My team asked about my birthday lunch and the only restaurant I wanted to try was Nada. It opened in late 2007 and has been on everyone’s charts since opening day. From my knowledge Nada took Bella’s place. A coworker called to make reservations for 10 and before she hung up she was told we would get a private room for the birthday party. A private room for me? oooooh, that’s exciting.
On Friday, I was so excited to go to lunch I almost didn’t get any work done. Yes I am that bad when it comes to food. The restaurant is conveniently located in the heart of town so street parking’s hard to find; if you find a spot, you’re lucky. We parked in one of the underground garages which set us back 7 dollars for 1.5 hours. Not bad.
After being greeted, we were told our party would sit upstairs in the back room. We walked up the funky, curvy stairs and headed to the private room. As we walked pass long and curvy red couches I was in awe of Nada’s contemporary chic interior. It plays up the bright color theme with reds, yellows and oranges. For a Mexican restaurant, they’ve transformed the space to resemble a hot spot for hip happy hour goers and diners.
The lunch menu is limited compared to the dinner menu, obviously, and consists mostly of tacos and sandwiches. I got Mahi Mahi tacos and my companions ordered grilled chicken tacos or Nada sliders. If any of you are familiar with White Castle, you know sliders are infamous with the fast-food joint. I won’t disgust you with the origins of the name. Tacos are served with a side of beans and rice and sliders are served with sweet potato fries. I read reviews about the Jalapeno Macaroni and Cheese so I ordered an extra side along with rice and beans. Gluttonous, I know.
My Mahi Mahi tacos had bright flavors. The fish was dipped in a batter, fried and stuffed in flour tortillas between guacamole and pico de gallo. With a sprinkling of lime juice the tacos came alive. As a lover of Mexican food, I would have preferred corn tortillas for my tacos as opposed to the flour tortillas. I am glad I ordered a side of macaroni and cheese. The top was crunchy from the broiler and the pasta was not overcooked. Additionally, the cheese and jalapenos added a spicy creamy kick to the traditional favorite. I didn’t care for the rice and beans because they weren’t flavored properly. There wasn’t enough of anything- cumin, coriander, chili powder or salt. Others that got sliders raved about the meat, they said it was tender and juicy. I stole couple sweet potato fries, for good reason. They were flavorful, not overcooked or greasy which is easy to do with shoestring fries. After stuffing ourselves, dessert wasn't an option for anyone.
Our server did an excellent job serving and staying on top of everything, especially with the 10 of us. And we're a colorful bunch. We were all a little surprised with the bill; we thought the portions were small for the price. However, combination of good food, service, food presentation and ambiance give Nada a prominent place in the mix. If you’re in search of an upscale modern Mexican restaurant, Nada fits the bill. I certainly plan to go back for happy hour, a formal sit down dinner, or even the macaroni and cheese. While it is a great restaurant to visit once in a while, I prefer the holes in the wall, mostly Spanish speaking joints that serve authentic food- the no frills spots that satisfy my Mexican food fix, inexpensively.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
It’s Soba time
Sundays are either eventful when I am cooking up a storm or lethargic as I am glued to the TV or web surfing. Yesterday was a busy Sunday. I started the day with my breakfast of champions, homemade granola (recipe coming soon) and milk, revised my shopping list and headed out on a shopping spree. I started at Trader Joe’s, which was busy but still manageable. Sometimes it's so crammed I get fed up and leave half way into my grocery shopping. I used to love going in there to browse and I am sad they found my little gem. Damn the TJ’s PR people! After getting most things, I headed to another grocer. There I bought pineapple, avocado, Cape Cod chips (the kettle cooked kind)- for Tuna Noodle casserole, carrots and soba noodles.
An odd combination of things, right? I used Soba and carrots for dinner that night. I love carbohydrates and when they come in a form of Japanese noodles, I love them even more. I usually make soba noodles one way, stir fried with vegetables, the only way I like them. When I recently visited a friend, she served soba noodles in a soup; it was gingery and tasty. After that meal I decided I like the noodles as a main dish, with vegetables better than in a soup.
Last night’s dinner was quick and simple. Protein can be added for a heartier version.
