PX This presents THE F&F REVIEW
Hey, sorry we couldn’t make it to "Friends&Family," we were out of town/ had to work/ not invited. We’re really glad we finally managed to come by, though— it’s so nice to see you!
What’s that? You would still like us to take the time to fill out the F&F survey, because you’d love to take advantage of all our vast experience, knowledge, insight, and expertise as long as we’re already here? Because you invited 75 people to F&F, and afterward all you got was 41 "Congrats[es]!" 22 "Awesome[s]!" 3 "Ciao[s]!" and 9 "Best of lucks[s]!" ?
Of course, we’d be honored. Oh ha, yesss, we’ll be honest— brutally honest even, ha ha! After all, that’s what friends & family are for!
No no please, don’t send anything more, we’re stuffed, we can’t breathe, you’ll have to roll us out of here, ha ha ha… !
What was your first impression?
Everything always looks so much better in photos. But this is kinda cute, I guess.
Please rate the Bar:
The bartender is very amicable. And call me crazy, but it’s pretty refreshing to see a Mexican behind a bar at a Mexican restaurant.
Please rate the drinks/ cocktails/ wine:
The wine list, although small, is better than you’d expect (albeit just slightly expensive for the offerings), and the cocktails list looks good. I opted for wine though— after all, this is supposed to be "french-handed Mexican," right? Gotta admit, I’m intrigued.
Please rate the Dining Room:
OK. Simple. Rustic. A bit more blah than it could be; it could use a heartier infusion of personality. Love the music though— the all-Spanish playlist is definitely a nice touch. A decent use of space, but it could be better. (And why did they cover over the great original tin ceiling? Is that a ‘noise issue’ thing? Bummer.)
Please rate the BOH:
Not bad. The plentiful small dishes and sides presented on the menu are smart and gratifying; it seems there’s something for everyone here. The food is good but lacks the spark I anticipated from a highly trained and experienced chef. Simple, rustic and homey is one thing; prosaic is another. Then again, at this very reasonable price point, there’s little room for complaint.
How was the staff?
LOL. Fine. Both guys were just fine.
What did you eat?/ How was the food?
Chorizo Nachos (Bar Menu) : Not bad. I would have preferred fresh jalapeño to pickled, but OK. And for $3, it’s actually pretty good. But yeah, I’m beginning to see the un-Mexican-ness, I think. Unless of course this is some deep down profound homestyle Oaxacan Indian Mexican recipe of which I’m completely unaware.
Crab Chimichangas: Looks more like a spring roll. Decent, but the ‘pre-packaged’ attributes are pretty apparent in the crab— a little bland and lifeless.
Boquerones: OK. The dressing on the salad is nice. A little sweet, somewhat Asian— is that soy sauce I taste?
Rib-eye: Not bad, but this is definitely rustic all right. Thin fillet, but tender and well-prepared. Very homestyle. The sauteed baby spinach on the side is good, and I really like that stuffed "indigenous mexican vegetable" (looks like a cactus?) relleno.
Esquites: Not on the cob, but that’s OK. Tasty. Fine.
Grilled mushrooms: Simple but delicious.
What did you like?
The cactus whatever relleno. The music. And for $36/bottle, the pinot noir from Williamette was pretty good.
What did you dislike?
Nothing in particular.
What was your last impression?
There’s room for improvement, but definitely not a hopeless cause. Plenty of potential here.
Would you come back?
I think so.
Thank you, and hope to see you soon!
Thanks, it was a pleasure.
Tags: BARS, F&F REVIEWS, WEST VILLAGE
= "personne extraordinaire"
February 3rd, 2010 at 12:44 PM
I liked it fine, the only thing is that this location is tough. Nothing has done well in that space.