After hearing raves about an urban restaurant tucked away in the A&C square, the foodie in me could not resist the urge to visit. Of course no meal is fully enjoyed without friendly chatter and customer service connoisseurs. So, I rounded up six trusted taste buds and headed out to indulge in succulent delights. With the exception of the hiccups in service, astronomical prices and fairly small portions, I was not totally disappointed.
After dealing with aggressive and obviously frustrated drivers in the A&C parking lot, I expected the “madhouse” holiday effect to overflow into the restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised. Luscious Temptations has the wonderful feel of a side walk café with chairs outside and an equally laid back atmosphere on the inside. The gentle buzz of music sprinkled at just the right volume from the ceiling and the silent sport channels showing on the flat screen televisions by the bar carry burdens away and make you want to plop into the comfortable chairs and forget about the world.
The plush décor, wood paneling, wall art and ‘booths’ complete with baskets and hot sauce on the tables brought back memories of Ruby Tuesdays and T.G.I Friday’s and I was excited and expectant. (Big mistake) Reality quickly set in as we waited for a waiter to finally bring us menus and even act slightly interested in what we wanted to drink. I’m not sure if it was that we were just too many, or if his memory and trusted note pad failed him, but when our drinks finally came, (wait for it) there was a wrong order. Since we were clearly aware that the drink was too dark and smelled too much like coffee to be a fruit smoothie, we tried very hard to avert his error, but since he refused to listen, my friend was all too happy to take a sip and gain a free drink. Needless to say, not having to pay 7ghc for a drink was definitely our highlight. (1 point Foodies – 0 Luscious Temptations)
After waiting close to 40 minutes for our food, we were tired of small talk, college memories and even complaining about the service. At the 45th minute, just as one of my companions was about to curl into a ball and expire, the waiter came out smiling (obviously his attempt to make himself feel better about starving us) and carrying plates of food. Without saying, we were all salivating and ready to tuck in. He lavishly placed our plates before us and stood back with a look of pride. Unfortunately, the only looks he received were ones of disbelief. We had waited so long only for portions my niece could devour in less than ten minutes.
Since we didn’t have much of a choice, we resigned ourselves to eating our small portions. Our resignation quickly became another highlight. I can’t fault Luscious Temptations for the quality of their food. We thoroughly enjoyed our meals and enjoyed our sinfully delicious slices of cake for desert. I’ll probably end up going to Luscious Temptations for the excellent ambiance and the great tasting food but with those prices and portions, it will be a quarterly event and on a partially full stomach.