Monthly Archives: May 2014

Blue Ribbon Artisan Pizzeria (20 of 52)

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I can be picky about Italian food because I’m Italian.  Sort of.   I grew up in an Italian-American household so the food I had wasn’t necessarily the same food that Italians in Italy would eat but there are certain flavors and tastes that need not be messed with by non-Italians.   Example: The Gravy is what you serve over pasta.  Marinara sauce is what you dip mozzarella sticks in at Denny’s.  Pasta is what you eat in the form of spaghetti and other countless shapes.  Noodles are what comes in a bowl of ramen.  Trivial way of thinking?  Maybe but I’m a quarter Italian and therefore,  kinda think I’m right about everything.  Blame my family.  I do,  it’s fun!  Pizza certainly falls under the “gotta be right” category but I’m also open-minded and like to try different styles of pizza.  I’ve had it in New York and Chicago and I’ve loved both.  This week’s challenge, Blue Ribbon Artisan Pizzeria, leans more towards the wood fired New York style pizza.  I was excited as were my band of fellow tasters:

Abby–Swim instructor, Disneyland buddy, Stresses about making food for my other food-savvy friends

Aimee–Roommate since the 90’s, BFF, allergic to hot dogs and therefore labeled a commie by many

Amy-Vegetarian Belle, Author, Event Planner

Anna-Educator, flannel wearer, still mad at us for going to Snooze without her

Chris-Attorney, lifelong food snob, loves good Scotch and gay jeans

Molly–Recent San Diego transplant, jewelry maker, The new girl

Suzanne-My Italian soul sista, Can throw down in the kitchen, the cultured one who pronounces everything correctly.

Blue Ribbon

Strong pizza and strong opinions. This is why we do this.

Blue Ribbon, located in Encinitas, is small.  Super small.  They don’t take reservations but they were able to accommodate our large group with no hassle.   We started with some drinks.  Abby had a Fallbrook Winery Merlot.  She called it “effective”.  Chris ordered the Acoustic Ales Blue Ribbon Lager, which he appeared to enjoy.  Most of the rest of us were offered Hard Lemonade.  It’s lemonade with some sort of alcohol in it.  I would love to be able to tell you what precisely it is but our server made no move to answer either time we asked.  That having been said, it was tasty and likewise “effective”.

The massive divide in our opinions started with the appetizers.  Aimee ordered the Spicy Deviled Eggs with with Spicy Calabrian Chili Aioli & Smoked Pimenton Oil.  She found the dish overly spiced and overly priced ($7.50 for 4 halves of egg).  Amy had the Crispy Three Cheese Raviloi with Roasted Tomato Sauce & Parmigiano Reggiano.  I got to try these and they were pretty good.  Nice crispy dumplings in a good sauce.  She also ordered the Wisconsin Black Seed Popcorn with Truffle Salt and Parmesan.  This was house special is unique and highly snackable.   It’s good popcorn even without the extra stuff.   The truffle salt added an earthy flavor.  The parmesan added a mild cheweyness.

WARNING: If your popcorn looks like this and there's no truffle salt on it, it's burned and you've ruined movie night.

WARNING: If your popcorn looks like this and there’s no truffle salt on it, it’s burned and you’ve ruined movie night.

Chris ordered the Whipped Laura Chetel Goat Cheese with Black Mission Figs, Pickled Fennel & Toast.  It was a big hit with most of the table, particularly the goat cheese.   Molly had the Caesar Salad.  She enjoyed the house made garlic dressing.  In place of croutons, they were served ground and sprinkled on top, like breadcrumbs, which she found weird.  The salad is also huge.

This was all well and good but we were here to fight over pizza.  I want to commend this week’s group as we all ordered different style pizzas without even making a conscious decision to do so, which is a nice break from the usual hive mentality we live in.

