Finesse, Lake Mary - Closed

Yesterday I had lunch at this boutique restaurant on 46a next to Friendly Confines. It will probably never be confused with "fitness" if the things I had were any indication. I had a bowl of lobster bisque for $6 and a caesar salad for $7. The bisque was more of a chowder and I think it was old. The lobster had mostly dissolved into gelatinous threads (like in Shark's Fin soup). It tasted like faux crab. The two recognizable pieces of lobster were a tasteless tip of a claw and part of the elbow meat that had a consistency consistent with frozen shellfish. The portion was large (pro) and I may have received an unfortunate ladle full. It was too sweet and rich for my taste in any event. This was a soup special. However, I wonder from when. Two of three other soups had not been completed by lunch. The caesar was overloaded with dressing and cheese. The portion was small. The croutons had not transmogrified into croutons and tasted like chunks of foccacia. The service (2) was good and knowledgable. I do fear they have bitten the company line a little hard. They were very assured of the restaurants pedigree (even cocky). And I didn't see it in the execution of the things I had. Then again I wasn't overly impressed with their flagship - Citrus either. You set yourself up for criticism when you name yourself "finesse". I saw little in sample (basics) I had. The menu is odd. It's like they shoe horned some of the dinner items into it instead of creating extra dishes that would be appropriate for lunch. There were three sandwiches, some salads, some soups and then chops and fish, etc. Most things were $10+ (Terra Mia throws in a drink for that). Appetizers cost as much as entrees.

The decor has a black and white schemata. They post definitions of culinary terms on black on a white wall. The furniture is darkish. It was clean. It seats about 90. There were six others there at lunch. It looks much the same as the last three iterations of this cursed location (The Wine Room layout still). They are trying to reach the same non-existent level of customer as the many that have preceeded them. That means linen napkins and prices that are about 20% too high for the region. Fish Bones gets the wallets they are competing for because the space is a superior aesthetic draw. It has pizazz (if not taste). It has a theme. Finesse has none of that. Terra Mia's prices will get the next rung of customer (business lunch and the ladies for do lunch or show houses). Rikka will also take from those on that rung that want non-Western fare. Moes and Applebees will pick up the bottom rung. Confines will get the drunk 19th holers and night time bar crowd. And these are the pickings that are left over from those who probably prefer or are accustomed the options across the street.

I see Finesse making the same mistakes as their predecessors. They have to drop prices and get over themselves. The most played out trend in gastronomy is the artisinal, slow food movement bullshit. Is there any restauranteur who doesn't fancy himself an artiste? When everyone is a iconoclast, there are no more iconoclasts. You can't charge extra in today's saturated poseur restaurant environment because everyone is a poseur (even in suburban Orlando). And you are not just a poseur, you are an arriviste poseur. You need to catch up to your competition. You need to develop a customer base. You can't do that by offering less (at least as a holistic experience) than your competition. There are not enough foodies in Lake Mary to sustain a food-centric locale. Ask your predecessors. They all were at this price point with this hubris. They were all out in weeks. Not months. Weeks! And most foodies are into street food now not lamb jus fonds. The wines were a bit heavy on Australia (not really the region of the moment). The artisinal beers are not a draw any longer. Hell there is a WORLD of Beer across the street.

I can't recommend it with what I have seen so far (at least not at those prices). Perhaps I will return and try a more ambitious meal. It would have to be something with real gastronomic creativity. I didn't see a signature dish on the menu. But, then again I believe the menu is supposed to change monthly (another thing that is not considered a plus to most customer's around here). Good Luck. I really do hope you find a niche. I just can't come up with a reason to tell someone to go here other than it's the next next thing. It's not bad. It's just ordinary.