The Ritz

I have been here twice, once for lunch and another time for dinner. I was very pleased with both. I suggest trying the asparagus pizza, papaya salad or the lamb. I like the presentation, the flavor of the dishes, and the staff are wonderful. I recommend steering clear of the pot stickers (boring) and the Pad Thai (disappointing). That said, I plan going again for the creative meals and classy atmosphere.

It was memorial day, and apparently most of the town is closed up. Our first two dinner choices didn’t pan out, so we decided to try The Ritz, mainly because it was open. We were the only customers at 8:00, which probably should have been our first clue that this place was no good.
Unilocal categorizes The Ritz as Asian fusion, but that’s definitely not accurate. It’s basically, «we have Asian appetizers, and oh yeah, we also have fondue.» I didn’t really want fondue, so I decided to just mix and match the appetizers to make my own version of tapas. I guess it’s good that I wasn’t ordering fondue, since they were out of Swizz cheese.
The three appetizers I picked out were 1) Calamari, tossed with garlic, ginger, and basil; 2) Crispy prawns with sweet chili sauce; and 3) Duck potstickers with plum sauce.
My prawns came tempura fried. The batter tasted good, but it was way too crispy, bordering on hard. The sweet chili sauce made things better, but didn’t fix it completely.
The potstickers were pretty decent, but again, didn’t wow me. The duck and casings were both soft and tender. I liked the plum sauce, although it was a little too salty.
I ended with the tempura-​fried calamari, which was ok but not phenomenal by any means. I couldn’t really taste ginger or basil though. There also wasn’t enough calamari on the plate for the price they were charging. There were a lot of random grilled onions (red and green) scattered across the plate. They were tasty, just a little out of place.
The potstickers and prawns came out fairly quickly, but for some reason the calamari took forever to come to our table. The waitress was very nice, although I felt like she was compensating for the poor kitchen staff. This place has some potential, but it’s definitely there yet.
Of the meals on our Highway 101 roadtrip, this was the only one that really missed the mark food-​wise.

What the heck did I just experience?
I walked into the Ritz expecting a nice meal. I ended up with a boiling pot of what looked like dirty dishwater and a plate of slimy broccoli in front of me.
I have never refused to eat something served to me at a restaurant, but this was an exception. I told the (frankly extremely pushy and awkward) waitress that the ‘hot pot’ was completely unacceptable. There was no way I was paying 20 dollars for some unwashed, partially rotten raw veggies and some hot water.
This place is trying to do something unique but is failing miserably. The only other patrons in the restaurant were also having issues with their meals. DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY.

First let me say that this review is for Fondue and Hot Pots. they no longer are Asian Fusion, Unilocal really needs to change this description!
I was a bit worried about trying this place out. We were too meet friends here for dinner. We arrived first, and we were not even sure it was open, short of the Burlesque looking sandwich board that boasted that they were open. NO ONE was inside short of a person behind the bar and a person in the dinning room. I had to call the friends that we were meeting to make sure we were at the right place.
Once we were assured we were where we were supposed to be we went in. One has to walk through the bar to the dinning room (turns out that they are two different businesses/​owners). 6:45 on a Saturday and we were the only ones there. Not a good sign… Our server, Jon, introduced us to the concept of fondue and hot pots. Honestly it is all a bit confusing, but we went with it.
We started with a Cheese fondue, dipping bread, mushrooms, and broccoli in the cheesey goodness. Wine and mixed drinks accompanied. Though there were 6 of us, Jon suggested the smaller serving as we planned on having Hot Pots as well. He was right on target with this suggestion. I can imagine how much food a Large cheese fondu would have been.
Also had the duck pot stickers and Money bags, as suggested by others here on Unilocal.Both were amazing! A MUST!
When it came time to order the Hot Pots, the menus weakness in explaining things was apparent. Luckily Jon was able to explain and makes suggestions as to what to do. We went with the Spicy Chicken Broth and the Coconut Thai Broth. Fillet, Lamb, Andouili Sausage, Scallops and Rice Noodles were our choices as the main items. It was fun creating our own bowls and ladling hot broth into the bowls to cook the food.
By this time, a few drinks in and a bottle of wine empty, we ordered the chocolate fondu. Strawberries, Bananas, cheesecake, rice crispy treats and marshmallows made for fun dipping in the rich chocolate goodness.
A great evening with friends and a great server! having only one other table, Jon was able to give us his full attention (and with us, that is a full time job!). The communal eating was fun, but one that you need to be prepared for. You cook your own food, so expect to be there a while.
As good as this was, I am afraid that with the lack of advertising, and unique concept (for Humboldt), this place wont make it. Word of Mouth alone is not going to make this place survive. I will be going back as long as they are still there!