Abby ordered the Blanca Pizza: Roasted Garlic,  Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Mozzarella, Goat Cheese, Sun dried Tomatoes, Capers, Olives & Arugula Pesto.  She thought it was well cooked with strong flavors.  Her favorite being the addition of capers.  Aimee had The Artisan: Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Housemade Spicy Pepperoni, Fennel Sausage, Canadian Bacon & Smoked Sausage.   She found the pizza to be just okay but, again, well below the asking price.  The pepperoni and sausage were massively over spiced, which was a problem present in a few of our pizzas.

Anna ordered the Americana Pizza: Tomato Sauce, Fresh Mozzarella, Artisan Pepperoni & Gaeta Olives.  She enjoyed it, particularly the strong olives and quality mozzarella cheese.  Amy had the Signature Pizza: Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Fresh Mozzarella, Ricotta, Parmigiano Reggiano, Lemon Zest, Red Onion & Basil.  Having eaten here several times, Amy’s pizza was a tried and true favorite of hers.  She loves the lemon olive oil best.  I tried her pizza and it also ranked among my favorites.

Chris ordered the Red Oak Pizza: Tomato Sauce, Fresh Mozzarella, Ricotta, San Daniele Prosciutto & Arugula.   Chris is also a returning customer to Blue Ribbon and very much enjoyed his pizza.  He’s also a big fan of how well the beers offered pair with the food on the menu.  Suzanne ordered the Staff’s Favorite Pizza: Tomato Sauce, Fennel Sausage, Heavy Cream, Parmigiano Reggiano & Basil.  It should be noted that Suzanne is of Italian decent, is from New York City and she spent 3 years living in Italy, so basically if she were a man she’d have a gold medallion with the words PIZZA SNOB nestled in a mountain of chest hair, visible to all from her unbuttoned shirt.  She found the crust to be on point; crispy but not cracker-thin with a nice char.  The cheese was good but the heavy cream added a lasagna-like consistency to her pizza.  The real villain, again, was the sausage.  She found it overpowering yet flavorless at the same time.  “That could’ve been pork or beef, you wouldn’t be able to tell”.  Well, alright.

Molly had the Craftsman Pizza: Tomato Sauce, Fresh Mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano & Housemade Spicy Pepperoni.  Like most of us, she found the crust to be skillfully done and tasty but her pizza crumbled beneath the spice of her pepperoni.  I ordered the Classic Pizza: Tomato Sauce, Fresh Mozzarella, Fennel Sausage & Crimini Mushrooms.  I thought it was really tasty.  Good crust, the mozzarella was top shelf and well distributed.  The mushrooms were great but the fennel sausage was ridiculously spicy.  Not enough to kill the dish but a big deterrent from me enjoying it more.

PK classic pizza

We are not spice wimps, I swear.

With only two items on the menu, we felt desserts was a must.  The first dessert was a signature dish for Blue Ribbon:  Butterscotch Pudding with Sea Salted Caramel & Fresh Whipped Cream.  Anna, Amy, Chris and I loved it.  Molly said it was the 2nd best of it’s kind she’d had after Haven in Pasadena.  I thought it was divine and the perfect size for following a large meal like pizza.  Aimee was not a fan.   She felt the dish lacked texture and just felt like a “butterscotch slime”

PK butterscotch

and here I was thinking I couldn’t love anything from a mason jar that wasn’t moonshine…

The other dessert was the Peanut Butter Crunch with Peanut Butter, Chocolate Pudding, Caramel, Pretzels & Whipped Cream.  I enjoyed this one as well but not as much as the butterscotch.  Abby and I both found the peanut butter to be a little muted in its flavor.  Several folks at the table took issue with the “Crunch” portion of the dish.  The pretzels tasted a little stale and would’ve been better served with chocolate on top instead of hiding at the bottom.

PK PB crunch

If the Butterscotch Pudding is unable to fulfill its duties as favorite dessert, Peanut Butter Crunch will be crowned the winner.

