restaurant week

every time restaurant week comes around, s and i try to hit one or two places we haven't tried before with some fellow food lovers. we always have the internal debate about whether restaurant week is actually worth it or is even a good indicator of the quality of a restaurant. while that debate inevitably goes undecided, we always have a fun time.

this year is no different. we tried two different places and had two very different experiences. the first one, at tocqueville, was less than memorable. our company was excellent, but sadly, the food and service were mediocre at best. there was almost a one hour lag between the service of appetizer and dinner. and as a person who needs to be fed and watered every few hours that did not bode well. the best part of the meal for me was dessert, a really yummy steamed date cake. i could have done without my salad (boring) and cod (tiny portion with little taste). overall, based on that experience, there is no way i would go back.

contrast that experience with dinner last night at blue smoke. the company here was also excellent. but the food and service also lived up to that high standard. and in an unexpected turn of events, only one of us actually ordered off of the restaurant week menu. the prices at blue smoke are really affordable and the portions are quite big so the three courses were too much. that being said, we ordered WAY too much food for four people and are all still paying for it. we ordered:

drinks:

boys had beer (a porter from new york)

girls had cocktails - gin, prosecco and lemon juice. vodka, olive juice and texas pete hot sauce.

apps:

handmade bbq chips w/ bleu cheese

peel & eat shrimp

chipotle chicken wings

entrees:

2 rhapsody in ques (in other words, smorgasbord of meat)

1 ribs w/ baked beans

1 brisket platter with mashed potatoes


sides:

cornbread

mac n cheese

hush puppies

dessert:

brownie sundae w/ mint chocolate chip ice cream

our waiter didn't write any of that down. and our order came to us without a mistake. the food was quite good. the waiter told us that the mac n cheese was some of the best in the city and he didn't exaggerate. the meat was tender. the table raved over the hush puppies. i would skip the corn bread next time, it wasn't my favorite. if the corn bread is the only thing that disappoints though, i think blue smoke is doing really well.

we ended up getting home way past our bedtime we were having so much fun.

fast forward two hours. i spent half the night with some of the worst heartburn ever. couple that with s sweating and talking in his sleep and you are have to two very tired people this morning.

but it was so worth it.