This mod I have marathon Thursdays with
classes and since there is time for a small break after the first we
will probably be trying some Falls lunch spots in the next few
weeks. The first is the fifth outpost of a still relatively local
joint which has opened down by the riverfront. Our lunch turned out
to be a mixed bag but there is just something about the place that
has us both interested in another visit, we will see. Part of our
interest is the place itself.
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Not only does it have a nice view of the river (the first time I’ve seen it since the dams were removed and it seems to still be running fairly strong), but the interior is also very nicely put together with exposed brick and structural steel, weathered barn wood and custom glass. Pretty darn snazzy for the Falls.
Service was another story. Our server seemed like a nice guy but he
most closely resembled Beaky Buzzard who was bringing home a baby
bumble bee in the cartoon but with all of the hustle and jazz of
Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh. He was disappointing, what was
irritating were the two managers who spent all but five minutes of
our stay getting massaged by two beverage reps and never once
looking around the tables to see if anyone might have used a hand. I
hope the only people who stroke their egos aren’t sales pros…that
would be infinitely sad…but they sure were enjoying the attention.
No wonder Beaky/Eeyore seemed so aggravated (mildly) at times. |
View From The Bar |
View Of The Bar |
We ordered tuna nachos, smoke pork wings, a sandwich and streak & tots. The nachos started with a good idea… sashimi tuna, crisp wontons, avocado salsa, scallions & cilantro cream drizzle lined up on a long rectangle. There were quite a few of them, they just didn’t work well. The wontons were nice, the tuna was fresh but cut into cubes, which tumbled from their crunchy conveyances like fishy Yatzee, the avocado crushed any possible tuna flavor and the cream did nothing. This whole thing was shrieking for acid and any other flavor a redesign might provide.
The pork wings were better. They were
definitely smoked, not in subtle fashion, which tasted pretty good
but I paid for them throughout the last seven hours of class. Rib
tips with a little bone still protruding, they were tasty and they
arrived with three cups for dipping. The first was a peppered
parmesan akin to ranch, ehhh. The last two delivered an unapologetic
warm spice which worked well with the pork. The chipotle bbq was
tangy with vinegar, a little sweet and finished with a mid range
kick of chile. The srirach aioli did the same minus the tang and
with some added richness. Mixed they worked really well.
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Tuna Looked Great |
Form Outweighs Function |
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Seriously Smoked Rib Tips (Pork Wings) |
Elevated By The Sauce Trio |
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Steph ordered the tavern flat-iron steak and
tots. We considered the tots for an app but the steak came with and
allowed us to try different apps. The steak was done well but like
most cuts of beef more suited to a section of roast than a grill was
more tough to chew and lacked the flavor that intramuscular fat and
lack of use bring to more traditional cuts. The tots were more like
potato-based drop fry bread than the tater gems from the bag. Dense,
heavy, cheesy, lumps. They tasted pretty good but you would have to
struggle to get many of them down. The steak also came with
blistered young asparagus, which were nicely prepared. All in all
the steak plate could have been better. |
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It's What We Ordered...Should Have Gone Another Route |
Tots Are Tasty But With The Density Of Osmium |
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My sandwich just was (better that is). Titled the “Munch” it
consists of a thick stack of tender pot roast, topped with smoked
gouda, cole slaw, tobacco onions & chipotle BBQ sauce all stuffed
between two slices of black pepper bread. This thing just works in
mysterious ways. Meaty, smokey, spicy, tangy…take a good Thai dish
and put it between two slices of bread, all taste buds have a job to
do simultaneously. I have a feeling we will be back to Burntwood, we
will try some different things and hope for better service. |
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The Munch Is Worth Munching |
Serious & Thick Layers Of Unique Flavor |
Ratings | |||||||
Food |
Service |
Ambiance |
What's Best |
What's Worst |
Overall |
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C | D- | B+ | B+ | D | C+ | ||
Sammitch | More Than Should Be |