Overall impressions of Blue Ribbon were mixed.  Chris and Amy were already fans so they’d come back.  Aimee and Suzanne both said the service was less than stellar and I’m inclined to agree.  They restaurant was busy but we found the wait staff and bartenders to be less than helpful about menu knowledge, refills, etc.  The food was good enough that I would go back at a less busy time, like lunch, for a second opinion.

Further reading: http://www.blueribbonpizzeria.com/

To see all the pics from this meal be sure to follow theboywhoatesandiego on Instagram!

 

Prep Kitchen (19 of 52) (CLOSED)

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There are only two terms used to describe getting drunk during breakfast:  Relapse or brunch.  Fortunately this week’s entry only covers the latter.  Though should I decide it’s all too much to go on living, please look for The Boy who Drank San Diego in 2015!  The thought of trying the much talked-about brunch at Prep Kitchen made me and my merry band of food lovers downright giddy.  Joining me on this quest were all first timers!

Aimee-Roommate since the 90’s, BFF, allergic to hot dogs and therefore labeled a commie by many

Amy-Rocky Horror performer, Michigan football loyalist, a common floozy

Anna-Educator, flannel wearer, still mad at us for going to Snooze without her

Chris-Attorney, lifelong food snob, loves good Scotch and gay jeans

Durwood-Best friend, comedian, San Diego’s go-to young black non-singing actor

Jackie-Awesome Soprano, fellow East Coast transplant, Has a Vegas story or two

Joey-Future music professor, Saceraz drinker, makes a mean cup of coffee

Kelsey-Project manager, Advanced level foodie, Has been known to drop it like it’s hot after a few cocktails

Matt-My co-star in “Five Course Love”, Runner, Lover of beer

Stephanie-Blogger, runner, fellow Disneyland enthusiast

You have no idea how hard we resisted posing on the staircase and calling it "The Brady Brunch". No idea...

You have no idea how hard we resisted posing on the staircase and calling it “The Brady Brunch”. No idea…

Located in the trendy San Diego neighborhood of Little Italy, Prep Kitchen is a 2nd-level, open-air place with lots of unique decor and charm.  The catchphrase a lot of places like to use lately is “Farm to table”.  At Prep Kitchen, this is less a buzzword and more a way of life.  But I’m getting ahead of myself.  First up was the Coffee bar, which you could partake of for a dollar.  Yep.  One dollar.  Also available for a few more bucks were tasty muffins with a variety of jams and toppings.   The coffee bar is a really cool concept.   You could refill your coffee when needed self-serve style without having to flag down a server for refills.  The cup handles were a little weird in that they were very small.  Watching Durwood get his fingers repeatedly stuck in the handles made for some great entertainment.

There was no way in hell my crew was going to do brunch without sampling some of the cocktails (not doing so is an act of gay treason that would certainly get me dis-invited from the weekly meetings at Anderson Cooper’s Palm Springs compound)  Amy ordered the Mure et Bulles: Blackberry Calvados Liquer & Bubbles.  She also had the Red Wine Sangria, both of which she said were really good.  Matt had the house made Bloody Mary, which he said was awesome with a perfect amount of spice, even the salt on the rim had some spice to it.  Joey ordered the London’s Burning: Gin, Jalapeno, Avocado and Lime.  He said it was spicy but lacking in Gin botanicals (which was a disappointment for him).  The drink was interesting but he probably wouldn’t order it again but he would like to marinate some flank steak in it because that’s just how his brain works: How else can I consume this?  Stephanie & Aimee had the White wine Sangria, which they loved and deemed a great start to the meal.  Jackie, Stephanie and I all ordered the Cucumber Honey Mimosa, which we all really loved.  It was refreshing and delicately sweet.  Chris had a Boulder Beer Company Shake Chocolate Porter which he enjoyed and foolishly tried to get me to like.  Sorry beer, it’s not you, it’s me.  I don’t like you.

