And then there are some things that I do truly care about. Some things I'm totally brand loyal about. For example, you will only find Best Foods Mayonnaise in my house.
Restaurants and eating out I have a certain level of expectations where service, food quality, and atmosphere are concerned. I want a good value for my money in an environment that is rushed or overly complicated.
Each month the Landlords, Blueberry and I forge out and try a new restaurant. Each of us get 3 picks a year and it has opened my eyes to some new/fun restaurants. Many I'd return to. Most I wouldn't - because there are too many other's to try.
This month the Hollywood Tavern in Woodinville was the restaurant of choice. It's a pub that focuses on good roadhouse food like fried chicken and sandwiches. It's location is good and took over the spot where a dive bar (I think called Mabel's) once lived. It's been revived and slightly remodeled.
Outside has a nice bar area that has seats around a fire pit and a few picnic tables scattered about. Blueberry got there a bit early, as did I, so we sat outside briefly, ordering a drink and some tasty appetizers before the Landlords arrived.
It took a bit of time (more than I felt was necessary considering the crowd) for a waitress to greet me and/or ask for a drink order. I quizzed the waitress on some of the beer options and sadly she wasn't 100% sure which was what. No worries, not everyone is a beer person. BUT if you're a server where beer is a big deal, you should now.
I ordered and she was on her way. Not 2 seconds later another waitress stopped by to ask for my order. Um...already ordered.
Once we were all together we went inside to sit and have our meal. The inside is made up of clean lines, nice tables, but uncomfortable chairs. I secretly think some restaurants do that so you won't linger and they can turn the table.
Our waitress was a tall, energetic young lady who greeted us relatively quickly. We the Landlords weren't quite sure about what they'd be drinking so we sent the waitress on her way.
As I glanced around the place I was impressed with the small dining area. I remember thinking it had an intimate feel about it, but it felt big at the same time. As the night progressed, I would curse myself for even thinking that.
That place GOT LOUD. We had two large parties in the dining area (each between 15 and 20 people) and once they got in there, and all the other tables were full, you couldn't hear a word anyone was saying.
This disappoints me greatly. ONE of the many reasons I go out to dinner is for the social aspect of it. Getting caught up with friends is part and parcel with my eating out experiences. I want to be able to hear the person I'm with and not just sit quietly eating because, well, why bother?
That aside, I ordered their cheeseburger with bacon and an ice tea (I already downed my beer so needed something more). It took quite a bit of time for the food to arrive, and under normal circumstances I wouldn't care because you are, after all, there to be friendly and socialize. But considering we couldn't hear a damn thing, the time seemed to be an issue.
When the food finally did arrive, it was hot, it was good, and it was plentiful. The burger was just the right size with a mound of hand cut fries next to it. The fry sauce they provided was icky to me, but I am sure it's because it was a mustard based fry sauce and I'm not a fan. So I ordered a side of ranch. Double ick! The ranch was WAY too dill-y. Lots of dill and some spice to it. After that I stuck with ketchup.
Mr. Landlord was the only person who didn't order the burger, he ordered their fried chicken. It looked a bit overcooked (dark brown on the outside) but Mr. Landlord said it was moist (god I hate that word) and delicious. He prefers a different type of breading on his fried chicken, but said it was still tasty.
The BEST part of the entire meal was the dessert. The have homemade soft serve ice cream, with a bunch of random toppings, a peanut butter mousse, hazelnut cookies, and some other stuff. Mr. Landlord got the soft serve with "magic shell" and caramel. It was huge and apparently the "magic shell" was too magical and almost inedible. Mrs.Landlord got their fritters with bacon and a whisky glaze. It was a big portion and she seemed OK with it.
I got the chocolate hazelnut cookie. Oh...my...goodness. They are baked to order. They came out hot, crunchy and with a side of Nutella.
But the winner in the dessert category was the Peanut Butter Mousse. ENORMOUS portion. It sat on top a bed of marshmallow fluff that had been burned - like you would see a smore. One bite and I was in heaven. Blueberry was in heaven...Mr. and Mrs. Landlord was in heaven. It was to die for. And totally a dessert that could have been split by three people.
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| Just look at the size of the Peanut Butter Mousse |
A quick note on the service between dinner and dessert. I had mentioned the large parties right? Our waitress had one of them and was being run to death. It took 20 minutes for us to get our desserts. I had assumed it was because of the big party, but I now think it was because the cookies were baked fresh. At any rate, she was apologetic and seemed worried that she wasn't giving us as much of attention as she should.
My ice tea never got refilled BTW.
All in all, it was an ok experience. I'm not sure I have a need to go back there. Though their burger was pretty good and I might be tempted to try their fried chicken sandwich. I wouldn't NOT go back and so it falls firmly in the "meh" category with regards to food and restaurants.
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