Text 6177, 85 rader
Skriven 2008-04-28 03:42:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: fun times w/ bro 224
============================
The first thing that my brother said when I came in the door
was "do you have dinner plans tomorrow?" I told him that I
was busy tomorrow, so he said "how about today?," always
looking to cadge a meal. I couldn't say no.

We went to the OZ Doubletree, which I imagined was perhaps
related to the oZ Chop House, where I've been several
times and which I've written about here. Turns out to be
quite a different experience, menu, everything, though I
wonder that there wouldn't be trademark infringement if
the places (in the same state, maybe 15 miles apart) were
they unrelated. The circumstance that they are both OpenTable
restaurants also makes me believe that there's some relation.
Anyhow, this used to be the Notes piano bar, but now to
squeeze a bit of revenue out, the Doubletree management has
put in a would-be chic walletectomizer.

Service was friendly if slow. The clientele was upscale
middle-aged. Food was eclectic supposedly healthy, with
each dish weighing in at 490 Calories or less.

My brother started with alphabet soup with chicken sage
dumplings - clear broth poured tableside (new pretentious
custom) over a bowl containing a few bits of pasta and
three blobs that might have been quenelles in a previous
lifetime. Jonathan expressed approval, saying that the
dumplings tasted like pork sausage, but then wrinkled his
nose and said, "with a little hint of shrimp" - he hates
shrimp. He didn't offer me a taste, though, opining that
the scent of my first course might have influenced the
experience. Mine was two pieces of decent hamachi and
two pieces of hokkigai (red surf clam) over pretty
respectable sushi rice.

For our main courses we both had the 6 oz sirloin
with celery root puree (instead of potato), upgraded for
$3 an oz to 8 oz each (hence the name of the place), his
medium-rare, mine extra rare. Also ordered a side of
French bean tempura.

As can be expected, the steaks came out two shades more
done than hoped for - his medium plus, mine medium. But
on the other hand, they were at least 10 oz each and were
rimmed by a nice strip of crisp tasty fat (so much for
490 Calories - I guessed that they have these things
precut and slice off the fat layer to make their 6 oz
portions), so, as cannot be expected, I didn't send mine
back, the fat was too good. I did note the miscooking to
the waiter, who encouraged me to get that revenge steak,
but I refrained. Oh, yes, to describe medium, it was pink
in the middle, the grain fully developed, and a quite warm
center. Tip for the house: don't plop a nice meaty piece
of meat on top of a big dollop of celery root puree - the
steak ends up tasting like celery.

The French bean tempura came out, finally, when we were
halfway through our steaks, arranged standing up in a
glass with mustard mayonnaise anchoring them. Okay, but
there must have been 490 Calories in the mayonnaise,
let alone the bean tempura.

I had a glass of Christian Moueix Bordeaux rouge ordinaire,
which was surprisingly oaky and tasted California. I didn't
complain, not wanting to rock the boat further, but I wonder
what it really was. Will go there again sometime and order
some completely different red wine and see whether it's the
same.

==

So I wasn't hungry next day for lunch, but Jonathan said,
"want some hash browns?" so to encourage him I said sure.
When the time came, he asked (I was in the other room),
"do you want what's in the pot or what's on the plate?," and
I said (of course), I don't know. "Well, do you want the
bigger portion or the smaller one?" I said (of course), the
smaller one. Came to table and found him noshing busily on
a big mound of whitish potatoes (waaay underdone but with
some burned spots); got the pot and found 7 (seven) Tb
(tablespoons) of potato gucka stuck (but mostly still white)
to the bottom of it, out of which I made my lunch. Now I know
from what population the cooks in bad diners are recruited.
___ Blue Wave/386 v2.30
--- Platinum Xpress/Win/WINServer v3.0pr5
 * Origin: Doc's Place BBS Fido Since 1991 docsplace.tzo.com (1:123/140)