Casa Mono and Bar Jamón

[zora]

I concur on jogoode's assessment of that review. How can you review food if you don't like it? I think there should be some sort of challenge for anyone who wants this job--not as bad as fear factor, obviously, but people should be up for offal.

And I was annoyed that she said "forget about the buñuelos with bay leaves." But why, Marion, WHY? How do I know it's just because you don't like foods that start with the letter 'b' or something?

Has anyone on the board eaten these? (Guess I should go back and trawl this whole thread...)

[zora]

OK--I read back through the thread. I feel duly informed on the subject of bay-leaf buñuelos. Thanks for nothin', Marion.

[jogoode]

And I was annoyed that she said "forget about the buñuelos with bay leaves." But why, Marion, WHY? How do I know it's just because you don't like foods that start with the letter 'b' or something?

You're right. If I hadn't tried them already, I would have been clueless thanks to her review.

[jogoode]

In the newest Restaurant Insider, the email preview of New York Magazine's food section (no link available), Gael Greene reports that she enjoyed the "cuttle-fish with white beans". On the menu, the dish with white beans is listed as "chipirones with white beans." Chipirones are baby squid, I believe, not cuttlefish. Sepia is the word for cuttlefish. Very picky of me, yes, but if I'm right, that's lazy fact checking.

[alacarte]

No one should argue with JJ on fact-checking.

[jogoode]

In her review, Burros wrote: "chipirones (squid)"

[bpearis]

In the newest Restaurant Insider, the email preview of New York Magazine's food section (no link available), Gael Greene reports that she enjoyed the "cuttle-fish with white beans". On the menu, the dish with white beans is listed as "chipirones with white beans." Chipirones are baby squid, I believe, not cuttlefish. Sepia is the word for cuttlefish. Very picky of me, yes, but if I'm right, that's lazy fact checking.

Here's the link. Scroll down for the Casa Mono thing.

[jogoode]

In the newest Restaurant Insider, the email preview of New York Magazine's food section (no link available), Gael Greene reports that she enjoyed the "cuttle-fish with white beans". On the menu, the dish with white beans is listed as "chipirones with white beans." Chipirones are baby squid, I believe, not cuttlefish. Sepia is the word for cuttlefish. Very picky of me, yes, but if I'm right, that's lazy fact checking.

Here's the link. Scroll down for the Casa Mono thing.

Thanks, bpearis.

I should emphasize that Ms. Greene should not necessarily take the blame for this.

[Bux]

In the case of professional reviewers, I also find it admirable that they can separate their personal likes and dislikes from an objective opinion, but how reliable will a review be to a diner when it comes from someone who doesn't share the same enthusiasm for the food.

I take back the comment that there's anything admirable about a reviewer whose tastes aren't all encompassing, or at least can't convincingly withhold that information from the public. I discussed this point with a professional who said he wouldn't be surprised if restauranteurs wouldn't tailor their menus to the taste of influential reviewers. It well advertised, the taste of whoever the New York Times picks as a reviewer may have considerable influence on what we eat, or at least on what's offered to us at a new restaurant.

[Pan]

Bux, in that case, I suppose it's good for all concerned that Ms. Burros is a temporary restaurant critic, not a long-term one.

[Bux]

My point, before I rudely interrupted myself, was that I wish the Times would hire a reviewer who can bring some real enthusiasm for eating with a passion. It would be rewarding to have a dose of that for a while.

Word.

I give Grimes credit for taking himself out of the reviewing game when his enthusiasm ebbed.

I must have missed the review where he was enthusiastic about his meal. I thought someone would come to the defense of Asimov, who does talk about food with enthusiasm. Grimes never left an impression of being a man with whom it would be fun to eat. If he enjoyed his work, he never let on in the comments he's made about his job or in the way he's spoken of people who cook for a living. Grimes may have been enthusiastic about writing restaurant reviews, but I never sensed it was in relation to an enthusiam about food. Ruth Reichel had her faults, as we all do, but she left the impression that she was genuinely lucky to have a job that required her to eat in restaurants.

[SobaAddict70]

It well advertised, the taste of whoever the New York Times picks as a reviewer may have considerable influence on what we eat, or at least on what's offered to us at a new restaurant.

Sounds like a well-publicized critique of a certain restaurant critic for a San Francisco-based paper. Said critic shall remain nameless...precisely because I can't remember what his last name is at the moment. The critique made the same exact case in point (except with respect to this critic) that Bux refers to in his post.

