And off to Mesa Grill we did go

Ah, what is there to say about Mesa Grill?

Not much, actually.

My brother and his friends had gone to Mesa Grill recently, to celebrate their liberation from Penn State University. He had raved about the rabbit dish there, so we thought we'd give it a try. I mean, really - an American Iron Chef. Had to be decent food, right? Well, decent was really all it was.

We started with squash blossoms and queso fundido. The squash blossoms were a lot of fun to eat, but the queso fundido was inferior to versions I've had of the dish in hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurants. It was good, but not great.

My daughter, Roo, was disappointed to find that the venison noted on the website was not available, so she ordered a steak. She was assured by the server that it "wasn't boring." While it wasn't boring, it wasn't a dish that could hold anyone's interest for very long, either. I ordered the pork, which came with an attractive sweet potato tamale that seemed to be missing something spice-wise. LdyMlissa enjoyed the rabbit, from what I understand, and the risotto it was served with. The meals were huge, actually, which many people do consider to be a plus. But I wasn't looking for quantity, I was looking for quality - something different. Something unique.

Roo found something unique in her dessert. On a creme brulee kick, she ordered a peanut butter and chocolate creme brulee that she wouldn't share ;) My chocolate plate was very nicely presented and the hazlenut tres leches with cherry granita LdyMlissa ordered did seem to go over very well.

Maybe we'd been spoiled rotten the night before. Maybe I would not have been so disappointed in Mesa Grill had we not enjoyed ourselves so thoroughly at One if by Land and had our expectations set so high. I'd go back, but maybe just for lunch.