The Candleworks Restaurant - New Bedford, MA

The Candleworks Restaurant, located at 72 North Water Street in New Bedford, will occasionally post coupons on their website and for January, the coupon is “purchase one entrée and receive one entrée free”.  (I found about this coupon from one of their Facebook posts.)  The Candleworks can be a bit on the pricey side so we don’t often dine there unless we have a coupon or a special occasion (it is known to be very romantic).

 

When we arrived we could hear live piano music playing in the dining room and when asked about our preference for seating (in the dining room with the high-back chairs or in the sun-room) we opted for the dining room so we could enjoy the piano music.  The restaurant was not very crowded so we did not have to wait to be seated.

The table was adorned with cranberry and white linens and an oil-lamp votive was included to add ambiance. The high-back chairs, although appearing to be a bit worn, were very comfortable and made it easy to relax and enjoy the atmosphere.  The dining area where we were seated featured rustic stone walls and exposed beams and there was a rather large bar set to one side of the room. 

Our waiter arrived almost immediately after we were seated, poured water into our glasses, and took our drink order.  After reviewing the menu, there were a few entrees that my husband was considering (the Filet Mignon for $24 or the Baked Scrod for $17) but I immediately decided on the Cast Iron Bleu Sirloin for $25.  Since my husband’s entrée was going to be free with the coupon, he splurged and ordered the Filet Mignon, which was described as a 10-ounce char-grilled tenderloin with roasted garlic and béarnaise sauce.  The Cast Iron Bleu Sirloin that I ordered was a described as a 14-ounce cast iron seared sirloin roasted with red onion and bleu cheese. Each entrée included a side salad and we chose our dressings as bleu cheese and French.

We were brought a basket of sliced bread with dipping oil to enjoy until our salads arrived and when our salads did arrive, as a nice touch, the waiter offered fresh ground pepper.



Cast Iron Bleu Sirloin

When the waiter brought us our entrees, I immediately thought that there was no way my sirloin was 14 ounces – perhaps it was seven or eight at most.  I also looked at the green beans that were on my plate thinking that they didn’t even have a touch of butter or oil for flavoring.  While I am all about healthy, the green beans, while fresh, were very bland and could have used at least a bit of seasoning for flavor.  The roasted red bliss potatoes looked to be the highlight of the plate.

Filet Mignon

I cut into my steak, while small, was expecting it to be outstanding and was somewhat disappointed.  There wasn’t anything spectacular about this $25 sirloin and I recall thinking I could get a better steak for much less money at a different restaurant.  I thought my husband’s Filet Mignon must at least be delicious so I tried a bite, dipping it into the béarnaise sauce that was on the side (not on top as I would have expected).  His filet was okay (again, nothing outstanding) but I did not enjoy the sauce at all.  While béarnaise sauce can sometimes be made with a touch of lemon, all I could taste in this sauce was lemon and it did not make a pleasant accompaniment to the filet. 

Given the ambiance of the restaurant and the higher price of the meals, I was disappointed with both entrees.  I was glad that I had the coupon and was not paying full price.

 

When the waiter arrived with our check I gave him the coupon and he deducted the price of my husband’s entrée.  The total bill, including a second drink (at the odd price of $6.31 each) for me and excluding the $24 filet, came to $47.01 including tax.  We tipped our very attentive waiter on the full amount of the bill prior to the discount.  In addition, we added a few dollars into the jar sitting on top of the piano for the pianist that was providing entertainment for the evening.

Based on this experience at The Candleworks Restaurant I will not be returning anytime soon and if I did return, I would be sure to find a coupon since I did not feel that the meal was worth the price on the menu.