The blog is dedicated to reviewing businesses in the Metro Atlanta area and reporting on their performance.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Bone Garden is now Banned Garden
We work around the corner and have eaten at Bone Garden over a dozen times since it opened. Never again. You've boned me too many times. The food is above average. It can be really good. Too bad I'll never taste it again. I'm fed up with the wait at lunch. We went today for our Friday lunch routine. Tacos were on the mind and there's a lot of choices in the neighborhood (in order: Verde, Nuevo Laredo, La Fonda, Bone Garden Taqueria del Sol, Atlanta Food Truck Park, WIlly's, Chipotle, La Parilla). Look, I know I don't have a lot of reviews, but these knuckleheads earned one. We were quickly seated outside at a round table in the middle of the patio and given our menus. I looked at the specials and decided what I wanted and put my menu down. Less than a minute. We started chatting about the past week, what we were doing this weekend etc. It actually took about five minutes before someone at our table noticed no waitress had spoken with us. The woman who seated us had disappeared. Some more people were seated at tables around us. Then some more. A waitress came out and dropped off some waters to the table next to us. Another waitress came out and checked on her table of people who were eating. The first waitress comes out and brings cheese and salsa to her table. Fifteen minutes had passed. The waitress who seated us came out and took the drink orders from the table behind us who was seated after us. Then the second waitress came out and did the same from another table seated after us. First waitress comes out, looks at our table, looks me in the eye, drops off drinks at the other table and goes inside. No one said a word to us for 27 minutes. NO ONE. No "we'll be right with you" or "has someone been by to help you?" This sort of service has happened a few times. With better food near by, we bailed. We went to Bone Lick Cantina up the hill. We were able to order, eat, and get back to the office in thirty minutes. The salt in the wound is that these tatted up hipsters have this littany of "RULES" on the back of the menu where they feign anger and rigidity about eating there. Things like "No Splitting of Bills" and "No Changing of the Menu Items." Really? Ok. I'm sorry for being a paying customer. Please don't serve me. So they didn't...didn't even speak to the table of 5 of us sitting right in the middle of the patio. You know what Boner Garden? Keep your funny angry menu, your Dia de los Muertos decor, and your shitty service. I'm going to Verde!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
The Social House in Atlanta: Breakfast or Lunch?
We gave the Social House a visit yesterday for lunch. It is located at the corner of Howell Mill Rd and Chattahoochee Ave in Atlanta. This location has hosted a number of failed restaurants. While the location seems great, it is tough to get to. Their driveway is so close to the intersection that the Howell Mill Rd traffic blocks the entrance most all of the time. If you come to this place from Chattahoochee, you better hope someone coming the other direction on Howell Mill is nice and will let you in. I got lucky yesterday and got in right away. Beware of the steep driveway as well. If you have a car with low ground clearance, proceed with caution or it might cost you a bumper.
Onto the menu and the food. Their specialty seems to be breakfast and brunch items. And they have plenty of them. If I were more of a "breakfast guy", I would have been more excited. But when it is lunch time, I want lunch. So I ordered from their lunch menu. They have a handful of lunch selections...a couple of kinds of po boys, a few salads and a taco item. I went with the old fashioned cold plate: Tuna salad, chicken salad and potato salad.
The salad trio came on a bed of lettuce. The potato salad was in the middle, flanked by the tuna salad on one side and the chicken salad on the other. The trio presentation was visually pleasing. Kind of like the chicken and tuna were opposing forces and the potato was the peace maker. The salads were topped with a half-slice of winter/semi-ripe tomato.
As good as the salads looked on the plate, their taste fell flat. I like my chicken salad with apples or grapes and either walnuts or almonds. Their chicken salad had bits of pecan in it which was OK, but the chicken finely chopped and quite frankly tasted kind of old. Almost like they had made it 2-weeks before and just scooped it out as needed. The tuna salad was a bit tastier. It was mayo based and had relish. It was OK, but not great. The peacemaker (the potato salad) was also OK but not great. The potatoes were a bit too firm. And the taste was kind of bland. If I had to do it again, I would not order this selection.
So I will blame this one on me. I was lured in by the possibility of good old fashioned homemade salads like momma used to make. Unfortunately momma is not in Atlanta in their kitchen. She's back at home in Braselton. So I have learned my lesson. Don't eat lunch at a breakfast place. I'm not banning this place....yet. I owe them a visit when I want breakfast food for lunch. But I doubt that will come any time soon.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Fault in Firesalt Tavern
Last night, the family and I decided to finally give Firesalt Tavern in Buford a try. I had purchased a discounted gift certificate on Restaurant.com a while back. I went in with a little trepidation because I had read some fairly bad reviews of the place. But many of the reviews were critical of the service. So prepared with this info, I went in with an open mind.