Before the main courses we ordered some of the house-made donut holes.  These were a big hit. Soft, warm, fresh and sweet with a tang that either came from lemon zest or ricotta cheese.   The taste and texture reminded a few of us more of a fritter than a donut but they were super tasty and I certainly wasn’t opposed to dipping them in the Dulche de Leche sauce that came with the muffins.  Fat kid innovation at it’s finest.

Look at them. Just sitting there daring you to eat just one...

Look at them. Just sitting there daring you to eat just one…

When you love eating there is a certain romance that begins between you and good food over the course of a meal.  We had been wined (quite literally) and politely dined but Prep Kitchen leaned in and made their proverbial move in what we tried next.  One of the specialties of their breakfast menu is poppy seed pancakes with strawberries, rhubarb whipped cream and almond crumble.  Our server dropped these at the table for us to try with the confidence and swagger of an MC dropping the mic after a freestyle battle.

Wow.  Just, wow.

Light, fluffy pancakes.  Strawberries in their actual, natural form.  The rhubarb whipped cream was incredible and the almond crumble gave a flavor and texture that made this unlike any plate of pancakes any of us had ever tried.  The most shocking part:  They are served without syrup and THEY DON’T EVEN NEED IT.  Seriously.  Go for these alone.  They are awesome.

Simple, fresh breakfast perfection.

Simple, fresh breakfast perfection.

Aimee had Steak & Eggs: Hangar steak with herb butter, 2 scrambled eggs, hash browns and wheat toast.  She said her steak was perfect & tender.  She absolutely loved the herbed butter and her eggs were also perfect.  Durwood had the Pork & Sage Sausage Scramble with Fontina cheese and butternut squash.   This was another big hit.  Durwood said it was an incredible blend of sweet and savory flavors.  The true mark of a great restaurant is you won’t find salt or pepper on the table.  It’s a show of confidence in the chef’s ability to season his/her own dishes to perfection.    They were nowhere to be found on our table and it was easy to see why.  None of our dishes needed seasoning.    Matt had the Chaquiles: Chipotle-braised chicken, Avocado, Onion, Queso Fresco & 2 sunny-side-up eggs.  We would later learn from the chef that this dish began as a staff meal that became so popular it was added to the menu.  A few folks said it lived up to the hype.  Matt would’ve liked more chicken but said the tortillas were perfect and he’s excited to try it again with different style eggs in the future.

Amy went with the “Choose your own scramble”:  She combined Brie with wild mushrooms, spinach and truffle oil.  She was really pleased with the results and also enjoyed the crispiness of her potatoes.   Joey also choose his own scramble and added sausage, asparagus, wild mushrooms and Gouda.    It met his expectations and he enjoyed it very much.  He and Kelsey ordered some sausage a’ la carte.  While he would’ve preferred a bit more fat in the side sausage, he enjoyed the sausage in his scramble more.  Stephanie also ordered the “Choose your own” scramble, adding Spinach, Avocado & Wild Mushrooms.  She said it was delicious and the accompanying salsa was phenomenal.  As someone who orders more on the healthy side, she appreciated not having to ask for wheat toast as it came automatically (I gotta co-sign on that, as a Diabetic, I can’t do a lot of white breads so it was a delightful surprise with my meal)

Jackie ordered the Smoked Salmon Benedict: Poached eggs, Arugula, hash browns & Dill Hollandaise.  She loved the inventive use of a hash brown patty with her Benedict.  The poach on her eggs was perfect and the hollandaise was light.  A well-balanced dish.  Chris ordered the WNL Burger: Gruyere, Applewood smoked Bacon, caramelized Onions & farm egg.  He’d heard about this burger and was eager to try it.  He said it was the bomb, even going so far as it call it “The best burger in San Diego”.  Quality bacon on the burger, which is of utmost importance!  While it’s a bit on the pricey side ($18) Chris seemed very pleased with his decision to try it.  Kelsey & Anna had the Ricotta stuffed French Toast with Blackberry Syrup & mint with a side of pork sausage.  This would be the other sleeper hit of the table.  They both thought the french toast was outstanding.  Anna said they were perfect without going overboard on the stuffing.  Surprisingly light but sweet.  She claimed it the best French Toast she’s had.

