Acero — Restaurant in Maplewood

I can't believe we've driven by this place for years and didn't try it until now. We'd been missing out! We went here for a belated Valentine's dinner and did the 4 course meal. It was phenomenal. Our starters were the seafood crudo (a standout of the whole meal, so light and fresh) and the prosciutto beignets (not the actual name but that's basically what they were. Salty and pillowy melting in your mouth but very rich!) For the pasta, I got the Raviolo which is their signature dish. Don't skip this. It's MEMORABLE. My husband got the spaghetti with the chili flakes which was delightfully spicy. For the entrees, we got the porchetta and the tilefish which were both delicious and the vegetables were beautiful. Dessert choices were their cherry cheesecake and the butterscotch budino. My husband doesn't even like cheesecake all that much but this blew him away. The budino was delightfully light and whipped like a pudding with just the right amount of salty and sweet. Our server was super helpful and knowledgeable and guided us with a bottle of wine to pair with it all that we would have never chosen ourselves. We LOVED it and it went perfectly with everything. Overall, we would go back in a heartbeat and try the 7 course chef's choice experience. If I had to be nitpicky, the only thing I would have liked was a candle on the table because the lighting was a bit dim and drab in the back room we were in, and that might have helped it feel more like a special date/occasion. With a new baby we don't get out much, so ambiance is important to us! We'll...

I booked Acero for a Friday night with my wife for her birthday. The menu looked great and we were both excited to have some great food and conversation after a particularly stressful week.

When we arrived, we were ushered to the rear of the restaurant. I thought this will be great, because it was a smaller more intimate room.

Before I get to what really disappointed me, let me first say the food was great. We both ordered the chef’s tastings and were very happy with our choices.

However, the room was so loud we could barely hear each other speaking. We were sandwiched between two tables of 8 people. One of these tables had extremely loud people right next to me. The other table of 8 had to talk loud so they could all hear each other. It was sensory overload. I just wanted to eat and leave as quickly as possible.

Upon leaving, we noticed the front room was much, much quieter. I just wish we would have been seated in front instead of the party room. Why put tables for couples in that room?

We left satisfied with the food but extremely upset and dissatisfied in the atmosphere. This is not a place for an intimate evening...

This place if way overrated in my honest opinion. We have reservations for 8 pm dinner for 9 people to celebrate 2 birthdays. We arrived right on time. Our table was not ready and we waited 15-20 minutes standing in front of the reception desk with very tight space for 2 people to get in and out of the front door. The staff were really nice so that helps. We all ordered the 4 Course Tasting Menu. I had Egg Ravioli made for us by Chef Thurein Oo of The Crossing at a private Christmas Party which was sooo good so I ordered that for my second course but it was overcooked and not even comparable. I love Lamb Chops and it is one of my favorites so I ordered Slow Braised Lamb and that was the worst tasting lamb I have ever had. For dessert I wanted Sorbet but that was not available so I opted for "Assorted Gelato" but you really have to choose from 3 not so great flavors (just okay flavors) of vanilla, cinnamon and peanut butter. Finally, they cannot spare 2 candles for our 2 birthday celebrants. Again, the staff were all nice. The place is clean but the decor and ambiance is average for a high end...