The decor of the Firesalt Tavern is very cool. I would classify it as upscale casual. In fact, when we walked in dressed in t-shirts and shorts I immediately felt like we were underdressed. However, since it was a weeknight and the place was relatively empty, those feelings were quickly dismissed. The furnishings are warm and welcoming. Definitely a classy looking place.
The restaurant must have a seat yourself policy. I'd read this in previous reviews. And I guess if it were very busy, this might be a problem. But at 9pm on a weeknight, this is a non-issue. Upon entering the restaurant, a nice waitress immediately approached us and sat us down at a booth and got us menus and took our drink order. For those of you keeping score at home, that's an early score for the service. Unfortunately for Firesalt Tavern, it all went downhill from there.
We decided to start out with the spinach and artichoke dip as an appetizer. I've had many iterations of this menu item at restaurants and at parties. I have to say the one the Firesalt Tavern delivered was disappointing. It looked like it had been prepared weeks ago and stored in the fridge and microwaved to order. Plus, it was mostly cheese with very little spinach or artichoke. They should really call it cheese dip. It was served with tortilla chips. The tortilla chips tasted old and just ever-so-slightly stale. For a starter, it was definitely poor execution. I dare say I could find a microwave version of this in the freezer at Kroger down the street. So score this a point off for the food.
The dinner menu is a mixture of grilled and fried entree items as well as a selection of sandwiches and miscellaneous bar food. On paper, it certainly looked good. Keep in mind that this is just on paper. The waitress went over the specials for the evening. All you can eat crablegs. Or all you can eat shrimp cooked 3 different ways. Or all you can eat fish and chips.
Steph went for the shrimp and grits. At $19, its a bit pricey. But based on the decor of the place and the upscale menu, it seems (keyword "seems") worth it. I decide to try the fish and chips. Will orders the Firesalt burger. Lindsay tries the Turkey Reuben.
The food arrived about 10-15 min after ordering. This is about the right amount of time. Not too long. Not too short. The shrimp & grits look fairly well presented but I could tell right away the shrimp looked a tad out of place. They looked a bit overcooked and perhaps were perhaps frozen and quick thawed and sauteed. The turkey reuben was rather skimpy on the meat. The Firesalt burger was slightly undercooked and seemed hastily put together. And the fish and chips....well, its just that. The fish looked like oversized frozen fish sticks. And the chips were just that. Chips. Albeit they looked like they were homemade chips. But they were piled into a wire serving rack and were mostly broken pieces at the bottom. It appeared as if they scooped out the bottom of the chip holder to make the order. So based on appearances, another point deduction for the food. It just does not LOOK good.
To make matters worse, there are no condiments on the table. No ketchup. No mustard. Nothing. So when the kids's sandwiches with fries and my fish and chips arrive at the table, its seems awfully strange to have to ask for ketchup. We ask and our attentive waitress brings 2 small plastic cups filled with ketchup to our table. Come on. Really? This place probably serves 50% of its meals with fries. Why not have ketchup on the table?? Or at least have bottles to bring to the table. Its not THAT expensive. To divvy it out in such small amounts just seems silly. AND, to serve fried fish & chips without any condiments is even more insane. No tartar sauce. No malt vinegar. No special sauce. Nothing. Just plain dry fish and chips. WOW! I was shocked. So again, I ask and our attentive waitress brings me some malt vinegar.
Here's where the wheels came completely off. I'm expecting the traditional dark brown bottle that we use to apply as needed. (see Long John Silvers) NOPE, she brings 5 plastic packets. PACKETS! REALLY! Who decided to put an all you can eat special of fish and chips on the menu and then decide to pass out packets of malt vinegar. The folks at Firesalt should be ashamed. You know you have problems when a dump like Long John Silvers can be used as an example of HOW TO DO IT.
Steph and the kids pick through their food. As expected, its a disappointment. Steph said the shrimp did not taste very fresh. The grits were pretty bland. Lindsay did not even finish her reuben. And Will was very disappointed in his burger. He did not finish it either. That is a first. He usually likes everything. But not this time. More points off of the food.
So our bill arrives. And with our $25 gift certificate taken out (and gratuity added back in), the total comes to $54. For a family of 4, I guess that is about average. But considering the $25 gift certificate, the pricing is completely out of line. My overall impression of Firesalt Tavern is that they are doing all they can to cut corners and cut costs. They have a beautiful restaurant and they are killing themselves by sacrificing the quality of the food. This place totally misses the mark. For nearly $90 (what it would have cost me without the certificate) I would happily drive down to Atlanta and eat somewhere with much better quality and have extra $$ left to pay for the gas for the trip. Firesalt Tavern. You are BANNED.
