I have long patronized DownCity since it's reincarnation in 2006. I loved their original menu coupled with the wonderful aesthetic of the 50 Weybosset location. My partner and I enjoyed many pleasant dinners and brunches there and we didn't feel that anything was amiss.
When we heard about the Gordon Ramsay makeover, our reaction was one of confusion and disbelief. What exactly was wrong with the place that it needed a "reality TV" makeover? It wasn't until four months ago that we were finally able to visit the place and we discovered that, while certain changes had been an improvement, such as the Appetizer Trio (especially the fried oysters), the changes to the menu were less than appealing and the change to the "world famous meatloaf" destroyed the pleasantly moist diner special with small individual meat loaves that proved to be salty and overly firm & dense. It wasn't the same place we'd fallen in love with.
By our last visit early in the Autumn, it was apparent the slide was well under way. Our waitress, while as accommodating as she could be, ended up having to list everything on the menu "they were out of" that night. Her unspoken communication made it clear that this was not an exception but, rather, the rule. The meal we ended up with was, as expected from the lack of available choices, below standard.
I am sorry Ms. Cabral chose to mess with success and alter the menu, forgetting that for most of DownCity's clients, it and not the upscale location was the principal draw. In a city that's become a foodie destination, the loss of DownCity will barely register with all of the other offerings available. But for the GLBT community, along with those who truly made DownCity a regular destination, this was a senseless loss for which there is no rational explanation.
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