It seemed like a good bet, considering Sanabria's successful track record as former owner of Collingswood's Word of Mouth, and the now-closed Food for Thought, which began in the late '80s in the tiny Haddon Avenue space now occupied by Tre Famiglia.
But what has Javier delivered for this investment? A dramatic display of mediocrity served at outrageous prices.
My $29 tuna entree alone was a five-act tragedy. First came a dish prepared completely differently from the potato-wrapped fish described on the menu, which it turns out, was several weeks out of date.
Then came skulduggery as a neighboring waiter dissed our server: "He's new. He was supposed to tell you that."
Of course, it wasn't his fault the kitchen had totally undercooked the fish, hardly searing this still-cold piece of tuna, though we'd asked for it medium-rare.
The tuna redo, predictably, brought a steaming gray hunk of fish so carelessly overcooked, I really didn't want it anymore.
A proper apology should have been the final act, but a couple of free desserts and coffee was the only gesture. Plus, the full $29 charge for the ruined fish.
"Can I wrap that tuna to go?" our waiter asked straight-faced.
No, thanks. Nor would I have taken home almost anything else that had been served to us that night.
The "crab stack," which brought two cakes sandwiched around mashed avocado, was lukewarm. The stuffed mushroom was so slapdash, it looked like a portobello mitt catching a pistachio-crusted puck of tepid goat cheese. The $24 tilapia (and that's a lot for soapy-tasting fish fillets) was seared to a brown crisp, then set over a mound of rice sticky with sweet chile sauce that was ringed by pureed canned figs - an especially weak attempt at Asian fusion for a self-styled "trendy" place.