The decor of the Firesalt Tavern is very cool. I would classify it as upscale casual. In fact, when we walked in dressed in t-shirts and shorts I immediately felt like we were underdressed. However, since it was a weeknight and the place was relatively empty, those feelings were quickly dismissed. The furnishings are warm and welcoming. Definitely a classy looking place.
The restaurant must have a seat yourself policy. I'd read this in previous reviews. And I guess if it were very busy, this might be a problem. But at 9pm on a weeknight, this is a non-issue. Upon entering the restaurant, a nice waitress immediately approached us and sat us down at a booth and got us menus and took our drink order. For those of you keeping score at home, that's an early score for the service. Unfortunately for Firesalt Tavern, it all went downhill from there.
We decided to start out with the spinach and artichoke dip as an appetizer. I've had many iterations of this menu item at restaurants and at parties. I have to say the one the Firesalt Tavern delivered was disappointing. It looked like it had been prepared weeks ago and stored in the fridge and microwaved to order. Plus, it was mostly cheese with very little spinach or artichoke. They should really call it cheese dip. It was served with tortilla chips. The tortilla chips tasted old and just ever-so-slightly stale. For a starter, it was definitely poor execution. I dare say I could find a microwave version of this in the freezer at Kroger down the street. So score this a point off for the food.
The dinner menu is a mixture of grilled and fried entree items as well as a selection of sandwiches and miscellaneous bar food. On paper, it certainly looked good. Keep in mind that this is just on paper. The waitress went over the specials for the evening. All you can eat crablegs. Or all you can eat shrimp cooked 3 different ways. Or all you can eat fish and chips.
Steph went for the shrimp and grits. At $19, its a bit pricey. But based on the decor of the place and the upscale menu, it seems (keyword "seems") worth it. I decide to try the fish and chips. Will orders the Firesalt burger. Lindsay tries the Turkey Reuben.
The food arrived about 10-15 min after ordering. This is about the right amount of time. Not too long. Not too short. The shrimp & grits look fairly well presented but I could tell right away the shrimp looked a tad out of place. They looked a bit overcooked and perhaps were perhaps frozen and quick thawed and sauteed. The turkey reuben was rather skimpy on the meat. The Firesalt burger was slightly undercooked and seemed hastily put together. And the fish and chips....well, its just that. The fish looked like oversized frozen fish sticks. And the chips were just that. Chips. Albeit they looked like they were homemade chips. But they were piled into a wire serving rack and were mostly broken pieces at the bottom. It appeared as if they scooped out the bottom of the chip holder to make the order. So based on appearances, another point deduction for the food. It just does not LOOK good.
To make matters worse, there are no condiments on the table. No ketchup. No mustard. Nothing. So when the kids's sandwiches with fries and my fish and chips arrive at the table, its seems awfully strange to have to ask for ketchup. We ask and our attentive waitress brings 2 small plastic cups filled with ketchup to our table. Come on. Really? This place probably serves 50% of its meals with fries. Why not have ketchup on the table?? Or at least have bottles to bring to the table. Its not THAT expensive. To divvy it out in such small amounts just seems silly. AND, to serve fried fish & chips without any condiments is even more insane. No tartar sauce. No malt vinegar. No special sauce. Nothing. Just plain dry fish and chips. WOW! I was shocked. So again, I ask and our attentive waitress brings me some malt vinegar.
Here's where the wheels came completely off. I'm expecting the traditional dark brown bottle that we use to apply as needed. (see Long John Silvers) NOPE, she brings 5 plastic packets. PACKETS! REALLY! Who decided to put an all you can eat special of fish and chips on the menu and then decide to pass out packets of malt vinegar. The folks at Firesalt should be ashamed. You know you have problems when a dump like Long John Silvers can be used as an example of HOW TO DO IT.
Steph and the kids pick through their food. As expected, its a disappointment. Steph said the shrimp did not taste very fresh. The grits were pretty bland. Lindsay did not even finish her reuben. And Will was very disappointed in his burger. He did not finish it either. That is a first. He usually likes everything. But not this time. More points off of the food.
