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Thursday, December 29, 2011

Cioppino


I probably have high cholesterol. I need to stop eating anti-pasta and charcuterie every week, but it is just so delicious. This anti-pasta plate from Cioppino, pictured above, was really fantastic. The meats were fresh, recently sliced and flavorful. I was very appreciative that the plate came with a variety of vegetables and two different types of cheese (buffalo mozzarella and provolone.) The prosciutto in particular was so good that I think they must have purchased it from a specialty vendor in the Strip District.

If you look at the very top of my picture you can see the pate I had as my second course. The pate was not good at all - I'd even venture to call it lousy. We could not get it to spread and spreading is half the fun. If the flavor had been acceptable I might have forgiven the pate for the poor texture, but the flavor was also lackluster. Don't get the pate!

I've heard very mixed reviews of Cioppino, but overall I really liked it and I would go back. The happy hour was well attended and there was even a band afterwards. Be sure to dress for success as I noticed that everyone in attendance was very well kempt. (One patron even commented how out of place he felt in his sports apparel.) Also, make sure to check out the cigar room. It was surreal, almost what I would expect a country club to look like in the 1950's. If I knew Don Draper, I'd take him to Cioppino.


Cioppino on Urbanspoon


Saturday, December 17, 2011

1947 Tavern

The 1947 Tavern is charming. There are no televisions on the wall, the fireplace creates a nice cozy atmosphere and the bar is rather stylish. I found the menu engaging, this is to say that I was actually interested in ordering more than one of the selections. I cannot say this about every restaurant I visit. (Note that they did not have short rib during my visit, this made me a sad panda.)


I like gauging the quality of a restaurant on something basic, such as the meat plate pictured above. I thought the meat was quite good, especially the roast beef. The menu claims that they are house meats and I found them very delicious and well paired with the bread and sauces. I must say though, please include something else on your charcuterie plate other than just the meat. Throw some olives on there, maybe some miscellaneous vegetables, something. I think you need a little roughage to round out an entire plate of meat, perhaps I've grown soft in my old age.

Overall I have to give this bar a strong recommendation. They have a great bourbon selection, a fantastic atmosphere and the service was pretty decent considering how crowded they were. Apparently 1947 is owned by the same people as Bites n Brews. If you've been to Bites n Brews please leave me a message as I'm interested in possibly visiting.

1947 Tavern on Urbanspoon


The Beerhive



If you've read my posts, you know that I'm not overly critical of bar food. Really, the only purpose of bar food is to allow you to have something to munch on while you slam brew-dogs. The bar food at the Beerhive was terrible. I ordered the meatballs to start. They were incredibly salty. So salty I found myself wishing I had more bread so that I could cut down on the massive amount of salt I was consuming.

Following the meatballs I decided I had better play it safe and order something healthy. After all, I'm not 21 anymore and I can only imagine that a myriad of health problems will be coming to haunt me in the next decade. I went with the chicken lettuce wraps. SO SALTY. The chicken was spicy, but so ridiculously salty I once again had difficulty consuming the concoction. Unfortunately, lettuce does an even worse job of cutting down on saltiness than bread does. Additionally, there was not enough lettuce to use all of the materials on the plate. What a disappointment.



I can't say I disliked the bar, the atmosphere was good, the service was decent and the guy running trivia night was pretty cool. Just don't eat here.

EDIT

WoW! These guys are commited to service - check this email out!!! 

"Hi P.H.H. My brothers and I recently came across your review of our establishment. First, we would like to sincerely appologize for your over salty dining experience. We have taken immediate action to get to the bottom of why your meal was so salty. We've spoken with our cook on duty the night you dined, and questioned their obvious over-salting of meals. We appologize for not catching this mistake sooner, and are grateful that you've brought it to our attention. It is our goal to make sure that every one of our customers receive the experience and product they deserve. Secondly, we would be more than happy to refund you for your meal that evening. Nobody should have to pay for an unsatisfactory product. Thank you for your time."


Beerhive on Urbanspoon

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Nine on Nine






I'm consistently impressed with the quality and presentation of the food at Nine on Nine. A week before happy hour I stopped by for a lunchtime steak  - it was easily one of the best steaks I've had in months. I'm not sure if it was the shallot butter or the A-9 sauce, but the meat was amazingly well seasoned and tender.

Pictured above is the charcuterie plate I enjoyed during happy hour last week. It was very good, but not quite as good as the charcuterie plate I was served at Braddock's. In particular I was disappointed by the mortadella. What is mortadella but fancy bologna anyhow? I find the texture and flavor disgusting. If you do decide to order the charcuterie plate from Nine on Nine, keep in mind that it is not half price during their happy hour like many of their other items. I was a bit disappointed when the check came. However, I've never been disappointed by Nine on Nine. Their food is some of the best in the city and their happy hour is pretty decent as well. Three dollar domestics, helpful staff, half price bar food and six dollar specialty drinks.

Nine on Nine on Urbanspoon