I'd like to start off by explaining why I went back to shab row. I feel it's only fair to review any restaurant twice. Not to make excuses for bad service or poor quality food but, sometimes you hit a place on a bad day and sometimes you get lucky at an average place
So with that out of the way I went back to shab row for lunch.
It was around 2p.m. And the place was clean and almost empty. Just three tables and me, I sat at the bar
I was pleased that the waiter remembered me and apologized for my last visit. He told me that restaurant week had kicked his butt and when I questioned him about my last visit he told me there were allot of issues going on behind the scene.
I told him I didn't need a menu I wanted there burger med/rare with the duck fat fries
This time I even got to choose some bread. I picked the olive bread which was thick and crusty but still very moist. It was complimented with a silver domed ramekin of good quality butter served correctly at room temperature
When the burger arrived it was gorgeous to look at. A big shiny artisan bun and BIG!
The meat is sheppard mansion farms ground sirloin and a half pound of it. Smothered with a nice onion chutney, aged white cheddar and some fantastic braised pork lardo in big browned,juicy slabs
I'll never be satisfied with mere bacon on my burger again.
Complimenting the burger was a side of tomato chutney and a paper cup overflowing with those magical duck fat fries.
I requested mayonnaise but was told they didn't have any, instead he brought me out a side od blue cheese aioli. Even better
The burger was cooked perfectly and way better then delicious. And those fries,oh those fries
It was absolutely delicious and my new favorite burger in Frederick or anywhere I can recall
I was way to full for desert so I picked up some gourmet beer to go(they have a very gourmet beer and wine store in the restaurant) the chef came out and I complimented him on a job well done and I will return soon. That goes to show you why I give restaurants I review a second chance.
Like I said in my first review. This place has potential
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Danielles restaurant , please be good.
well, last day for restaurant week and I'm on the Frederick food scene
Used open table,( an app on my iPad which is a great way to search restaurants and find open tables without even calling). It's A perfect way to find restaurants and reviews anywhere and a good way to go "incognito" just walk in and give them a name.
Anyway. It's around the same area of the historic strip but a few blocks back. It's near the last spot I reviewed "shab row"(am I the only one who thinks that shab row is a terrible name for a restaurant?
Anyway this is all about danielles.
It's in a neat area. It's like a historic area when it was new(if that makes sense?)
And the layout is killer. There a classy and cozy lounge/w a big open center bar. A large screen t.v. But is put on a wall that you can only really see It from the bar, which is neat because the tables and decor in really intimate, so it doesn't at all even resemble a sports bar effect.
First things first. My waitress's name was Laura. I have found it increasingly difficult to find great service (unless you go to VOLT and you can't do that everyday)but she was great. Professional,alert,informative,nice,and again, professional.
The food THANK YOU GOD! was great
My date and I both got the restaurant week tasting menu
Me, appetizer .....Exploding shrimp. jumbo shrimp wrapper in juilanned phillo dough and deep fried served with a garlic aioli
It was real nice shrimp and cooked nicely the garlic aioli was good but I would of suggested a tomato based sauce, cocktail would of made it ROCKSTAR it is defiantly something you should try.
The other appetizer we ordered was there calimari. The menu says " the best you'll ever have" I like a chef with confidence. I thought it was awsome and I would strongly recommend you get it and enjoy it. It reminded me of the fried baby squid legs I used to get in Chinatown, Honolulu. REALLY REALLY GOOD
Main course, lobster Mac n cheese. So damn good. It was in a cheese sauce with gorgonzola and fontina, man what a combo. It was really perfect. Not salty but almost sweet but more cheesy and cooked perfect. You gotta get this one
The other entree was the angus n.y. Strip. Not bad at all. It was a steak and it was cooked the way I ordered it med-rare with blue cheese butter. Very tasty... But drop your pants and roll around. It was served with "parmesan crusted truffle potato fries" EVERYBODY!!!!!!! this is the reason to go. They were one of the best things I have ever eaten! If I could I would go live inside of them so I could eat the walls when I was hungry. Please go and try them. If you don't think there the off the chain let me know.
For desert it was my old faithful creme brûlée. It was great. Perfect. What can I say except.THANK YOU.
this place I strongly suggest you go. It's a little pricy but obviously well worth it. They had a really nice wood burning brick oven pizza and the pies looked fantastic. I saw a few getting picked up to go. I'm going back to get the pizza and another order of truffle fries. Anyone want to join me? Well try there beer.
Used open table,( an app on my iPad which is a great way to search restaurants and find open tables without even calling). It's A perfect way to find restaurants and reviews anywhere and a good way to go "incognito" just walk in and give them a name.
Anyway. It's around the same area of the historic strip but a few blocks back. It's near the last spot I reviewed "shab row"(am I the only one who thinks that shab row is a terrible name for a restaurant?
Anyway this is all about danielles.
It's in a neat area. It's like a historic area when it was new(if that makes sense?)
And the layout is killer. There a classy and cozy lounge/w a big open center bar. A large screen t.v. But is put on a wall that you can only really see It from the bar, which is neat because the tables and decor in really intimate, so it doesn't at all even resemble a sports bar effect.
First things first. My waitress's name was Laura. I have found it increasingly difficult to find great service (unless you go to VOLT and you can't do that everyday)but she was great. Professional,alert,informative,nice,and again, professional.
