What a great improvement to this space! The Waterfront area is really adding to the number of unique dining choices with the addition of Culinary Dropout. Given that it was opening night, I was still expecting the experience to be rough around the edges. However, you would have thought the restaurant had been open for months. \n\nThe decor is pure Sam Fox. Large chairs, interesting textures and some great chandeliers.  They have successfully shaken the gaudy ghosts of Pink Taco. Happily, they have done so with the menu, as well. \n\nWe were promptly seated and met by Michelle, our server. She was very well versed in all aspects of the menu, including the drinks. I tried the Home-Ec Martini, which I found to be tasty and not too sweet. While others at our table went with more traditional wine and cocktail choices, they were all wowed as I passed my drink around and had them sample. \n\nFor starters, the Soft Pretzels and Provolone Fondue jumped off the page at us. Yes, it was as good as it sounds. We also had some Prosciutto and Gorgonzola antipasti, which was a surprisingly large serving for the price. A great start to the meal! \n\nUnlike my boring dining companions (who ordered salads....boo!), I wanted to try an entree. I peppered Michelle with questions. Her overwhelming choice was the Kurobuta Pork Ribs, which she said were marinated overnight and just \"fell off the bone\". \n\nLet me digress for a moment. I generally don't like ribs of any type; the main reason being that they are messy and hard to deal with. Sure, they're tasty...but the effort-to-reward ratio is just to high. Still, Michelle made an impressive sales pitch, so I relented. Let me just say that my fingers didn't touch one drop of sauce. I was able to easily fork the meat off the bone......incredibly tender and tasty. If you just give a sideways glance to these ribs, the meat falls off the bone. Hands down the best rib eating experience I have ever had. Michelle, you were right....I was wrong. \n\nIt's worth noting that for my second drink of the evening, I couldn't resist the \"Paper Bag Special\" for $1.95. While Culinary Dropout has a great beer selection, I just had to give this a try. In this case, it ended up being a can of PBR, delivered in a small brown paper bag. Several servers stopped by to marvel at my fine tastes....apparently, I was one of the first to go with this option. Michelle informed us that the actual beer offered as the \"Paper Bag Special\" will vary over time. So, you never know what you may get. I've never felt quite so classy. \n\nLastly, I insisted we try the desert; specifically the Apple Monkey Bread, which Michelle described to us as \"cinnamon roll meets apple pie, served with a side of vanilla ice cream\". It is baked to order, so we had to wait for 15 minutes for it to arrive. When it did, it was hot and fresh.....my dining companions, who had eschewed desert, suddenly found room.....and it was devoured. \n\nAll in all, a great dining experience. I am a fan of Sam Fox restaurants. Some I like better than others, but they all offer a unique and fun experience. Still, my expectations were exceeded by Culinary Dropout. This ones a real winner and I can't wait to go back.