I get giddy when a new establishment opens its doors on 3rd Street in my Beverly- Grove neighborhood. The other night I had dinner at Churchill, a rustic, two-story gastropub with a cozy and masculine vibe. Despite the hip environment though, the service and desserts were so disappointing, I wonder if I’ll ever return. When my order finally did arrive, I was greeted with this average, lemony Apple Tart enveloped in a bland blanket of thick crust. To improve upon this item they need to calm down on the lemon, add more apple filling, sprinkle some cinnamon sugar on the crust, and drizzle more of that caramel sauce on top.

Far more interesting, though not that much more palatable, was the Chocolate Stout Float. Don’t let the word “Chocolate” fool you. The stout was a hoppy beer with hints of caramel flavor and the saving grace of the operation was the vanilla ice cream. I attacked the ice cream spoon first, letting most of the beer spill off to the sides for just a hint of flavor and soupy texture. Otherwise, creamy beer? Not my thing.

((Sigh)).. I really wanted to love this place, but Churchill needs to revamp its dessert menu, hiring, and staff training to lure me back.

For more info on Churchill, click here.