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| - I'm debating between a 3 and a 4, so I'm settling on a 3.5 start rating. Customshop has some great things you'll notice before even sitting down to order. It's off the trendy Elizabeth Street, which also boasts food gems like Carpe Diem, Earl's Grocery and Viva Chicken. Customshop is very unique from the others though and has a true rustic, local feel.
They have a small porch outside with some tables and casual sitting chairs and couches. It's a smaller restaurant inside, but there's a beautiful long bar that greets you as you walk in, enticing you for a craft, handmade cocktail, a glass of wine from their lengthy wine list, or a local craft beer. Customshop is all about local ingredients, and sources meat and cheeses from local producers. They also do nightly specials that rotate with the season/day, which is always impressive to me.
Our waitress, Emily, was very attentive throughout the experience. We actually had two more diners join us after ordering appetizers and she was very casual and cool with it, and went with the flow. She was also aware of food allergies and helped us with ordering. I started with the cucumber basil smash cocktail. I actually thought this was a little more watery than it should have been - I was disappointed. It wasn't that pop of refreshment or zip I was looking for, it was kind of flat. So rather than ordering a second cocktail for my next drink, I stuck with a glass of red wine.
As for appetizers, we started with the crispy brussel sprouts with maple syrup, and the braised pork belly. I found the pork belly to be rather dry. The brussel sprouts were very good, and had the perfect amount of crispy skin and they weren't overly saturated in maple syrup. A+ for the brussels, B- for the pork belly. Also, don't miss out on the bread they bring you. It's fabulous. I can't remember the butter it was served with, but it's tasty enough to eat with a spoon on it's own. The bread also has a sweeter hint to it, likely some sort of honey. I am in love with this bread.
We next tried the spicy tuna meatballs and the BBQ octopus. I enjoyed both of these dishes. The tuna meatballs weren't fishy at all. In fact, I wouldn't even have known they were made of tuna if I didn't order them off of the menu. I liked the spice that they were cooked with and it hits you at the end of the bite. If you've never had octopus, it is naturally a bit chewy, so that is to be expected. I think they put some great flavors together for this octopus, and the lemon aioli was an obvious winner in my book.
At this point, I was rather full but I still wanted to try the duck for my main meal. The duck was served with black garlic lentils, compressed apricots in a sherry dressing. I loved the lentils and apricots more than the duck, to be honest. The lentils had such a great flavor profile! The duck was good, don't get me wrong, but I almost feel like it was undershadowed by the lentils. Either way, this is a dish I would definitely order again.
The portions are rather small for the price tag of the dish. I do think the food is overpriced, and I wasn't overly "wow-ed" by some of the dishes like I had hoped to have been. However, it's a classy atmosphere, and great for an intimate date night. The service is very good, and it's a great environment for ordering many different appetizers.
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