When walking into The Hourglass Kitchen and Bar, the aura that surrounded me was that of an upscale club in New York or L.A.
Located at 1120 Calloway Drive, The Hourglass invokes a feeling of modernism when first entering.
The abstract art that hung on the walls was complemented by the entirely all-black tables and chairs placed around the small room. Various plants were also throughout the room. To the right was a closet-sized room entirely framed by glass that displayed their large wine selection.
After being seated, the waitress immediately brought me and my dining partner a glass of ice-cold water.
The menu, mainly American cuisine, consisted of steak, sandwiches, chicken, salads and pasta with prices ranging from $15-$38.
The urban jazz music that was playing contributed to the modern club ambience of the restaurant.
My partner ordered the shrimp lemon basil fettuccine, and I chose the chicken Milanese.
When the food was brought out to us, we were kind of surprised about how small the portions were in comparison to the prices.
The chicken Milanese was grilled chicken with diced tomatoes and a pile of spring greens on the side. The chicken breast itself was flavored with pepper, other spices and was moist and succulent.
The diced tomatoes (which I normally don’t like), were marinated in a sweet dressing and were delicious. However, the piles of greens on my plate were dry and tasted similar to tree leaves.
My partner thoroughly enjoyed her meal despite the small size of the plate.
Three jumbo shrimp laid upon a bed of Alfredo smothered noodles, and there was fresh Parmesan cheese mixed in throughout the dish.
The food was good, but I can’t say the same for the service.
The restaurant was not busy, and our server was not attentive or very friendly to us.
After we finished our meals, it took her about fifteen minutes to bring us our check as we watched her carry on a conversation with someone at the bar.
Overall, my experience with the Hourglass Kitchen and Bar was okay.
The food was enjoyable, and the arrangement of their meals was pretty, but I’d rather have a friendly atmosphere then pay for nicely arranged food.
As for the price and the service, next time I think I’ll drive down the road and have dinner at the Elephant Bar.