Not sure why, but every time I drive by Red's Porch, my first thought is a vision in my head of Sam Elliott calmly stating, "I'm Red, and this here is my porch", while welcoming guests with a sweep of the arm and a crooked smile.
My second thought is always, "damnit all does that place ever look like a Citibank".
Well, to those who know, Red's is actually BEHIND the bank. Probably not hard to figure out, but just thought I'd clarify.
As far as atmosphere goes, this place is tops. A two story, indoor-outdoor structure with a fantastic second level bar and porch with an even better view of the canyon-like Greenbelt with a distant view of the hills of Westlake. Put simply, this is a small slice of vacation lake life without the lake. It beats a drive out to Lake Travis when you're just looking for that feeling, some food, and some drinks on a nice day, and want to avoid the crowds and the scantily-but-should-be-clad boaters stopping in for some more beer at Hula Hut or Abel's on the Lake (both great spots though in their own right).
My good friend Spike and I stopped in for a quick burger and beer yesterday after a muni round on a beautiful February day. High hopes for the atmosphere, and tempered hopes of a great burger, we were both pleasantly surprised by all, and had a great time.
I opted for the Manimal, upgraded for grass-fed, natural beef, topped with grilled onions, cheddar, swiss and homemade Thousand Island, and Spike opted for the Smokey Goat burger, topped with "deep" smoked bacon, fried onions, and goat cheese. And then we did what two dudes normally don't do in a public setting, we cut those suckers in half and traded so we could try each of them. In the name of reviewing. Glad we did.
Both very good. The grass-fed natty patty on the Manimal had a rich, moist, and beefy flavor, complemented nicely by sweet, carmelized onions. I'd have liked some more tang from the Thousand Island to balance the onions, as it erred toward the sweet side, though was well prepared and very good.
(picture a half pound burger on a sourdough bun with grilled onion, cheddar, swiss, and 1000 island here)
The Smokey Goat was excellent. Bacon was as advertised and cooked perfectly. Not crumbly and not chewy. Thin sliced and fried onions provided a crunch and sweetness, which balanced perfectly with the soft, tangy goat cheese. Smokey, sweet, salty, tangy, beefy. A great combination of flavor.
Fries came with both, and while not mind blowing, were pretty good. A bit on the cool side, and clearly just fried once, they came well seasoned with flaky kosher salt. Dipped in a self-made-at-the-table hot sauce laced ketchup, or the side of cilantro mayo that I ordered, they rounded out the meal, as did my Austin Beerworks Pearl Snap Pils, which was just one of a large list of local, domestic and import brews available for the taking.
This is a laid back, very Austin, perfect atmosphere, where you can spend countless hours on a nice afternoon drinking beer, a decent glass of wine, or a cocktail, keeping any worries the past week may have brought, or the current week may bring, far, far away.
Sometimes you eat the bar, and...well...sometimes the bar eats you. I'm good with either. And this is the right bar.
Summary
Atmosphere: relaxing lakeside bar just without the lake but fantastic views, laid back, outdoor seating, sit outside
Food: burgers, sandwiches, home-cooking and Tex-Mex. you feel like it, you got it.
Crowd: goooooood looooookin', young, old, beachy, swimsuits, tank tops, bare feet, canine, large groups, small groups, hotchicks, hipsters, and starving artists
When to Go: any afternoon when the weather is nice, brunch on the weekends
What to Order: whatever you feel like, you're there for the the atmosphere, the company, and the beer
Dog Friendly: absolutely, they'll have lots of friends
Admittedly and regrettably I haven't posted many restaurant reviews lately as I've been cooking at home nearly every night and when I have stopped somewhere for a bite, it's been for the old standbys that I've already written about. That said, let's see if I remember how to do this.
Hank's Garage Belgian Pub
Hank's Garage Belgian Pub
Hanks Garage, Belgian Pub
I know, doesn't really seem to jive, does it. I'm afraid this place is suffering from location and identity issues. I've been wanting to check out this "Belgian Pub" for a while now, and finally made it there last week for a quick dinner and a beer.