Soba Noodles with your favorite vegetables and protein, optional
6 ounce dried Soba Noodles
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 onion sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 inch ginger, minced
2 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Rice wine, Mirin
1 tsp Sesame oil
Red chili flakes
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
6 ounce fresh spinach or 4 ounce frozen spinach, defrosted
Sesame seeds, toasted
Cook noodles according to package directions. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add noodles and let the water come to rolling boil. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, turn down heat and simmer 2-3 minutes. Reserve some cooked noodle liquid, drain and rinse with cold water.
While waiting for water to boil, sauté onions in vegetable oil for 2-3 minutes in a medium pan, until onions have a brownish color on them. Add garlic and ginger and cook 30 – 60 seconds. (If using, this is the time to add extra-firm tofu or chicken breast. For chicken, add to the pan, and add enough broth to cover half of the chicken in liquid. Cover and cook until chicken is almost done.) Add soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil and red chili flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add carrots and spinach to the pan and mix. Finally, add cooked noodles and stir everything together. If it’s too dry, add the reserved liquid. Season with toasted sesame seeds and serve warm. Contrary to popular belief, soba noodles can be served warm.
Other vegetables that make a great apperance in this dish are eggplant, bok choy, shitake mushrooms, and broccoli.
An odd combination of things, right? I used Soba and carrots for dinner that night. I love carbohydrates and when they come in a form of Japanese noodles, I love them even more. I usually make soba noodles one way, stir fried with vegetables, the only way I like them. When I recently visited a friend, she served soba noodles in a soup; it was gingery and tasty. After that meal I decided I like the noodles as a main dish, with vegetables better than in a soup.
Last night’s dinner was quick and simple. Protein can be added for a heartier version.
Soba Noodles with your favorite vegetables and protein, optional
6 ounce dried Soba Noodles
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 onion sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 inch ginger, minced
2 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Rice wine, Mirin
1 tsp Sesame oil
Red chili flakes
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
6 ounce fresh spinach or 4 ounce frozen spinach, defrosted
Sesame seeds, toasted
Cook noodles according to package directions. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add noodles and let the water come to rolling boil. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, turn down heat and simmer 2-3 minutes. Reserve some cooked noodle liquid, drain and rinse with cold water.
While waiting for water to boil, sauté onions in vegetable oil for 2-3 minutes in a medium pan, until onions have a brownish color on them. Add garlic and ginger and cook 30 – 60 seconds. (If using, this is the time to add extra-firm tofu or chicken breast. For chicken, add to the pan, and add enough broth to cover half of the chicken in liquid. Cover and cook until chicken is almost done.) Add soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil and red chili flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add carrots and spinach to the pan and mix. Finally, add cooked noodles and stir everything together. If it’s too dry, add the reserved liquid. Season with toasted sesame seeds and serve warm. Contrary to popular belief, soba noodles can be served warm.
Other vegetables that make a great apperance in this dish are eggplant, bok choy, shitake mushrooms, and broccoli.
Friday, March 28, 2008
one of many Birthday Celebrations…..
I recently had a birthday that I was ecstatic about. I celebrated multiple times because it was a milestone year. (And you'll hear about all the festivities in upcoming posts.) The first celebration was for March babies at work. After much deliberation we agreed to head to Courtyard Café on Main Street in Over the Rhine. This is one of those places that I didn’t know about until recently. Courtyard on the Main, as some like to call it, has been mentioned more often than I can remember as a great place to grab lunch or drinks, by coworkers and even a fellow blogger, Veggie Option.
It is a low key bar and a casual place for lunch. They have high tables, booths and bar seating for patrons. On the day we went, it wasn’t too busy. There were couple booths taken and few bar patrons watching a Xavier game. Our server brought us waters and asked for our drink order; I stuck to the usual, water, no ice with lemon. There are variety of options for food which include wings, burgers, sandwiches, salads and wraps. One coworker raved about their wings so after a quick glance at the menu, we all agreed to share a basket of wings. And instead of garlic or hot and spicy sauce, we ordered the sweet barbeque sauce. unfortunately. One person doesn’t like garlic or can't tolerate hot food. what? While it was entertaining to chat and gossip, we were all starving when the food arrived, 30- 40 minutes after we placed our order. At one point a coworker jokingly wondered out loud if the cook went to a farm to buy the chicken, plucked the feathers, cut the meat and then fried the wings. After we got the wings and potato wedges, we were all happy campers. Both the wings with the sweet barbeque sauce, and fries tasted delicious. The wings had a crispy outer layer and the meat was moist. The wedges were golden brown, crispy on the outside and done well on the inside. Most importantly, the food tasted as if it was freshly prepared before serving as opposed to being reheated. My coworker’s speculation of the cook going to the farm for a fresh chicken might be true. The server even brought multiple blue cheeses for individual dipping, a nice thought.