Soba

[jogoode]

In the case of professional reviewers, I also find it admirable that they can separate their personal likes and dislikes from an objective opinion, but how reliable will a review be to a diner when it comes from someone who doesn't share the same enthusiasm for the food.

I take back the comment that there's anything admirable about a reviewer whose tastes aren't all encompassing, or at least can't convincingly withhold that information from the public. I discussed this point with a professional who said he wouldn't be surprised if restauranteurs wouldn't tailor their menus to the taste of influential reviewers. It well advertised, the taste of whoever the New York Times picks as a reviewer may have considerable influence on what we eat, or at least on what's offered to us at a new restaurant.

Very intersting, Bux. But I don't understand why that would cause you to retract your statement suggesting that a good reviwer should try to step back from his/her basic preferences and comment on a dish's execution. I enjoy eggs, but I don't love some dishes that feature eggs, no matter how well they are prepared -- i.e. omelets. If I were a capable reviewer I could easily, however, report that the omelet topped with beluga that I ate at, say, ADNY was or wasn't well prepared. And even that it was a fine dish. (I just wouldn't choose to eat it if the money for it were coming out of my thin wallet.) I do think it's admirable, from an ethical standpoint, for Burros to point out to the reader that she does not like everything, rather than concealing or omitting the fact. Otherwise, accuracy suffers. To be sure, I think the Times should've appointed someone else as interim critic, but we don't know what their contraints were. And it seems Burros be the first to say that she doesn't make an ideal reviewer.

[slkinsey]

Casa Mono and Bar Jamon are reviewed in the March 01, 2004 issue of New York Magazine. A small excerpt:

If this doesn’t sound like any tapas meal you’ve ever had, that’s because the food at Casa Mono isn’t really tapas at all. It’s a canny variation on the currently fashionable trend toward smaller, more eclectic portions (nothing on the menu costs more than $15), and if you order like you’re at a tapas bar, you’ll soon hit a caloric brick wall. At least, that’s what happened to us when the coxcombs arrived at our table. The rooster tops were cooked to a kind of bouncy consistency and felt so eccentric, like deboned chicken feet, that I pushed them aside after a bite or two. The sweetbreads were much more palatable (they’re round, like giant chicken poppers, with a cooling mound of fennel on the side), and so were the mashed oxtails (stuffed in dainty piquillo peppers) and the tripe, which was mostly devoid of tripey taste and simmered with soft chickpeas and little wheels of spicy Morcilla sausage.

[Pan]

What are chicken poppers? (Incidentally, I read the word initially as "poopers." )

[Bux]

Very intersting, Bux. But I don't understand why that would cause you to retract your statement suggesting that a good reviwer should try to step back from his/her basic preferences and comment on a dish's execution. I enjoy eggs, but I don't love some dishes that feature eggs, no matter how well they are prepared -- i.e. omelets. If I were a capable reviewer I could easily, however, report that the omelet topped with beluga that I ate at, say, ADNY was or wasn't well prepared. And even that it was a fine dish. (I just wouldn't choose to eat it if the money for it were coming out of my thin wallet.) I do think it's admirable, from an ethical standpoint, for Burros to point out to the reader that she does not like everything, rather than concealing or omitting the fact. Otherwise, accuracy suffers. To be sure, I think the Times should've appointed someone else as interim critic, but we don't know what their contraints were. And it seems Burros be the first to say that she doesn't make an ideal reviewer.

I thought I was clear earlier about the danger of a reviewer, especially a reviewer for a journal whose reviews carry great weight regardless of whose byline they carry, making his or her subjective tastes public.

I discussed this point with a professional who said he wouldn't be surprised if restauranteurs wouldn't tailor their menus to the taste of influential reviewers. It well advertised, the taste of whoever the New York Times picks as a reviewer may have considerable influence on what we eat, or at least on what's offered to us at a new restaurant.

Anyway, I'm back from a lunch at Casa Mono. The short review is that we thought the savory food was compelling. I think we were exceptionally pleased with each of the seven dishes we shared. Desserts for the three of us, were just alright.

As my brother-in-law had to leave for the airport by one-thirty, we arrived at noon precisely and the room was empty. The tables are all the same size, and that size is small for two people. We were shown to a table set for three. By the time our glasses of water, fino and bottle of red wine were on the table it was getting crowded. The restaurant was never more than half full and after suffering trying to share and pass a selection of fish dishes, I asked the waitress if it's usually more crowded at lunch and why we were sharing a table for two. She smiled, said it was an oversight and suggested we move to a double table for four. God helps those who help themselves.

