Cellar Restaurant, The

10 Reviews on “Cellar Restaurant, The”

• Amara G

  When the going gets tough some pray, some play, some stay put and hold their breaths Me? I wear my highest and most uncomfortable shoes (residue of my catholic school education: self-flagellation as a form of atonement). Suffering can be beautiful somehow. I leave the room feeling as tall as Heidi Klum and I enjoy a great meal at a fancy restaurant. The Hilton Daytona had fried my nerves like freshly caught calamari. The place felt as appealing to me as Amity Ville amidst Jaws frenzy. Have I ever mentioned how much I relish beautiful things? Oh, the good life! So different from that life is good one mutters under ones breath. I am a self-declared hedonist. Searched the internet and found The Cellar. Even the name (I have discussed the importance of names and their meaning in another review) spoke poetry to me. I was picked. Intrigued. Excited. As I brushed the red lipstick against my lips, I imagined the bit of burgundy from the wine already staining them deliciously.The gray wooden historic home stood out in the corner. A stream of white lights outlining the basement windows. The glitter of forgotten Christmases. The little red door coyly opened as we walked inside and were lucky enough to be seated downstairs. A tad unreal. Heels unfelt cushioned by the thickness of the carpeted stairs that smelled of history. Sepia pictures stared at us as we descended. President Warren Harding, a snow bird, flew from Ohio to spend time in this house during the winter. The Cellar is so many things: it is intimate. It is inviting. It is romantic. It is elegant. It is sophisticated, but above it all the experience is sublime.Even when all of the tables were full of patrons, the whispers joined in the sense of sacredness. Isnt that one of the aspects of the sublime? That sense of surprise, of fear, of awe when confronted with the power of unexpected beauty Thomas, our lovely server, patiently explained and described each dish we wanted to taste. The Green-eyed Foodie is always the most confused and overwhelmed. She orders last and under pressure. She covers with her hands the fluster on her cheeks. She asked lots of questions and became entangled in the wed of possibilities. We opened a bottle of Triga from Alicante, Spain. A combination of 85% monastrell and 15% cab. Bold and solid. Dry and spicy in the end. Many flavors unveiled throughout the many glasses. Superb.As appetizers we enjoyed the Carpaccio di Manzo and the Polenta con Salsiccia e Porcini along a bread basket that smelled freshly baked and tasted of a mothers love. Nourishing and comforting. The polenta was creamy and the flavors of the corn, the sausage and the mushrooms could be found distinctively. After torturing Thomas with more questions and details, we managed to order: Fettuccine con Ragu di Cogniglio (Bolognese made with rabbit and its broth, no tomato sauce)and Perciatelli Carbonara (like a long bucatinni or thick spaghetti with pancetta (italian bacon), onion, parmegiano, prosciutto, salami, cream and one egg. A bit too salty for my taste because Chef was so generous with the amount of the prosciutto and the salami. It came craftily decorated with one delicate rose made out of prosciutto. A tangible proof that food can definitely be fleshy, sexy and romantic.We also ordered the Osso Buco DAngelo con Risotto alle Verdure. A three-hour braised lamb shank that fell off the bone as easily as clothes peel off with sensual intention or recklessly on that very first time. It was bedded on vegetable risotto. The nights special was possibly the most enigmatic and sophisticated. Too many glasses of wine later, I can barely recall that it was fish, a lovely potato and cheese small cake, a bed of risotto nero (squid inked), and an incredible saucy compote of fruit with a hint of lemon. I had never seen those green eyes as wide with excitement as she ate and we agreed she had chosen well after all.We finished with a glass of Malbec Malamado, a tiramisu and the most incredible bread pudding we have ever had in our lives: Torta di Pane (Italian bread baked with vanilla chips and chocolate chips in the middle.) It is served warm with vanilla ice cream. By now, the room was empty. The servers smiled at us as they dried the wine glasses and put them away. We had all become friends now. They could tell we were beyond delighted by our giggles and our food trading/bargaining with each other moments. As I told the owner at that very moment, right there, my trip to Daytona made perfect sense. In the big scheme of things, of life, of the universe there had always being a space for me set at that table. As I walked out on my very high heelsThey did not hurt as much I had never felt as tall.

  October 29, 2015, 6:06 am

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• Lori

  Lori. This is my new FAVORITE restaurant since La Crepe en Haut shut down a few years ago. The food is AMAZING. Lots of ambience; small restaurant downstairs – party room upstairs – compliments to the chef! Great wine selection

  August 29, 2015, 3:51 pm

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• Hd919

  Food is good..Be prepared to wait for it. Our second visit to this high end restaurant did not go well. Yes, the food is still good. But we waited one hour for our entrees. There were no apologies from management. We never saw anyone but our waiter. That is a big no-no and is a sign of indifference. It was so bad that nobody in our party of 8 risked ordering dessert for fear of being there until midnight! As it was, we were there from 7:30 PM until 10:00PM for appetizers and entrees. So if you consider that acceptable service, great. Folks, the food is good. As far as the criticisms of their pricing, you be the judge – Halibut special $34. Homemade pasta with Bolognese Sauce was $22. Salads $9. Portions are just adequate. Their house white wine was $8.My issues with the restaurant were not food related. They were attitude and service related. We will not be back for a while, but we will probably try it again. Maybe they had an off night? I just report my experiences as they occur and I do it fairly.28 Jul, 2013Very, very impressive. Excellent service…Very good food….Nice atmosphere….Not cheap, but still a good value for what you are getting. This one deserves your consideration if you are looking for a really good restaurant in Daytona Beach.

  January 20, 2015, 1:19 am

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