As for me,  I ordered the Wild Mushroom Omelet with Brie artisan ham, leeks and black truffle oil.  I really loved it.  It had so much rich but light flavor.  The brie brought a buttery note to the meal and the tender mushrooms sang with the black truffle oil.  The potatoes on the side needed absolutely no seasoning.  The wheat toast kept the dish in check.  Totally satisfying.

They know the way to my heart because they led with Brie.

They know the way to my heart because they led with Brie.

After the spectacular showing on the previous courses, it seemed almost silly to leave without trying some of the desserts.  Matt had the Sea Salt Caramel Gelato, which he said was so good, this is a direct quote now: “My mouth never wants to touch my wife again”.  Stephanie was unavailable for comment but I commend Prep Kitchen’s desserts for ruining a 3-week old marriage.  Aimee ordered the Berry Shortcake with Brulee lemon poundcake.  It was incredible.  I don’t even know how in the hell you brulee a poundcake but it had a great crispy coating on it.  Superbly fresh berries and just a touch of mint made for an amazing dessert.  Aimee branded this dish reason enough to come back.

Cake + Fire = Love

Cake + Fire = Love

One of the most interesting (and necessary) options on the menu at Prep Kitchen is the “Kitchen 6’r”, where you can purchase a round of beers for the kitchen.  I guess they felt this was a better idea than customers wandering back there and the kitchen staff getting awkwardly long tearful hugs from grateful strangers while they’re trying to do their jobs.  We bought two rounds for the staff.

So the bar has been set impossibly high on this challenge I’ve set up for myself.  Prep Kitchen managed to deliver everything they promised and then some.  It’s quite a feat to keep this rowdy group of foodies quiet at a table but they got us.  And we’ll all be going back so they can get us again and again.

Further reading: http://www.prepkitchen.com/

Also, check out pics from all of my adventures on this challenge by following theboywhoatesandiego on Instagram!

Cafe Japengo (18 of 52) (CLOSED)

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The culinary arts, much like college, are a breeding ground for experimentation.  At whatever point in history it happened, some forward-thinking person decided food “A” needed to be combined with food “B” and BOOM!  The “food fusion” was born.  Not to be confused with the “Ford Fusion”, which is far less tasty and far more expensive than the meal in this week’s challenge.  Located in the swanky hills of La Jolla, Cafe Japengo is serving up Japanese fusion, cool cocktails and adventure.  The “adventure” part really only happens if you try to go to this restaurant without using the valet to park.  We wound up parking in the nearby Hyatt hotel parking lot, riding up several elevators and gate crashing at least 3 private events en route to Cafe Japengo.   But I did it, joined by my fearless “Charlie’s Angels” trio of ladyfriend dining companions:

Aimee-Roommate since the 90’s, BFF, allergic to hot dogs and therefore labeled a commie by many

Kelsey-Project manager, Advanced level foodie, Has been known to drop it like it’s hot after a few cocktails

Mandy-Writer, Top-shelf level geek girl, lives in my pocket

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Don’t let the calm looking demeanor fool you, inside these people are sushi fiends screaming for satisfaction.

The look of Japengo is cool and upscale with a heapin’ helping of hip.  We were eager to get started with some appetizers and cocktails.  Mandy ordered the Sakura Blossom: Hibiki Japanese Whisky,  Sake, Plum wine and bitters.  She mentioned the whisky was a bit heavy handed but the cockatil had a very pleasing sweet note on the back end.  Aimee (the only person in our group to have lived in Japan for a short spell) ordered a Meibo Sake, which she said was excellent.

