You know how you can get really excited for a restaurant and then it doesn’t live up to expectations? \u00a0This was, unfortunately, the case at Ad Hoc<\/a><\/strong>, a well-reviewed venue in Rome. \u00a0As we had first time\u00a0tasting menu diners\u00a0in our group, I felt especially disappointed by the experience (though they were perfectly happy with the meal, I know it could’ve gone a lot better).<\/p>\n So, where was my disconnect? \u00a0Well, it certainly wasn’t with the setting. \u00a0Located in a rather intimate venue (of course, given this is Rome, I could be describing any number of restaurants because no one has a lot of extra square footage), we were escorted to the center room, which was surrounded by floor to ceiling bottles of wine (my kind of place). \u00a0However, if you’re dining with your partner, try and snag one of the front tables by the window for some prime people watching.<\/p>\n After a review of the menu (and walking 23,000 steps across the city during the day), I was more than ready to try one of the tasting\u00a0options. \u00a0In fact, I was rather impressed, as there were four selections to choose from (sea, land, Roman, and truffle). \u00a0With the majority of the table determined to try the ‘land’ version, I decided on the ‘sea,’ while another of our party ordered the Roman. \u00a0I think this moment is where I first went wrong. \u00a0Certainly, Italians have been cooking seafood for generations, but something sincerely didn’t add up in my menu. \u00a0Literally, a week later, even looking at my photos, I cannot recall a single ‘stand out’ course in any of the menus (except for the ravioli on the land tasting menu, which was absolutely divine).<\/p>\n Of course, my issues didn’t stop there. \u00a0In no particular order, here are a list of my should-probably-be-addressed-immediately problems:<\/p>\n It wasn’t all bad. \u00a0I mean, all those positive reviews on TripAdvisor and Yelp can’t be that wrong. \u00a0After all…<\/p>\n <\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a> Would I go back? \u00a0Sorry, gang, this is a fairly hard pass. \u00a0There are simply far too many other restaurants in Rome I would want to check out (including a few Michelin stars I missed).<\/p>\n Do you have a favorite restaurant in Rome? \u00a0What do you do when a venue doesn’t live up to your expectations? Save<\/span>Save<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You know how you can get really excited for a restaurant and then it doesn’t live up to expectations? \u00a0This was, unfortunately, the case at Ad Hoc, a well-reviewed venue in Rome. \u00a0As we had first time\u00a0tasting menu diners\u00a0in our group, I felt especially disappointed by the experience (though they were perfectly happy with the meal, I know it could’ve gone a lot better). So, where was my disconnect? \u00a0Well, it certainly wasn’t with the setting. \u00a0Located in a rather intimate venue (of course, given this is Rome, I could be describing any number of restaurants because no one has a lot of extra square footage), we were escorted to the center room, which was surrounded by floor to ceiling bottles of wine (my kind of place). \u00a0However, if you’re dining with your partner, try and snag one of the front tables by the window for some prime people watching.…<\/p>\n\n
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