So our bill arrives. And with our $25 gift certificate taken out (and gratuity added back in), the total comes to $54. For a family of 4, I guess that is about average. But considering the $25 gift certificate, the pricing is completely out of line. My overall impression of Firesalt Tavern is that they are doing all they can to cut corners and cut costs. They have a beautiful restaurant and they are killing themselves by sacrificing the quality of the food. This place totally misses the mark. For nearly $90 (what it would have cost me without the certificate) I would happily drive down to Atlanta and eat somewhere with much better quality and have extra $$ left to pay for the gas for the trip. Firesalt Tavern. You are BANNED.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Fond of La Fonda
So the boys and I ventured out today to La Fonda off Howell Mill Road in Atlanta. La Fonda is a local chain and this appears to be their 5th location. The location we visited today sits in the former "Slice" location, across the street from that dreadful all you can eat, pick your own ingredients stir fry trough.
One of the good things you notice right away is PLENTY of parking in the back. No valet parking to deal with, unlike the place 100 yards down the road (6 feet under). So its generally easy in and out. A definite plus for a quick lunch.
The food is a combination of Cuban, Spanish and Mexican offerings. The menu is pretty inclusive. The Cuban offerings include traditional hot sandwiches as well grilled entrees. The Spanish influenced dishes include classics like Arroz Con Pollo and Paella. And of course, they have your traditional Mexican/American classics: Tacos, Burritos, Enchiladas, and Quesadillas.
And the atmosphere was excellent. Bright and open, the floor plan is inviting. But the concrete floors and high ceilings make for a very loud acoustic backdrop. It has a very casual atmosphere with an attentive wait staff. The clientele appeared to be mostly professionals and maybe a few students from the nearby trade school.
Today, I had the paella. Not many places offer paella. And its one of my favorite Spanish dishes. I love to make it at home so I always like to get it out whenever I see it on the menu. Their paella had a good mix of seafood (shrimp and calamari rings), chorizo and chicken (a full chicken thigh) and had bits of carmelized onions and peppers throughout. And the flavor was outstanding. It comes served in its own small iron skillet. I finished mine and was completely stuffed.
We also had their fresh guacamole as well as a small order of their fried plantains. The guac was good. Not as flavorful as I've had elsewhere but still good nonetheless. And I typically don't care for fried plantains because they usually come out soggy and uninspiring. But La Fonda's had a crispy texture on the outside, yet remained soft and delicate on the inside. Paired with the spicy dipping sauce, these plantains were quite good.
I've never been to the other locations so I don't know how the Howell Mill branch fares vs. the other ones scattered around town. But I can say that I had a good first impression of La Fonda. Unlike Kip's ghetto girlfriend from Napoleon Dynamite, this La Fonda is easy to handle on the first visit.
One of the good things you notice right away is PLENTY of parking in the back. No valet parking to deal with, unlike the place 100 yards down the road (6 feet under). So its generally easy in and out. A definite plus for a quick lunch.
The food is a combination of Cuban, Spanish and Mexican offerings. The menu is pretty inclusive. The Cuban offerings include traditional hot sandwiches as well grilled entrees. The Spanish influenced dishes include classics like Arroz Con Pollo and Paella. And of course, they have your traditional Mexican/American classics: Tacos, Burritos, Enchiladas, and Quesadillas.
And the atmosphere was excellent. Bright and open, the floor plan is inviting. But the concrete floors and high ceilings make for a very loud acoustic backdrop. It has a very casual atmosphere with an attentive wait staff. The clientele appeared to be mostly professionals and maybe a few students from the nearby trade school.
Today, I had the paella. Not many places offer paella. And its one of my favorite Spanish dishes. I love to make it at home so I always like to get it out whenever I see it on the menu. Their paella had a good mix of seafood (shrimp and calamari rings), chorizo and chicken (a full chicken thigh) and had bits of carmelized onions and peppers throughout. And the flavor was outstanding. It comes served in its own small iron skillet. I finished mine and was completely stuffed.
We also had their fresh guacamole as well as a small order of their fried plantains. The guac was good. Not as flavorful as I've had elsewhere but still good nonetheless. And I typically don't care for fried plantains because they usually come out soggy and uninspiring. But La Fonda's had a crispy texture on the outside, yet remained soft and delicate on the inside. Paired with the spicy dipping sauce, these plantains were quite good.
I've never been to the other locations so I don't know how the Howell Mill branch fares vs. the other ones scattered around town. But I can say that I had a good first impression of La Fonda. Unlike Kip's ghetto girlfriend from Napoleon Dynamite, this La Fonda is easy to handle on the first visit.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Bravo to the Bravos: A Great Trip to Turner Field
I have to admit it, I've lost interest in baseball the past few years. I am not exactly sure how it happened. It could be that my son gave up baseball a few years back. Or it could be that the game has lost its luster. Or it could be that our local team, the Atlanta Braves, have not played to the same level they did back in their heyday in the 90's. So unfortunately I have not attended a Braves game in the last two seasons. Its not that I have not had the opportunity. It is more that I have always had something else going on that prevented me from going.