The appetizers that were ordered included the Curry Dusted Calamari with Thai Lime Vinaigrette, chuka salad and grapes (not a typo. IT’S FUSION, PEOPLE!).   Kelsey called the Calamari good but unevenly seasoned.   She found the grapes to be a very nice surprise.    Aimee also found the calamari unevenly seasoned but the crispy noodles and grapes were nice.   Mandy confirmed a unanimous ruling that the calamari was unevenly seasoned with a bit too much breading for her.

I have absolutely no interest in Calamari so I ordered an appetizer that sounded delicious and definitely stood out for it’s “WTF-ness”.  Truffled Nori Fries with parmesan & furikaki with garlic aioli and wasabi mayo.  This was undoubtedly the biggest stretch on the menu as far as things that barely qualified as Asian but they sounded too good to pass up.    I found them tasty and aromatic with great sauces.  Creamy, rich, spicy and perfectly sized.   While they found them an odd addition to the menu, Aimee and Mandy both agreed the fries were very good.

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Proof that “Delicious” will always trump “Authentic”

Main courses were next.  Kelsey and Aimee both ordered the Char-Siu roasted Duck with local market vegetables, Karobuta Bacon, house made Plum Sauce and 3 Bao buns.  Kelsey said the duck was good but felt 3 Bao wasn’t enough as the portions are most certainly sized for sharing.  Aimee praised the duck and it’s sauce as “perfect”.  The side vegetables were also great.

I ordered Vietnamese Pork with Harusame Noodles, jalapeno, asparagus, mint, grilled eggplant, portabello mushroom & Hoisin.  It was friggin’ delicious.  Tender pork, so full of bold savory flavors.  I loved the sauce and mix of textures added by the asparagus and eggplant.  The noodles were also great.  The whole dish was a winner.

The only thing I have to remember this awesome dinner by as my leftovers were unceremoniously thrown out when someone at my work decided to clean out the fridge. At 9am. Yes, I am still pissed about it...

The only thing I have to remember this awesome dinner by as my leftovers were unceremoniously thrown out when someone at my work decided to clean out the fridge. At 9am. Yes, I am still pissed about it…

We were all also eager to try Japengo’s sushi, so we each ordered some rolls.

Sushi. The most perfect food ever? Y/Y ?

Sushi. The most perfect food ever? Y/Y ?

Kelsey ordered the Fifty/Fifty roll: crab and cucumber on the inside with rice, fresh salmon and yellowtail finished with thin slices of lemon, green onion and ponzu sauce.   Kelsey and Mandy both found the roll good but the lemon slice has got to go.  Too overpowering.  I ordered the Pizza Roll: crab and smoked salmon rolled in rice baked with a crab garlic mayo.  While I’m normally not a fan of baked sushi rolls, I wanted to try it because it seemed like a unique idea.  It was good and had a nice flavor but the baking process did leave each piece with a slightly tough texture.  Aimee ordered her favorite sushi stand-by, Unagi (Eel handrolls).  She said it was good but there’s better Unagi to be found in the city.

Mandy learned all about classic sushi from working in an authentic sushi bar in Massachusetts, so her review of Japengo’s sushi was well-informed and critical.  She ordered the Salmon Nigiri, Spider Roll (Softshell Crab), the Special Albacore Roll (a Shrimp Tempura roll with seared albacore & avocado, finished with Ponzu Masago).  She explained that it’s a personal pet peeve of hers when San Diego sushi restaurants add crab surimi to every roll with the purpose of padding the roll and increasing the price.  She feels it takes away from the flavor of the fish and detracts from the overall quality of the sushi.  Mandy did, however, find the salmon to be fresh and clean cut.   She added that the Spider Roll could use more softshell and less Surimi.

Overall, we felt that while the sushi was not the high point of the meal, the other dishes and drinks made up for it.  Cafe Japengo is a really nice place to go in La Jolla for some solid Asian fusion.