During lunch, the atmosphere is relaxed and the noise level is low. Our server was a mid thirties hippie guy that provided good service. I was a little disappointed in the slow food service but I believe it could be one isolated incident. (I don’t mind restaurants that take time to prepare food, it shows the cook and company are cooking from scratch. It’s the short lunch hour limitation that makes it difficult to enjoy slow food.) I liked both the food and service so much so that I plan to return for a meal, maybe even a glass of beer. Next time I’ll venture into the wraps and sandwich part of the menu.
It is a low key bar and a casual place for lunch. They have high tables, booths and bar seating for patrons. On the day we went, it wasn’t too busy. There were couple booths taken and few bar patrons watching a Xavier game. Our server brought us waters and asked for our drink order; I stuck to the usual, water, no ice with lemon. There are variety of options for food which include wings, burgers, sandwiches, salads and wraps. One coworker raved about their wings so after a quick glance at the menu, we all agreed to share a basket of wings. And instead of garlic or hot and spicy sauce, we ordered the sweet barbeque sauce. unfortunately. One person doesn’t like garlic or can't tolerate hot food. what? While it was entertaining to chat and gossip, we were all starving when the food arrived, 30- 40 minutes after we placed our order. At one point a coworker jokingly wondered out loud if the cook went to a farm to buy the chicken, plucked the feathers, cut the meat and then fried the wings. After we got the wings and potato wedges, we were all happy campers. Both the wings with the sweet barbeque sauce, and fries tasted delicious. The wings had a crispy outer layer and the meat was moist. The wedges were golden brown, crispy on the outside and done well on the inside. Most importantly, the food tasted as if it was freshly prepared before serving as opposed to being reheated. My coworker’s speculation of the cook going to the farm for a fresh chicken might be true. The server even brought multiple blue cheeses for individual dipping, a nice thought.
During lunch, the atmosphere is relaxed and the noise level is low. Our server was a mid thirties hippie guy that provided good service. I was a little disappointed in the slow food service but I believe it could be one isolated incident. (I don’t mind restaurants that take time to prepare food, it shows the cook and company are cooking from scratch. It’s the short lunch hour limitation that makes it difficult to enjoy slow food.) I liked both the food and service so much so that I plan to return for a meal, maybe even a glass of beer. Next time I’ll venture into the wraps and sandwich part of the menu.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Irish Lamb Stew
On Saturday, I almost convinced the husband to go to Ikea with me. Mind you, this Ikea opened for the first time last Wednesday. He knew the lines would be out the waazoo and wasn’t keen on going but I managed to drag him out of the house anyway. My secret weapon? The Village Grille. Village grille is an Indian- Pakistani restaurant that makes the best goat-biryani in town. There I go again, ga-ga over goat and lamb meat; I don’t know what's gotten into me, I have been on a huge meat eating kick these days. We’d eaten at Village before for dinner, and learned of their lunch buffet through friends. This was our opportunity to eat a big lunch and then work off our lunch, right, wander around Ikea.
Lunch was good, as expected. Some of the items on the buffet were tandooori chicken, goat paaya, chicken biryani, and goat curry. I didn’t care for the white, plain, rice or chole but everything else was good. The service was fantastic, even for a buffet. The server filled our waters and removed plates without missing a beat. Even though it’s far, Village Grille is worth the drive for goat biryani or almost any other meat dish.
After finishing lunch, we took a detour to a Halal Market nearby. Halal is similar to Jewish’s kosher foods. Muslims are expected to follow rules of the Islamic laws on halal foods. An unspoken Indian belief is if it’s halal, it’s fresh. I remember when we lived in India, my family preferred to go to the halal shops over the Indian ones because they practiced good faith and sold freshly cut meats. Sometimes they even slaughtered the meat in front of you… and that’s when I stopped going to butcher shops. The halal market had dried beans, lentils, grape leaves for dolmas, natural (!) mango and passion fruit juice and other Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Asian products. In addition to lamb meat, we bought goat meat, dried garbanzo beans and some other things.