Ok, so I guess they remodeled and changed their menu A LOT. Now they offer cheese fondue and hot pots (and chocolate fondue). We got a couple hot pots to share. It was really expensive for a plate of raw meat or veggies that you cook yourself in boiling broth ($ 16 for the veggie hot pot). I liked the idea, but the server didn’t do a very good job explaining how the meal worked. I don’t know if this place changed ownership, but the French-​Vietnamese fusion was far more
superior!

It was a pleasure to discover some new good food in this culinary wasteland that is Humboldt. The staff was attentive, welcoming, and quick to bring our apps. All positive. The food was excellent, freshly made with care. I don’t think they have a bad item on the menu. The duck pot stickers, Thai money bags, coconut prawns, and ribs were standouts. I do think the place lacks a solid identity. The the historical décor leaves you wondering.

Went here with my boyfriend and mother a couple months ago while she was visiting me. We absolutely LOVED the food! Appetizers were AMAZING, especially these little Thai Money Bags they make, simply delicious. Then we all had different kinds of pizza and they were all delightful. It is pricey, but it is worth it! I will go back for sure! Great atmosphere, friendly staff, and the food… I just can’t wait to try more :) Love the mix of Thai, Italian, and Japanese foods. Small portions but that’s ok. :)

We had a nice time at The Ritz, but there is room for improvement. I know I will be back because they have a good thing going and maybe they just weren’t all the way up to speed since they had recently opened.
A big no-​no for me was that I ordered a gin & tonic and when it came it tasted strange, I’m not sure there was very much gin in the drink and the tonic was completely flat. I’m not super aggressive about sending things back so I stuck with it and drank it anyway, but when the bartender came over and confessed to me that there was something wrong with my drink I was a little upset that they did not offer me another or to comp the drink.
We had the Duck potstickers as our appetizer, he had the New York Steak with teriyaki veggies and I had the Hangar Steak with raspberry coulis balsamic dressing. We shared the Chocolate cup passion fruit mousse mango cream for dessert. The menu is on the cusp of being innovative and interesting. Our meals were lacking. The flavors were dull and understated– not vivacious.
As I said before, I will definitely give this place a try again. We went when it first opened, and maybe it will be better?

I like this place! I have only been once! The food was so yummy, serving sizes where a little bit too small for my taste but otherwise no complaints. And I am sorry to hear about some people getting bad service, I had great service when I went.
I have to comment on some of the reviews I read. Someone wrote about lamb being overcooked, when they ordered it rare. I understand wanting steak rare I would never want to eat my steak any other way, personally! But lamb isn’t suppose to be rare first of all the word to describe lamb cooked less than medium would be rosé not rare. It should be cooked medium specially if being grilled. Somewhere around 145 degrees. If you order a piece of bloody lamb it would be very chewy– and have a strange flavor. So it sounds as though they didn’t mess up your lamb Roxanne?
I will update my review when I go here a second time sense I want to see if my experience is consistent.

This place is so-​so. I’ve been twice, the first time was for lunch and it was really good. The pizza is good, the money bags are tasty and cool, the drinks were nice. Then we went for dinner, two orders of lamb and one steak, all supposed to be medium rare and came out well done. The steak was sent back, almost sent the lamb back, but it took so long to get in the first place that we were starving. The lamb was also still tender enough where it wasn’t THAT bad, even though cooking lamb well done should be illegal. We may go back during the day in the future, but with all the other places around there to eat lunch, I doubt it.

Stopped for lunch and ordered the prosciutto and asparagus with brie cheese pizza and a glass of wine. I was very impressed with the clean and airy ambiance. I likes the menu, a decent variety but not to big. I always figure its better to be really good at a few things than mediocre at all things! The pizza was more than enough for 2 meals (or two people) and the price was a bit upscale but I am willing to pay for good food.
Update 2÷11÷13: under new management, this place leaves a lot to be desired. I desired a napkin and a fork and had to ask for each. Ordered a beer and he spilled 3 ounces on the way to the table. Front section of dining room is now ‘the bar’ and does not qualify for main menu items??? Must move to the back for real food. I ordered crispy shrimp in sweet chili sauce. Beautiful plating but very bland even when served with ½ a tablespoon of chili sauce. I also had a side of fries. French fries are not fresh cut, but frozen and served with 3 tablespoons of catsup. Service was adequate but lacking. I was the only person in the place when I arrived, I am not surprised. Lunch of 2 appetizers and a beer was $ 15. They had a big screen TV which was tuned to the cartoon channel…

I will NEVER go back. Service was terrible. I went in and ordered some food to go. As i was paying the bill, I noticed they overcharged me. OK, they corrected it. Got to the hotel, and found that they gave me a salad I didn’t order. I ordered a Thai dressing, they gave me vinaigrette. I don’t like vinaigrette. And here’s where it gets absolutely unacceptable. Called the restaurant, and they manager said,
«Well, we’re working on the menu…» So how come the waiter didn’t mention that the salad on the menu is NOT the salad people will get if they order that item as written? So I asked for a credit on my card. And then he said something to the effect of — and I’m only BARELY paraphrasing — «What’s the big deal, the salad is only $ 6». ARE YOU EFFEN KIDDING ME?!? So, I paid for something that I did not get. And the final straw? When I went to eat the dessert, it wasn’t what I ordered… Food was OK, but the service ruined my meal. For a steak, salad, dessert and Diet Coke, $ 42 plus tip… which I paid before knowing what I was in for… Total amateur hour.

