Cured and Cultured — Restaurant in Belleville

We went there this past Saturday evening for dinner. Our server was pleasant and on the ball. It was a little more industrial-styled than what we thought the restaurant would be, but that was fine. For some reason we pictured it being a bit "fancier". It was a bit loud in there but not so loud that we could not hear our server and ourselves. We ordered drinks and the fried mushroom appetizer, and we each ordered a steak for dinner. Drinks were good and they were not stingy with the alcohol. The fried mushrooms were not battered then fried; they were breaded which was a little different than what we were expecting, but they were excellent with a really good horseradish sauce. My husband ordered the New York strip steak and a double order of brussel sprouts as his sides. He said his steak was really good, and his brussel sprouts were fantastic. His steak seemed bigger than the 14 oz. it stated on the menue that it was. I got the Bacon-wrapped Filet, a loaded baked potato and asparagus. It was all wonderful! My filet seemed a lot bigger than the 8oz that it was listed as, but that was OK!! The steaks were seasoned perfectly and had a great flavor. We didn't think the prices were too bad, and were pleasantly surprised with the quality and value of our meals and drinks. We were not rushed at all, which was really nice for a change. So many restaurants now just want to get you in and out as fast as possible, and I understand that they want to serve everyone they can for better profits, but is is really nice to not feel rushed. We will definitely be back to try other things...

My husband and I stopped in at Cured and Cultured for a late-in-the-day anniversary lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The place was empty (it was 2:30pm when we got there) and we had the whole place to ourselves. I really haven't heard people talk about Cured and Cultured, which is surprising because the food was INCREDIBLE. Every bite of each food item is flavor-packed, and not too rich at the same time.

The husband ordered sweet Thai chili- and lemon pepper-seasoned chicken wings with a side of french fries (deep fried in peanut oil I think) and sipped on some Woodford Reserve. I enjoyed Leo's brisket sandwich (recommended to me by our very attentive server, Matt) with a side of bacon ranch pasta salad. The flavors complemented each other perfectly and the portion sizes were just right.

The restaurant benefits from a full bar and a patio out back for warmer weather and live music. I was surprised to see a mini liquor store when we first walked in. I even questioned if we went to the right place because it doesn't even appear to be a restaurant. At the checkout counter is a deli where I believe customers can take home choice items.

I'm excited to return during the warmer months to try more food on their menu and enjoy some music on the back patio. It was wonderful to have such a great dining experience on that side of Belleville. It's providing a much-needed boost to the area.

After tip for two people- an entree, a side, and an alcoholic drink per person; we spent more than $70. I get inflation, but I do wish food this good was...

I hate reviewing local places so low, especially when I've heard such fantastic things from friends. But we had a TERRIBLE experience with our server Miranda. I will give credit where it is due, the bartender on duty has been running around doing his best to take care of the bar and wherever he could. Drinks were great, I don't have a single complaint about the bar. We came in at 5:20pm, our food order wasn't taken until about 6pm after asking two separate people to send our server over. When food finally came all orders showed up cold, both steaks cooked wrong, French dips and fries all cold with several parts of meat simply too tough to bite. To the kitchens credit, I do believe the food sat on the counter for an extended period of time since the very very center of my sandwich was still a little warm, at least that is what I hope. In the total of two hours we were seated, Miranda checked on us about 4 times total (once only because she was reminded we even existed) before the bill was involved to which there was an auto 20% gratuity tacked on... so, no wonder she wasn't worried about quality of service. This was honestly the worst dining experience we have had in years. I would like to try again sometime when it is less busy and hope this was just one bad night because I truly have heard fantastic things about, but after tonight feeling like they were operating with minimal management and minimal care, I'm definitely not jumping to spend my money. We had high hopes and were...