The food THANK YOU GOD! was great
My date and I both got the restaurant week tasting menu
Me, appetizer .....Exploding shrimp. jumbo shrimp wrapper in juilanned phillo dough and deep fried served with a garlic aioli
It was real nice shrimp and cooked nicely the garlic aioli was good but I would of suggested a tomato based sauce, cocktail would of made it ROCKSTAR it is defiantly something you should try.
The other appetizer we ordered was there calimari. The menu says " the best you'll ever have" I like a chef with confidence. I thought it was awsome and I would strongly recommend you get it and enjoy it. It reminded me of the fried baby squid legs I used to get in Chinatown, Honolulu. REALLY REALLY GOOD
Main course, lobster Mac n cheese. So damn good. It was in a cheese sauce with gorgonzola and fontina, man what a combo. It was really perfect. Not salty but almost sweet but more cheesy and cooked perfect. You gotta get this one
The other entree was the angus n.y. Strip. Not bad at all. It was a steak and it was cooked the way I ordered it med-rare with blue cheese butter. Very tasty... But drop your pants and roll around. It was served with "parmesan crusted truffle potato fries" EVERYBODY!!!!!!! this is the reason to go. They were one of the best things I have ever eaten! If I could I would go live inside of them so I could eat the walls when I was hungry. Please go and try them. If you don't think there the off the chain let me know.
For desert it was my old faithful creme brûlée. It was great. Perfect. What can I say except.THANK YOU.
this place I strongly suggest you go. It's a little pricy but obviously well worth it. They had a really nice wood burning brick oven pizza and the pies looked fantastic. I saw a few getting picked up to go. I'm going back to get the pizza and another order of truffle fries. Anyone want to join me? Well try there beer.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Restaurant week , shab row
Went to shab row for lunch today.
This place has potential, but,,,
No one was there to seat me and I had a reservation
Ten minutes later I approached to ONLY waiter on the floor. Nice enough kid but way overwhelmed
No bread or water and he was struggling to figure out what to do next. There were more people with menus then food(not a good sign)
The bartender finally came to my table to take my food order(no wine offerings or even what I wanted to drink?)
When the waiter realized I didn't have water he brought me a glass and I had to ask for a soda(5 minutes lateer that arrived
I was compelled to watch the debacle going on around me. Confused faces, hungry people, no food...it was a scene
When my salad did arrive it was brilliant. Frizze lettuce with a mustard horseradish dressing drizzled very sparingly, surrounded by ricotta and parmesan ouenettes and perfectly cooked sweetbreads( from the thiroid of the cow) they were amazing. I could of eaten an entire plate and been in food heaven
A while later the main course arrived. Beautifully and delicate raviolis(6) stuffed with a tangy and creamy local goat cheese and plated on chantrell mushrooms sauteed in garlic and a cream reduction. It was soooooo good until the last bite when I bit down on a twig of wood? and actually hurt my teeth. These thing just always seem to happen to me
Desert was the real deal breaker. I waited with no water or soda for over 20 minutes and then I got a desert I did not order. I ordered the chocolate, pistachio,mousse with chocolate dirt and tonk a bean ice cream and got some pineapple mango ice cream instead. I returned the desert and was given the correct on but it was tiny, tiny and delicious.
It took 95 minutes to have a 3 course meal that took about 4 minutes to eat. Thankfully they have there own parking so no meter charges
All in all there is great potential and I will return to review this restaurant again. It's only fair.
The thing I will get next time is there signature burger made with fresh local ground beef and served with pom fris (French fry) cooked in duck fat for only ten bucks.
When I do you'll be the first to know
Chef Andy
This place has potential, but,,,
No one was there to seat me and I had a reservation
Ten minutes later I approached to ONLY waiter on the floor. Nice enough kid but way overwhelmed
No bread or water and he was struggling to figure out what to do next. There were more people with menus then food(not a good sign)
The bartender finally came to my table to take my food order(no wine offerings or even what I wanted to drink?)
When the waiter realized I didn't have water he brought me a glass and I had to ask for a soda(5 minutes lateer that arrived
I was compelled to watch the debacle going on around me. Confused faces, hungry people, no food...it was a scene
When my salad did arrive it was brilliant. Frizze lettuce with a mustard horseradish dressing drizzled very sparingly, surrounded by ricotta and parmesan ouenettes and perfectly cooked sweetbreads( from the thiroid of the cow) they were amazing. I could of eaten an entire plate and been in food heaven
A while later the main course arrived. Beautifully and delicate raviolis(6) stuffed with a tangy and creamy local goat cheese and plated on chantrell mushrooms sauteed in garlic and a cream reduction. It was soooooo good until the last bite when I bit down on a twig of wood? and actually hurt my teeth. These thing just always seem to happen to me
Desert was the real deal breaker. I waited with no water or soda for over 20 minutes and then I got a desert I did not order. I ordered the chocolate, pistachio,mousse with chocolate dirt and tonk a bean ice cream and got some pineapple mango ice cream instead. I returned the desert and was given the correct on but it was tiny, tiny and delicious.
It took 95 minutes to have a 3 course meal that took about 4 minutes to eat. Thankfully they have there own parking so no meter charges
All in all there is great potential and I will return to review this restaurant again. It's only fair.
The thing I will get next time is there signature burger made with fresh local ground beef and served with pom fris (French fry) cooked in duck fat for only ten bucks.
When I do you'll be the first to know
Chef Andy
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