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| - I've dined at Second Story probably close to ten times and this was my favorite restaurant in the valley. After having been there for the first time since Chef Rusticus's departure, unfortunately that's no longer the case. The menu is nowhere near as interesting, some dishes were good, some not and the service seems to have taken a bit of a dive. I don't get the seemingly new focus on vegetarian dishes in a "whisk(e)y bar". Veggie charcuterie? Sure, it shows technique but it's not something I want with a boozy meal. I really missed the old chef's board, among many other things.
Here's the rundown:
Shishitos - everyone in the valley is doing these and these were the worst I've had. Not gross, just boring and bland. Under-seasoned and the pairing of tomatoes and balsamic didn't work at all.
Fry bread sliders - tasty, but the chorizo was dry, which I didn't think was possible to do.
Rabbit tamales - bland, dry meat on the inside with dense, chewy masa on the outside. The sauces on top were equally flavorless.
Ham and cheese - amazing. This was the saving grace. It was smokey, tangy, rich and the $6 fries added on were worth every damn penny. I'll come back just for this dish.
The pretty, pearl-covered servers were friendly, but multiple times plopped dishes down in front of us without explaining what they were and grabbed empties off the table without asking if we were done, or saying anything for that matter. Bar service was slow, but they absolutely know how to make a good cocktail.
I was hoping that my old standby could maintain it's quality, creativity and taste despite the departure of its creative force, but it's not the same place it was. Still, a decent spot, just don't expect it to live up to experiences from several months back. Hopefully they can right the ship. We need places like what this one used to be.
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