Noble Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Brunswick

I went for dinner Tuesday night with my husband. I was excited at the prospect of trying Noble's new supposedly more up scale menu but left sorely disappointed. We order the brussels sprout appetizer and that was delicious, nice and crispy with adequate seasoning. For the main course I ordered the butternut squash risotto with scallops. For $44 I got three scallops and a plate of gummy mush with blanched unseasoned brussels sprouts. As you can see from the attached photo, my risotto (typically a creamy dish) could be molded into a tower. When the waiter came back to ask how everything was I explained that the scallops were great but the risotto was unlike any I'd ever had and was gummy in texture. I tried to eat it but it was disgusting, the butternut squash was in chunks throughout the dish and it was like eating a plate of too cheesy overcooked rice-a-roni. I've made better risotto myself out of a box and I am not a professional chef, although I do work in hospitality management and the way this establishment decided to handle my complaint is appalling. When I voiced my concern to the waiter he asked what I'd like him to do about it, I told him that I would like the dish to be discounted (50% off) because I did eat the scallops but I wasn't able to stomach the risotto nor did I think it was worth the hefty price tag. He refused to discount it, never offered to remake it and offered me a side of fries to make up for the $44 dollars I spent on my dinner. I refused because a side of fries does not make up for the money I wasted on what was supposed to be a nice night out, something we only indulge in once in a while. Next time I'll just go to Enoteca Athena if I want some decent food and some quality customer service.

To make a long story short, not at all worth the money. Obviously they're trying to execute a high class restaurant for the money without investing in training their employees to produce that...

My sister and I had a very uneven meal at Noble last night. I'd eaten there once before and found it excellent - giving Portland a run for the money. It was great to have a reserved table as the summer crowds can make things unpredictable.

But last night was a real disappointment. Things got off to a good start - our server was excellent and we had a fantastic Oregon Pinot Noir by the glass. The starter (Buratta with Roasted Vegetables and Crispy Bread chunks) was delicious, as was the bread and smeared butter plate.

Sadly it went downhill from there. We ordered the Succotash vegetarian entree to share and both thought it was inedible. We actually sent it back and weren't charged for it.

The creamy corn, lima, and potato layer of the Succotash was quite sweet from the corn, but it also came served with a HUGE dollop of tomato jam. Yes, jam. Almost a cupful. Seriously? There were chanterelles in the sauce as well which was tragic because they were overwhelmed by all the sweetness and we couldn't even taste them.

Our second strike out was the Chocolate Verrine desert - which I know has been on the menu for a while. I can't imagine why. After a first bite my sister laughed and said it tasted like a Taystee pudding from Hannaford. (How would she know that? Oh, well.) The white chocolate layer on top was too sweet and the chocolate layer underneath didn't taste of chocolate and the texture was not pleasant. Gluggy.

I'm a seriously good cook, I sometimes private chef, and I'm a food writer. I'm being brutally honest here because I want someone at Noble to read this and fix things. I know they've made a big push to upgrade the dining situation recently but apparently they're not quite there yet. Brunswick needs a fine dining option which we sorely lack right now. We have a herd of informal, international, and Asian places but not much at the high end for a special...

We've went three times the first two months they opened and were disappointed each time. 1st visit was the first week they opened. Service was extremely slow when we were only one of three customer tables there. Drinks and appetizers were good but again slow service and not very friendly either. 2nd time was the following week, we had to stand there at the hostess station right in front of two staff members and had to clear our throats to get their attention and ask to be seated. She made us feel like we were inconveniencing her by making her do her job to seat us. Service was again super slow for just a few customers on the patio. The cushions on the patio chairs were already stained (gross), and the first 20 mins we were there we were surrounded by several tables that had not been cleared. Plates with food scraps, and half full drinking glasses is hardly lend a pleasant atmosphere. We had drinks and dinner for three people on the patio. The layout doesn't really allow for proper eating unless you're sitting in a hard metal chair at a table. the cushioned chairs should have side tables for drinks and plates and the cushions should be CLEAN. the 3rd and FINAL time we stopped in for drinks, the interior restaurant was empty except for 4 people sitting at the bar, no one at the hostess station, the bartender was talking with people at the bar, saw us, and did not acknowledge or greet us. How do you have staff with zero hospitality training?? We literally waited for five minutes, checked our time, said loudly this is ridiculous, and turned around and walked out. We were excited to have a new place in town to support and enjoy and are beyond disappointed by this newest addition to the restaurant and bar scene for Brunswick. We won't waste...