I wasn't sure quite what to expect, but was hoping it was along the lines of a place called Vol de Nuit in the West Village of Manhattan, which I visited a few years back. Not having been to Belgium to see what a real Belgian Pub is like, I've got to believe that this is a pretty good replication...
...save for greasy tank tops, of course.
Small, intimate, secluded, dark only for the dimly lit red lights, dusty hardwood floors, fantastic Belgian beers of all sorts on tap, expertly executed fries, and mouthwatering mussels swimming in a flavorful broth.
Instead, we've got this...
...which doesn't look all that bad in these pictures, I realize, but just doesn't have that feel that I so expected and wanted. First off, the place is huge, and with windows across the entire front of the joint, exposed ceilings and concrete floors, an open kitchen, and a menu meant to look like a clipboard list of garage services and estimates, it just doesn't scream PUB at me. Give me dark. Give me scary. Give me food that comes from a mysterious room somewhere off the grid.
If the place isn't packed (and there were two other people there when I was there), sounds quietly echo
through the place, even over the horrific sounds of Brent Musburger ringing out from one of several flat screen TVs around the place. It's identity crisis starts with it trying to decide if it's a restaurant, a pub, or a sports bar, and with a location at Second and San Jacinto downtown, it's more likely to attract name-tagged convention goers than thirsty locals looking for a place to drown the beating of a hard days work in some high-octane beer.
Now, I get that the place has a history, and is in fact a former garage, as the bartenders will clearly point out, but it just doesn't seem to fit with the theme they're going for.
That said...despite the odd format, the menu looked excellent, and I would have had trouble picking out what to eat if not for my craving for fries that lead me there in the first place. Even with that, there are a lot options for fries, starting with regular or duck fat, and then a great list of dipping sauces including garlicky aioli, smoked paprika mayonnaise, dill creme fraiche, Sriracha mayo and Bearnaise. They've also got poutine, a north of the border delicacy known more commonly to American Northeast stoners and ski bums as french fries and gravy, which caught my attention quickly. They have a few different kinds, but I went with the classic, with brown sauce and cheese curds, and for no extra charge I added a side of smoked paprika mayonnaise.
Awesome. It was awesome.
Fries leaning toward the soggy side, a combination of cooking technique and gravy, without being greasy, a flavorful gravy, chewy cheese curds, and a wonderfully flavored dipping sauce.
I paired it with a Duchess de Bourge ale, which was the closest they could come to a sour beer I was looking for, and though a little on the sweet side for my taste, it was very good and went perfectly with the fries. I'd have liked to see a little more Belgian oriented beer selection, but I do realize this is Texas, so to survive they must have the basics. It was a little disheartening though to see Coors and Coors light at the top of the draught menu, and only after twenty beers ranging the gambit from American mass-produced to widely-distributed microbrews to German, Scottish and Irish lagers did they get to nine Belgians that they feature, half of which are made on this side of the Atlantic. That said, there's a taste on there for everyone, so if you're with a group looking for fries and beer, this is a good spot.
And it's a spot that I'll go back to. For the fries, a great beer, and Brent Musburger's opinion on whatever it is he feels like talking about, God help us all.
Summary:
Atmosphere: confused, sports barry, a little sterile, good for groups
Food: Belgian influenced, fries, mussels, burgers, sandwiches, and meat dishes
Crowd: two old guys in starched shirts (on my visit there)
Dog Friendly: no
When to Go: happy hour, dinner
What to Order for the First Timer: Classic Poutine with Smoked Paprika Mayonnaise
Thought I'd share yesterday's photo from Dirty's since the lighting was better in the front room.
Went with the large cheeseburger, two patties with cheese between them, onion, tomato, pickle and mayo. Caught them on a good day too, the bun had just enough grease seep into it to be really good, but wasn't supersaturated as happens sometime.
