Once you buy a deep fryer it becomes possible to start throwing random things into it just to see how they turn out.
It doesn't matter what those things are. They can be pieces of chicken, octopus, vegetables, carpet lint.... they all turn out looking and tasting the same way.
In this case, it's a very good thing that the deep fryer at County Cocktail keeps on working it's magic. Should that machine fail, the restaurant is doomed.
We've tried a large portion of the menu here. Every time so far we've been unimpressed.
But we keep coming back.
Why? The atmosphere of the room always seems like it will be nice from the outside looking in. And we always end up convinced that the next time it will be better.
What can I say? We suckas.
It's on the pricey side for what it is. And you always leave wishing it could live up to the excellent wallpaper.
This past time, we had an assortment of deep fried grizzle, served with a side of vinegar soaked apples that apparently had something to do with Thailand. It was like spraying alternating windex bottles full of grease and vinegar directly into our open heads.
The waitress sold us on the idea of dessert, saying that their pastry chef had concocted something superb. She returned with what appeared to be a chocolate bar with lucky charms for nougat. Can't knock this. It was awesome.
The interesting homemade sodapop cocktail combinations really make up for the poor beer selection. That being said, the real secret of life is that you can always tell the quality of a bar based solely on their beer offerings. It's like the lowest common denominator of the food and beverage industry. It's never wrong.
When that fails, there's always the deep fryer.