rev:text
| - A friend and I visited on a Wednesday evening. The place was empty, save for a few people at the bar, ourselves included.
I made the comment to my friend that this place gave off a "Ramsays Kitchen Nightmares" vibe. He laughed. I worried, because the food hadn't arrived yet.
The manager (at least I'm assuming he was, he wasn't just behind the bar, he was all over the place) was friendly enough. Very nice chap. I'd give him 4 stars on personality if I could rate that here.
The prices are a bit overpriced. I had a simple 8" Margherita pizza. At $9 for the pizza, that's more than a buck an inch. Normally price isn't an issue IF the food is worth it. It's pretty hard to mess up a pizza as simple as a Margherita. Or so I thought.
The pizza was very bland. They substituted oregano for the traditional basil. This substitute may be acceptable to a lot of you, but not to me. Basil makes a Margherita. In addition, it did not have enough olive oil, and it was a bit cold as well.
The pizza arrived, and as the manager put the plate down, the pizza slid halfway off the plate, and onto the bar. Half the pizza was now sitting on the bar counter. Using the spatula, he tried putting the half that fell onto the bar counter back onto the plate. After pushing the pizza around the bar counter several times trying to scoop it up, he apologized.
All I could think to say was - I hope the bar counter was clean. They said it was. I've only their word to take for that.
Did he offer to cook us a new pizza? NOPE.
Did he offer a discount on the check? NOPE.
A few minutes later, he offered me and my friend each a shot of his homemade Limoncello, on the house. It was sub-par.
I give this place a few more months before they're gone.
And if the owner/manager of Joey's California Bistro is reading this, give Gordon Ramsay a call. Your place would make a great episode. It's just a shame I had the experience of eating in the 'before' version of this place.
|