deca

The Ritz’s The Dining Room ended its era (although banquets and private affairs may still be held there), so chef Mark Payne has shifted his focus to the Café. Winners abound: Roasted Vidalia onion soup is sweet from caramelized onions and rich from beef shank braised in the broth, and there’s a fantastic ricotta gnocchi tossed in tomato-basil cream sauce. Ingredients are top notch and execution is nearly flawless, but it’s the Ritz-style high prices that keep us from making the Café a regular spot.