As for wandering through Ikea, it didn’t happen. The husband was so fed up with long lines in the car that we drove past the big store to head home. He was practical; if we have to wait 15-20+ minutes in the car, imagine how bad it would be inside? I understood. I’ll give the modern retail store 6 months before the lines and hype dwindle down.
To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, I invited close friends for dinner, made classic Irish lamb stew using lamb from the halal shop, and drank enough beer to call it a good day.
Irish Lamb Stew, adapted from two Bon Appétit recipes
1 tbsp Butter
3 tbsp Vegetable oil
1/4 cup Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black pepper
2 1/2 lbs lamb shoulder with bones, cubed
2 medium Onions, diced
2 Carrots, peeled and diced
3 medium Potatoes, peeled and diced
3 Garlic cloves, minced
2 cups Chicken Broth
1 bottle dark beer
1 tbsp Fresh thyme
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Melt butter and vegetable oil on medium high heat in large heavy-bottomed pan. Liberally season flour with salt and pepper. Dredge lamb in the flour and shake off the excess. Brown the meat on all sides in batches.
Medium dice onions, carrots and potatoes. Add onions, browned meat, garlic, chicken broth, dark beer, salt and pepper to the crockpot. Cook on low for 5 hours. I cooked mine for 9 because it was a working day. Carrots and potatoes take an hour to cook so it’s best to add them in the last hour of the cooking. Due to my faulty time management skills, I added carrots and potatoes 30 minutes before serving. Of course, they weren’t done so I pressured cooked them before serving. Add fresh thyme 30 minutes before serving.
Not only was this a fantastic recipe for St. Patrick’s Day, this is a fantastic crockpot recipe- perfect for this month’s Weekend Cookbook Challenge. Lis, over at La Mia Cucina is hosting this month’s event. The requirement: cook a dish in crockpot, pressure cooker or dutch oven and follow a recipe from a cookbook. I interpret cookbooks as books in print, magazines and online recipes. Thanks Bon Appétit for posting the recipes online, otherwise I’d be in trouble!
I am pooped from the meat eating binge. Due to the high meat consumption my body’s ready for a detox. Off I go to the Indian grocer for my vegetarian favorites - okra, bottle gourd and baby eggplants. mmmmm
Lunch was good, as expected. Some of the items on the buffet were tandooori chicken, goat paaya, chicken biryani, and goat curry. I didn’t care for the white, plain, rice or chole but everything else was good. The service was fantastic, even for a buffet. The server filled our waters and removed plates without missing a beat. Even though it’s far, Village Grille is worth the drive for goat biryani or almost any other meat dish.
After finishing lunch, we took a detour to a Halal Market nearby. Halal is similar to Jewish’s kosher foods. Muslims are expected to follow rules of the Islamic laws on halal foods. An unspoken Indian belief is if it’s halal, it’s fresh. I remember when we lived in India, my family preferred to go to the halal shops over the Indian ones because they practiced good faith and sold freshly cut meats. Sometimes they even slaughtered the meat in front of you… and that’s when I stopped going to butcher shops. The halal market had dried beans, lentils, grape leaves for dolmas, natural (!) mango and passion fruit juice and other Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Asian products. In addition to lamb meat, we bought goat meat, dried garbanzo beans and some other things.
As for wandering through Ikea, it didn’t happen. The husband was so fed up with long lines in the car that we drove past the big store to head home. He was practical; if we have to wait 15-20+ minutes in the car, imagine how bad it would be inside? I understood. I’ll give the modern retail store 6 months before the lines and hype dwindle down.
To celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, I invited close friends for dinner, made classic Irish lamb stew using lamb from the halal shop, and drank enough beer to call it a good day.
Irish Lamb Stew, adapted from two Bon Appétit recipes
1 tbsp Butter
3 tbsp Vegetable oil
1/4 cup Flour
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black pepper
2 1/2 lbs lamb shoulder with bones, cubed
2 medium Onions, diced
2 Carrots, peeled and diced
3 medium Potatoes, peeled and diced
3 Garlic cloves, minced
2 cups Chicken Broth
1 bottle dark beer
1 tbsp Fresh thyme
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Melt butter and vegetable oil on medium high heat in large heavy-bottomed pan. Liberally season flour with salt and pepper. Dredge lamb in the flour and shake off the excess. Brown the meat on all sides in batches.