For the full review, http://thefatartery.blogspot.com/2011/03/dirty-martins-austin-tx.html
Yeah, Google Serranos and this is the first image that comes up. Relation to the chile or restaurant? I have no idea.
Now, I did find myself fascinated by this not-so-Mike-and-Carol family upon seeing this. A true pioneer, sometime in the late 60s, this not-Mike managed to piece together a little slice of Mexico, an FLDS third-wife, a scary little future serial killer, and enough butterfly collars and bad haircuts to fill his little California bungalow and make a pitch to the networks.
Thankfully, ABC didn't pick it up.
And thankfully, these people weren't at Serrano's on Red River when I went there for fajitas on Tuesday night.
There was however, a drunk man in his 60s that sat down next to me who, after offering the bartender extra money to make his margarita not sweet, asked me if I wanted to share enchiladas with him, to which I politely declined indicating that I had already ordered.
Ok, let's back up a minute. Found myself craving some fajitas the other night, and after driving by the packed parking lot at Polvo's, decided I'd try somewhere I hadn't been before. Advertising itself as the home of Mesquite Grilled Fajitas, I decided to give Serrano's a shot, despite a misguided preconceived notion that this place was run-of-the-mill and probably not very good. Now I've driven by the downtown location countless times, and always chalked it up as being one of those cool little spots with average food, that likely gets visitors more than locals, and might be a good spot for a bite and some margaritas, but not a place someone looking for great food would go.
Despite the downtown location, I was able to park right out front, and after helping a group of six ladies to understand that the reason the parking meter wasn't working was because it shut off two hours earlier, I ambled up the Austin stacked stone stairway, across the "amphitheater", where the Brady's or not-so-Brady's could play if the every did come, to the bar, where I ordered a margarita, chips and queso, and beef fajitas.
This is actually a cool little spot, which, on a day that's not 105 would be a nice setting to sit outside, particularly if they filled the little stone stage along the creek that flows through the place with mariachis.
So as I mentioned, I started with the chips and queso, which came out quickly and hot, thankfully, as it's congealation factor was an eight on the standard ten point scale. Not spicy, but flavorful and creamy, this was a perfect starter, but the real winner was the salsa. Red and chunky, almost a blend between fresh pico and standard salsa, it carried some serious heat, which I welcomed, and was also cool and refreshing.
I can't speak for the rest of the food there, but the fajitas hit the spot. Upon their arrival, I was disappointed that, though served on an iron platter, they weren't sizzling, there was just a lone serrano pepper, and the onions looked raw, lacking that caramelization and continued cooking that I love so much. The beef itself was lukewarm, and cooked medium to medium-well, but had great flavor. Not so much the flavor of the heavily seasoned Polvo's meat, but more along the lines of the nice grill-flavored Habanero Cafe cuts. Tortillas were clearly homemade, thin flour tortillas that were nearly see through and which were easily the hottest thing on the plate, which did well in transferring the refried beans, beef, onions, sour cream and pico de gallo from the plate to my mouth. All in all, these were very good, including the onions, and the place gets bonus points for being and easy-in, easy-out fajita fix.
Nothing to write home about on the sides, standard rice, which I had a bite of but no more, and pureed refried pintos, carrying an oxygen-affected crust on the top.
Summary
Atmosphere: old Austin, ample outdoor seating in a cool old setting, bar, good place to meet for a drink and a bite, good place for a group, decent place to sit and have a solo meal
Food: Tex-Mex
Crowd: drunk old man, family who demanded the Food Network be turned on minutes before leaving, couples, and families
And that pretty much sums up my feelings about Chinatown. Just not quite the same without the Flavor.
Now, this place does have a few things going for it. First, and most importantly, they deliver, which is exactly what we were looking for last night. Second, the chicken wings. Though completely unseasoned, these things were perfectly fried resulting in a crispy on the outside, moist on the inside, blank canvas for whatever you want to put on them. Me? I drenched them with one of life's little secrets, House of Tsang's Mongolian Fire Oil, an incredible blend of chiles, garlic and ginger infused in oil, and I think there are few things that this goes better on than fried chicken complementing a bland Chinese meal.
