It does have wine, yes.
It also has an owner with a serious attitude and a cook who doesn't know that you can't thaw scallops in your armpit (bowl of water, whatever) and then cook them only on the outside, then serve them. Yes, dumb, ordering scallops in Iowa, but the food peoples have been so damn intent on showing me how cosmo this place is that I said okay, let's go, bring on those cholesterol-ridden bay chunks. I waited forever, then got three -- yes, three -- scallops on a plate, and was partway through them before I realized eeeuugh, raw, baby!
I took them to the bar and scolded whoever was there, which turned out to be the owner, and told him look, if you don't know how to cook these, take 'em off the menu, because this isn't funny. He tried to get que-sera-sera on me, and I said yeah, what will be is a lawyer and a health inspector if I get food poisoning; stop offering these, you'll make people sick.
So he comes over to our table to tell me not to tell him to run his restaurant, which is the wrong thing to tell a lady after work who's had two glasses of wine and no dinner _and_ you've fed her the kind of food that's a vector for bacterial infection. So he went away, our plates vanished, and we were encouraged by all means to move along. They were also too busy to cook us something else that didn't come with a risk of vibrio poisoning.
What else? Oh, the 60something jazz-guitar-stylings dude who got really annoyed when asked to turn his amp down, seeing as how it was drowning out local conversation.
The waitress was hella nice, but um I think I'll drink my wine someplace else from now on.
A very disappointing evening. Slow poor service, and a surly detached proprietor. The menu for food was extremely limited and hampered by the unavailability of both our choices. We tried the tasting flights. Wine samples were so small as to render them difficult to pass opinion. $56 later we left hungry, frustrated. Would only return at gunpoint.
Review Source:I went to Mendoza to meet some girlfriends for a night out. Â
While some in my group were annoyed by the impromptu version of Puccini's "O mio babbino caro," Gino DeLuca's cabaret stylings behind the piano were a really fun addition to the atmosphere. Â He had some friends from the University of Iowa music department join him for several numbers (full disclosure: Â I am a student in the same department) and, while clearly unrehearsed, it lent an element of fun to the experience. Â Gino, on his own, is an entertaining and consummate performer.
I can't comment on the wine or food, though I did look at the food menu and decide not to eat. Â The portions were very small for the prices. Â The empanadas, an Argentinian specialty, were encased in a thin pastry-type dough rather than the more traditional robust dough. Â One costs $2.75.
Our service was poor. Â The waitress who served our table got confused between muscat and moscado and overcharged one of my friends. Â She also admitted to having worked a double and seemed new. Â Since we were a large group the tip was automatically calculated. Â I don't think anyone in our party chose to leave anything extra. Â
The husband/wife team who run this place are lovely people. Â The wife came to our table to find out why we came (though wisely didn't ask about our service). Â
What I really enjoyed about Mendoza, despite its glaring shortcomings, was how flexible the space was. Â People milled about and changed tables easily. Â There was a character of conviviality in the room that was palpable. Â This place is great for gathering with friends away from the binge drinking scene and without the pressure of ordering a meal. Â What a refreshing change from the rest of the area!
I'm no oenophile but I live nearby and I'd been watching with interest to see when this place would open. Â I went with the wife and a couple of friends to check it out on a Friday evening, wasn't busy when we got there, but as people took breaks from a show next door it would get busier.
Service is good, though I think the waitstaff is still working on polishing their recommendations. Â My wife loved the scallops she got, but I was disappointed in the bruschetta. Â Wine is pricey, but what do you expect right? Â They actually have a decent bottled beer selection with semi-reasonable prices. Â I got to try an Argentinian beer, which was a first for me. Â I agree with the previous reviewer who says the ambiance is a little confusing.
If you like trying wines and don't mind paying to do so, you'll probably like Mendoza. Â Being as I'm a beer guy and a cheap one at that, I probably won't be back unless my wife insists.
Mendoza is located at the lower floor of the recently completed Coralville Center for the Performing Arts. Â their inspiration is Argentinian (from the small appetizer plates to the wine). Â there is no official dinner entree dish if you're looking to fulfilll your dinner appetite. Â while its interiors offers a somewhat confused ambiance (modern? Â rustic? romantic? upscale? casual?), it is a great place to go prior to a performing arts show. Â I support them, but do hope that after a few more months of operation, they'd work out the kinks (no table setting when you walk in, not enough menus). Â for the time being, the service is friendly and prices are reasonable for this type of service. Â they also have music on certain evenings (but doesn't seem to align with when most people are out), and offer discounts on certain bottles.
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