Medium dice onions, carrots and potatoes. Add onions, browned meat, garlic, chicken broth, dark beer, salt and pepper to the crockpot. Cook on low for 5 hours. I cooked mine for 9 because it was a working day. Carrots and potatoes take an hour to cook so it’s best to add them in the last hour of the cooking. Due to my faulty time management skills, I added carrots and potatoes 30 minutes before serving. Of course, they weren’t done so I pressured cooked them before serving. Add fresh thyme 30 minutes before serving.
Not only was this a fantastic recipe for St. Patrick’s Day, this is a fantastic crockpot recipe- perfect for this month’s Weekend Cookbook Challenge. Lis, over at La Mia Cucina is hosting this month’s event. The requirement: cook a dish in crockpot, pressure cooker or dutch oven and follow a recipe from a cookbook. I interpret cookbooks as books in print, magazines and online recipes. Thanks Bon Appétit for posting the recipes online, otherwise I’d be in trouble!
I am pooped from the meat eating binge. Due to the high meat consumption my body’s ready for a detox. Off I go to the Indian grocer for my vegetarian favorites - okra, bottle gourd and baby eggplants. mmmmm
Monday, March 17, 2008
Erase that, let’s go to Chalk for Restaurant Week
I’ve lived here long enough to embarrassingly admit I hadn’t tried any of Jean Robert’s restaurants until last week, two weeks ago. With the new opening of Lavomatic couple weeks ago, I’ve lost count, but I think he’s up to owning or partnering in at least 37 restaurants in the area. With restaurant week in full swing, the husband and I made reservations to Chalk.
Clearly, this review is long overdue.
Anyhow.
At first glance, the restaurant looks fun. They’ve carried the chalk and board theme throughout. After locating the place, we drove around couple times to find a spot. The parking’s eh. It’s on the streets of Covington or behind the restaurant in a reserved lot. I am not sure who has the privilege of parking behind a restaurant but the husband eventually gave up and parked in a reserved spot.
Surprisingly, the restaurant is long and narrow. I liked how they utilized the space, seating bar patrons near the entrance on the left and smaller tables for two on the right. We sat in the back, main, dining room. In our dining room, I noticed a massive “thing” hanging down from the ceiling. It looked nice and was part of their fabulous décor, I just couldn’t figure out what it was. Thanks to Stephanie, I now know it is garlic. When a restaurant uses garlic as part of the décor, it’s apparent they are creative and funky at the same time.
After a quick glance at the Restaurant Week menu, we knew our picks for the night. For drinks, we ordered a Pomegranate Fizz and the Classic Martini. They arrived promptly and were delicious. The Pomegranate Fizz was so good I could have easily drunk couple if I didn’t have work the next day.
For first course, he ordered a Barbeque Chicken Salad and I got the potato salad. The server misheard and brought celery root and roasted corn soup instead, when we mentioned the error, she quickly apologized removed the soup from our table and brought the chicken salad. Presentations were marvelous. After the first bite, I was ecstatic I ordered the potato and beet salad. The potatoes weren’t overcooked or mushy, a big plus for potato salads. And the beets added an interesting dimension. The chicken salad with a slight sweet barbecue sauce was delightful; we both agreed, the sweet peas were an unnecessary addition to the salad.
For main course I ordered a Lamb Porterhouse and he got the Scallops. My lamb was succulent and tender. The first bite was of the fattiest piece, heavenly. It came with mashed potatoes, sautéed mushrooms and gravy made from the fatty lamb juices. This dish hit the spot for my craving of juicy piece of lamb and mashed potatoes. His scallops were perfect; well done and moist. I’ve attempted to cook scallops at home without success; this dish sets the bar on cooking scallops. We were both unsure about the Israeli couscous with the scallops. The couscous was flavorful but firm to the bite, maybe too firm. Since we’re both Israeli couscous virgins, we just don’t know. Is that how it’s supposed to taste?
For dessert we ordered the double chocolate cupcake and peach bread pudding. One word for both: divine. I never opt for bread puddings but I am glad I did at Chalk. For me this bread pudding ranked high in both presentation and taste. The cupcake was doused with chocolate, probably swam in it for hours before it was baked.
