We loved the ambience of the Loeb Boathouse! THE GOOD: We looked forward for almost 3 years to go there since we tried in November 2019, during our last Manhattan visit, when it was closed for an event. The setting is beautiful, and the service was almost excellent. The rest of the good: I had the Bordeaux (interesting that it jumped from $12 to 17 since a year ago, but they must have chosen a better one - Chateau Lafitte Grand Vin - recommended) and it was worth it because I went after the petit filet (which came with different sides than the web menu), and this was an extraordinary memorable pairing worthy of home. The jumbo crab cake was delicious, and a lot of real crab, in a day of fillers. THE BAD: the other appetizers. First, the heirloom tomato and burrata. The tomato was not an heirloom (search on google). Heirlooms are so soft, ripe and extraordinarily fresh and flavorful one thinks it must have been hand carried from Mexico to arrive way up north, but this tomato with the burrata tasted refrigerated shipped and then refrigerated, hard and bland, definitely like an unripe beefsteak. Like comparing burrata (which was excellent in this case) to hard mozzarella. This doesn't have to be cheapened. Better to use organic hierlooms from Mexico and bring it up to a Loeb's standard. The waiter argued with me saying that he buys these exact tomatoes in the store, and they are indeed heirlooms? Maybe he purchases the gassed $2 kind at Walmart. Why does the waiter argue twice, when in other restaurants, if someone is dissatisfied the chef comes out or is at least engaged? Second, the pressed octopus. My mistake: I can't pass up octopus. The dressing was excellent, reminding me of open air restaurants with octopus salad in Lisbon. But why should the Loeb call it pressed when it is octopus carpaccio? This cheapens the name and the effect. Also n this case it was tasty but was only 3 slices as thin as prosciutto, with such little volume I could only think about how much money the Loeb made. Any online search turns portion options more acceptably at any other establishment. It's not that hard to see how you're doing relative to your competition. Even in web search pictures slicing so thin there are at least 6 slices, or 3 thicker slices. I suggest going back to the previous octopus app, or try serving the octopus salad Portugese style.

The desserts we saw, cookies randomly thrown on a plate (aptly named "cookies on a plate") and the unimpressive truffle cake display led us to choose sharing the caramelized banana split, and that was a beautiful presentation and absolutely delicious.

I would give five stars for the entree, crab cakes, caramelized banana split and the restaurant's choice of a Bordeaux glass pour, but a star off for the cheapening of the apps and another for the argument by the waiter.  I would not have even written this directly, as I love to see a business thrive, so I voiced my concerns directly through e-mail and their website and never heard back. However they are tied to Google evidenced by the great reply, so Iived to 4 stars. Thank you!