i really wanted to like the mint. i adore the darkly lit, simple ambience, their drink menu rocks, and some of the menu items are outta this world. but the service is just mind-blowingly and regularly abysmal. without fail. last night was my third time giving the restaurant a try .. there must have been maybe 5 tables being served in the entire place (on a saturday night) .. and the time between ordering and receiving the food and drinks was just way too long. it made us think, if they take this long with a very light customer load, how truly terrible it would be if the place was at all busy. one final gripe: they never pick up their phone, making booking reservations nigh impossible. its usually an answering service. my friend left a message as asked with the time we wanted our reservation for. they called her back. 24 hours later :-/

pag's is more than a restaurant, its an institution. worth going, if only for their complimentary bread (to die for!) the likes of etta james, diana krall and dexter gordon have all played within the walls of pagliaccis. space is cramped, but lends itself to the ambience. the food is rich and portions very generous. great deals on pitchers of sangria :)