Now let's get back to the meal.
Looks good, doesn't it? I thought so too, but looks can be deceiving, as I found out with the first bite. First let me say this though, the food wasn't bad, it just had no flavor, and certainly no spice. Two of the blandest Chinese dishes I've had in my life, and with a blindfold and inability to detect textures, I'd have trouble discerning it from the rice which came with it. It did however satisfy a few needs essential for us, and, frankly, we'll probably order from there again because of that. One, it filled a temporary void in our stomachs and allowed our bodies to convert the sugars, proteins and fats contained in it into energy, thereby performing essential life functions and sustaining life as we know it. Two, it gave us about twenty minutes before, and an hour afterwards, to really work on our ass grooves in our new couches, which still need some breaking in. Three, it gave me the opportunity to write a review on it this morning, and one that I felt I could really have some fun with.
Let's start with the Mongolian beef. We ordered the "Monoliagn Beef" that they had listed on their menu, figuring it was close enough to Mongolian beef, which My Lovely Wife Mrs. Gordo so dearly loves.
First, odd color for beef. In fact, I dished it up on my plate first thinking that it was the duck and just sliced oddly. (As a related side, this picture is actually listed in my files as "Chinatown Duck" as I couldn't easily identify it when saving.) Second, good texture, tender morsels of thinly sliced beef or beef substitute, with slightly cooked carrots still with a bit of tooth to them. Third, very little flavor, but nothing a little soy sauce and Sriracha couldn't take care of.
The duck.
I should have reconsidered after my initial conversation with the lady on the phone, when I ordered the Szechuan Spicy Duck and asked if was good, to which I got, ".................um........I guess between that and the Ma La Duck, I like that one better." Despite that ringing endorsement, I stuck with it.
First, the duck was well prepared, dark meat pulled from the bones in tender chunks, breast meat thickly sliced and holding onto some of the skin and fat that it needs to make it juicy, which it did. Second, this brown sauce was a bit darker than the one on the beef or beef substitute, but tasted exactly the same...bland. Again, nothing a little soy and Sriracha couldn't cure. Third, this was described on the menu as being steamed, deep fried, and then sauteed, and despite the perfection with which this was prepared, I think I could save the cook some time and say that throwing it into a searing hot wok as is with the rest of the stuff wouldn't result in anything too different, as there was no evidence of the deep fried crispiness that I expected. Fourth, the menu starred this as being spicy, and said it was sauteed in the chef's secret spicy sauce. Wrong on both counts. Not too dissimilar to the beef in flavor, each one satisfied the hunger, but left the tongue hanging out in the wind.
The eggrolls, at $2 a pop, were good but underwhelming both in size and flavor. Like the main dishes, not bad, but nothing to write home about.
As I said earlier, I'll most likely be giving this place another shot, primarily because of their delivery, but will make it a point to ask what I should get before ordering, giving them the opportunity to prove themselves as a more than one brown sauce type of place.
Woke up yesterday with a craving for fajitas and figured I'd try a place that I haven't yet reviewed, so I headed over to Habanero Cafe down at South First and Oltorf, but as I thought might be the case, it was packed and there was a wait, so I hopped back in the car and wandered around until I noticed El Flaco, on South Congress, which I've never noticed before, and which looked a lot like the dirty little Tex-Mex place that I was feeling like.
This place is likely often overlooked as just another far South Congress dive, but it ended up being a perfect spot to satisfy my fajita craving. After pulling into the parking spot there in front of the newspapers, I backed back out and found another spot after reading the posted sign notifying me that the spot I was in was "Mr. Flaco Parking Only". Must be the Mexican Burt Reynolds or something to get that kind of treatment.
