Don't do the dew!

After much hype and hoopla, a couple of friends and I decided to check out Dewberry's one sunny afternoon. Ravenous, and wanting to vent about office woes, all of us were geared for coffee, cheese steaks and more.

With a vast and extensive menu, what I will give the team at Dewberry's is that they have come up with a menu, which has something for everyone. However, that, sadly, is also their shortcoming. Because not one, and I repeat NOTHING that we tasted on the menu was worth its salt (In my case, I got salt only after I went up to the counter and got it myself).

We ordered a portion of cheesy, garlicky bread, an alternate topping on bruschetta and a portion of fries. Both were extremely small in terms of portion and absolutely lacked ANY taste. In fact, the bruschetta bread was soft and the cheese dry. The banana and oats shake that a friend ordered smacked of absolutely no originality and had a crust of bournvita on top. Determined not to let our initial impression leave a bitter taste in our mouth, we ordered a portion of pesto penne and a chicken steak, which was supposed to be stuffed with something, I don't remember what (but then again, it was not worth remembering either).

My penne was overcooked, the pesto was gooey and runny (quite a feat to achieve both at one go, don't you think) and had exactly three sliced black olives. Even though we did manage to finish it, we were terribly disappointed. Our friend on the other hand got a chicken steak that was uncooked (on asking they said it was poached and hence it had that flavour and colour), insipid and he REFUSED to finish it. We did complain to the manager who merely said 'Ok', did not present us with a comments card, just our cheque. Now that I have vented, I will tell you my basic problem with a place such as Dewberrys.

• Staff that looks absolutely disinterested in serving you and are trained to say just a few words: No, Can't, Not Available.
• A beautiful setting that could have people flocking by the droves, if only the food were palatable.
• Prices that do NOT justify the portions.
  
  I really hope the management does something to improve the quality and standard of the food at a place that I personally believe has the potential to become a success, if only it had something substantial to offer on the plate.
  
  (Note: Pictures are for representative purposes only, and bear no resemblance to any of the food we ate that day)