The Cellar Restaurant — Restaurant in Daytona Beach

When the going gets tough… some pray, some play, some stay put and hold their breaths… Me? I wear my highest and most uncomfortable shoes (residue of my catholic school education: self-flagellation as a form of atonement). Suffering can be beautiful somehow. I leave the room feeling as tall as Heidi Klum and I enjoy a great meal at a fancy restaurant. The Hilton Daytona had fried my nerves like freshly caught calamari. The place felt as appealing to me as Amity Ville amidst Jaws frenzy. Have I ever mentioned how much I relish beautiful things? Oh, the good life! So different from that “life is good” one mutters under one’s breath. I am a self-declared hedonist. Searched the internet and found The Cellar. Even the name (I have discussed the importance of names and their meaning in another review) spoke poetry to me. I was picked. Intrigued. Excited. As I brushed the red lipstick against my lips, I imagined the bit of burgundy from the wine already staining them deliciously. The gray wooden historic home stood out in the corner. A stream of white lights outlining the basement windows. The glitter of forgotten Christmases. The little red door coyly opened as we walked inside and were lucky enough to be seated downstairs. A tad unreal. Heels unfelt cushioned by the thickness of the carpeted stairs that smelled of history. Sepia pictures stared at us as we descended. President Warren Harding, a snow bird, flew from Ohio to spend time in this house during the winter. The Cellar is so many things: it is intimate. It is inviting. It is romantic. It is elegant. It is sophisticated, but above it all… the experience is sublime. Even when all of the tables were full of patrons, the whispers joined in the sense of sacredness. Isn’t that one of the aspects of the sublime? That sense of surprise, of fear, of awe when confronted with the power of unexpected beauty… Thomas, our lovely server, patiently explained and described each dish we wanted to taste. The Green-eyed Foodie is always the most confused and overwhelmed. She orders last and under pressure. She covers with her hands the fluster on her cheeks. She asked lots of questions and became entangled in the wed of possibilities. We opened a bottle of Triga from Alicante, Spain. A combination of 85% monastrell and 15% cab. Bold and solid. Dry and spicy in the end. Many flavors unveiled throughout the many glasses. Superb. As appetizers we enjoyed the Carpaccio di Manzo and the Polenta con Salsiccia e Porcini along a bread basket that smelled freshly baked and tasted of a mother’s love. Nourishing and comforting. The polenta was creamy and the flavors of the corn, the sausage and the mushrooms could be found distinctively. After torturing Thomas with more questions and details, we managed to order: Fettuccine con Ragu di Cogniglio (Bolognese made with rabbit and its broth, no tomato sauce)and Perciatelli Carbonara (like a long bucatinni or thick spaghetti with pancetta (italian bacon), onion, parmegiano, prosciutto, salami, cream and one egg. A bit too salty for my taste because Chef was so generous with the amount of the prosciutto and the salami. It came craftily decorated with one delicate rose made out of prosciutto. A tangible proof that food can definitely be fleshy, sexy and romantic. We also ordered the Osso Buco D’Angelo con Risotto alle Verdure. A three-hour braised lamb shank that fell off the bone as easily as clothes peel off with sensual intention or recklessly on that very first time. It was bedded on vegetable risotto. The night’s special was possibly the most enigmatic and sophisticated. Too many glasses of wine later, I can barely recall that it was fish, a lovely potato and cheese small cake, a bed of risotto nero (squid inked), and an incredible saucy compote of fruit with a hint of lemon. I had never seen those green eyes as wide with excitement as she ate and we agreed she had chosen...

