Date
3/18/09
Location
On Main Street just on the downtown side of the Amtrak station
625 West Main Street
What I ate
Zucchini, corn, herb fritters; Wahoo Beer Burger (onions braised in Guinness with mushroom ketchup)
Who went
Kelly, Matt
Website
http://horseandhoundgastropub.com/
Thoughts
My burger was awesome. It was well-prepared, a true medium-rare, and flavorful. The onions didn't add that much taste and the mushroom part of the mushroom ketchup was almost non-existent, but the burger was so good I almost didn't notice. I like my fries to be a bit crispier than what I had, but they were also tasty. Between a big burger and the fries, I was sated and got my money's worth. The fritters were light and had great texture, but lacked a bit on taste. My plan wasn't to use them as simply a vehicle for the mustard or pepper jelly, but that's what I ended up doing. It's an idea I think I'd like to try, but it was definitely overpriced and I would've been fine with just my burger.
The beer list looked great, but the three of us had just donated blood, so we weren't going to be drinking any beer. I recommend looking at the list on their website and it seems like it could be nice to share a pitcher of really good beer with a few friends. You aren't going to just get a pitcher because beer goes with your burger; you're going to get a beer that is going to require a bit of attention and that's a good thing.
The walls are covered with pictures of horses, people on horses, and general horse-riding scenes. Kelly was even able to pick out some local riders. On a nice day, I'd imagine the fenced-in patio is a great place to sit and the seats inside weren't bad, either. Our waitress was very good, quickly refilling water glasses and paying us a good bit of attention. Our food wasn't out instantaneously, but we definitely weren't waiting long to start eating.
Recap
Pros - Awesome burger at a good price, great beer list, good service
Cons - Appetizers are overpriced, Matt and Kelly didn't seem as enthusiastic their food, especially Matt's portion
Overall - If you're going for a burger, it's awesome. The reactions of the others make me think it's overall a notch below great, but I'll definitely be back, especially when the weather gets nicer.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
12th Street Taphouse
Date
3/11/09
Location
On Main St. just east of the Corner
1202 W. Main Street
What I ate
Baked brie with apples, strawberries, and blueberries, and bourbon-glazed meatloaf with mashed potatoes and a brown sugar gravy
Who went
Kelly, Matt, Suzie, Lindsay, Xander
Thoughts
This place is great. The space has a small profile but extends back pretty far giving it a big, roomy feeling. The ceilings feel a little low, but that could be because of how deep the space is. It is well-lit and very open. There are a bunch of little steps and somewhat odd incomplete walls, but the space is divided up nicely, striking a nice balance between a feeling of compartmentalization and privacy with openess and warmth. Hopefully, they'll open the roof up to seating as the weather gets nicer just as their predecessor, Northern Exposure, did. Also, much as I enjoy the Beatles, I wish whoever was controlling the music went for a little more variety. That's enough about the space, let's talk about the food.
My food was delicious and based on what people were saying around the table (and how often they were not talking) I think everyone else was quite happy with their fare, too. I was initially worried because of the rumors I've been hearing around town about it being a clone of Michael's Bistro because the ownership used to be part-owners there, too. Not that the food at the Bistro is bad (it's good), but I'd rather go to Michael's for drinks than for food. It's almost impossible to make baked brie drizzled with honey and served with fruit not taste delcious. Their's was great, though I could've used a little more bread. Maybe they could've pre-sliced the piece we had into smaller pieces to make it go a bit futher, but I'm nit-picking now, so I'll stop.
My meatloaf was awesome. It was well-cooked and flavorful with great texture. One of my biggest complaints about meatloaf is that it can fall apart making it feel like I'm just eating a bowl of ground beef. The edges of mine were almost crispy and it maintained its shape, despite being easy to cut. The potatoes were just a little on the creamy side of ideal, but were really tasty and mixed with the also-tasty gravy. A bite of all three (meatloaf, potatoes, gravy) was just delicious - the empty plates in front of me and Matt (who also had the meatloaf) were proof of this. I also had a bite of Kelly's pasta and keilbasa, which was really good; it had a good little kick to it.
Our waitress had a lot of personality and made good conversation. I don't always like a talkative server, but when a place is this new and the staff is willing to answer questions about the place, it goes a long way to helping give the place character. It's really difficult to read the boards with the list of beers on tap (a dozen!) and food specials, but she told us what each said. The beer list is very extensive which, as someone who much prefers draught, isn't particularly interesting. That said, they have plenty of beers on tap. I happily admit I was trying to decide between the beers on tap and thought about food/beer combinations when making my choice. Also, our waitress told us this is their third dinner menu in the six weeks they've been open, so they seem sensitive to diner feedback and will hopefully keep an eye on seasonal ingredients.
Recap
Pros - Delicious, varied food, great beer selection, friendly staff
Cons - Appetizers were a little overpriced (beers and other food was well-priced, bordering on cheap)
Overall - Awesome. I'm really excited about the prospect of walking down the street after leaving work for a nice dinner a lot in the future, especially as the weather gets nicer.
3/11/09
Location
On Main St. just east of the Corner
1202 W. Main Street
What I ate
Baked brie with apples, strawberries, and blueberries, and bourbon-glazed meatloaf with mashed potatoes and a brown sugar gravy
Who went
Kelly, Matt, Suzie, Lindsay, Xander
Thoughts
This place is great. The space has a small profile but extends back pretty far giving it a big, roomy feeling. The ceilings feel a little low, but that could be because of how deep the space is. It is well-lit and very open. There are a bunch of little steps and somewhat odd incomplete walls, but the space is divided up nicely, striking a nice balance between a feeling of compartmentalization and privacy with openess and warmth. Hopefully, they'll open the roof up to seating as the weather gets nicer just as their predecessor, Northern Exposure, did. Also, much as I enjoy the Beatles, I wish whoever was controlling the music went for a little more variety. That's enough about the space, let's talk about the food.