It's easy enough to build a meal out of two or three dishes, or share dishes. An ideal way to dine here might be to have your favorite dish for a main course and share a bunch of dishes before that one. We shared and ordered three seafood dishes first and then four meat dishes which we asked to be brought in two courses. I thought we'd actually eat one or two more dishes, so I never got around to order some things I wanted to try.

I like anchovies and I like fried food. I liked the batter dipped anchovies very much. The calamares fritos were unusual in that they weren't in rings and were dusted with paprika. I've never had them quite that way in Spain, but I wouldn't complain either here or there. All that the squid and anchovies needed was a spritz of lemon. The small scallops in their shells with chorizo were a much heartier dish and a good contrast. They went well with a fairly light syrah from Albet I Noya, winemakers in Penedes who I believe make organic wines. I'd not had this particular wine of theirs, but it was as good a choice for a variety of foods as I hoped it would be. The Lustau Fino "Jarana" was particularly nice as well, but the glasses were very small. The sherries are not served in a cuartino.

Although piquillo peppers stuffed with oxtail are a traditional way of preparing the peppers, I've always had them filled with dried cod in Spain and the Pays Basque in France. Casa Mono's oxtail version was rich and succulent as was the tripe, chickpeas and blood sausage. On a cold night, I'd easily welcome two bowls full as a main course. As it was, I was happy to share and get a taste of the crisp and light sweetbreads served with caramelized baby fennel. The wild boar was a surprise and one of the few dishes to command $15 a plate. Most dishes are in the 10-15 dollar range with a some appetizers and vegetables in the 4-10 range. The boar arrived as thick slices of fairly pink and very tender roast meat on a bed of escalivada--a combination of vegetables not unlike ratatouille--peppers, eggplant and onions--which here was prepared with cayenne pepper and saffron honey and like the fennel with the sweetbreads an exceptional combination. There was not a bad dish, or even a questionable one among the ones we had.

It's not that any particular dish reminded me of something I had in Spain, but the overall experience was much like one I had in a wine bar somewhat off the beaten track in Madrid. Americans also often have too narrow a view of tapas. Customs vary from province to province and it's often possible to get raciones, media raciones or tapas in different areas and depending on the nature of the dish. The dishes at Casa Mono tend to be about media raciones size.

[SobaAddict70]

I sort of wonder what rating Amanda might have given Casa Mono were she the reviewer at the time the review was published.

I get the sense that she isn't averse to anchovies, offal or chocolate.

Could be wrong though.

Soba

[alacarte]

Here's my "foot-soldier" review -- meaning how crowded the restaurant looks when I pass by. Last night at about 7PM, the restaurant was only half-full (usually it's teeming).

That said, Monday is not considered the optimal night to eat out (thanks Tony Bourdain) and 7PM is still early by most trendy diners' standards -- so this may indicate nothing in terms of current buzz. I'll have to do a walk-by on a Friday night to get a better read.

Bar Jamon still was packed.

FYI, because Casa Mono is essentially a fishbowl, it's one of the few places on which one can get a reliable read with with the "foot-soldier" walk-by method.

[Bux]

We took a look at Bar Jamón from the outside and read the menu on the blackboard. I didn't think the offerings were as interesting as at Casa Mono, but don't know if that's the full list.

[JosephB]

Donna and I had a dismal experience at Casa Mono this afternoon. It was our first visit there. We arrived at 1:30 pm, and were seated right away at the last free table. We were given menus and water, followed by a bowl of very good olives and bread, all in the ordinary course. We waited longer than we should have to order, but things were still moving along reasonably well. We selected the calamari, croquetas, lamb chops, and sepia. I also selected a nice quarto of red for me.

As we waited for our food to arrive, I started to overhear grumbling coming from surrounding tables. The worst of it was coming from the table adjacent to ours. It seems that their dessert and coffee still hadn't arrived after 20 minutes. I smelled trouble. Happily, before long our calamari and croquetas arrived. OK, just bring me the wine and we're on our way. After a few bites of food, no wine. We slowed the pace anticipating the wine's arrival, still no wine. I asked another server to get the wine, still no wine. We were nearing the end of the first two dishes, and still no wine. We finally finished. That's right, still no wine.

