My
wife and I recently heard about this
place and it happened to be the first place that we ate
since we decided to start this restaurant review
blog. We were very pleasantly surprised.
Atmosphere:
Second Story loft feel, chef and kitchen are visible from the eating
area, as well as Timponogos. Very
well set up. Ashleigh didn't like the pink drapes, but I though it
added to the eclectic feel of the bistro with
no clear theme, per se. Located just
south of campus, on 800 East.
You
could tell there was a method to the madness. My personal favorite
touch were the beer water glasses. It's just a fact of life, glasses
that were made for alcohol just look cooler than ordinary water
glasses.
Food:
I know
its just bread ( I cant believe I said those words cause bread is
amazing) but even the bread they brought out at the beginning was way
good. Chewy Fococcia with Balsamic and Olive Oil, a meal made of only
that would have satisfied me.
We started with cream cheese and crab wontons. They were browned well, crispy, and the sweet chili sauce was a great offset. I for one, love obscure mixtures of flavors. As one who loves wontons, these were pretty top notch. Few things beat good wontons.
ITS SO CHEESY!!
Nothing is more
frustrating to me than tasting a mixture of sour cream and mayonnaise
on what a restaurant calls “a Cesar salad”. Good Cesar dressing
comes from a good combo of lemon juice, Parmesan cheese,
white vinegar, garlic, and (believe it or not) anchovies.
I couldn't tell if they were all there, but regardless, the
dressing nailed it. It was great.
Pricing:
Very Reasonable.
I ate there again
for lunch, main dishes were $6 - $8
Appetizers were $3
- $6
For Dinner:
Mains are $9 to $19
with most being about $15
Appetizers are $5
to $9
Over All:
Highly recommended.
Here's why. If you
want predictability that the dish you get will the be same time every
time you go, then places like Olive Garden, or Denny's are for you.
The beauty of a place like this is that the menu is seasonal, using
fresh ingredients, and the dish will never be quite the same. If you
just want to eat, maybe you should go somewhere else. But, if you are
looking to have a great food experience then I would go there.
I just talked to my sister who told me about her friend that had a terrible experience here. She's a foodie, but some people take their foodiness too far I think (i.e., NOTHING is good enough for them). Regardless though, I would like for anyone reading who disagrees with my opinions to comment and tell me about it. I will go back there for a second try and see if they measure up to my expectations again.
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit biased as I have eaten here literally at least 3x a week for the past month or two. I've gotten to know most everyone that works there and I find the food to be great. Out of over 40+ meals I've ordered or sampled off of from friends dining with me, I've never had anything that wasn't good to eat to amazing. And I'm a pretty picky eater.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there are going to be a few random people that have a bad experience at a place, but Dave and Cranky Chuckie's has been a stellar place for me to become a regular at.
If you honestly have a horrible food experience there, tell them. Dave and Chuckie are both awesome guys and are legitimately interested in improving their service and food. I hate when people make a big fuss about something via social networks or other mediums and don't see if the restaurant is able to make it right beforehand.
I don't work for or have any financial affiliation with this restaurant: I am simply a very satisfied repeat customer. Don't believe me? Ask Dave or Cranky about AJ and I'm sure they'll tell you I'm quite the interesting fella and that I am by far the worst Rock Band player in the history of the universe. :)