We’re talking about equipment in general. Under $100 is cheap for a home cook. $400 is cheap for restaurant equipment.
Customer perception of steaks cooked SV is quite positive, which is why it’s common in many mid level steakhouses. I don’t know about the “outrage” that Panera has been facing, but Starbucks SV egg bites seem quite popular.
The reaction probably varies on the customers general knowledge and how the venue presents it. Panera customers seem to equate the process simply as a boil bag frozen food and feel it’s a Sysco sellout. SV is a tool. You can use it for a tremendous range of reasons.
2 Likes
Like most people, I have no clue what the hell is going on here. That website is a total disaster.
I won’t ask my SV questions for now since a lot have been covered already.
If you look under brands you will see “Prxject street pizza.”
What is street pizza?
2 Likes
Trying to make that phrase as ubiquitous as “street tacos” I’m betting.
Wonder if they’ve copyrighted it already?
1 Like
Buried in the site are some photos - looks like they conducted a tasting event. This is under the career tab. SV is shown in a few pics including one where they are making pizza iirc. The pizza is made at the table and heated or finished with a torch. I assume the SV along side it holds toppings. Maybe street pizza means moving pizza away from the ovens?
2 Likes
Okay I’m curious. I can’t go this weekend but maybe I can get there next week and report back.
3 Likes
Ah I see. I wouldn’t think they would stash pics on that area of the site, which needs major help lol.
I’m interested to see how this pans out.
2 Likes
Alright Onions, I made it to the interactive sous vide food hall . . . . . and in general I liked it.
I’ll walk you through our dinner (that seems like the best way to get all the points in).
It is in a very strange location - very much an office complex (though maybe that helped them in getting cheaper rent), so you aren’t going to just come across it. But once you are there it was easy to find.
You walk in the front door and there are 3-5 big sous vide tubs, filled with bags of different proteins, little ping pong balls on top, and all the circulators faced out so you see all the temps for a visual display. You make your way down the prep counter to the register where you order, they give you a number and you find a place to sit until they bring out your food.
It is a large space with different seating options - some long high top tables, some standard height tables, some couches - its a big space. There are also a ping pong table, a bar style shuffle board table (forget the proper name for it), a back room with a huge tv, couches, foosball, and I think another ping pong table. There were LOTS of families with kids in the 6-13 yo range. The back wall in the main area had 5 (maybe) TVs tuned to various channels and they were playing “dance” music at a loud enough to hear it but not so loud you couldn’t talk range.
The beer and wine is all dispensed by the ounce (we had Citizen Ciders) from a wall of taps. You get a temporary card that is attached to your credit card, put your card into a slot in front of the taps and pour out as much or as little as you’d like (you are charged by the ounce). At the end of the night you turn your card in and they bill your credit card.
So the space is definitely a family friendly and focused environment. (Oh there is also a front porch area with some outdoor seating and corn hole). The kids were all running around playing games while the parents socialized and drank.
The food . . . we could only eat so much on our first visit, but it was good - though not without some flaws. We had the burger, a short rib sandwich, tater tots, “umamisan” fries (or something like that), and their bar pretzel.
The burger - it was more of a slider than a burger. At only 4oz they kept it thick rather than flattening it out - so that is why it eats more like a slider. It was good but they need to work out some kinks. It was room temp. I think this is because they essentially have one guy (from our experience the one time we were there) who takes the food out of the sous vide and blow torches it to crisp the exterior. That is all well and good, and makes for a nice show when you walk in - but they need to get something more efficient, maybe a scorching hot salamander or something. I think it just takes too long from him removing the burger, torching it, and then it being expedited - so it got to us room temp.
The short rib sandwich was also fine. The short rib was tasty, it also had peppers and cheese (think nacho cheese sauce). It was much warmer (I’m assuming from the cheese) than the burger.
The “umamisan” fries were apparently tossed with parmesan cheese and powdered shiitake mushrooms. You couldn’t really taste either of those things on the fries. But I like the idea of it.