Not much for interiors or decor here, but who cares, it's about the food. I was one of six people in the joint, two of which were heavily tatooed and dining alone, a couple who was discussing a friend's domestic dispute, and two other rather heavyset Latino women, all of us watching the news on the small little box tv hung in the corner of the joint.
I ordered the beef Fajitas Rancheras, which axes the bell peppers in place of the much hotter serranos, and decided to start with some of their queso, which came out first with the obligatory chips and salsa. The salsa was a great, hole-in-the-wall, red variety, with lots of heat and a liquid consistency. Very good with the warm, salted chips which came in a basket of translucent wax paper soaking up the excess.
Queso was pretty simple, and, well, let me just give you the recipe based on what my fine palate was able to decipher.
2 parts government issued cheese
1 part Elmer's wood glue
1 chopped pickled jalapeno
This stuff was THICK, and lasted about three minutes before becoming a solid paste which set the spoon such that you could lift the bowl off the table with it. That said, it was good, but I limited myself as I could literally feel it catching and sticking to my ribs on the way down. Combining it with the salsa was a nice means of keeping it more liquid-like as well as giving it some needed kick.
Fajitas. Let's do this recipe too.
1. Chop onions, serrano, peppers, and tomatoes.
2. Marinate and slice skirt steak.
3. Heat up cast iron fajita plate to somewhere between 100,000 and 110,000 degrees, throw steps one and two on it, garnish with cilantro, and serve.
Seriously, this thing came out so hot that even after I was done eating my first fajita, it was still going strong, strewing off loads of smoke, and charring everything on the bottom to a crisp, giving it all a nice caramelization and fantastic flavor. The first department must have this place marked on a map on its wall with a "Do Not Respond" note, and Mr. Flaco must have some pull with the local Fire Marshall in order to not have smoke detectors in this place.
The meat was fantastic, heavily seasoned throughout and cooked to order, with the serranos providing really good heat. The taco was cooled down to a comfortable temperature to eat once put on the hot flour tortillas with chunky, day-glo green homemade guacamole and pico de gallo, making it a fantastic combination that I'll be back for soon.
Portions were perfect for lunch, with enough meat, vegetables and tortillas to get you three nice-sized tacos, without giving you the "I just ate a massive Mexican meal for lunch and need a siesta before heading back to the office". Charro beans were a nice flavorful side, while the rice was run-of-the-mill and an unnecessary filler.
Great place to pop in for a quick and good lunch if you don't mind smelling like a line cook for the next few hours.
Summary:
Atmosphere: dirty Tex-Mex hole-in-the-wall, good for lunch, good for a hangover, good for dinner, good for carry out, outdoor seating, no bar seating
Food: classic Tex-Mex
When to Go: lunch, dinner
Dog Friendly: yes
Crowd: combination of WT and real Mexicans
What to Order for the First Timer: beef Fajitas Rancheras
Well it's overcast and only 86 degrees out today, so I took that opportunity to hit a food trailer for lunch today, and settled on Little Thai Food, on South 1st.
Great atmosphere for a food trailer, and really nice people running it. Set on the east side of South 1st just north of the Trailer Park Eatery, this place has ample seating with colorfully painted picnic tables, set along the edge of a nice little creek/greenbelt (though I'm not sure which one) in the shade of large, mature trees. In addition to the quality of the setting and the food, the service is nice if you're dining with them, and after ordering you take a seat and they bring your food out to you with the necessary utensils.
I opted for the Pad Ka Prow today with pork, which is thinly sliced pork stir-fried with basil, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, thai chiles and a brown sauce.
It was awesome. The pork was tender with hints of caramelization on the edges, the vegetables were cooked but still crisp also with nice brown on them, and the mushrooms still had some tooth to them, not having been cooked to the point of being limp. The chiles and the brown sauce combined for a flavorful and tasty seasoning for the dish, as well as something nice to drag the rice through with each bite.
