Hey boys and girls. I'm back, and I've come bearing reviews. Much like HOH, all of the work this round was really fantastic and you should all be proud of the work you put into your concepts. Anyway, have some reviews:
The Grotto -
@spacemt354
First off, kudos for getting this posted like fourteen hours after the prompt was posted. Onto the actual concept, I really enjoyed it. I'm really in love with how secluded the restaurant is. It's really nice having a grotto theme that isn't directly attached to the castle. I think the fact that your restaurant is meant to be a multi-course experience is really great as well, though I do worry about having such a long service in a theme park setting. Your menu looks fantastic. Definitely reminds me of something on the level of Victoria and Albert's in presentation. The only question I have is if this is meant to be an exclusive restaurant like Club 33? You mentioned exclusivity as well as a hidden entrance, but how would guests know to make reservations if the actual restaurant is (mostly) hidden? Are reservations even "open" to general guests or is this something that has to be bought into?
All in all, really stunning concept. This seems like a really great placefor locals with money to burn, and those looking for a once in a lifetime dining experience.
Sailors Cove -
@NateD1226
Super solid concept. I really enjoyed the backstory, and that you really leaned into the Pirate aspect of the land's backstory. That being said, a cove might not have been the best setting. Too me, it felt a little bit too tropical for the New England setting. I really enjoyed the theming of the inside of the restaurant though. It evoked the feeling of the time period and setting really well, and the way that you tied it into the land as a whole was really great with the expansion of the Kidd aspects and the museum room specifically standing out to me. The menu was solid, but I think that more variety past sandwiches would have served better for proper "signature dining."
Very solid concept. Rounding out the menu really would have set this over the edge for me.
The Blue Scale Inn -
@DashHaber
First off, great backstory. It sets the stage very well. This restaurant is exactly what I think of when I think of a New England restaurant. A tavern setting, while not necessarily original, is a great setting to fully weave into the already existing backstory/ aesthetic of Harbortown USA. This really reminded me of a lot of the old taverns that I used to go to when I lived in Connecticut or visited Boston. What really sets this over the edge for me is how committed you were to having an authentic Colonial menu. I really appreciated the uniqueness of your menu items. While there was steak and lobster, of course, you really set yourself apart with the inclusion of Johnny Cakes and Raspberry Flummery. That being said, much like with Sailors Cove, i have concerns over this being fine dining. The menu is great, but it feels a bit too casual for what the prompt was asking for. Maybe if you shifted a bit to have this be a tavern converted into a steakhouse over time and lean more into the steak and lobster/ fine seafood while still maintaining the Colonial desserts and cocktails this would have been more successful as a fine dining establishment.
Honestly, I think that this is my favorite menu of the six, but I worry that it didn't go quite far enough to really elevate it into signature dining.
Greenwood -
@goofyyukyukyuk17
This is definitely the most unique concept of the six. I really love the setting. Having this be set in the forest surrounding the castle is an inspired choice, and I think that you pulled it off beautifully. I also love that you leaned into the magic of the land through really fantastic use of music and color. Maybe having the music seem to float around with surround sound speakers could add a sort of ethereal quality to it all? And the use of color in association with each table's unique experience is a super interesting way to set each table apart while providing repeat guests with slight variations in experience. Love the menu, love that it changes weekly, but I have the same problem here that I had with the grotto: is it really feasible to have multi-hour dinner services in the middle of a theme park? It's not a huge deal in the long run, but I do think it's worth addressing with restaurants that aren't meant to be exclusive like Club 33. Also, is this outside? I might have missed it in the description, but I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be simulated outdoors, or if the whole restaurant was under the canopy of (presumably fake?) trees.
Really great, unique concept. A few nitpicks aside, I think that this is my favorite concept, masterfully mixing fine dining with a one of a kind experience.
Ahab's -
@Brer Panther
I really enjoyed this. It seems like it would be a great small exclusive steakhouse. With a bit of fine tuning on the setting and the menu, this could definitely be a really fantastic signature dining establishment. Reading this, I picture something similar to Le Cellier, but with a brighter Colonial (or nautical going off the name) theme. Just try to focus on giving your projects a sense of place. Or, lean into your strengths. A drawing of the restaurant would have been great to see and definitely would have helped elevate the concept.
Great job! Don't worry about the end result. Just focus on your strengths and the rest will come.
Winter Garden -
@b-wolf95
Last one! I think that this is the most vanilla of the Port Voyage concepts, which is absolutely not a bad thing. I really like that you focused on the natural beauty of Port Voyage. It rounds out this trifecta focusing on different design aspects of the land with striking landscapes (The Grotto), magic (Greenwood), and natural beauty (Winter Garden) that ended up coming out of this project. The setting here is absolutely beautiful. Things like a tea time each afternoon would fit like a glove in this setting. I think that the menu fits really well as well. It's lighter, but still upscale and complicated enough to still fit as signature dining. Great job!
), and I’m glad you liked it!
