of Larry the server, who took such apparent pride in his job, and his place of employment, that I am embarrassed that I initially thought of him as a hipster doofus. He likely won’t see this, but Larry…you are a damn good waiter, and it was our honor to sit at your table!!
This is a very small chain. Nothing close to New York, mainly the north east… but if you are traveling to Pennsylvania, or anywhere else that this place is open, be certain to check them out. Truly, you won’t be sorry!!!
