National ExemplarOutstanding Meal!It has been some time since we visited this restaurant. It was always good but I felt it was an older generation. Wow! To my surprise, it was vibrant, fun and atmosphere inviting. Every dish we had was amazing too (mushroom soup, crab cakes, scallops, pasta). The server was pleasant and very engaging. Bravo!6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful meal! Chef SeanWonderful meal! Chef Sean Daly and the entire management team is awesome!5/13/2013 12:00:00 AMReally good food!We celebrated my birthday at this restaurant, and it was great. We were HUGE fans of Hugo in Oakley and were sad when it closed. When we discovered that Hugo's owner/head chef was now the head chef at National Exemplar, we decided to give the restaurant a try. We weren't disappointed. Some of the dishes were "safe" to appeal to regulars, but several dishes definitely had a bit of Hugo flair to them. Overall, it was a great experience!5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMAwesome service with a smileWent here as a special date with my husband and loved it. From the time we checked in everyone was over the top nice. I loved how the entire staff worked together to make sure we were taken care of. Great server training. We will be back. Loved the veal.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMLimited menuI have no clue what they have done to the menu but its so limited. One chicken dish. A couple months ago they had more to offer. What has happened. Won't be back til I hear they add more. Place was totally empty for a Friday nite. That ought to tell you something.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AM30 years and better than everWe celebrated our 30th anniversary and we were surprised to find it was the restaurants 30th anniversary too. Free glass of champagne and a special 4 course dinner for $30 was out of this world yummy!4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, excellent service,Great food, excellent service, an all around very nice restaurant to go to.
A very interesting menu with some very different food and flavor combinations. The food experience was well worth the trip.4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMMenu has been updated withMenu has been updated with new items along with some old favorites. Great improvement and we will return after our long absence.new chef is making a difference.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMThe service was excellent.The service was excellent. The food was amazing (you have to order the mushroom soup!). I loved the new scallop appetizer. It's a fantastic restaurant in a wonderful neighborhood.4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent benefit for theExcellent benefit for the Brandon C. Gromada Head and Neck Cancer Foundation!4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMHighly recommendExcellent food, excellent service, and a nice atnosphere. The Spring Menu was recently released, and has a lot of new delicious dishes on it, it was hard to make up my mind on what to eat. Highly recommend trying the mushroom soup, and the seared scallop appetizer was amazing!4/7/2013 12:00:00 AMThis has always been a good,This has always been a good, steady restaurant, with a reliable menu that seldom changed. The new chef has expanded the menu, while retaining most of the "classics". I had the short ribs over pureed parsnips this time. I had had the chef's short ribs at his prior restaurant, and was looking forward to them again. This time, they did not hit the spot for me. They were so tender, that I never used my knife, which was a positive. However, they seemed to lack the flavor I recalled from our earlier meal. Nonetheless, we will be back to try other new entrees.
As always, the service was prompt, knowlegeable, and friendly.3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMNever a bad meal.This is one of our favorite restaurants. We have never had a bad meal there, and we rarely get the same thing.3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMAs always, dinner at the NationalAs always, dinner at the National Exemplar was great. Kudos to them for each year setting aside an evening when proceeds benefit the Cancer Support Community, a free program that gives psycho/social support to those facing cancer, as well as caregivers and families. A big THANK YOU.3/11/2013 12:00:00 AMThe new chef has added severalThe new chef has added several new items and retained some of the classics. Always a delightful dining experience.2/28/2013 12:00:00 AM