So when I was offered two free tickets last week to attend a game last Saturday and I checked my calendar and saw it was wide open, I was actually thrilled. The tickets were club level seats in the Golden Moon Casino level. AND, it was against our hated division rivals, The Phillies. Sweet! However, I'm still confused by this Golden Moon Casino level. I looked around and did not see one slot machine, not one poker or blackjack table, not even a roulette wheel. Given the fact that the team already sports a name that offends most Native Americans, I think that calling your Club Level seats by this name to be an interesting choice. Maybe it is a compromise for using the name "Braves"?? Anyway, regardless of the name, the Golden Moon Casino is level is a great place to watch a game. Air conditioned portals, nice restrooms, and great food options. And of course, good food is important to me!
We arrive and are greeting by very helpful Braves personnel. They direct us to where our section is located and point out the restrooms as well. Then we arrive at our seats. We are greeted by another very friendly usher who helps us locate our seats. The usher then informs us that our tickets have a $10 food and beverage credit attached to them that can be used like a debit card. Awesome! Our usher also lets us know all of our food options near our seats. Great service Atlanta Braves!
My wife and I leave our seats and set out to find some lunch and use our newly found $20 credit. There are all kinds of options: Bar-B-Que, tacos, burritos, hot dogs, hamburgers, even sushi! While I love sushi, the thought of eating sushi at the ball park just does not appeal to me. We ended up settling on the taqueria. As we walk up to place our order, we were greeting once again by a friendly vendor who said "Welcome to Braves Country". What a refreshing change from the usual mumbled "may I take your order". I tried a grilled chicken burrito and my wife had the grilled chicken tacos. Admittedly the guy making my burrito clearly lacked the burrito-rolling skills that the folks at Willy's, Chipotle or Moe's have. But I cut him some slack since it was just home game #2 of the year. Our orders came with chips and salsa. The chips were a bit too greasy and the salsa very bland. Our food was better than average for ballpark food. It was not as good as a restaurant would serve, but for the ballpark,I guess it was not too bad. Certainly there is room for improvement.
Once finished with lunch, we head back to our seats and kick back and try to enjoy the game. And for the first 5 innings, things went OK. Not great, but OK. Trailing 3-2, the Braves starting pitcher was struggling. With men on base, Gonzalez, the Braves manager, calls to the bullpen. The next thing I know, the bases are loaded with no outs. The Braves reliever, up 0-2, grooves a pitch over the fat part of the plate. Bam, Grand Slam. Game over. At least not then, but it sure seemed like it. The game played out quickly from there with the Braves giving up a few more runs. We take off in the 8th to get a head start on traffic. And after getting to the car, I realize the highlight of the game was eating lunch and enjoying a cold beer while watching warmups from our covered shaded perch overlooking first base.
I guess it could be worse. But certainly I was very pleased with the friendliness and attentiveness of the employees at Turner Field. Maybe it was just the fact that it was Game 2 and its early in the season. I sure hope not because the Turner Field folks did a great job. I had a great visit to the ballpark and a great afternoon. At least until the game started. The team needs to start playing better or the nice folks working at Turner Field will be working to a sparse crowd. I'm still not in love with baseball. Not even a little bit. But I will at least try to fit in another game or two should tickets fall into my lap again. Will I pay my own money? Probably not. At least not yet. Lets see how the team does. I'll check back later this year and see how things are going.
So when I was offered two free tickets last week to attend a game last Saturday and I checked my calendar and saw it was wide open, I was actually thrilled. The tickets were club level seats in the Golden Moon Casino level. AND, it was against our hated division rivals, The Phillies. Sweet! However, I'm still confused by this Golden Moon Casino level. I looked around and did not see one slot machine, not one poker or blackjack table, not even a roulette wheel. Given the fact that the team already sports a name that offends most Native Americans, I think that calling your Club Level seats by this name to be an interesting choice. Maybe it is a compromise for using the name "Braves"?? Anyway, regardless of the name, the Golden Moon Casino is level is a great place to watch a game. Air conditioned portals, nice restrooms, and great food options. And of course, good food is important to me!
We arrive and are greeting by very helpful Braves personnel. They direct us to where our section is located and point out the restrooms as well. Then we arrive at our seats. We are greeted by another very friendly usher who helps us locate our seats. The usher then informs us that our tickets have a $10 food and beverage credit attached to them that can be used like a debit card. Awesome! Our usher also lets us know all of our food options near our seats. Great service Atlanta Braves!
