Fresh by Lisa Hemenway

Good riddance. Pretentious ambiance, poor service, and mediocre food at best. Lisa Hemenway appeared to be an awful owner/​manager making customers feel extremely
uncomfortable. My personable experience with a gentleman named Dave was even worse. He was completely drunk and rude and made a pass at my wife. Please don’t attempt another restaurant. please.

Closed, out-​of-​business — 2÷5÷2013.

The food here is consistently a 4, but the service is consistently a 1. Location-​wise, Fresh is a great place to meet my grandma for lunch since she lives in Oakmont retirement community and my parents live in downtown. The vicinity of Oakmont definitely dictates a major portion of the clientele so if you are gerontophobic steer clear.
The décor of this restaurant is adorable. They have really done a good job at making the restaurant into its own intimate space, separating it from the adjoined grocery store. Out back there is a nice patio which is great for enjoying lunch in pleasant weather.
Food-​wise this is a great lunch place. They have a wide selection of salads, sandwiches, fresh sushi, pasta dishes, and brick oven pizzas. The BLT is quite good and comes with either fruit salad or the maket (house) salad. However, the market salad has grapes and blueberries in it which are NOT listed on the menu. For those of us who think fruit does not belong in a salad this is a bit disturbing. If you are going to go with a salad entrée and have a moderate appetite, I would go with the large size. The small size is not quite enough for a normal sized lunch.
Even though the food is fresh here and very good, I think the prices are a bit high for what you are getting. $ 15.95 for a personal pizza is high in my opinion. $ 10.95 for a house salad without any meat added in is also high. There are not any items on the menu with prices that seem justified.
All that being said, the service at this restaurant is horrible. I have never had good service here, but always assumed that it was just busier than normal or that it was an «off» day. However, you can only make so many excuses for restaurant service without designating it as just plain bad. Today, our waitress was particularly unfriendly. She barely welcomed us in, didn’t ask if we had any questions about the menu, walked away after taking only one drink order from the table, didn’t check up on us after we got our food, didn’t refill our water glasses once during the hour plus we were there… the list goes on. We were definitely not the only table with poor service today, as the table next to us spent a solid ten minutes trying to flag down their waitress to get their check after eating.
The poor service here is really too bad, since on the whole the restaurant definitely has potential.

I am amazed by the breadth of Lisa Hemmenway’s talents in her mulit-​restaurant FRESH. I love the sushi, can’t get get enough of the take-​out, and their dinners are a treat. Great wines and beers, too. Worth trying everything. I have used FRESH for many parites as well. Always a hit.

What is it they say? Third time is a charm? Or is it Three strikes and you are out? Well, I’ve done the three times and I say Fresh by Lisa Hemenway … YOU ARE OUT! I had the BLT ($ 12.95); I asked for it toasted, I got ½ toasted, the other half not. The waiter told me the toaster was broken. How did they get ½ of the sandwich toasted? And for $ 12.95, I would have expected a bigger, better sandwich. It was borderline average. My friend had the Veggie Sandwich ($ 10.95); this was also served on just bread, not toasted, and the pieces of veggies were chunks, not sliced, so the bread fell apart and all the filling fell out, so she basically had a veggie salad with some mangled bread. We had a bread pudding for dessert, and it was nice, I’ll admit that.
LindySez: I’ll not be back. Too expensive. Too mediocre. Too much of nothing.

A weekday lunch; my wife and I got there around 1 p.m. My meal was okay, my wife didn’t like hers, which isn’t what we expected given the pricing. Service was abysmal — there were only a few tables occupied, but the wait staff was completely missing in action. The place seems to put a lot more emphasis (and floor space) on their to-​go displays and business than on those dining-​in.

Oof. Called in an order for a pizza and a salad to pick up. The kid on the phone said that it would be 15 – 20 minutes. I arrived at Fresh 20 minutes later. I gave my name. A woman behind the deli counter gave me a receipt and said that it would be a few minutes before my pizza was ready and I was welcome to shop and pick up a few things.
Really what I wanted was my pizza.
Random servers and cooks kept asking me if they could check on my order. I said yes every time and kept hearing «It’ll just be a couple more minutes.» I heard that for 20 minutes. At one point I saw the pizza cook and the woman that gave me my receipt (who turned out to be Lisa Hemenway) having a heated discussion through the open door to the back office. Obviously not making my pizza.
Finally the owner brought our pizza and gave me this story about how I was the last of 12 pizzas to go and how busy they were. In the 25 minutes that I was there no one left with a pizza. So either the pizza cook forgot to re-​fire the pizza oven or they lost my order. There was no offer of a refund or a discount for another meal or the offer of a dessert. Just, «Well you guys were last in a long line. The person that answered the phone shouldn’t have told you 15 – 20 minutes.» Bye.
I do want to say that everyone who worked there, besides the owner, was very nice and concerned about my order. That definitely kept me from just walking out.
I got the food home and the meal wasn’t any better than the service. ¼ of the volume of the salad was a giant lettuce core. Most of the beets were tough and undercooked. The candied walnuts were over cooked. The pizza was soggy and a little undercooked. The cheese was good but there was way too much sauce and it tasted like Prego that had been reduced in a microwave. I asked for an addition of sausage on a pancetta pizza. I got the sausage but they forgot the pancetta.
I may go back for milk or a six pack of beer but I’m sure not going back to eat.

