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| - A real mixed bag experience the other night. Some good some bad, nothing terrible but nothing remarkable.
We got to the Cowbell around 10PM on a Friday night. Fortunately we got a table right away and drinks came quickly. Roll in with a party of 4, two of us (myself included) have been before and 2 were newcomers who needed some time going over the extensive menu. We started with beer cheese pretzels which were great; dark, complex Guiness flavor meets a mellow, earthy cheese, I'm a fan. Expecting to followup with an even more impressive burger!
So some of you might not be a fan of the Foie Gras concept (if unfamiliar, do your research). Cowbell claims to responsibly source their Foie Gras, so don't start a protest for my menu selection, it CAN be done. I did indeed order the GFY Burger with Beef, Foie Gras, Greens, an apricot sauce, and creole mustard. After a bite or two I decided to deconstruct the burger because something was not harmonizing right. Beef patty was great, an accurate medium doneness and worked well with the apricot. What didn't work for me was the mustard. I'm not a big fan of mustard to begin with but for a place that touts a $20 burger, I was willing to take it as-is. The biggest problem was that the Foie Gras either on the burger or alone was a let down. I was really unimpressed with the flavor profile, and had a gamy undertone. $20 burger this was not.
While two of my buddies were very happy with their burgers, one of them ordered the Dumpling Burger and it came out drenched in hoisin sauce. I mean, you pick it up and it was dripping out of the bun. I think part of the blame is on him for getting the sriracha aioli on the side. You see, a mayo or aioli on a toasted bun serves as a barrier, the fat keeps other liquid from penetrating the bun temporarily. The aioli indeed was very spicy, but oh well, lesson learned.
We all got drinks and I think this is what Cowbell does best. One of my friends got a premium whisky and coke and I could definitely become a whisky guy after stealing a sip. I got the spiked s'mores milkshake. It was good but I think it could have been better. It was very boozy, it threw it a little off balance because the subtle notes of chocolate, and graham cracker was lost in the alcohol. I almost wonder if I got a double pour... Satisfying, but I was hoping for more unity in the flavors.
The night took a really weird turn when the bouncer left the door for a minute (I'm assuming for a bathroom break) and when no one took his place, a short, young girl walked in and immediately started running to tables. She got to ours and it was clear she didn't speak english. She threw a pamphlet in front of us to donate money to help kids... just kids, no explanation. I told her we weren't interested and she, no joke, sat down in a chair with a notebook and wanted me write my name and a dollar amount... It was very off-putting but she finally went to another table. Before I could inform our waitress, the bouncer returned, seemingly recognized her, and escorted her out. Perhaps if this is a problem they should have someone at the door at all times, it is Uptown after all.
A bit exhausted with the ups and downs of the experience, we forego'ed dessert and headed to NoDa. I'm not sure if I just got series of bad combinations or if I should just view the place as a good whisky bar, boy is that liquor menu impressive. One way or the other I'll drop in soon with a fresh perspective and hope it isn't the norm.
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