My wife and I leave our seats and set out to find some lunch and use our newly found $20 credit. There are all kinds of options: Bar-B-Que, tacos, burritos, hot dogs, hamburgers, even sushi! While I love sushi, the thought of eating sushi at the ball park just does not appeal to me. We ended up settling on the taqueria. As we walk up to place our order, we were greeting once again by a friendly vendor who said "Welcome to Braves Country". What a refreshing change from the usual mumbled "may I take your order". I tried a grilled chicken burrito and my wife had the grilled chicken tacos. Admittedly the guy making my burrito clearly lacked the burrito-rolling skills that the folks at Willy's, Chipotle or Moe's have. But I cut him some slack since it was just home game #2 of the year. Our orders came with chips and salsa. The chips were a bit too greasy and the salsa very bland. Our food was better than average for ballpark food. It was not as good as a restaurant would serve, but for the ballpark,I guess it was not too bad. Certainly there is room for improvement.
Once finished with lunch, we head back to our seats and kick back and try to enjoy the game. And for the first 5 innings, things went OK. Not great, but OK. Trailing 3-2, the Braves starting pitcher was struggling. With men on base, Gonzalez, the Braves manager, calls to the bullpen. The next thing I know, the bases are loaded with no outs. The Braves reliever, up 0-2, grooves a pitch over the fat part of the plate. Bam, Grand Slam. Game over. At least not then, but it sure seemed like it. The game played out quickly from there with the Braves giving up a few more runs. We take off in the 8th to get a head start on traffic. And after getting to the car, I realize the highlight of the game was eating lunch and enjoying a cold beer while watching warmups from our covered shaded perch overlooking first base.
I guess it could be worse. But certainly I was very pleased with the friendliness and attentiveness of the employees at Turner Field. Maybe it was just the fact that it was Game 2 and its early in the season. I sure hope not because the Turner Field folks did a great job. I had a great visit to the ballpark and a great afternoon. At least until the game started. The team needs to start playing better or the nice folks working at Turner Field will be working to a sparse crowd. I'm still not in love with baseball. Not even a little bit. But I will at least try to fit in another game or two should tickets fall into my lap again. Will I pay my own money? Probably not. At least not yet. Lets see how the team does. I'll check back later this year and see how things are going.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Hop City Beer & Wine: A Heavenly Beer Store
Oh Hop City, where have you been my whole life?? I stumbled into this gem of a store a few months back. A friend of mine had mentioned their incredible wine selection and reasonable prices. And he also mentioned they sold beer. Thankfully this place is not too far from work here in the Brickworks complex off Howell Mill Road on the West End. So I ran over during my lunch break one day to see what all the “buzz” was about.
When I walked into the place, I swear I could hear angels singing in the background. It was as if the clouds parted from above and the doors to Hop City opened. The first thing you see is beer. Lots of it. LOTS OF IT. And NOT that swill that is advertised at sporting events. They have good beer. No, they have great beer. And they have beer you have never heard of, from breweries you have never heard of, in cities you have never heard of. Hop City is a microbrew lover’s paradise.
Hop City has a great staff of employees that are very helpful and more than willing to lend a helping hand. Hop City also does a great job of organizing their offerings. They break their beer down much like a wine shop does, by beer type: IPA’s on one aisle, lagers on another, pilsners on yet another, stouts and porters together, and special type beers have their own aisle, etc.. Hop City also has a separate section where all of the high gravity beers are kept. This makes shopping a breeze. They also show grades and have profiles on many of the beers. It makes for a great buying experience. And the variety…..that is the real difference in this place versus your typical large liquor and beer store.
For the home brewer, this is the place to come. Hop City sells all kinds of brewing supplies. I’ve only tried home brewing a few times with limited success. But after seeing all of their great looking ingredients and hearing their employees help other patrons with their ingredients, the chef in me wants to give home brewing another shot.
Of course I am totally ignoring the “& Wine” part of this store’s name. They do have quite an extensive wine selection. Unfortunately I’ve always been so distracted with their beer that I never venture over to check out the wines. I’ll make it a point to review the “& Wine” part of the store on my next visit and report on it in a different post.
For my beer needs, Hop City is my store. Even though you are on my Banned List Blog, Hop City is definitely NOT banned. Not even close.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Yeah Burger, yeah its a good burger
In the part of town where we work, a number of new restaurants have popped up over the past few years. Thankfully this provides our lunch crew with a great variety of new places to try. And of course, it also gives us good fodder to add new places onto the Banned List. Today's potential victim was Yeah! Burger.