Watching Lisa Hemenway publicly berate and shame one of her employees at the checkout while myself and 2 other customers watched in embarrassment was something I had never experienced before. Whatever word is the opposite of professional and welcoming is, thats the perfect word to describe this place. Except add the word «greatly» and «alot» in front of it. This market is located at the entrance to the Skyhawk suburbia, but Lisa has somehow managed to make it feel as if it belongs at the Four Seasons on the French Riviera. Its stuffy and I try to remember to bring my Alligator skin loafers and Rolex before entering less I be regarded as an employee.
The food is O.K. and they have a great beer selection but I am concerned about the emotional state her staff.

Have not eaten there but had their take out gourmet pizzas several times and was very very pleased. They are not cheap but very unique, thin crispy crust, artichokes w/​mild white cheese — yummy!

Always good food and always good service!

We’ve been back many times since our initial visits and the odd burning smell is gone and there are more grocery and food items to look at while waiting for our rice bowls. I am usually not in «grocery shopping mode» while there but they have some interesting offerings along the lines of a gourmet market and ethnic products as well.
The last few times I’ve noticed that the staff who work in the main restaurant have been very friendly, which leads to a positive feeling. While the target clientele seems to be older (50+) I feel welcome and when we bring our four year old, everyone is welcoming.

Really disappointed with the high prices, mediocre food, small portions. $ 11.00 for a bowl of mixed greens with a few grape tomatoes, tiny slices of cucumber and a few rasberries, $ 16.00 for a small pizza with hardly any toppings, and $ 8.00 for a glass of «jug» wine that Deloach sells to them as their house wine. I used to love this place, but just not worth the prices anymore. When Lisa Hemenway opened FRESH several years ago, we were thrilled to have another alternative for all of us that live past Rincon Valley and on the eastern edge of Santa Rosa. Prices were reasonable and the food was fantastic. Things sure have changed. Last night our pizza was darn near burnt to a crisp. The salad probably cost $ 2.00 at the most to make. This is how NOT to treat your customers if you want them to come back. I know we sure won’t be going back anymore. Such a shame!

We go often and enjoy the sushi very much, but have a hard time eating much else due to gluten intolerance. It would be nice to see more gluten free items on the menu.
I’m giving Fresh three stars instead of more based solely on the poor service and excessive wait times.
I see from other reviews that service is an issue for almost everyone and I can’t help but wonder why Lisa doesn’t work on this. On a recent visit, my husband asked for a second glass of wine and the server hurriedly poured it when we had finished our meal 15 minutes later. I wish I could say this is a rarity, but it is all too common.

I gave this place four stars because of the food, NOT the service. The staff seems to be in a fog, not really sure what to do or why they are there.
The muffaletta sandwich is the best I have ever had. THE BEST!

Something I forgot to mention the first time: at the register, the cashier was portioning and bagging either cilantro or parsley in her «down time.» With no gloves. I’m not sorry to say this in my review – it’s REALLY gross to be handling money and food, no gloves, no visible hand sanitizer nearby.
The second time, the cashiers were rolling plastic silverwear into napkins, again no gloves or hand sanitizer. As customers, you expect these things to be clean. How gross!
The sushi did not smell fresh. The entire market had an obvious fishy sea smell. Anyone who knows sushi, knows it should not smell like this. Really, once you walked in the front door, the smell was pretty pungent.
The word «with» was misspelled on every item within the display case as «whit.» Really? One time can be overlooked. But five or six times? C’mon.
The second time, I ordered the hot artichoke and pastrami sandwich. It said it came with a side salad, and would be ready in 10 – 15 minutes (for the to-​go option). Nearly 25 minutes later, after hearing the kitchen staff with their conversation about not having any to-​go salads prepared, the sandwich and salad were given to me. It really should have been presented on the menu as «dinner salad with side sandwich.» The tiny sandwich was served open-​faced on greasy, buttery toast, with a much larger salad. The sandwich was good, but too greasy, and the toasted cheese was melted to that plastic-​y, rubbery consistency.
I don’t know who Lisa Hemenway is, but the name of the restaurant/​market is presented like «this is a celebrity chef, and you will love it.»
The first time around was okay enough to give it a second chance, but with everything during the second visit, I will not be back.

