Is too much flavor possible?

Or maybe I should call this one, "When Good Food Goes Bad."

I've now visited a second restaurant in my life that was memorable for providing too much flavor. Yes, I just said too much flavor. Perhaps it was not so much a problem of too much flavor as a problem of too much salt. Salt is frequently the culprit in these cases, but I'll have to think about this one.

The first place was a restaurant in Boston called Pignoli, which I understand from web reviews is closed, no longer in operation (hey, it was in the '90's). The fare was mediterranean with a heavy emphasis on Italian flavors as I recall. My husband and I were thrilled with the appetizer and couldn't wait to tuck into the ensuing courses. We soon found, however, that our poor mouths were screaming for water and a place to curl up in the fetal position in the face of the onslaught of this rather expensive and presumably sophisticated cuisine. Too sophisticated for its own good as it turned out.

Fast forward fifteen or so years, and today we found ourselves, not for the first time, in a restaurant about which I've only heard rave reviews. Arties. It is not far from us, so it's easy enough for us to steal away for a meal now and then if we like. Today was our second visit to this restaurant, and I must say, I was hoping for a milder tasting experience the second time around.

The first time, hubby and I both had a smoked beef short rib that was, as they say in the vernacular, "to die for." It was very good, if very intense. Not normally a problem when paired with a mac & cheese dish, as the carb generally provides a built-in "rest" for the taste buds. This MAC & CHEESE (yes, I meant to put that in all caps) was, however, a force to be reckoned with. It could have, and should have, been a course unto itself. Parmesan bread-crumb crusted (plus garlic) mac & cheese: crunchy on the top, flavorful and gooey on the inside, comfort foody all the way around. But just not with the intense, smokey BBQ flavor of the ribs, okay?

Today, we each had a bowl of lobster bisque that was incredible for the first five spoonfuls, but became a bit excessive with each successive mouthful.  Too much cream, too much salt, too much flavor, too much soup. I could have left the table after the soup and not needed to eat again for a few hours. The bread was very nice, but not equal to the task of cutting the heaviness of the soup. Had there been half as much soup, the effect may have been better.

The next course was a caesar salad, which we split. I ate only half of my half of the salad. Why? See above.

Finally, the pecan crusted flounder. Unfortunately, my palate had been so besieged by this point that it had given up and thrust out the white flag. Three bites and a doggy bag was the only possible response.

Did I forget to mention the healthy sized Bloody Marys we each sipped on throughout the meal? We hardly ever have those, so it was a real treat at first, but  . . . ah well. Thankfully we had tall glasses of cold water to come to the rescue.

The service was very good, our wait person very attentive and friendly, the atmosphere inviting, and the well-above-average prices to be expected. As I said in a review on a different site, however, it seemed that there must have been a cook-off happening in the kitchen while the judges were taking a cigarette break. It's a shame to have food that is so good—really, it was—that turns on you mid-plate because every last bite of it is in your face. If you'll pardon the expression.

I may be willing to give it another go, but I think I may order an entree a la carte with some French fries on the side next time. And if even the fries are too flavorful, well then, good heavens, I don't know what the world is coming to. I'd hate to see the Golden Arches win a fry-off!