Nagano: Not Every Recommendation is a Slam Dunk

After the successful meal I had at per your recommendations, I hoped to go 2-0 in this experiment.

And, while my trip to for lunch this week was not a failure, I couldn't really call it a success. So, maybe we're 1.5. Or, 2-0-1.

I went into this familiar Washington Street Japanese restaurant with soaring hopes, as several people had even before the vote praised them highly. Some went so far as to call it the best Japanese food in Morristown. That's high praise, considering just how many options there are here.

It was just before noon, and the lunchtime crowd had yet to arrive. All was quiet, and the pleasant woman at the entrance invited me to sit wherever I wanted. I was quickly given a menu, and a Diet Coke to quench my thirst. I was indeed thirsty, finishing the glass in less than a minute (the importance of this note will become clear momentarily), prompting me ordering another one.

I started off with a plate of pickled vegetables. More a bowl than plate, the presentation was very handsome, the selection of cucumbers, radishes and carrots laid out in pretty fashion, each veggie providing its own unique flavor. A simple, boring Japanese restaurant salad came out next, along with miso soup. I very much appreciated, however, the two small bowls of ginger and sesame dressing. These salads in these restaurants have never surprised, but this was a pleasant accompaniment and very nice touch.

Finally, my entree, Chirashi Sushi, arrived. Inside a bowl was rice, dried seaweed flakes and a nice helping of various kinds of raw fish (and, ugh, imitation crabmeat. Let me be clear, I like imitation crabmeat ... when I buy it for $2 at the supermarket. Not when I am ordering a meal of raw fish). At about $11, it was a rather good deal. The meal, however, didn't impress. I would not call it bad by any stretch; I just didn't get much out of this simple, somewhat bland entree.

Now, back to my earlier point about the soda. When all was said and done, I had three glasses of Diet Coke to wash down my meal. When my check arrived, I noticed my bill came to about $20. What gives?

They charged me for every $1.75 refill of soda. I can remember long ago when diners tried this hack move, and eventually stopped because it's ridiculous. I give Nagano the benefit of the doubt; maybe most people order tea and water. Maybe many bring beer and wine to this BYO. Maybe it's just an oversight. Whatever the case, paying nearly $6 for what probably cost them about 30 cents is inexusable and bad PR.

I left Nagano not feeling wholly ripped off, but not feeling wholly satisfied, either. Was it my dining choices? Possibly. Not every meal is going to be a slam dunk. But, after so much build-up–from the poll and from more than a few folks–it was certainly something of a letdown.