All in all we’d go back. I wouldn’t say it is a destination but if you have a family or are in the 20-30yo range and are trying to find a place where your single friends and friends with kids can go - you should check it out.
(I have some pics that I’ll try to remember to post - they are on my phone, and I’m not)
10 Likes
Thanks for the report!
1 Like
Oh, great report, Thimes. My son and I also went but I haven’t had a chance to post and now you’ve motivated me to do so. We had a similar reaction…fun, pleasant, decent food, relaxed atmosphere. Not life-changing, but I probably would have visited fairly often when the kids were young, and I can envision my son and friends going occasionally when they want something close by. My husband and I will probably drop by on occasion with a group but for our couple nights out, I think he’d prefer something a little more intimate.
We had pizza, short rib mac and cheese, plain mac and cheese, and roasted root vegetables. The pizza reminded me a bit of Oath Craft, but with a crispy, almost fried texture to the crust. We had the Tuscan Tomato, which had decent flavor from provolone and fresh mozz. The crust is pre-baked so the pizza comes out pretty quickly. The short rib mac and cheese was also pretty tasty for a quick dish. The short ribs were well-seasoned and quite tender, and the mac and cheese seemed to be a heavy cream and cheese sauce that wasn’t too bland. I thought about trying the burgers, but like something more substantial than a four ounce patty. Now that I know it’s a thick one, I probably won’t bother. I’d prefer a flat patty with a double patty option.
The pour your own beer and wine set-up was convenient and easy. I had a serviceable zinfandel and my son had a Belgian ale and a sour, I think.
The noise level wasn’t too bad when we were there. I think overall I prefer the vibe at Mighty Squirrel, but do like the option of having wine and wider food choices and found the noise level when the place was about 1/3 full easier to manage than MS when it’s full. (Sorry, I thought I took some pics of the games and the large back room, but evidently did not.)
7 Likes
@bear @Thimes
So were you able to determine what Street Pizza is?
Thanks for the reports. I can see where this would be a good option for family’s with energetic kids. Adult meets arcade to a certain extent.
Do you all feel this could stand alone without the games just based on the food? Is it priced and timed right for a lunch break from a nearby office?
I personally feel it needs to have the whole package. Without the games, it would have too much of a cafeteria-with-better-than-average-food feel. The games and space for kids to move around make it more comfortable for families. That said, there aren’t tons of games and when it’s busy the games will be pretty crowded.
I forgot to say that it doesn’t seem super-cheap, but tips are included and they say they pay a living wage. That’s a definite plus for me.
3 Likes
Wait, I’m a little curious as I’m about to be around that area.
What is the exact address? I see three places located and an additional one coming up
It’s interesting - I thought it would be fine for a “grab lunch during work” location. It is an order at the counter and wait type of place, so I’m not sure how it is any more cafeteria like than any other of similar ilk. I’m not endorsing it 100% as such - but I would feel confident saying that if you’re in the area, you should give it a try and post your thoughts. (as opposed to saying - forget-about-it).
the address is 200 5th Ave in Waltham (though they are apparently slated to have other locations as mentioned). 5th Avenue in Waltham was (and is) a street you’d never go down if you didn’t know it was there. (3rd Avenue in Waltham as Osteria Posto and some other places if you’re familiar with Waltham). 5th Avenue connects with the road that goes in front of the new(ish) Market Basket (the road used to be gated off going up the hill but I think is now open 24 hrs a day).
The building is definitely an office building. There are actually 3 identical office buildings - it is the middle of the three. It is on the ground floor, adjacent to the main entrance - if you get to the building (which is clearly marked) you can’t miss it.
1 Like
Kind of reminds me of this place in South San Francisco. It is in the middle of an office complex with no other restaurants around. They have free bowling, pool tables, corn hole, etc. and basketball court right outside. I’ve been there with a group of parents with kids but mostly it’s twenty somethings who work in the offices grabbing dinner/drinks before heading home.
http://foundryandlux.com/
What are the ping pong balls for?
Some SV containers don’t have lids, the balls reduce heat and water loss during cooking.
2 Likes
Thanks!
1 Like