Further reading: http://www.cafejapengo.com/



The Cosmopolitan Hotel & Restaurant (17 of 52)

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Contrary to popular belief, some of the oldest things in San Diego can be found outside La Jolla and Del Mar.  One of San Diego’s earliest settlers, Juan Lorenzo Bandini, decided he needed the biggest house in the new city, so in 1829 he made that happen.  The result was a Spanish colonial-style joint with seven rooms, an entrance hall, an enclosed courtyard, a corral, and several sheds and barns for his sprawling family of 4.  I would also imagine he either had horses or his wife resembled Sarah Jessica Parker.  In 1869, Bandini’s house became the Cosmopolitan Hotel.  Then in 1900 it was an olive canning factory until 1928 when Bandini’s Grandson bought it and restored it, not to his Grandfather’s vision of a comfortable family home but back to the much more profitable Cosmopolitan Hotel complete with modern amenities such as wired electricity, gas and Wifi.  Now the building remains one of the oldest standing structures in the city and it really is beautiful.  My friends and I had to take a foot tour after dinner and I highly recommend you do the same.  Though purportedly haunted, no ghosts joined us for dinner to regail us with tawdry tales from the olive canning industry.

Speaking of tawdry, joining me for dinner were:

Abby–Swim instructor, Disneyland buddy, Stresses about making food for my other food-savvy friends

Aimee-Roommate since the 90’s, BFF, allergic to hot dogs and therefore labeled a commie by many

Amy-Vegetarian Belle, Author, Event Planner

Durwood-Best friend, comedian, San Diego’s go-to young black non-singing actor

Harry-Wise guy, master of the grill, loves camping for some reason

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We ain’t afraid of no ghosts. Just keep the drinks coming.

One of the best parts to the Cosmopolitan is it’s outdoor bar.  Amy enjoyed a glass of Gainey Riesling, which she called “Delicious, sweet without being too sweet and lots of fruit”.  The bartender was fun and the happy hour looked cool.  We were soon led in to the dining room.  We had lots of time to enjoy the decor as we were the only table in it.  It gave the whole affair an eerie feel.

4.30 (2)

Private dining room! Just us, our server and a painting of a lion that looks like Hal Holbrook!

The Cosmopolitan is big and impressive but it is with great sadness that I deliver the bad news:

This was the worst meal I’ve had since starting this challenge.

 

I feel terrible about this because I wanted so badly to like it.  I’m speaking specifically of my main course, but we’ll get to that in a moment.  Abby ordered the “Biggest Toad in the Puddle”; Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Triple Sec, Lime juice & Cherry Bitters.  It was good but so not my thing.  A lot of the drinks at The Cosmopolitan stay away from sweetness, which I love.  Amy ordered the Pineapple Mint Cosmo (The special Cosmo of the month) which said was “Delicious and refreshing without being too sweet”.  Aimee ordered a “Razzmapolitan”; Chambord, Vodka, Lime juice, cranberry & mixed seasonal berries.  She said it was excellent.  The bar overall got high marks from us.  They pour heavy, use quality booze and the value is good.

In place of rolls, The Cosmopolitan provides “Cheese Puffs” with fig butter.  They were light and warm.  A great mix of salty and sweet.  For appetizers,   Aimee ordered the Kung Pao Calamari, which she really enjoyed.  Great sauce and most of all, they fry up and serve the entire squid bodies, which is unusual.   Amy had the Rustico bruschetta, with herbed goat cheese and chimmichurri sauce.  This sauce was the highlight of the whole dish for Amy.   Abby had the Braised Pork Cheeks.  With caramelized onions, crispy onions and a merlot reduction.   She enjoyed the almost beef wellington-ish style of the cooking.   For my appetizer, I ordered the Ahi Lettuce Cups with ginger, julienne vegetables, garlic in baby iceberg lettuce cups.  I found it refreshing and zesty but nothing Earth shattering.  The jalapenos on top were a bit much.

Enjoy. It's down hill from here...

