[quote=“ThatPat, post:20, topic:540, full:true”]
I live a couple of blocks from Ingo’s. I went there several weeks after they opened and the salmon I ordered was so overcooked, I had to send it back. Tasteless, really. I then ordered a pork chop and it was just so-so. I have no desire to go back. What am I missing about this place that so many people like it?[/quote]
Only went twice, once during the soft opening. Haven’t tried the salmon or the pork chop. I enjoyed the house made pasta, although the pasta itself was a little overcooked. Partner’s medium-rare burger was truly medium-rare, but the whole seemed just a touch more firm than I like.
For me, the appeal is the great architecture, casual feel, and the very respectable price/value ratio. By Santa Monica standards, this place is pretty cheap. Cassia may be better (I haven’t been, but I have no doubt it’s delicious), but it’s also about 50% more expensive (the apps at Cassia are the same price as many of the entrees at Ingo’s). I also can walk into Ingo’s. You can’t even walk in to get a bar seat at Cassia (at least, you could’t when I tried once). So, IMHO, to compare the two restaurants in an absolute sense isn’t quite fair.