The rice was also good, perfectly cooked so that it held together enough for you to cut a piece off to eat with the sauce and meat and vegetables, not dry in the least or difficult to control on the fork or with chopsticks.
My only knock with this place is the same as with every single Thai place I've been to. Despite reputations, and my asking them to make it "as hot as they possibly can", it barely tingled the tongue. That said, great flavor and a great meal at a good price ($6.50), and I'll be going back to give some of the curry and noodle dishes a shot soon.
Summary:
Atmosphere: one of the nicer food trailer setups out there, along the banks of a creek, with ample seating for large and small parties, good for lunch, good for a family, good for a group, good place to meet on a nice day, good for carry out
Food: Thai
Dog Friendly: yes
When to Go: lunch, dinner
Crowd: couple of other white people, but I was there after the lunch crowd
What to Order for the First Timer: TBD, but I recommend the only thing I've had there so far, the Pad Ka Prow
Great seafood. Great raw bar. Great bar. Great cocktails. Great outdoor seating. Great place for dinner.
Now, with a thesaurus...
Great seafood. Splendiferous raw bar. Swell bar. Hunky-dory cocktails. Marvelous outdoor seating. Fabulous place for dinner.
In the second half of 2010 (2H2010 for you corporate folks) when I was commuting to Austin weekly and staying with friends down off of South Congress, I frequented this place for dinner quite a bit whenever I was feeling like seafood or a relatively healthy meal. Also, it's a fantastic place to have a solo dinner, with a spacious bar, knowledgeable bartenders, and other solo diners sitting at the bar ready to have a conversation.
The menu is huge, comprised almost entirely of seafood, split up into sections for the raw bar, which features no less than twelve different types of oysters on the half shell, appetizers, salads and soups, simple a la carte fish, seafood and non-seafood plates, sandwiches, and sides. The bartenders and waiters can tell you anything and everything about everything on the menu, and can help to get you the right meal for you.
My Lovely Wife Mrs. Gordo and I hit up Perla's for an early dinner last night for some drinks and some food to share, which is a great way to experience this place as it allows you to try several things. We arrived right around 5:30pm, which was clearly too late to get a table outside on this fantastic day, but in time to get $0.50 off oysters (each one) and some discounted drinks at their happy hour. I'd say there are twenty or more tables outside underneath the shade of awnings and a massive oak, and in addition is an outdoor "bar" to sit at, not an actual bar but a long, skinny concrete table which is perfect for bellying up, be you flying solo or on a date. So with the outside packed, we found two spots at the bar inside, which is my favorite place to sit for a meal here.
We started with some oysters on the half shell, and after talking with the bartender about the various oysters on the menu, decided on the Salutation Cove Oysters from Prince Edward Island. Shucked at the bar and served on a bed of crushed ice with a couple of lemon wedges, these were medium sized, slightly briny though not as salty as those from the northeast, and very good. They serve them with sides of cocktail sauce, horseradish, and vinegar/onion mignonette, all perfect complements and perfect acidity to cut through the oysters.
From the oysters we moved on to the Salt and Jalapeno Pepper Fried Calamari with Green Sauce and Marinara, which is one of the better renditions of fried calamari I've had. Not greasy at all, the rings and tentacles come out dry and crispy on the outside, plump and perfectly tender on the inside, and are mixed together with fried strips of mild peppers and okra. Both sauces are excellent, with the green sauce being a simple, smooth and creamy salsa verde with an adequate amount of heat, and the marinara being homemade with chunks of tomato and onion, served warm.
Our raw and deep fried boxes checked, we moved over to the Fresh & Simple Market Seafood section and debated between the steamed North Atlantic halibut, the pan roasted Texas coast grouper, and halibut cheeks, which were littered amongst eight to ten other simply prepared fish selections. Just for the halibut, we went for the halibut cheeks with a side of potato griddle cakes.