By this time the people at the table adjacent to us had cancelled dessert and were begging for the bill. They begged some more to no avail. Finally, they got up and told the hostess that they were leaving, and that she could collect the bill from them outside if she cared to -- she did. As they walked out, one guy in the party said that he felt abandoned. I decided it was time to plan an exit strategy. Oh no, we checked our coats -- we may never get out!

It was laughable, but at that moment our waiter came over to our table and inquired how things were going. I gave him the short version, asked for the bill for the two dishes that we ate, and gave him my coat-check ticket. I reached for my VISA card, and then thought exit strategy -- cash. The bill arrived but was incorrect. The hostess fixed it; we paid; we got our coats; I stole a menu, and we left.

I was smitten the minute walked into Casa Mono, but hurt and angry after just one visit. One thing really got to me as the nightmare was unfolding. Even though the service was self-destructing, as soon as a space was available, the hostess calmly seated the next person waiting at the door, and told the very next person that she'd be right with him. Wouldn't it have been better to stop the bleeding before seating more people? I for one would rather wait a little longer at the door if it meant that I would be properly served once I was seated.

The only regret I have about leaving when we did was not waiting to see what would happen with the couple seated shortly before we left. They told the hostess that they were in a hurry to go to the theater. She told them, "no problem."

[Bux]

That's a shame to hear. Service was quite good the two times we were there. At lunch the place was empty and we expected fine service. The second time was on a Friday at dinner and the place was packed. Service however, was attentive, efficient and smooth. The wine guy seemed to know his stuff and gave us good advice. About the only complaint I had was that they asked us to put our complete order in at once. I would have preferred to order a few plates at a time as the mood struck. They were very nice about bringing our food in three flights exactly as requested and cleared the table between each "course." I wish I could be sure, but I think they gave us new plates and table ware with each course of shared tapas. In fact, I think it was the best service I've ever had in a Batali restaurant. So it's really a shame to hear of your experience.

[JosephB]

That's a shame to hear. Service was quite good the two times we were there. At lunch the place was empty and we expected fine service. The second time was on a Friday at dinner and the place was packed. Service however, was attentive, efficient and smooth. The wine guy seemed to know his stuff and gave us good advice. About the only complaint I had was that they asked us to put our complete order in at once. I would have preferred to order a few plates at a time as the mood struck. They were very nice about bringing our food in three flights exactly as requested and cleared the table between each "course." I wish I could be sure, but I think they gave us new plates and table ware with each course of shared tapas. In fact, I think it was the best service I've ever had in a Batali restaurant. So it's really a shame to hear of your experience.

After a delightful French film (Bon Voyage) and a good night's sleep, I’m feeling a little more circumspect in my criticism today. Maybe the stars weren't lined up for us yesterday at 1:30 pm, but things will be great the next time -- estrangement from Casa Mono would be hard to live with. Maybe it really was all the fault of one waiter. That would be a good thing because the hostess volunteered to tell us that it would be his last day.

[docsconz]

Joe,

I'm sorry to read of your experience. Casa Mono is high up on my "Goto" list". Kitty and I love Tapas and spanish food in general. One thing that can easily ruin a good meal is bad service. I hope it was an aberration.

[JosephB]

Last Thursday evening I met my brother at Casa Mono/ Bar Jamon. The plan was to have a pre-dinner bite and a couple of glasses of wine. I arrived first at 5:30 p.m., and waited for my brother outside so we could decide on Casa Mono or Bar Jamon -- both were very quiet, but gearing up for the rush which probably begins after 6:00 p.m.

We decided to go to the bar at Casa Mono because we'd have more plates to choose from. I also was anxious to give the place a second chance. We walked in past the hostess who was on the phone, and headed for the bar. The hostess called us back. I told her that we were going to have something to eat and drink at the bar. She told me, rather coldly, that Casa Mono was a dinner place, and that Bar Jamon was the place to go for "something to eat." I asked her what constituted dinner, and she impatiently said that it was not a dollar amount (I never mentioned money), but a "concept." I decided to give up and go next door, we're we had several fine dishes and a couple of glasses of wine, which came to $75.

I've had it with Casa Mono. Concept? Please. Notwithstanding the potential quality of Casa Mono's offerings, we are after all talking about tapas.

We will gladly return to Bar Jamon.

[SobaAddict70]

Hm, I'm not sure I want to go visit now.

It's a shame -- because offal is high on my list of favorite things to eat.

Perhaps the service will improve with time, so Mario, if you're reading along, a little talk with the staff might be in order.

Soba