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| - 12 p.m. business lunch here last Thursday, party of three.
Long line-up to get in the door just to tell the front of house your reservation name (there was clearly no space for people without reservations)... I was irritated, but then I saw the people I was meeting already seated, so I slipped past the line.
It looks SO DIFFERENT from Shopsy's - awesome!!! Very sleek, modern, mostly black & white... greys, neutrals, almost Asian-inspired. The feng shui was rocking in this joint, as it were.
I wouldn't go here again for a business lunch where conversation is a priority... it's quite loud, and I imagine always packed as it was on my visit.
I had the mini Margherita pizza (tomatoes, bocconcini & basil) with the spinach salad (with the most delicate slices of green apple I've ever seen and a nice "honeycup mustard" dressing) - you could choose fries instead of a salad, and you could also have a Caesar or mixed green salad. Mine was $11.95. Pizza was absolutely forgettable. It was fine. I wouldn't say good. The salad was OK. Presentation was awesome... but I was expecting more. It seemed to suffer from a half-hearted effort and lack of inspiration.
One of my dining partners ordered a large Caesar with chicken and the other ordered the (somewhat famous) macaroni and cheese with chicken, goat & Balderson cheddar cheese, with peas for $14.95. Both cleaned their plates, as did I, so I assume it was all good. Portions were HUGE. Is this just an O&B thing?
We also tried the daily fresh juices - today was strawberry lemonade and very nice. I love that.
The server must be applauded for her upselling - she asked me if I wanted whole wheat dough (no), asked us if we wanted to start with something, offered add-ins to everyone at the table, and pushed coffee and dessert like they're going out of style.
Frankly, if you're in the area and looking for a nice lunch, skip this place. Go next door to Biff's instead!
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