Ristra

For over three years, my husband and I have enjoyed dining at Ristra in Santa Fe. We raved about the food to our friends. But, this past Saturday night, we were horrified. Knowing that we had a large party (8 originally), we made reservations five days in advance. When the size of our party changed to seven, we called to let them know. Nonetheless, we were crammed into a table meant for five. Even the wait staff complained about the lack of space. We couldn't fit all seven dinner plates on the table! It might have been tolerable if the food had been up to its previous standard, but alas, not even close. The appetizers (quail, mussels, arrugula salad) were fair, but the scallops special and the poblano chile entrees a disaster. The entire restaurant smelled like fish, and the scallops were chewy and fishy tasting. We sent back the poblano chile meal. Worse, the creme brulee was soupy! When the bill arrived with a fixed 18% gratuity, my husband attempted to speak to the owner about the size of our table. The "gentleman" was positively arrogant and refused to make any kind of adjustment. We will never return!