Just WOW! WORTH THE READ If I could give less stars I would. I will start with my husbands Osso Buco was decent. First and foremost this is an Italian restaurant. Normally you have anti pasta, a primi, a secondi …just as basics. We were told up front we must order our “appetizers through dinner ”. Unfortunately for us; we were served a carbonara that had so much onion; it may have well as been shredded onion noodles. The bread was so dry it cut my mouth…I can overlook an overly crusty bread. I asked if I could have something to cleanse my palate. I was told there was nothing but the wine which …doesn’t matter at this point. I was served a filet dinner that I took 1 bite of. And still could not taste after the carbonara. When the owner inquired about my plate I explained that I had only one bite of overly wine sauced steak and dry “scalloped” potato piece. I truly tried to push through and like it. Her initial response (no lie). Was I’ll call the police if you don’t pay for it. What!?! She said it was cooked perfectly and I explained and showed her again where I had not eaten but 1 bite of steak, the potato and a green bean and did try my best to like the food. She then yelled at me and said it’s perfect. At this point I will sum up …we said if she would like to call the police we were willing to wait and she said if we don’t want to pay for our food then just leave. She said and I quote” you probably need the money more than I do.” I’m floored. I asked many times if something could be done to cleanse my palate so I could give the food an honest chance. It was ridiculous. This restaurant even had a dress code so I had higher expectations for this special event. Pros: they had an extensive wine list. I was confused when given two books and told that one was for glasses and the second was for bottles when they were both clearly for half or full bottles. Cons: BAD under seasoned food except if you want bucatini carbonara with Salumi Pancetta and I believe Prosciutto; that taste like you bit straight into an onion.

Okay any person that is or enjoys Italian would question the onion in this dish that was not even disclosed. I did overlook the added meats. That I will take responsibility for.

The osso buco taste like roast beef cooked in a crock pot. Could it have been better; yes. But kind of had a homey feel to it.

So to each there their own but I couldn’t be paid to eat here again. When someone comes to your table and instantly notices you did not eat your food so they threaten to call the police (unprovoked) and then as you talk to them they say leave and do not pay and we offer to pay for our wine and what we ate…the follow up is leave and I quote “you must need the money more than I do”. I am appalled! Not to mention this was a special occasion dinner and our last night in town.

This is extremely long I know but if you have made it this far- go to “Little Italy” right down the street. Authentic food; great people; staff; bartenders; and the owner is above all.

It is our fault for trying to give this new place a try. But if you are looking for a supper club feel, okay to terrible food, and a horrendous manager/owner that wants to ruin your day- well this is the place for you!

I’ve read reviews like mine and I am a foodie that loves to eat at local and “upscale” restaurants and I sometimes take reviews with a grain of salt. But pay attention to this one. It ruined our...

My girlfriend and I recently dined at this restaurant for the first time. We’re from out of state and will be moving to the area next year, so we were excited to see if this could become our go-to date spot. The atmosphere was beautiful, very private, and the restaurant has won several culinary awards, so our expectations were high.

We started with two glasses of Cabernet, which were delicious, and although it took us a little longer to order since it was our first time, we were informed by our waitress that everything needed to be ordered at once and would be spaced out as it came out. This was new to us, so we took a bit more time to decide on our entrees. Up to this point, our waitress was fantastic—great attention to detail, constantly refilling our water, and I was raving to my girlfriend about her.

However, the experience started to fall apart when our salads arrived, beautifully presented but lacking flavor. The walnuts were bland, and though the dressing was nice, the salad overall just missed the mark. Then, when our entrees came out (which were fantastic—my carbonara and my girlfriend’s ravioli were both delicious), I asked about our appetizer. The waitress insisted we never ordered one, despite previously saying she would remember it and add it to the ticket.

This misunderstanding was handled poorly. Rather than owning the mistake, she became defensive, claiming I didn’t order the appetizer when she clearly told us earlier she would remember it. This interaction was frustrating, and her attitude soured the entire experience. A simple apology could have turned things around, but instead, we were met with an unprofessional and rude response.

While the food was excellent, especially the entrees, the service fell short due to this interaction. We won’t be returning, unfortunately, because the salad was bland and the waitress failed to handle the situation properly. It’s a shame, but that’s why we’re giving this place...