Let me start with the griddle cakes. These things are fantastic. Very thinly shredded potatoes, presumably with egg, cream, and mild seasoning, formed into one inch thick patties and fried before being topped with sour cream and chives. Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside with just a hint of tooth from the potatoes. I strongly recommend this as a side to whatever you're having.
On to the halibut, and first an educations. These beauties are halibut cheeks:
They cut them out of this ugly sucker, pan roast these delicate morsels, resulting in a paper-thin, lightly browned and crispy crust, and a tender, mildly flavored, and incredibly delicate interior. With these simple preparations, you get a broiled lemon for squeezing, an herbed breadcrumb stuffed roma tomato, and a choice of garlic drawn butter, salsa verde, red chimichurri or homemade tartar as a sauce. I highly recommend the red chimichurri, a take on the standard South American condiment based on oil, herbs and garlic, with this one adding what tasted like oven dried tomatoes, lending a great sweetness to the dish. It's incredible, and a perfect sauce for the fish, though it can stand on its own just fine.
As I have a tendency to do, I'm going to digress. I've had fat cheeks my whole life. Growing up I was sent to the principal's office on more than one occasion for dipping in class, which I wasn't. I've been asked by cigar store employees what brand I'm chewing, which I also wasn't. But my favorite story comes after a late night of drinking, and a even later night of food poisoning. We had this tiny diner that we'd go to after the bars in school called the Pitt Grill, next to the Days Inn (that reminds me, what does La Quinta mean in English? mull it over, we'll get back to it), which was run by a massive and generally angry lady who would let us get behind the counter and do what we pleased with the griddle, the stove, the deep fryer and the toaster, leading us to some awesome late night meals and second degree burns before turning in for the night. On one such occasion they had just gotten in a batch of spoiled eggs, which we only found out a few hours later when my roommate and I both woke up in cold sweats with our bodies doing everything in their power to expel the tainted goods. After spending most of the night on the bathroom floor waiting for the health center to open up, we finally made it over to see the doctor. While my roommate vomited continuously in the waiting area, I went in to see the doctor, an old army doctor who must of at some point taken some shrapnel to the head, and explained what happened, citing specifically the undercooked and underrefrigerated eggs, my symptoms as well as my roommates, and that I've had food poisoning before. After a careful study of my body and head, this genius put his hand to his chin and this thinking cap on, thought about it for two or three minutes before informing me that nope, I didn't have food poisoning, I had a full on case of the mumps.
"Are you kidding me?" I asked. "Why the hell do you think I have the mumps? My roommate ate the same thing as me last night and is out in the hall vomiting right now."
His answer was simple. "Your cheeks have very serious swelling."
(I digress from my digression here. Answer: nexttodennys. YEAH! I'll be here all week, folks.)
Anyway I asked for a mirror, took a look at him, and informed him that's how I looked every morning when I wake up and look in the mirror, but he didn't believe me and asked if he could call my roommate in from the hallway to attest, which he did. As soon as he asked the question about my cheeks, my roommate looked at me as if to say, "is this guy for real", then vomited in the trash can he brought in with him from the hallway, then said "yeah, his cheeks look like that all the time", and then vomited again.
What could the doctor do at that point but offer a second opinion? "OK, you have food poisoning."
Thanks. True story. Don't get me started on health care overhaul.
Anyway, all that said, here's my best halibut impression.
Did that ruin your day?
Summary
Atmosphere: casual/trendy fish house and raw bar, great bar to sit at, great cocktails, great people watching, great if you're flying solo, fantastic outdoor seating and lots of it, outdoor "bar" to sit at, great place for a date, great place for a group
Food: seafood, some of the very best in town
Dog Friendly: indeed
When to Go: happy hour, dinner
Crowd: businessmen, 20somethings, 30somethings, tourists, hotchicks, groups of girls, groups of guys, groups of girls and guys, scantily clads, solo diners, seafood lovers
What to Order for the First Timer: oysters on the half shell, whatever pan roasted white fish they have with red chimichurri, griddle cakes
