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| - We'd been wanting to try NOCA for awhile and finally made it in last night. All I can say is thank god for the bread - when people say the portions are small, they're really not kidding! The kicker for me, though, is that in some cases you're paying full-size entree prices and getting what looks like a tapas size portion. Don't get me wrong, the chef is obviously really talented and the menu is unique - we just left feeling pretty conflicted about the overall dining experience.
Apps
- Oysters: $18 for five oysters - not cheap, but a reasonable amount to pay for good quality. I forget the variety they were offering, but we had never heard of it (and we've eaten our fair share of oysters). These were definitely fresh and delicious, but they were between the size of a dime and a penny each - about 20% as large as normal oysters.
- Hamachi Crudo: Fish was fresh, good flavor. Comes with 4 small strips of hamachi, some slivers of citrus and an avocado crema. At $15 or $16, this is what you'd expect for a high end restaurant.
Mains
- Duck: Absolutely phenomenal. Perfectly cooked with well paired accompaniments.
- Shell pasta with meatballs: VERY al dente (read: chewy) pasta with 3 meatballs that were each the size of a marble. The entire entree could have fit into an 8oz measuring cup, which at $20 is a little hard to swallow, especially for undercooked pasta. We ordered it without cheese, and it showed up with, so we had to send it back.
Drinks
- JR's Ripper and the Corpse Reviver #2: Both good. JR's Ripper was fruity and not too strong, which was perfect for me since I was driving.
Really, if it weren't for the pasta and the fact that the restaurant was really warm and smoky (they had to open the back door to air it out), we probably would have called it a win and planned on returning. Now, it's up in the air.
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