Palena

[JennyUptown]

How crowded do you think it will be tonight (Monday) at 7:30?

[Al_Dente]

How crowded do you think it will be tonight (Monday) at 7:30?

Sit at the bar. No problem.

[JennyUptown]

How crowded do you think it will be tonight (Monday) at 7:30?

Sit at the bar. No problem.

There will be four of us though.

[Mark Sommelier]

How crowded do you think it will be tonight (Monday) at 7:30?

Sit at the bar. No problem.

There will be four of us though.

If you tell all the eGullet people to stay home for a change, there will be plenty of room.

[JennyUptown]

I'm hoping that it will be reasonably (if not completely) quiet given that today is Monday.

[Mark Sommelier]

I'm hoping that it will be reasonably (if not completely) quiet given that today is Monday.

Last Monday the entire bar was eG folks, all the table were full, inside and outside.

[JennyUptown]

actually, I would advise against the Monday night idea, or at least like to hear other thoughts.

How I wish I had considered babka's post before making my first visit to Palena on a Monday night... Everything aside from the food was wrong-wrong-wrong.

I was with the wrong people. They are my friends and I love them, but they aren't all that into food, don't care where they eat "here" or "there" really, and they were sort of in a rush without saying so. I spent at least 60% of my time explaining the cafe menu concept and apologizing for all of the things that went wrong.

Problem #1 - we ate outside. Overall, I'm just not fond of eating outdoors. Mosquitos love me. The firemen across the street had not one but two calls. Lots of honking cars going by for a seemingly calm Monday night. It was irritating.

Problem #2 - the service. I am so uncomfortable posting this because the service was both friendly and well-intentioned, but it ultimately fell so far short. From start to finish, there were long, awkward lulls. Took forever to get menus, and then to order, and then for wine to arrive. In her defense, she was seemingly the sole server, but by the time the second fry plate arrived, we were ready for a check. Before the fry plate even arrived, we were asked if we were going to want to order anything else (other than dessert) because the kitchen people wanted to close shop (it was just before 9 pm so...ok). And we didn't get the famous caramels. I don't get that because in spite of the issues, we were friendly, model customers.

Problem #3 - the vibe. Although JohnW commented that he liked the mellow feel of Palena on a Monday, I felt the opposite. There was zero energy which, with the aforementioned service issues just made me frustrated. Derek wasn't there (looks like he was at Eve ). I couldn't drink anyway.

Problem #4 - my friends and their complaining about the previously described issues plus portion sizes. We just didn't order enough food so people were ready to claw each others' eyes out over the last french fry, I swear. I was going to get the chicken, but when we were reminded of the cook time, I saw one of my companions (a friend of a friend, fortunately) roll her eyes. Got the burger - no regrets though.

It's so sad because my burger was the best I've ever had. The. Best. I loved it. Could have eaten three (ok, that's a lie, but you get the picture). I enjoyed the fry plate immensely (although I wasn't ga ga over the lemons - I liked the lemon flavor they imparted to the batter eaten solo, but just didn't want to eat the lemon itself). But I was so freakin' tense and ticked off for the majority of the meal that I couldn't wait to get home.

I'll go back for sure, but it may mean going solo rather than trying to explain this gem to people who may just not get it. I won't go on a Monday when the service slides. I will try the chicken. I will hopefully someday again be off antibiotics and be able to have a Derek-sidecar.

I'm kind of depressed about the experience (as well as my aching tooth) though so feel free to send me "cheer up" PMs.

[Tweaked]

It seems to me Palena bar is best experienced when your party consists of 2 people (you and a friend who also digs food) while sitting at the bar with Derek serving as your host. At least that's how I enjoy the experience.

[JennyUptown]

I neglected to mention the pickled vegetables that came with my burger. The coolest, most interesting one? A small (maybe 2 inches?) piece of pickled corn on the cob. Loved it.

[morela]

Awh, man. I save not-so good Asian and goopy Mexican for my palate-blind friends. Try dating a non-foodie. Pizza, Mexican, Chinese.

[hillvalley]

Jenny, you could not have picked a worse time for your first Palena experience. An hour before closing on a Monday night? With people who don't understand food? You were doomed from the start.

Many of your complaints for the most part are out of Palena's control. You don't like sitting outside but you did anyway. Especially when it is next to a gas station. Your friends didn't like the food and needed bigger portions. The mood was too mellow for you. That's not Palena's fault.

While I can't imagine dining with Derek there, he is not the only member of the staff who is great. I was there last night for my reentry from vacation. The entire staff made sure my first dose of the real world was as painless as possible.

The carmels are not part of the regular cafe menu, so they should not be expected. I would hate for someone to read this thread and expect carmels while dining in the cafe. They are not part of the regular cafe menu. The Copenagen Citronne and Sidecars are just as amazing.

I hope you give it another try on a better night. Derek being there helps, but he has trained others in his image. Go when you have time to relax over the fried potatoes and a glass of wine while waiting for your chicken to roast. Hopefully it will be better.

