We ordered the Tomato and Goat cheese Bruschetta (I love bruschetta!) as an appetizer and two fountain sodas to start. The bruschetta came out and it looked good but unfortunately it missed the mark a bit. The balsamic dressing was actually a balsamic syrup which was a little too thick. This was not the best bruschetta I’ve ever eaten. Moving on to dinner!

My boyfriend ordered the prime rib and I ordered the baby back bbq ribs. While we waited for our meal, I noticed that while the restaurant has an upscale, classy look to it, many little corners and areas of the dining area have dust and dirt in them. There is also a slight mildew smell in the restaurant which was a little off-putting when mixed in with the smell of the food. We were served a portion of bread or rolls while we waited.

Our server was nice but was really busy with a bigger table next to us. While we were able to get our appetizer, drinks and pre-dinner bread in a fairly timely manner, it could have come a little faster.

Our food came out and we dug in. My baby back ribs were crusty on top which for me is a sign of burnt. I picked off most of the charred fat/skin/meat and didn’t have much left to eat. The bbq sauce wasn’t what I was expecting, it was more like a bbq-like sauce. I didn’t like the cole-slaw and so I munched on my fries which were probably the best part of my meal. Hello $25 french fries.

The prime rib looked good and tasted alright but was a little on the fatty side. We’ve definitely had better prime rib than the one we had here at Winston’s.

Once the plates were cleared it was time to order dessert: the awe-inspiring, amazing, wonderful, must-have Bananas Foster. I’m not a huge fan of bananas anything but I was willing to give it a shot. Out came a huge glump of banana-y deliciousness. I’m not sure what went into it but imagine a sweet puff pastry of sorts with bananas and drizzled in caramel with a lump of vanilla ice cream. Or maybe it was whipped cream. Not sure. Probably both.

Dessert was indeed good. For $8, it better have been good!

In all we spent $75.43 before tip. If the food had been delicious and we’d eaten all of it, it would have been worth it. Unfortunately, Winston’s just seemed to be a whole lot of pretentiousness that left me wanting more: if not for dessert I would have left hungry.

We arrived around 7:15 and the place was busier than I thought they would be. We have driven past the plaza a few times and it usually seems pretty empty, but that night we had to drive around a few times to find a parking spot.

Lafayette Village is really a unique place with several shops and restaurants. There’s a fountain in one of the courtyard areas and the way the building is designed, you really feel like you are in a European village.

We walked over to Paparazzi and were greeted by two hostesses. You could smell the woodfire grill cooking up something delicious and I couldn’t wait to see the menu. We didn’t have a reservation but were seated in less than five minutes (which is a bit of a miracle for a Friday night).

Our server arrived and launched into his welcome, handing us the menu and detailing the specials. I had to ask him a few times to repeat a few items he mentioned since he said the dish names with a bit of an accent and I had no clue what he was talking about.

He asked if we’d like a drink and I deferred to my date: “Hmmm, I don’t know. Are you going to get something?” He said he was fine and would start off with water and looked back to me for what my final choice was but the server muttered a “very well” and went off. I supposed I’d be getting a water as well, unless he could read my mind and was going to bring me the amaretto and cola drink I was craving (he didn’t).

I tried to find something familiar on the menu but didn’t have much luck. A lot of the items sounded good but had ingredients that I were unsure of. I hate to eat something if I don’t know that I’ll enjoy it, especially at a restaurant where I have to pay for something I end up not liking. I didn’t want seafood, pizza or steak and was hoping for a cheese-stuffed pasta. Fortunately one of the specials of the day was a 4 or 5 cheese ravioli so I decided on that and my date picked a chicken Parmesan dish.

Our server returned to take our order. I thought it was weird that he asked my date what he wanted first (I’ve almost ALWAYS been asked first what I want, and when I worked as a server, I also asked the female first out of courtesy.) and that he didn’t have eye contact with me when I placed my order. Whatever, I figure he’s just busy. Unfortunately he came off as pretentious.

We were so hungry and were hoping for some bread (other tables had a tin of what appeared to be bread, but it was a few minutes til we got one. It contained 3 slices of cold Italian style sliced bread, no butter). We also hoped there would be a salad with our meal but there wasn’t.

We devoured our bread and weren’t given a refill which was disappointing. Maybe they wanted to keep us waiting for our meals so we’d eat everything? Our meals finally did arrive and looked delicious. My sauce was wonderful – I think it was a vodka sauce. The ravioli were a little too al dente for my taste; had they been any more so I would not have been able to eat them. The cheese inside was heavenly though!

My date enjoyed his chicken and pasta. I took a taste but didn’t care for the sauce that was used. It was a red sauce with red pepper which isn’t something I was used to. If you enjoy that sort of sauce, you’d really enjoy this dish.

In all, eating at Paparazzi was a bit of a fizzle for us. Their slogan is “Where every guest is treated like a star.” Unfortunately, I felt more like the hired help. We had to wait for refills on our water, never got more bread and didn’t hear from our server sans order taking and delivery.

The atmosphere is really neat when you walk in, but the two-top tables are so large, you can’t hold an intimate conversation since you are so far away from each other. You have to speak loudly over the noise of other diners and it is likely those seated next to you would be privy to your conversation.

Another thing we did not like is the server and management staff standing against the wall behind our table. One set of managers (shirts, ties) appeared to be discussing business while the server just chilled out and kept an eye on the dining room. I felt like we had to hurry and eat so we’d be out of their way. I didn’t feel like I could relax at all. One server was filling the water glass at the table next to us and went too close to the top of the glass with the water level. Our server stood behind the patron making the “stop” motion (she didn’t see him because she was looking at the glass). The water didn’t spill but he took the glass away and brought a new one out filled within about a half-inch of the top.

This restaurant is a bit of a paradox to me: you’re supposed to be treated like a star and waited on hand and foot, but you gotta wait for a refill of water and don’t get seconds on bread – if you do I’m wondering if I have to ask for them? If not, please take away the empty bread dish. I’d really have liked a salad, too. If your management and staff are going to hang out in a casual manner and discuss business so close to your patrons, then make your restaurant more casual, not a presumptuous/stuffy/high class/laid back sort of place. I felt really confused by the whole experience.

Having said all that, I’d say the place warrants another trip in the future. This time I’ll bring my own bread to snack on while we wait, though.

I was flying solo the evening I dropped in for my mouthwatering fillet, so I decided to just sit up at the bar, which has 2 good sized LCD TV’s for your entertainment. Laura was the bartender that evening and was very friendly and welcoming. I enjoyed her company and conversation while I dined. She also came up with a few great new mixed drinks for me to try. It was a short wait while my fillet was cooked up and delivered. Tasty as ever. On another visit, I tried the  Cowboy Rib-eye based on friends recommendation. Unfortunately, not a winner as it was a bit over-cooked. I’ll stick to the delicious fillet.

I only plan on eating steak when I go to Ruth’s Chris. While they have a great menu with lots of options, I am just there for the dead cow.

Make sure you bring your credit card: the fillet and a few drinks plus tip was just under $100 for just me. I guarantee it’s a well spent $100!