Bistecca — Restaurant in Dayton

My husband and I went on a date night and stayed overnight at The Ardent (reviewed separately) and had dinner at Bistecca. Lisa was our server. She was very sweet and attentive. My husband had the grilled artichoke hearts as an appetizer and the grilled asparagus (it is a side dish) as his main course. I had the elk filet and grilled asparagus. To say that we were underwhelmed and disappointed by our meal is the kindest way to put it. I expected my tastebuds to be tantalized, but instead they were shocked by what they experienced. My $64 filet was burnt, cold, and tasteless. Our asparagus was cold. We requested that our meals be rewarmed. Lisa complied. The second attempt was even worse. The asparagus had been placed on the grill and subsequently burnt to a crisp. Did not think that a filet could be offended anymore than the first time around, but I was wrong. Still cold and even more burnt (if that was even possible). Reluctantly, we finished our meal (I had not eaten all day in anticipation for dinner). I guess Lisa must have said something to her manager about our disappointment because the next thing we knew a woman appeared at our table stating she would "comp" our meal. We repeatedly and politely declined her offer. Now, with all of that being said, the beverages and dessert almost made up for the horrendous dinner. I had the limoncello spritz which was refreshing and the limoncello cheesecake (which was deconstructed) which was delightfully tasteful. I also had a couple of mudslides (which, despite the bartender's aloofness and apparent lack of personality), he pulled off quite well. We also had breakfast included with our overnight stay. Brad was our server. He was friendly and professional. I had the Monte Cristo and my husband had the Bistecca breakfast. My breakfast sandwich was delicious. Had just the right amount of sweetness with the midwest cherry jam. My husband's potato hash was cold, dry, and bland. He asked for "sunny sided up" eggs which he did not feel were thoroughly cooked. However, despite the redeeming qualities of the beverages, dessert, and for the most part, breakfast, the burnt filet overshadowed any qualities that would result in me giving a better overall rating. This is a place that we will likely not...

I went here with my wife for our anniversary. The food was delicious and I would have enjoyed it more if it wasn’t so expensive. The $8 bread appetizer came with 4 small pieces of bread, the equivalent of 2 slices cut in half. The steak and salmon were both good, but pricey and the steak does not include any sides, you have to pay extra for those. Overall, I probably would have given it 4 stars if not for a weird interaction with our waitress. I ordered 2 beers while I was eating my meal and when I was about half way through the second one, she came to the table and said that the bartender had “accidentally opened another beer” and asked if I wanted it. I said “sure, I’ll take it”. When the check came, I was charged for 3 beers. When I asked the waitress about this she said that she had just offered me a third beer, but wasn’t “trying to force it on me”. I ended up just paying the extra $6 rather than getting into an argument, but to me, this seemed deceitful. While I guess she never technically said “would you like a free beer?”, both my wife and I agreed that it was worded in such a way as to imply that the beer had already been opened and would go to waste and that is why she was offering it. Otherwise, why not just ask, “do you want another beer?”

Food tasted good, but probably won’t be back based on prices and that off putting...

We went to Bistecca on their official opening and what a pleasant surprise! This is a great new spot for downtown Dayton. The quality of the service, food and drinks on the first night was above and beyond. Each Negroni was high quality and tasted great, but the show that comes with the flywheel is a nice, unique touch. The space is beautiful and music wasn’t too loud. The attached hotel looks like a cool spot as well. Enjoyed the wine menu along with the cocktails and the menu has a nice variety but is not overwhelming. We chose the tuna carpaccio as an appetizer and the red oak salad. Both tasted excellent and were a good value for the portion size. Entrees were the pork and the carbonara. The pork dish has got to be one of my favorite dishes that I’ve had in a very long time. Well balanced, complementary sides and perfectly cooked. The carbonara features an in house made pasta that was cooked perfectly al dente and had lovely fresh peas and beef cheek to add additional depth of flavor. Dessert was the mini bomboloni and it was a perfect way to end the meal. The sweet cream is cold, the donut is perfectly tender and the lime sugar cuts the sweetness for a perfect bite. Mariah was our server and she was fantastic. We will definitely be back with friends and family...