| rev:text
| - Big expectations, Open Table reservations (points!) and a groupon led us here.
Not surprised, I found it laid back yet designed for the young upwardly mobile. Chic with some sections inside set up with comfy couches and lounge chairs to make it feel more homey, plus restaurant tables for the remainder. There was also a small outdoor patio. We opted for indoors due to the high winds this day, but the indoors did not strike me as particularly cramped, as some have described. But then, this was midweek lunch and there were few people to compete with.
Lamb burger. It came cooked to a perfect med rare, just as Mr. B had asked. The flavor of the meat surprised me. It was seasoned with a blend of Middle Eastern herbs, not your traditional gamey American version. It was huge, with tomato and baby greens to make it look even bigger. He loved it.
The Wine Club. Starting with a nice toasted bread, then layers of bacon, cheese, pork belly, thinly sliced turkey, chunks of avocado, tomato, and lettuce. It was a thick sandwich. Unfortunately, as good as it sounded, it was a disappointment. Primarily it was because the turkey was dry and old tasting. But even so, it was not speaking my language. The subtleties were lost by too many delicate flavors all trying to compete for attention. The thin slice of pork belly was completely overwhelmed by the other layers. The avocado was buttery but similarly lost. What was a winner were the slices of bacon and the cheese, both flavor stand outs. I finally got wise and ate each layer independently of the other, and then I could smile (except for the turkey).
I got to choose one side and that had to be the butternut squash soup. But today must have been an off day. It was not excellent. It wasn't even good. It was quite bland, no sweetness from the squash at all. Disappointed.
They also offer a $5 glass of wine. Not shabby, and actually quite a nice pour. You can choose any wine from their list, and it is a long one. Again, Mr. B was happy. He loved his Merlot.
Our cute French server, Stephanie, took great care of us.
Unfortunately, I will not budge higher than a 3.5 star rating because of my sandwich and soup. The groupon managed to soften the damage, but I personally would not be real enthusiastic about returning.
|