Great food and service. Nice wine selection and a full bar. Wood oven for their excellent, inexpensive, small-​enough-​to-​eat-​the-​whole-​thing pizzas. All in a pleasant ambiance.

YEA! A new place that rocks! I really hope they just stick to what they are doing now because it works. Food and cocktails are off the hook, service is a tad off/​slow but that could just be the waitress tonight for many reasons which is not an excuse but everybody has an off-​night once in a while. This place is a huge breath of fresh air in the culinary world of Eureka, I just hope they keep it up. Something to mention, the cocktails actually had the correct amount of alcohol in them, a big kudos for an honest
pour. Last but not least, the dessert’s… oh my…
We will be back for sure…

Awesome Food, lots of different foods to select from, I have tried over half the menu… it is all very tasty! Retro contemporary feel, great restaurant, service is very good, and now they have a full bar and a good wine selection! Eat at the Bar, table in back or table with window and people watch… not a bad seat in the house :)

WE WILL BE BACK! Stopped here one day while headed somewhere else to eat. The server saw me stop and glance at the menu on the window (I noticed it was a new menu and was intrigued) and came out to give me one to keep. While looking it over he was chatting us up and let us know that it was an all new menu and they had just reopened. We decided to have lunch there and try it out.
The old Ritz was smelly and had terrible food and service. The air in the place had a sticky vinyl tablecloth feeling. The new Ritz is light and refreshing, the small plates and appetizers are FANTASTIC. The bread came with a yellow curry aioli that was really good. We started with the Duck Wontons which were delicious (although I do wish they had come with a dipping sauce, my boyfriend didn’t miss it at all, there was a chili sauce on the plate). I had the curried clam chowder (sooo good. I mean, sooo good. I could have eaten a giant bowl). Then he had the most tender lambchops with potato fritters, and I had the small duck plate. Both were absolutely the tastiest.
Good job on the revamp Ritz, just need to advertise better! And this is NOT the Bayfront! This is a hip little French-​Thai infusion place!

July 4^th and almost nothing was open in Eureka — funny for a tourist-​oriented town, right? But The Ritz was open, and had tables open, and we were so glad we found them. It’s got a Thai-​French fusion sort of menu. I started off with the Thai Basil-​Lime Lemon Drop, which was very refreshing. We weren’t hungry enough for appetizers, and we were glad we didn’t order any because they brought some very fresh french bread and a chipotle aioli dipping sauce that was tasty. My husband and I both wanted the same two dishes so we got them both and shared. I had a calzone-​type item that had a name I didn’t recognize nor can I remember now, but it was filled with cheese and mushrooms. My husband had lamb shanks and potato croquettes. Service was a bit slow, but that was probably because they were slammed being one of the few places in town that was open.

Stumbled across this restaurant while in Eureka for business. It checked all the boxes, and then some. Great atmosphere, awesome dinks and food to write home about. I had the spicy hand cut spinach noodles with chicken and cleaned the plate. Enough heat and just the right amount of food (though I wanted more cause it was soo good)! I had to refrain from eating off of my friends plates as their food looked amazing as well. Definitely check it out!

The new Ritz, in the former Ritz space, is amazing! We tried it out with my visiting parents, and were so impressed. The flavors, the presentation and the service was impeccable. Our server, Anna, was one of the best we’ve seen. Breadsticks were offered up continually instead of us asking, water was topped off. Wine was great. The combination of Thai and French really comes together great. I’d highly recommend the new Ritz. For those of you that have been to the Bayfront (former Ritz and CinCinz owers now run), and been a bit disappointed by food and service, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how the same owners have really made the Ritz opening so much better! Try it now!

So the Ritz is a pretty swanky place. I love the artwork in the back room. Friendly staff, fresh flowers. I was really looking forward to the hot and sour soup, but they took it off the menu. I got the spicy udon noodles and chicken. Noodles weren’t the big fat round kind like I had hoped, but just regular shape. Really nice presentation, but pretty subtle spice. I would not call the dish «spicy» at all, unless you count the attractive dots of Sriracha type sauce on the plate. Chicken was really nicely cooked and flavored. Noodles had red pepper in them and had a nice subtle sauce. There was a fun «carrot flower» carving on the plate. They gave me some bread sticks and spicy aoli that were tasty.
I will go back. They’ve only been open since Tuesday. Lots of other things on the menu I’m excited to try. Actually, I want to try everything on the menu. Cool that they are open for lunch.