Dinner and Star Trek - A Geeks Night Out
Clearwater, Florida, USA
Dined in January 2016
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
The performing Arts has always been something that I have enjoyed, whether in a small venue like a local groups performance of “The Best Little Whore House in Texas,” in Griffin Georgia, to “The Phantom of the Opera” and the 25th anniversary Concert to “Les Miserables” in London. Since being a young kid I’ve been a fan of science fiction in most of its forms, so when the Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater Florida just north of me was having a Star Trek orchestra experience, the tickets had to be bought. As I made the purchase, I saw that they had a pre-show dinner package addition, with some great food for a small performing arts center.
Scroll down to read the main review, accolades and wine tasting notes
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****
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That I visited and reviewed on this site…
****
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From the venue home page:
Ruth Eckerd Hall is a not-for-profit organization that is committed to presenting the finest in performing arts and also providing performing arts education to all segments of our community.
Our Mission
Changing lives through performing arts.
Our Vision
As a nationally recognized premier Performing Arts Organization, Ruth Eckerd Hall will offer traditional and innovative performances and educational experiences that will engage diverse audiences and participants, in order to advance the arts and enrich lives.
Come early to your show and dine steps away from your theater seats at Ruth Eckerd Hall’s pre-show dining experience. Reservations are highly recommended. Pre-show dining opens two hours prior to most performances.
Main review:
It was my fiancé and I first time going to the Ruth Eckerd Hall. She had heard about the Star Trek Orchestra several months before, and knowing that I enjoyed it, we purchased tickets. She was not much of a fan and never watched it growing up, but found it interesting the way they interested clips from the films and show with the live orchestra.
We opted to have the pre-show dinner, showing up two hours before. The staff which was made up mainly of volunteer retirees that lived in the area, escorted the group of diners to the second floor to a larger dining room with a buffet set up and a separate bar where you get one alcoholic beverage free of charge. The buffet was set up with:
- Starters
- Salads
- Entrees
- Desserts
Below is a sample pre-show dinner buffet menu:
Roasted Tomato-Basil Soup
Chopped Romaine & Spinach with Diced Boiled Eggs, Tomatoes, Chopped Bacon, Red Onion & Mushrooms
Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes
Grilled Asparagus
Blackened Mahi w/ Etouffee Sauce
Braised Boneless Beef Short Ribs w/Bordelaise Sauce
Fresh Baked Dinner Rolls
Assorted Cakes & Pies
Water, Tea, Coffee and one complimentary Beer or Wine is included in the price of the meal
Our menu had the braised beef short rib with the bordelaise sauce, potato gratin, and vegetable blend, along with the Mahi fish.
There was a huge selection of food for the price we paid so I was very impressed overall. The large dining area can also be catered out for business events or weddings, and you can easily fit several hundred people in that space. For a small performing arts center they have had some big names perform there in the past.
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5 stars
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is Extraordinary
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4 Stars
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is Outstanding
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3 Stars
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Exceeded Expectations
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2 Stars
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is Above the Average
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1 Star
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is an Average Dining Experience
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No Star Rating
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The Restaurant is Basic, Poor, or Appalling
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Overall Star rating by Wine, Dine, & Play:
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3 of 5
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Ambiance:
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5 of 10
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Quality of the Food:
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7 of 10
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Plate Presentation:
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Not Rated
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Customer Service:
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6 of 10
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Wow Factor:
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Not Rated
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Wine Selection:
(See the full list under the review basics section below)
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Not Rated
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Rating Breakdown And Analysis:
I rate ambiance on several factors from the most important being cleanliness of the dining room and restrooms, to organization and flow. I look at the atmosphere, character, the tones, artwork, and the design styles to see if they match the themes of the food. During the daylight hours natural lighting versus electric is also a strong enhancer of enjoying a meal, and of course the styles of furniture, or if it is inviting and comfortable. I rate the dining room with a 5 out of 10, as it was presented nicely, white linen tablecloths and a friendly atmosphere.
The quality rating I base by an essential or distinctive characteristics that the food offers, or if I see that it is of a high grade, superiority, or excellence. Also important is the taste. Did the chef pair or match distinctive ingredients together, and did he send my palette on an adventure? For a basic pre dinner show I was impressed giving them a rating of 7 out of 10.
Customer service can make or break a restaurant. You can have the best quality of foods, plate presentations that put Escoffier to shame, the most beautiful of ambiance, and a fantastic wine or bar list. However if you have a service staff that is not attentive to the needs of the guest, or has an unclean uniform, smells like a cigarette after returning from a break, does not act professionally, or lacks knowledge on the menu, food, and restaurant then you have a major problem. On the other hand a great server can bring a customer back over and over again even if the food is mediocre. People go to restaurants for the show of food thinking they are experts because they watched a reality tv show on the Food Network, but what needs to be understood is that as amazing as a kitchen staff and Chef’s may be, the front of house is just as great. A rating of 6 out of 10 for the staff who again were mainly volunteers, but were kind and courteous to everyone.
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Food Prices
(excluding, alcohol, taxes & gratuity)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00
**Currencies chosen reflect the world’s major travelers and restaurant connoisseur’s**
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My food bill:
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Currency:
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Price chart:
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$50.00
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United States Dollar (USD)
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$$
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£34.00
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Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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£
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€45.00
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European Union (EUR)
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€
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$66.00
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Canadian Dollar (CAN)
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$$
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$69.00
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Australian Dollar (AUS)
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$$
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¥327.00
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Chinese Yuan (CNY)
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¥¥¥¥
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Review basics:
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Venue style:
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Conservative or Semi-formal dining
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Reservations:
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Not Required
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
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Dress code:
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Business casual, Smart casual, or Conservative attire
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Child policy:
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The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a child’s menu or cater to them; however for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended for children not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
Hire a Babysitter.
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Cuisine style:
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Buffet, Contemporary, Seafood, American, Southern, & Vegetarian
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Experiences:
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Lounge, Business parties, Good for special occasions, and a Neighborhood gem.
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Payments:
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Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Public lot
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Low
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Smoking:
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Nonsmoking Dining Room
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Patio:
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No
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Venue address:
1111 McMullen Booth Road
Clearwater, Florida
33759
GPS Coordinates:
27.976068
-82.704709
Contact Information:
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Reservations:
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+1 727) 791-7400
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Website:
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Email:
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Ticketmaster:
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Social Media
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Accolades:
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Reviewed by:
Sean Overpeck (CFE)
Picture below was taken in 2011 at FOB Shank, Afghanistan
About Sean:
I am based out of St. Petersburg, Florida working in the food service industry for the past twenty years, and am currently with the American Embassy as the Executive Chef in Basra, Iraq. Formally I have worked with groups contracting in Afghanistan, Dubai, and Antarctica, also working in restaurants in and around Atlanta prior to the wars. I have also owned a catering company and served proudly in the United States Army Food Service Program. The idea for the Wine, Dine, and Play started in late 2012 after a trip to Jordan, when I was asked by friends to write down the experiences from a few Jordanian restaurants, plus the wine from the region that I tasted, and locations of interest such as Petra, and the culture. Since that time, over 200 articles have been written on restaurants, including fifteen from the worlds top 100 lists of San Pellegrino and the Elite Travelers Guide; exotic world locations such as Dubai, Petra, Victoria Falls, and South African Safari’s; food recipes & Grand Food Dictionaries; country cuisines such as Afghan and Peruvian; and of course wine from vineyards in California, Oregon, the Carolina’s, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia
Who is John Galt?
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
TTFN