[JennyUptown]

I understand that you (and plenty of others) love Palena. I enjoyed the food, but this one experience wasn't what it was cracked up to be. Don't blame the victim, man! I'm gonna go back, and all. I just don't feel I should be criticized for having an experience that wasn't up to snuff.

Oh, and we didn't show up late. We were seated by 7:30. It just took ages to be served. Lots of herky-jerky service. There were plenty of people seated after us.

[hillvalley]

Sorry if you thought I was criticizing but I just feel that many of your complaints were not there fault. I am just defending a restaurant I am very fond of.

Sort of ironic that you finally get there and didn't share in the magic

[liamdc]

Jenny, I don’t think hillvalley was criticizing you for having had a bad experience. I think he was wishing you had been a bit more careful in choosing among the various factors on which to critique Palena. And I think hillvalley’s point is an important one that should be considered beyond just this thread.

In general, eGulleteers--including Jenny--are very mindful of this issue. In many other restaurant-critiquing forums, however, folks are not. Read through the Post's customer restaurant reviews, or Chowhound, and even in Zagat, and you’ll unearth little gems like:

· “Laboriously slow service. Our three-course dinner took nearly an hour!”

· “They wouldn’t make a special salad for my vegan spouse. This steakhouse SUCKS!”

· “I brought the filet mignon home in a doggy bag, but it got tough after I microwaved it the next afternoon. The quality of the beef served here just isn’t up to my standards.”

· “Raw fish?!?! What kind of sushi place is this?!?!”

· Or the story from yesterday’s Post where the woman who took an uneaten steak off a departed customer’s plate and ate the entire hunk o’ beef, then complained to the management that it was a bit too salty.

OK. I made the first 4 up.

But, in this case, Jenny, of four main critiques you offered—not liking to eat outdoors (bugs, fire trucks, honking cars), the vibe (sans Derek, not liking “mellow” places), your friends’ complaining and fighting over the food, and the service (slow, plus the early kitchen shut-down)—only the latter truly can Palena be held accountable for and only the latter is probably of interest to eGullet readers. After all, it was your party’s choice to eat outside—when assumedly there were indoor tables available. And that decision very possibly affected the vibe, especially when you throw in fire trucks and irate drivers. Now if one of the waiters had been lying in Connecticut Ave blocking traffic and causing a traffic jam, or if the kitchen staff had been calling in fake fire alarms to draw out the fire trucks, you might have a valid criticism there. And Derek, the poor guy, was probably tuckered out from all the eGullet traffic in there the prior week. He probably needed a night off!

Your observation that the service was slow and the kitchen closed early was relevant. (And even your comment about portion sizes might be relevant to some folks.) Those observations are likely of interest to others who might think about going to Palena on a Monday evening. Was your experience an anomaly or the norm for Mondays? Was it more of an outdoor vs. indoor issue? Was it just your particular server? We don't know for sure, but it's certainly a relevant part of the fabric of this thread on Palena.

I hope you go to Palena again. And I hope you sit outside again, too, because if I happen to stop by the same evening, it will increase my chances of getting a table inside!

[sara]

Hmm. I'm going to disagree with Liam and hillvalley here. I actually don't think Jenny implied that the flaws in her night were directly attributable to Palena. Indeed, she said why she thought her night went wrong--admitting fully that it had a lot to do with the company with her--and only in one case blamed the restaurant. It's refreshing to see someone admit to non-restaurant reasons why they had a bad night at a place-- how many times have you had a bad day at work, or a fight with a spouse at the table, and that's colored your impression of a meal--yet you didn't realize/acknowledge/admit it?

Finally, I think Jenny did make two contributions--first, regarding the noisiness of the outdoor patio-- anyone who wasn't familiar with Connecticut Ave might not be prepared for that. Second, whereas I claimed that Palena's cafe was a good place to take non-foodie friends, Jenny's experiences indicates otherwise. Differences of opinion, nothing wrong with that.

There's no template for how to write an Egullet review--no list of things appropriate to include, or not, in your comments. That's a good thing--let's keep it that way.

[DonRocks]

It's refreshing to see someone admit to non-restaurant reasons why they had a bad night at a place-- how many times have you had a bad day at work, or a fight with a spouse at the table, and that's colored your impression of a meal--yet you didn't realize/acknowledge/admit it? ...

There's no template for how to write an Egullet review--no list of things appropriate to include, or not, in your comments. That's a good thing--let's keep it that way.

There's no template, but there are some things people might want to keep in mind in order to produce a truly useful posting. Before clicking on "Add Reply," ask yourselves the following:

1) Is this posting about the topic in the title?

2) Is it of general interest to the group as a whole, and if someone new came into the forum and read it, would it be of any use to them?