Enjoy. It’s down hill from here…

Amy took another one for the team and had another cocktail, purely in the interest of journalistic thoroughness.  She ordered the The Stagecoach Smash; bourbon, honey, ginger beer, fruit and champagne.  She said it was delicious.   Dinner held much promise as many of the things on the Cosmopolitan’s menu sounded super yummy.  Chief among them was what Aimee and Durwood both had; Fried Chicken and churros with bacon jalapeno infused maple syrup.   While this sounds like heaven, the result was less than Godly.  The plate comes with different cuts of chicken.  Aimee’s plate had a breast, wing and drumstick.  She said the breast was really good but the wing & drumstick were both dry.  The syrup was not overpowering and the churros (served trapped under the chicken) were good but she couldn’t enjoy them together.   Durwood gave the dish high marks for concept but came to the conclusion that the chicken was not home made but frozen.  I trust him because those people know their fried chicken.  By “those people”, I of course mean Southerners.   He also found himself wanting more syrup.  His dinner included a thigh but no breast.  This launched us into a very long discussion about how odd it is, on the part of the restaurant, to not include the same cuts on the same dish.

Abby had the homemade gnocchi with pan seared scallops, cherry tomatoes, asparagus and chimichurri sauce.  She loved the light char on the gnocchi and said the scallops were tender, buttery and perfectly cooked.  The chimichurri sauce added a great fresh element.  Amy ordered the promising grilled peach and strawberry salad with roasted almonds, a fried goat cheese ball and raspberry vinaigrette.  While Amy said the peaches were delicious, the goat cheese was best and necessary to cut the sweetness of the strawberries and the dressing.  She found the salad very unbalanced.  While it wasn’t bad in her estimation, she wouldn’t order it again.

Harry had the espresso braised short ribs with pan-fried garlic brussels sprouts, herbed marble potato and natural au jus.  He praised the meat for being perfectly fork tender with an added bonus of nostalgia, as the flavor of it brought him back to the beef jerky his Dad used to make.   Side dishes that we shared included a greasy cornbread and crispy brussels sprouts with a balsamic glaze and goat cheese, which was everyone’s absolute favorite.

For my dinner, I had the herb crusted pork chop with confit baby red potatoes, sauteed spinach, edamame succotash, roasted corn and a taragon cream sauce.  Everything about it was awful.  Everything.  The succotash was mostly mushy black beans, there was barely any corn on the plate.  The “baby potatoes” were cooked whole and about the size of two baseballs.  The breading on the pork chop was absolutely flavorless.  The cut of meat was awful; fatty, overcooked and completely bland.  It was a horrible mesh of luke warm crispy, chewy, mushy, muddled mess on a plate.  Total disappointment.

You had one job, dinner. That job was to be delicious. You have failed.

You had one job, dinner. That job was to be delicious. You have failed.

I wanted to order dessert, because really, for me, there was no place to from here but up.  Amy ordered the seasonal berry cobbler.  It’s huge and it has to be ordered a la mode due to the tartness and the fact that it’s served at a temperature to rival the inside of an active volcano.  We also shared the caramelized banana cheesecake, which we all found a little weird.  It wasn’t particularly sweet but the caramelized banana was tasty.   Aimee, Durwood and I all ordered the fried ice cream.  A cool concept but the reality isn’t as impressive.  It’s a baseball-sized ball of vanilla ice cream that just tastes like it’s coated in granola.  Not a high note to end on.

My dessert and the thing that made Durwood the 2nd most overdressed thing at our table.

My dessert and the thing that made Durwood the 2nd most overdressed thing at our table.

So, to be fair, while my dinner was horrible, the reviews from everyone else were not as bad.  I’m not saying I would never go back to the Cosmopolitan but aside from the historical interest, solid service, friendly staff and good outdoor bar, I can’t imagine I’ll be headed back there any time soon.

Further reading: http://oldtowncosmopolitan.com/restaurant.html