Date
9/25/2011
Location
North end of downtown
622 North Main Street
What I ate
Wisconsin cheddar ale soup
Linguine diavolo
Who went
Kelly, Justin, Jackie, Courtney, Curtis, Sheree, Tim, Sara, Emily, Chris
Website
622 North
Thoughts
I've driven past this place dozens of times without giving serious thought to eating there. It's a pretty unassuming location - close enough to downtown to be lumped into that strip but far enough from the more highly-trafficked areas not to get that much notice. We were in the dining area, but the bar menu looked pretty good and, while it's a bit small, the bar seems like a good place to catch a game. That said, they should clearly mark where each section is. It was a little off-putting to walk into the bar expecting a fancy dining room.
They did a good job with the decor, going for the quaint-but-fancy bistro look. We were all a little surprised at the space, rather the lack thereof. Our waiter was attentive and nice; our drinks were out quickly and quickly refilled. Our food, however, took quite a while to make it to our table. They have an impressive roster of beers and wines as well as a fun menu to read. We spent a while discussing the range of options. The 3- and 4-course tasting menus look interesting, though they aren't much of a deal compared to those items individually.
Once it arrived, the food certainly did not disappoint. My soup was really good - I'm going to have to try to turn some homebrews into something similar. Courtney got a massive salad that probably could've passed for a meal itself. My pasta was one of the better ones I've had in a while. The sauce was great - multiple people can attest to that - and the vegetables with it were surprisingly good. The corn added a good texture and the peppers were tasty, too. With any luck, the rest of the group will weigh in on what they had - there was a good variety of soups, salads, entrees, and desserts all around the table.
Recap
Good - really tasty food, nice ambiance
Bad - slow service
Overall - The food was great and it's a nice place for a good dinner out as long as your group likes conversation. I'll definitely be back.
4 comments:
Fair review. I would certainly agree with your main points. I've been thinking about the service all night, wondering if the pace is intentional. At some restaurants I feel really rushed, like they're trying to turn over the tables and don't care if you're not ready. I'm not done with my food and they're already asking if I want dessert or just the check. At 622 North, I think the multiple-course meal is designed to be a little slower. That said, yes, I was hungry and desperate for something to eat by the time my steak got there :) At least with a group of friends, there's plenty of time for conversation!
You wouldn't strike me as a guy that's really into food. But you're out there, putting your passion for food out there on the internet. Good for you! This reminds me of when I lived in Beijing for 4you years, and had a badass BMW, and went hiking in Patagonia. I was high, my friends were high, I'm just so charming and confident....
Good point, Justin. Now that you mention it, I was a bit more focused on the time between sitting and getting our first course than on the time between courses. Did anyone get an appetizer and soup? It was a little odd to have those come out at different times.
The initial lag time was a fair bit longer than usual. I wondered if someone had ordered two starting courses, but I don't think anyone did. So the initial slowness was certainly a negative point. I also found it odd that the "first course" and "second course" came out separately, even though everyone only ordered one appetizer, effectively.
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