I did not notice until I typed this that the "!" is part of their name. It just seems strange to have to type an exclamation point in the name of a business, particularly in the middle of the name. I am not even sure how to properly pronounce the name. Is it Yeah! like yaaaaaaaaaaaaayy I got an A on my Spanish Test or is it Yeah! like yeeeeeeeaaahhhh, man she is hot?? Either way, its kind of a strange name. But regardless, this place has not been opened too long so we gave it a shot today.
Before I delve into the food, I have to say I am not a huge fan of the traditional "burger". Pattied ground beef, cooked and placed on a bun with condiments just seems kind of boring. A number of burger joints have opened around the area over the past few years. It seems to be a trend catching on. And thankfully I think these restaurateurs have realized its possible to make a burger more interesting than the plain ones we remember from our childhood. Mr. Blaise has done a fine job of this down the street at Flip.
Yeah! Burger (referred to as Y!B from here on out) can be described as urban minimalist chic. The inside is a combination of rustic lodge wood with high open ceilings in an old renovated warehouse. Their menu allows you to build your own burger: you choose your meat patty (beef, bison, turkey, veggie or chicken), type of bun (white, wheat, gluten free whatever), cheese, toppings of choice, and sauce. The topping selection can be intimidating. People with ADD need not bother coming here. They would never make it past the nitrate free bacon or cage-free fired egg before becoming distracted by the sauce selection.
They offer a number of different side items as well. Fries, onion rings, a 50/50 option (a combo of rings and fries), slaw, and a number bunch of other gluten free, free range selections. The also have hot dogs and salads. The seems criminal to me. Who goes to a burger joint and orders a salad? I hear Yeah! Salad might be opening soon next door and they will offer BBQ. Yet I digress, indeed Y!B has a menu that should satisfy most anyone.
Today, I ordered the turkey burger on whole wheat with swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, grilled onion and Yeah! sauce. I don't think anyone knows what Yeah! sauce is. It looks like a fancy version of the "secret sauce" from All-American Burger from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. (For those of you younger folks out there who have never seen the movie, it was Ketchup and Mayo.) But it was indeed pretty tasty. I'm sure ketchup and mayo is somehow involved in the Yeah! Sauce. In addition to my burger I ordered a 50/50 fry/ring side.
Each order arrives on a small sized metal cookie sheet. Its just large enough to hold the food, but small enough that one table could hold all 4 trays at once. Don't try this at your local fast food joint, which can barely hold 2 bulky oversized plastic trays. I like the fact that their trays are made of metal. After all, we work in the metals business! Plus, the metal adds to the minimalist chic atmosphere.
The first thing I always try at places like this are the fries and rings. And unfortunately they came out a bit greasy. I suspect the temperature in their fryer was a tad low which caused the fries and rings to soak up some of the grease. The evidence was apparent after my meal as I had 4 grease-soaked napkins at my table. Don't get me wrong, these fried goodies were tasty and I ate every morsel.
The burger was stacked high and looked great. The patty outsized the bun just slightly, which is always delightful to see. And upon first bite, I was welcomed with a familiar but hard to recognize flavor from the turkey patty. Bite after bite, I struggled putting my finger on this flavor. Then when asking John about his side of slaw, he mentioned this missing flavor: tarragon. Apparently Y!B mixes tarragon into their ground turkey when making their patties. What a delight. It was like going on a jog and ending up running behind a super hot chick for 4 miles. It turns a seemingly boring tiring jog into a delightful run in the park. That is how I felt about this burger. I would have never thought to combine tarragon and turkey into a burger. But the combo worked well.
But as in all of life, not everything is perfect at Y!B. We arrived to see a line running out the door. This is not unusual around here as many places have this during the lunch rush. But once we finally get inside the building, I see the source of the problem: one cashier taking orders. It is definitely not the cashier's fault. In fact, she took orders with remarkable speed and efficiency. If she were not so efficient, I dare say the line would have spilled out into the parking lot. And once your order is placed, the kitchen does get the food out relatively quickly. But Y!B needs to really figure out how to deal with this inherent design flaw. I have a 50-minute rule with restaurants for lunch. You should be able to arrive, place your order, get your food and finish eating in 50 minutes or less. Anything more is too long. After all, we work for a living and have jobs to go back to!! Y!B exceeded this 50-minute rule.
But in spite of taking their game into overtime, Y!B still ended up winning this game. I enjoyed the experience and the food and look forward to my next visit. I can only hope they can address the order process. Restaurants do not live by food alone. Time is valuable. And they need to be mindful of this. For now, Y!B could be part of our regular rotation. But continue to waste your customer's time and you will end up on The Banned List!
