Went for an early dinner last night before Whose Line at Count Basie. The place is nicely put together and looks much nicer inside than the exterior leads you to believe. The front of house are very nice and accomodating.
Some complaints. The two top we sat at was unacceptable. The table is very small and the chairs uncomfortable. Adding to the sense of uncomfortability was the fact that these same teeny tables are almost on top of each other making moving about impossible. Navigating this cramped maze was a single server who was definitely overwhelmed. Against the wall were what looked like much more comfortable booths but the middle tables were terrible.
The food was mixed. The portions are good, but nothing we ate made us ooh or ahh or even make yummy noises. Also, if you are a French restaurant and you have coquille st jacques on the menu, you have to make coquille st jacques! What I got were nicely cooked scallops over a bed of risotto and instead of the creamy cheesy sauce, they covered the plate with truffle oil. First of all, truffle oil is a fake food and should not be used ever. Second, this was seared scallops, not coquille st jacques.
I’m not sure how I feel about this place overall, but it isn’t warm and fuzzy.
I still want to try this spot but I’m definitely not a fan of tight quarters. One of my favorite spots in Atlantic highlands is like this and I just get a little claustrophobic.
Just out out of curiosity, why do you say truffle oil is a fake food? Granted most out there are probably fake, but there is definitely real truffle oil out there…just wondering
Btw, I went to IMG last night and tried the “ribs”
The English translation didn’t quite work on this. They werent ribs but it was half decent pork for a 13 dollar plate…kind of overcooked but the peppers, onions, jalapeños, and avocados were tasty. I probably wouldnt get it again but at 13 dollars it was a large plate of food that I didn’t even finish. Oh and it came with cactus, tomatoes and a chorizo link. My friend got the AL pastor tacos and they always satisfy.
I hate to do this here because this thread is supposed to be about O Bistro so I’ll just post this link to a NYT article, but there are many articles, stories, videos, books, and even an entire movie about it.
For me, and only for me, I love fresh truffles and am even a fan of preserved in oil truffles, but unless you show me the bottle and pour a bit in front of me, I’ll stay away from truffle oil.
@corvette_johnny Glad at least one of us is eating through the menu at IMG. In all the times I’ve been I’ve only gotten the Pastor. I am a chicken,
Yeah I’m aware that most are likely fake but I do like the flavor. I don’t think my palate is sophisticated enough to tell the difference since I don’t eat these shrooms that often. I have had a few epic dishes and I’d bet the house that they used the real deal, but you pay for it (ie nicholas)
IMG was packed last night. This place is putting out some good food. Do you know of any spots making chicharones? @seal@joonjoon
What is IMG? I don’t know if anyone is making their own chicharron or not… but if you go to places like Super Xtra you can buy it like in a big bag. Anything specific you’re looking for?