At Fresh, I’ve finally discovered truly excellent food. Everything is made from scratch with great care and attention. All of the dishes are truly inspired and very creative.
The restaurant has the charming feel of being in a Paris café. It’s hard to decide what is best — a delicious early morning breakfast, a great midday lunch, a glass of wine and a delectable dinner. Now with the fabulous sushi bar, the choices are even more complicated. I love the food and all the friendly people who bring such warmth and cheerfulness. Hats off to Lisa who has created a very comfortable oasis to relax and enjoy outstanding cuisine. I especially like the new fireplace on these cold days.
Janice M.

Amazing food! Had the mushroom
Pizza! Nice clean market with a restaurant inside. High end but still a nice place.

I came into Fresh for a Thursday night wine tasting with my boyfriend and had a fabulous time. It was Italian varietal wine tasting night so we had 4 glasses of free tastings before we sat down for dinner.
We ordered the Beet Salad to share and I really appreciated how our server Nicole (she was super friendly and attentive) didn’t try to upsell us to a large but recommended the small to share because of the large portions size of our meals. We devoured the salad which is literally bursting with flavor! I would drive across country to just for this salad it is so incredible. For the main course I ordered the Prosciutto wrapped Halibut and it was AMAZING!!! My boyfriend ordered the short ribs and we both loved them as well the sauce was phenomenal.
I’m definitely coming back for more!

Atmosphere:
A quaint restaurant in the center of the building surrounded by a café/​deli/​market. Amazing artwork abounds and very unique to wander around waiting for your meal (s) and explore the café, huge chocolate selections, wood-​fire stove and other odds & ends. Outdoor seating available with one helluva view from the side (not front) of restaurant.
Beginning Beverage (s):
Scrimshaw Pilsner (crisp & fine finish served in traditional Euro glass) followed by a shockingly large-​poured glass of recommended Pinot Grigio (so smooth other guests at the table kept sipping samples!) whose name escapes me.
Appealing Appetizer (s):
Oysters were to-​die-​for and spicy (magnifique!). Salad lettuce felt picked right out of the garden.
Gourmet entrée greatness enjoyed:
On February 13^th I selected from the printed specials Salmon (fresh not smoked) served with asparagus, coconut (polenta?), slivers of garlic, and an amazing unknown sauce loosely spread. Close to heaven on earth however it just missed the 5-​star mark compared to previous meals.
Dessert de jour:
Chocolate Mousse (plentiful portion) and Tiramisu (skimpy serving). Quality 100% outstanding.
Perk (s):
Live acoustic Civil-​War soothing music (possibly because it was pre-Valentine’s Day?) from local Hank Levine (and backup guitar partner) really rewinds the experience back to simple® times. Immediately following the main course (s), an unexpected visit from Lisa Hemenway over to our table punctuated the personalization! A grandiose old oak bar nearby displays gigantic selections of local wine with a medium-​grade choice of beers. Very friendly staff and nice people dining.
Perturbed:
Since the establishment is essentially a clean and cold deli/​market shadowing the center seating, the temperature is sub-​zero inside. Make sure to wear a jacket AND long pants. Service = sluggish. A table of 4 (we also had 4) right next to ours was seated just as we had finished our appetizers (15 – 20 minutes into the meal). They finished their main course after we had just received ours. Our dessert was served when they were receiving their check (after their party of 4 had finished dessert too!).
Trending stock: Rapidly upward for organic excellence & liquid choices. Slowly climbing for better service.

FRESH is a pleasing replacement in the location previously occupied by Skyhawk Village Market. Walking into the Market, Eat in, Take out, Deli and Café, I was immediately struck with the impression that it was a slimmed down version of Skyhawk Market.
Since this is their first week, I won’t wax long or loudly about their rather sparcely stocked shelves. I’m sure they will be brimming with the fine quality Santa Rosans have come to associate with any food operation opened by Lisa.
Their café in the front serves freshly brewed coffees and teas, freshly baked pastries consisting of scones, buns, pies, cakes, puddings and everything else that works against your waist line, but it’s sooo good.
We decided to Eat in and we both had the chicken, almond, salad with melon. It was delicious. The chicken tender and succulent, the almond bites perfectly diced and it was all tossed together with a ton of mouth-​watering flavors, delicately woven throughout. It was artfully laid out in a long rectangular plate. At $ 7.95, it was a good value.
We chose ice water (after all it is over 100 degrees outside today) and were treated to a chilled carafe of water. I don’t know if it was the presentation or my need to have my thirst slaked, but that was some of the best water I’ve had in a while.
The patio/​dining area outside is normally very pleasant to inhabit (not today with the heat and all) but I’m certain it will become a favorite hideaway for a mid-​day or afternoon repaste.