STARS — Restaurant in Chatham

We had an amazing dining Experience at STARS at CBI this past Saturday. That’s what I would call it rather than a great “dinner”. We fortunately have several wonderful restaurants in town that continually provide great meals, but this was a step above which is why I call it a dining Experience. It was similar to the wonderful gastronomic adventures we’ve recently enjoyed in both Eastern France and Italy. It all started with Ali greeting us so warmly, Paul being very attentive, and Sarah, our server, was just perfect. Ali sat us at a wonderful table by the window so we could enjoy the beautiful, festive lights. We thoroughly enjoyed perfectly crafted cocktails to start: Belvedere Cosmopolitans for me and my husband, a Tanqueray G&T (unfortunately the do not carry 10, but it was still wonderful!), and we were all very impressed with the selection of alcohol-removed wines available by the glass & bottle. Paul was very helpful, checking in several times, offering assistance with our choice of wine to accompany our meals. As a Certified Level One Sommelier myself, I appreciated his informative recommendations. We enjoyed one of my favorite varietals, a lovely Chateauneuf-Du-Pape AOC. I must say though, Sarah was the STAR of the night. She was personable, witty, informative, and always right on time with every step. Then there was the food. Wow. The menu was recently created and released and it is one you should not waste any time enjoying. It was all just so delicious. We had and loved every bite of our meals. For our Starters, it is difficult to say which was the best! We enjoyed every bite of the daily crudo preparation, which was a delicious tuna; the Duck Fat Parker House rolls with duck rillette; as well as some amazing Tagliatelle with white truffles (which was another daily preparation). The chef came out, compliments from Ms. Decker, with a heaping helping of fresh shaved truffles table side, that really just put the pasta over the top. Simply delicious! Frankly, some of the best pasta we have had since Positano. We thoroughly enjoyed each of our Entrees as well. I had the Butter Basted Halibut which was prepared perfectly and dressed in the perfect amount of delectable mushroom consomme. Accompanied by Eastham Turnip and sea vegetables, it was amazing. My husband and our two friends loved the Juniper Spiced Venison which was so tasty and looked beautiful on the plate, but the flavors were the stars. The venison is joined by winter squash, and mushroom over cappelletti pasta. Savory delicious flavor combinations. Then there were the beautiful desserts! We shared and enjoyed both the S’mores plate with Knob Creek Bourbon caramel, Madagascar single domain chocolate & smoked meringue; as well as the Grilled Lemon Pound Cake, with ginger lemon curd, poppy seed meringue, cranberry gastrique and cardamom crumble. Both were delectable! Sorry no photos, didn’t think to take them as we just enjoyed the beautiful and festive atmosphere. I highly recommend you (re)visit to celebrate any special occasion or any given day! It really was an all-around wonderful experience. Congratulations on the great team and those 5-stars are...

My husband and I checked into CBI for a little staycation as we’re only a few hours away from our Connecticut hometown. We planned to make this a summer tradition but after our dinner last night at stars, we’re not so sure. When we walked in, we saw a nearly empty dining room yet we were sat in the second row away from the window. We asked the hostess kindly and politely if we could be directly by the window as we had sat there earlier for breakfast and so enjoyed being closer to the beautiful view. She immediately told us that all front row tables were “spoken for.” I found that rather odd as we weren’t given a table option when making our reservation. However, we sat down with a smile and let it go. Several minutes later, other parties of 2 came in after us and were put in the front, blocking our view. Over 45 minutes later, a family of 3 came in and threw an absolute fit about being sat in the corner. A small back and forth tantrum and they were seated directly in the front at the table I had wanted. Not only did the staff reward them for their vulgar display but made it clear to me that if you’re rude and entitled, you get your way at Stars. The exact hostess who told us those tables were taken was the one that sat this family at their new spot. While it wasn’t initially a big deal to me, it left a bad taste in my mouth. We were hotel guests. We were dressed up and we were gracious when told no. We also were at the establishment twice in the same day. On top of this, my lobster bisque was horrid. It was poured from a tiny bowl into a giant one, making it nearly impossible to eat. Texture and taste were entirely off. They also forgot my husband’s second drink and brought it out AFTER dessert. The only positive was my blackberry pavlova. An apology for the dishonesty would just be...

We came to this restaurant expecting a 5-star experience, but unfortunately, it fell short on several fronts both in service and overall value. To begin with, we had requested a window seat in advance, but were seated in the farthest back corner. It set the tone for what turned into a frustrating night of small but steady service issues. My brother ordered a gin and tonic but was brought a gin martini instead. Both of my parents ordered iced teas, but only one arrived; we had to ask for the second. Our waiter also forgot to take my brother’s entrée order entirely, and he had to call him back to place it. In one particularly awkward moment, the waiter accidentally kicked my brother’s girlfriend’s phone out of her purse. He did acknowledge it but only by pointing it out, leaving her to pick it up herself. Throughout the evening, he apologized multiple times for being busy and thanked us for our patience. While we understand service can get hectic, we weren’t expecting this level of disorganization from a restaurant with such high-end aspirations. As for the food, it wasn’t bad, but it also didn’t live up to the price point or the restaurant’s reputation. We ordered the bread service, which was cleared before we’d finished eating it. The lobster bisque, which we shared, was fine—but for the cost, it lacked depth and wow factor. Three of us ordered the halibut and all felt we’ve had better elsewhere. The wagyu dish was the standout of the night, and the desserts were genuinely excellent. All in all, this felt like a place coasting on its name rather than delivering a true 5-star experience. We left full, but...