After making our way through the middle of nowhere to get to The International, we were greeted by a warm dining room. The restaurant’s interior reminded me of a grandparent’s den complete with well-appointed bar, roaring fire and embraced opulence. They even had a sign that read ‘Cell Phone Use Prohibited’.
The gracious waitstaff explained their vast wine and drink menu making us feel right at home.
After reviewing the menu, I was struck by sticker shock at first. I could not believe some of the prices. While I am not cheap, I am always weary about the correlation between price and portion size. We have been victims of a shakedown or two at other Foodies events. That being said, I decided to go with a Caesar Salad with anchovies and The Godfather Pizza.
First off, the Caesar Salad was bright and refreshing. It offered a nice balance of creamy dressing and crunchy housemade croutons. The saltiness that only anchovies can bring made the salad complete. My only gripe was that I am used to a Caesar salad being made with anchovies. Apparently anchovies cost $2 extra. Something about that just doesn’t seem right considering the salad was overpriced to begin with.
The Godfather Pizza was adorned with pepperoni, prosciutto di Parma, blistered cherry tomatoes, basil, housemade Pomodoro sauce, cow’s milk mozzarella, and a balsamic reduction drizzled on top. When the pizza arrived, I noticed that the edges looked amazing. The charred and blackened crust begged me to sink my teeth into it. The creamy mozzarella was silky and stretched with each bite. The pepperoni and prosciutto added a classic spiciness. The red sauce was sweet, but the addition of fresh basil made the pizza dance off my taste buds.
What I did miss was the balsamic reduction. I could barely detect it on the pizza. I missed the acid in each bite. I also found that the so-called blistered cherry tomatoes were mostly raw. They may have been too big to cook properly. I found it difficult to eat them so I removed most of them from my pizza.
The service at The International was everything that I would expect from a high-class country club. The waitstaff was attentive to our needs and was always in the vicinity to refill water glasses and bring adult beverages. They were respectful and provided helpful hints about the menus. However, we had to wait a considerable amount of time between our appetizers and entrées. And, it didn’t seem like the kitchen was very busy.
Our Foodies group was split into two tables. The other table received their dessert before we received our entrées. To me, this is completely unacceptable given the price.
Overall, The International lived up to my expectations. It was a very upscale, high-class dining experience that is not for an ordinary occasion for a regular middle-class citizen. To me, this would be a perfect restaurant for an anniversary dinner or another special occasion. It’s not for a casual Tuesday night dinner.
With the price of dinner well over $100, I will not be back on a regular basis. Although, I would certainly like the opportunity to shoot 120 on their golf course. I just found myself slightly out of my comfort zone and felt as though I was transported to a scene right out Caddyshack. If this is your cup of tea, I would highly recommend you brush off that silk suit, start up your Maserati and head down to The International for a delicious dinner. Don’t forget, you’ll need to carve out a few hours for the full experience.