We appreciate how the restaurant maintains the playful vibe with the name, décor and menu. Unfortunately, we also noticed many men in their suit jackets and women in their grown-up dresses. Although there is nothing wrong with that, we are inclined to return to restaurants that are relaxed and don’t require anything more than jeans and tennis shoes. As a self proclaimed food critic and future food-related business owner, I believe there is a fine line between sophistication and stuffiness. Once a restaurant crosses that line, it’s hard to revert and attract regular restaurant-goers. I recognize Chalk is trying hard to balance on that fine line.
Our overall experience at Chalk was good. Although we (the husband, especially) were disappointed by their small portions, the food was fantastic as was the service. After many years in the business, Jean Robert has high expectations of his restaurants and staff; and both hit the mark at Chalk. I plan to go back for dinner with some girlfriends to try food off their regular menu, hope for larger portions and more importantly hope Chalk convinces me that everyone’s welcome.
By the way, we didn’t get ticketed or towed for parking in a reserved spot. (Park at your own risk.)
Clearly, this review is long overdue.
Anyhow.
At first glance, the restaurant looks fun. They’ve carried the chalk and board theme throughout. After locating the place, we drove around couple times to find a spot. The parking’s eh. It’s on the streets of Covington or behind the restaurant in a reserved lot. I am not sure who has the privilege of parking behind a restaurant but the husband eventually gave up and parked in a reserved spot.
Surprisingly, the restaurant is long and narrow. I liked how they utilized the space, seating bar patrons near the entrance on the left and smaller tables for two on the right. We sat in the back, main, dining room. In our dining room, I noticed a massive “thing” hanging down from the ceiling. It looked nice and was part of their fabulous décor, I just couldn’t figure out what it was. Thanks to Stephanie, I now know it is garlic. When a restaurant uses garlic as part of the décor, it’s apparent they are creative and funky at the same time.
After a quick glance at the Restaurant Week menu, we knew our picks for the night. For drinks, we ordered a Pomegranate Fizz and the Classic Martini. They arrived promptly and were delicious. The Pomegranate Fizz was so good I could have easily drunk couple if I didn’t have work the next day.
For first course, he ordered a Barbeque Chicken Salad and I got the potato salad. The server misheard and brought celery root and roasted corn soup instead, when we mentioned the error, she quickly apologized removed the soup from our table and brought the chicken salad. Presentations were marvelous. After the first bite, I was ecstatic I ordered the potato and beet salad. The potatoes weren’t overcooked or mushy, a big plus for potato salads. And the beets added an interesting dimension. The chicken salad with a slight sweet barbecue sauce was delightful; we both agreed, the sweet peas were an unnecessary addition to the salad.
For main course I ordered a Lamb Porterhouse and he got the Scallops. My lamb was succulent and tender. The first bite was of the fattiest piece, heavenly. It came with mashed potatoes, sautéed mushrooms and gravy made from the fatty lamb juices. This dish hit the spot for my craving of juicy piece of lamb and mashed potatoes. His scallops were perfect; well done and moist. I’ve attempted to cook scallops at home without success; this dish sets the bar on cooking scallops. We were both unsure about the Israeli couscous with the scallops. The couscous was flavorful but firm to the bite, maybe too firm. Since we’re both Israeli couscous virgins, we just don’t know. Is that how it’s supposed to taste?
For dessert we ordered the double chocolate cupcake and peach bread pudding. One word for both: divine. I never opt for bread puddings but I am glad I did at Chalk. For me this bread pudding ranked high in both presentation and taste. The cupcake was doused with chocolate, probably swam in it for hours before it was baked.
We appreciate how the restaurant maintains the playful vibe with the name, décor and menu. Unfortunately, we also noticed many men in their suit jackets and women in their grown-up dresses. Although there is nothing wrong with that, we are inclined to return to restaurants that are relaxed and don’t require anything more than jeans and tennis shoes. As a self proclaimed food critic and future food-related business owner, I believe there is a fine line between sophistication and stuffiness. Once a restaurant crosses that line, it’s hard to revert and attract regular restaurant-goers. I recognize Chalk is trying hard to balance on that fine line.
Our overall experience at Chalk was good. Although we (the husband, especially) were disappointed by their small portions, the food was fantastic as was the service. After many years in the business, Jean Robert has high expectations of his restaurants and staff; and both hit the mark at Chalk. I plan to go back for dinner with some girlfriends to try food off their regular menu, hope for larger portions and more importantly hope Chalk convinces me that everyone’s welcome.
By the way, we didn’t get ticketed or towed for parking in a reserved spot. (Park at your own risk.)
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