Gave the Nest a try for a special occasion and boy I wish I had that 90 minutes and $300 back. All of the posts about how rank this kitchen can be are true.The view is different, but after 5 minutes, it's just the top of the dome and the roofs of several industrial buildings. The Nest feels they can charge you St Elmo's prices because of the view.
Since we were in the shrimp cocktail neighborhood, we ordered one. Got the farm-raised stuff from Brazil or something that had just been thawed out. Taste like water and shaped like shrimp. The cocktail sauce was the same as the bottled stuff at the store)
We had 3 ordinary dishes, 2 pastas and the duck which was $36 and about 5 bites served with an ounce of vegetables.
One had the NY strip for $44 and it was the gnarliest cut of steak we had seen in some time. The stew beef at the grocery is better. Just a *crud cut of meat. This tells you a lot about the manangement when something like this gets through the receiving door and thru the kitchen and out to the table without anyone batting an eye. I can hear the meat sales guys saying, `no problem, the Hyatt will take this` Looked like it had been thrown in to the oven for 20 minutes and that was it. He was able to get 2 bites out of it that were not grisled to no end. When the waitress cheerfully asked if he would like it wrapped up, he said no thanks (we have plenty of dog food at home).
They had some good wines by the glass I am sure because the hotel has such buying power. Somebody understands wine a lot more than food in there.
The way to go here is to just go up for drinks and get a few appetizers, look at the top of the dome, and get out of there for $75 to $100. Take the $200 you save and go across the street for a better meal at Steak and Shake. Pay yourself the balance back and have a nice day.
The view gets the out of towners up there, but I am sure this place has next to zero repeat business from locals
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