Beacon, Thornton Park - Closed

Let me start by saying that I had high expectations for Beacon and it may color this review. You find this place by going down Central to Hue and making a right. Although, I can't really recommend that you do that. The place is loungy, chic and the staff is cute if not expeditious or obsessive compulsive (rice left on the seat to my right). But, who can fault them for omitting the details when management obviously doesn't have a grasp of them. The seating is ridiculous. Backless chairs, pillows, stools? Note to art student/interior decorators - function over form works sometimes. My original seat was a little card table sunk into the wall which required a pillow to put you at table level. I changed to a booth. But had to ruminate over the curved, backless bench that some poor souls would have to sit on later that evening. Unfortunately, I was already depressed because I had looked at the menu. Totally blase. They serves sliders! I don't care if they are good. I don't care if they are kitsch. They sound repulsive and should be shot off the planet (if not menu). Boring salmon, jambalya, 1/2 a chicken, shrimp and fettucine, you get the picture. There is no theme. Just the most boring parts of every other menu uninterpreted. I settled for two appetizers. Guacamole at $6 and Steak Tartar at $15. The avocado in the guac was fresh and the portion was large, but, it was limp and over salted. No pop, little onion and no salsa. Did I mention it had salt? Lots of salt. And not granular fleur de sel either. The chips were pretty oily too. Speaking of which, I turn to the tartar or more pointedly the garlic toast. It was over seasoned. I had to wash my hands. So overseasoned that it over powered the meat which seemed ok whenever the taste of garlic would receed from my taste buds so I could experience it. It had capers, maybe onions, no egg, possibly raw egg as binder (it wasn't prepared tableside so I can only hope). The portion was large (entree size). It came with a generous salad of field greens, yellow and red tomatoes, and boiled quail eggs. The salad was pleasant if not over seasoned like everything else.

This place isn't the worst but it in no way deserves a reputation as a top tier Orlando restaurant. Definetly middle tier and not something to search out. To fix that I would start in the kitchen. The chef has to go. That menu is not challenging. It's not coherent. It's not worthy of the investment. And if he prepared the meal and not a sous, he can't execute either. Unfunkify the seating (at least for dinner - then bring in the statement pieces for cocktail hour). Pay more attention to the wait staff. Decide if you are a club with a mediocre restaurant or a restaurant with a mediocre club. Now you are a double med.