My food was delicious and based on what people were saying around the table (and how often they were not talking) I think everyone else was quite happy with their fare, too. I was initially worried because of the rumors I've been hearing around town about it being a clone of Michael's Bistro because the ownership used to be part-owners there, too. Not that the food at the Bistro is bad (it's good), but I'd rather go to Michael's for drinks than for food. It's almost impossible to make baked brie drizzled with honey and served with fruit not taste delcious. Their's was great, though I could've used a little more bread. Maybe they could've pre-sliced the piece we had into smaller pieces to make it go a bit futher, but I'm nit-picking now, so I'll stop.
My meatloaf was awesome. It was well-cooked and flavorful with great texture. One of my biggest complaints about meatloaf is that it can fall apart making it feel like I'm just eating a bowl of ground beef. The edges of mine were almost crispy and it maintained its shape, despite being easy to cut. The potatoes were just a little on the creamy side of ideal, but were really tasty and mixed with the also-tasty gravy. A bite of all three (meatloaf, potatoes, gravy) was just delicious - the empty plates in front of me and Matt (who also had the meatloaf) were proof of this. I also had a bite of Kelly's pasta and keilbasa, which was really good; it had a good little kick to it.
Our waitress had a lot of personality and made good conversation. I don't always like a talkative server, but when a place is this new and the staff is willing to answer questions about the place, it goes a long way to helping give the place character. It's really difficult to read the boards with the list of beers on tap (a dozen!) and food specials, but she told us what each said. The beer list is very extensive which, as someone who much prefers draught, isn't particularly interesting. That said, they have plenty of beers on tap. I happily admit I was trying to decide between the beers on tap and thought about food/beer combinations when making my choice. Also, our waitress told us this is their third dinner menu in the six weeks they've been open, so they seem sensitive to diner feedback and will hopefully keep an eye on seasonal ingredients.
Recap
Pros - Delicious, varied food, great beer selection, friendly staff
Cons - Appetizers were a little overpriced (beers and other food was well-priced, bordering on cheap)
Overall - Awesome. I'm really excited about the prospect of walking down the street after leaving work for a nice dinner a lot in the future, especially as the weather gets nicer.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Cavalier Diner
Date
3/5/09
Location
On 29 southbound right by the bypass
1403 North Emmet Street
What I ate
Corned beef sandwich
Who went
Kelly, Sam, Ryan, Xander, Mike
Website
http://www.thecavalierdiner.com/
Thoughts
Eh, I'll give 'em some time to get on their feet. Right now, it's just a very unremarkable diner-type food place. The place has potential - a good, varied menu with a lot of the staples, breakfast all day, open layout, old vaguely Greek or Italian guy doling out orders - but it just needs some time. Not that the bar was that high, but it's already at or above the quality of Sam's Kitchen, the place it replaced. My sandwich was pretty good though a little bit poorly constructed and I really could've used some spicy mustard, but it was still alright. Things around the table seemed to draw similar "Eh, it's fine" responses. I'll definitely go back, but I might give it some time first.
I want to be fair and point out that they really seem to be planning things well along the diner model. The menu has a bit of everything and the breakfast menu is varied, too. I fear they are not in the best spot because you have to drive to get there whereas a place like the Italian Villa is easily within walking distance for students and other townspeople. There were very obvious growing pains, made a bit more obvious by our trial-by-fire waiter (who was very nice and helpful, but a bit scatterbrained), but I like the potential. Check back in a few weeks.
Recap
Pros - Good, varied menu, good prices, well-lit (especially relative to what it replaced)
Cons - The place exudes disorganization.
Overall - There's solid potential once they get more established, but it's just not there yet.
3/5/09
Location
On 29 southbound right by the bypass
1403 North Emmet Street
What I ate
Corned beef sandwich
Who went
Kelly, Sam, Ryan, Xander, Mike
Website
http://www.thecavalierdiner.com/
Thoughts
Eh, I'll give 'em some time to get on their feet. Right now, it's just a very unremarkable diner-type food place. The place has potential - a good, varied menu with a lot of the staples, breakfast all day, open layout, old vaguely Greek or Italian guy doling out orders - but it just needs some time. Not that the bar was that high, but it's already at or above the quality of Sam's Kitchen, the place it replaced. My sandwich was pretty good though a little bit poorly constructed and I really could've used some spicy mustard, but it was still alright. Things around the table seemed to draw similar "Eh, it's fine" responses. I'll definitely go back, but I might give it some time first.
I want to be fair and point out that they really seem to be planning things well along the diner model. The menu has a bit of everything and the breakfast menu is varied, too. I fear they are not in the best spot because you have to drive to get there whereas a place like the Italian Villa is easily within walking distance for students and other townspeople. There were very obvious growing pains, made a bit more obvious by our trial-by-fire waiter (who was very nice and helpful, but a bit scatterbrained), but I like the potential. Check back in a few weeks.
Recap
Pros - Good, varied menu, good prices, well-lit (especially relative to what it replaced)
Cons - The place exudes disorganization.
Overall - There's solid potential once they get more established, but it's just not there yet.
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