With the enormous increase in traffic in this forum lately, there has been a corresponding increase in social postings, insider jokes, and one-line replies. These types of postings should really be confined to those specific threads that imply them (e.g., the "I Saw You!" thread, or the various eGullet outing threads.) It's important to remember, especially as this forum continues to grow, that it's a quasi-database of information for both regular and non-regular participants, and too much off-topic chatter will dilute this valuable aspect of the forum.

Please don't misinterpret what I'm saying here: the social aspect is an important part of this forum, but it cannot come at the expense of content.

And to lead by example ... given that this thread is about Palena, and given that this posting isn't ... I'll delete this in a couple of days (but I know everyone reads this thread, so I'll leave it here for now).

Cheers!

Rocks.

[hillvalley]

Nah, he's just in a better time zone.

To keep this food related, the leftover roasted chicken makes a fantastic midnight snack

[JennyUptown]

Hmm. I'm going to disagree with Liam and hillvalley here. I actually don't think Jenny implied that the flaws in her night were directly attributable to Palena. Indeed, she said why she thought her night went wrong--admitting fully that it had a lot to do with the company with her--and only in one case blamed the restaurant. It's refreshing to see someone admit to non-restaurant reasons why they had a bad night at a place-- how many times have you had a bad day at work, or a fight with a spouse at the table, and that's colored your impression of a meal--yet you didn't realize/acknowledge/admit it?

Finally, I think Jenny did make two contributions--first, regarding the noisiness of the outdoor patio-- anyone who wasn't familiar with Connecticut Ave might not be prepared for that. Second, whereas I claimed that Palena's cafe was a good place to take non-foodie friends, Jenny's experiences indicates otherwise. Differences of opinion, nothing wrong with that.

There's no template for how to write an Egullet review--no list of things appropriate to include, or not, in your comments. That's a good thing--let's keep it that way.

Sara - THANK YOU.

And belated congratulations on your engagement (you too, liamdc).

I really tried to be clear - and fair - about my recap and although I did get some flak about my recap, that won't stop me from posting honestly about my experiences. Of all of the factors I dealt with that week last night, the clincher was the service. I'm used to dining occasionally with people who aren't going to "get" a place no matter way - I learned to deal with that a looooong time ago. But the lags and stuff were frustrating.

That said, I loved my food and will absolutely go back (perhaps this week - antibiotics end again Tuesday! Bring on the sidecars.). I thought that was clear too, but if it wasn't, hopefully it will be with this post.

[Malawry]

Finally made it to the Cafe for the first time last night, with Hillvalley as my cheerful guide. We sat at the bar and enjoyed a fennel and artichoke salad with a hunk of house-made bacon, and the burger and the hot dog (we split everything).

The salad was pretty good, but that BACON. Oh that bacon! It's a big hunk of fatty, rich goodness. I could have eaten a whole plate of it easily, and it was the highlight of my dinner. There was also a little ham croquette with the salad, which would have been good if it wasn't a little oversalted. I'm sure you've read all about the burger and the dog here before, but I wanted to give special props to the pickled vegetables that came with the burger. They included pickled corn, an unusual taste of summer sweetness cured in a mild rice wine vinegar-y brine. (There were also the more typical pickles, and a couple of yummy yellow wax beans.)

I knocked it back with a sidecar, one of the better versions I've had around town. But you've read all about the sidecar, too. There was a mojitolike drink on the menu that we wanted to try in honor of Monica, but they were out of one of the ingredients (I think the prosecco) so we had to pass.

Derek and Evan are as charming and helpful as they can be. Later in the evening a bunch of eGulleteers happened by, including our lovely and talented forum host. It was good to meet you guys. Fun night, sorry I had to bail out early.

[gnatharobed]

After many failed attempts- finally made it to Palena last night. Believe the hype! That bar menu is as fantastic as everyone says. The roast chicken is amazingly tender, juicy and flavorful. I think it would be difficult to find better tasting chicken at an under $10 price. The portion was big too. Lucky for me we were pre-celebrating my birthday so we got some of the famous caramels. Rich, buttery, and not sickly sweet. What a perfect way to cap off the evening. I can't wait to go back!

[DonRocks]

Don Rocks is my hero

Derek, you're still a close second

I cannot compete with this.

[Mark Sommelier]

Don Rocks is my hero

Derek, you're still a close second

I cannot compete with this.

Finally, Derek is recognized as the King of the Bartenders!

[John W.]

Don Rocks is my hero

Derek, you're still a close second

I cannot compete with this.

Finally, Derek is recognized as the King of the Bartenders!

Damnit is that guy dreamy...

[Mark Sommelier]

Don Rocks is my hero

Derek, you're still a close second

I cannot compete with this.

Finally, Derek is recognized as the King of the Bartenders!

Damnit is that guy dreamy...

What's up with those eyebrows?

[Nadya]

Not to mention his

a) sickeningly handsome pair o'cheekbones, and

b) uncommon talent of playing chess while inebriated, and

c) scary sense of judgment on WHICH four people in the entire joint can have fun if sqeezed in a tiny booth.

Derek