I suggested The Boot to Geraldine because I had recently heard a radio spot advertising them and the restaurant had an interesting website. The propaganda promised a fun and energetic take on Italian dining – a deviation from the norm, to be sure. We headed out with high hopes and empty stomaches.
The Boot is located in the building that was home to Cafe Rosso for almost a decade. Not much has changed about the atmosphere – the tables and chairs are the same, and the bar doesn’t appear to be very different either. There wasn’t any of the live entertainment so highly touted in the restaurant’s own advertisements. We were rather dismayed to find that the experience was anything but different from the competition, in fact it was quite typical of small Italian restaurants.
Seating is comfortable but nothing special. The decor is more modern than it had been in the previous version of the establishment, but not different enough to make you feel like you had stepped into another eatery. It felt more like like redecorating than a new business. After being seated and choosing from the limited (and rather heavily stained) menus, Geraldine and I were brought a bottle of water which for all we know was tap water in a bottle. This was followed by appetizers which in this case meant soup. I would not be at all surprised if the vegetable soup was nothing more than Campbell’s with a little more water and a lot more pepper. I was not pleased.
The bread was decent and fresh, and the service throughout the meal was above average, but not good enough to make up for the bland food. For an Italian restaurant I didn’t notice much that I would consider Italian about the food or the service. No plentiful salads or choice of breads. No olive oil to dip bread in, nor was there any Dean Martin coming over the speakers. I admit that these are blatant generalizations, but my point is that the place just doesn’t feel Italian. Even Olive Garden feels more Italian than The Boot.
The rest of the meal was equally forgettable and we were on our way out less than 45 minutes from our arrival. In fact the best word to describe The Boot with is forgettable. Nothing here made me want to return. I must also say that nothing made me want to run out or ask for a refund, but I think we should all expect a more satisfying experience when dining out.
It was Charlie’s suggestion to try this place because we both like Italian food very much. Unfortunately neither the food, nor the atmosphere seemed Italian. We walked in and were greeted and seated in a timely manner. Trendy artwork decorated the walls. The place was dark and reminded me a little of the college bar scene and not a nice restaurant.
We both ordered soup as an appetizer. My shrimp bisque did not satisfy my taste buds. I would compare it to overly peppered canned soup. I had a hard time finding something to order on the menu, since I was expecting more of an Italian selection to choose from. The specials were written on a chalkboard that neither of us noticed until after we ordered. I settled on a grilled mahi .
The salsa that came on top of the mahi was quite tasty. The fish itself was a little dry and lacked the presence of any seasoning other than pepper. We ended up going some place else for desert for fear of being dissatisfied with that too. The service wasn’t bad, but the food and atmosphere just wasn’t appealing enough for us to return.
Contact Information for The Boot:
The Boot
123 West 21st Street
Norfolk, Virginia 23517
757-627-2668
http://www.insidetheboot.com