I did not notice until I typed this that the "!" is part of their name. It just seems strange to have to type an exclamation point in the name of a business, particularly in the middle of the name. I am not even sure how to properly pronounce the name. Is it Yeah! like yaaaaaaaaaaaaayy I got an A on my Spanish Test or is it Yeah! like yeeeeeeeaaahhhh, man she is hot?? Either way, its kind of a strange name. But regardless, this place has not been opened too long so we gave it a shot today.
Before I delve into the food, I have to say I am not a huge fan of the traditional "burger". Pattied ground beef, cooked and placed on a bun with condiments just seems kind of boring. A number of burger joints have opened around the area over the past few years. It seems to be a trend catching on. And thankfully I think these restaurateurs have realized its possible to make a burger more interesting than the plain ones we remember from our childhood. Mr. Blaise has done a fine job of this down the street at Flip.
Yeah! Burger (referred to as Y!B from here on out) can be described as urban minimalist chic. The inside is a combination of rustic lodge wood with high open ceilings in an old renovated warehouse. Their menu allows you to build your own burger: you choose your meat patty (beef, bison, turkey, veggie or chicken), type of bun (white, wheat, gluten free whatever), cheese, toppings of choice, and sauce. The topping selection can be intimidating. People with ADD need not bother coming here. They would never make it past the nitrate free bacon or cage-free fired egg before becoming distracted by the sauce selection.
They offer a number of different side items as well. Fries, onion rings, a 50/50 option (a combo of rings and fries), slaw, and a number bunch of other gluten free, free range selections. The also have hot dogs and salads. The seems criminal to me. Who goes to a burger joint and orders a salad? I hear Yeah! Salad might be opening soon next door and they will offer BBQ. Yet I digress, indeed Y!B has a menu that should satisfy most anyone.
Today, I ordered the turkey burger on whole wheat with swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, grilled onion and Yeah! sauce. I don't think anyone knows what Yeah! sauce is. It looks like a fancy version of the "secret sauce" from All-American Burger from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. (For those of you younger folks out there who have never seen the movie, it was Ketchup and Mayo.) But it was indeed pretty tasty. I'm sure ketchup and mayo is somehow involved in the Yeah! Sauce. In addition to my burger I ordered a 50/50 fry/ring side.
Each order arrives on a small sized metal cookie sheet. Its just large enough to hold the food, but small enough that one table could hold all 4 trays at once. Don't try this at your local fast food joint, which can barely hold 2 bulky oversized plastic trays. I like the fact that their trays are made of metal. After all, we work in the metals business! Plus, the metal adds to the minimalist chic atmosphere.
The first thing I always try at places like this are the fries and rings. And unfortunately they came out a bit greasy. I suspect the temperature in their fryer was a tad low which caused the fries and rings to soak up some of the grease. The evidence was apparent after my meal as I had 4 grease-soaked napkins at my table. Don't get me wrong, these fried goodies were tasty and I ate every morsel.
The burger was stacked high and looked great. The patty outsized the bun just slightly, which is always delightful to see. And upon first bite, I was welcomed with a familiar but hard to recognize flavor from the turkey patty. Bite after bite, I struggled putting my finger on this flavor. Then when asking John about his side of slaw, he mentioned this missing flavor: tarragon. Apparently Y!B mixes tarragon into their ground turkey when making their patties. What a delight. It was like going on a jog and ending up running behind a super hot chick for 4 miles. It turns a seemingly boring tiring jog into a delightful run in the park. That is how I felt about this burger. I would have never thought to combine tarragon and turkey into a burger. But the combo worked well.
But as in all of life, not everything is perfect at Y!B. We arrived to see a line running out the door. This is not unusual around here as many places have this during the lunch rush. But once we finally get inside the building, I see the source of the problem: one cashier taking orders. It is definitely not the cashier's fault. In fact, she took orders with remarkable speed and efficiency. If she were not so efficient, I dare say the line would have spilled out into the parking lot. And once your order is placed, the kitchen does get the food out relatively quickly. But Y!B needs to really figure out how to deal with this inherent design flaw. I have a 50-minute rule with restaurants for lunch. You should be able to arrive, place your order, get your food and finish eating in 50 minutes or less. Anything more is too long. After all, we work for a living and have jobs to go back to!! Y!B exceeded this 50-minute rule.
But in spite of taking their game into overtime, Y!B still ended up winning this game. I enjoyed the experience and the food and look forward to my next visit. I can only hope they can address the order process. Restaurants do not live by food alone. Time is valuable. And they need to be mindful of this. For now, Y!B could be part of our regular rotation. But continue to waste your customer's time and you will end up on The Banned List!
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