Lawrence, KS Restaurant Reviews (and lack thereof)

[IML]

moosnsqrl: Kansas tomatoes are great, especially during the first few weeks of September, after having baked in the hot, sticky summers. I still think California and Arizona grow better tomatoes, but I'm not one to argue produce. Kansas has better wheat and mushrooms.

The question of buying local versus sticker shock just doesn't hold up for me. I've worked in the high-end food industry for some time, and I can honestly say that FedExing a rare ingredient (say, the fish any expensive KS restaurant uses) will always be more expensive than trying to find a creative, tasty way of serving a local turnip in-season. The question then becomes: What's more desirable between a "luxury" item flown in to optimize its freshness, or building relationships with local purveyors to grow or rear food whose origin you can readily trace and attest to? The first is the easier of the two (and more expensive), while the second takes years of commitment, patience, and shitloads of hard work.

[moosnsqrl]

The question of buying local versus sticker shock just doesn't hold up for me.  I've worked in the high-end food industry for some time, and I can honestly say that FedExing a rare ingredient (say, the fish any expensive KS restaurant uses) will always be more expensive than trying to find a creative, tasty way of serving a local turnip in-season.  The question then becomes:  What's more desirable between a "luxury" item flown in to optimize its freshness, or building relationships with local purveyors to grow or rear food whose origin you can readily trace and attest to?  The first is the easier of the two (and more expensive), while the second takes years of commitment, patience, and shitloads of hard work.

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I wouldn't disagree but people will pay $30 for fish/seafood, knowing we're short on saltwater around here - not sure how high they'll go for a turnip, however creatively or lovingly it is prepared. It's an educational process.

I worked in an office largely populated with CA transplants and they couldn't understand why some of the locals considered shrimp cocktail a must-have for a client appreciation event. This was ~20 years ago before all of the farm-raised product drove prices (and quality) down and made it quite commonplace. It's just a mindset from the days when getting anything fresh from the coasts was a luxury, I think. Conversely, turnips (which I personally love) are still thought of as plebian, as are most root vegetables. When I was a produce buyer for a natural food store, I always tried to stock humble root vegetables (parsnips, rutabagas and the like) and we couldn't give them away but now I see them in mainstream stores, so they appear to be making a comeback.

I'm talking in generalities, of course. I don't mean to paint a bad picture of midwesterners. I just don't think most people are ready for humble ingredients elevated to star status at fine dining restaurants yet. The increasing appearance of offal on local menus is, IMHO, a sign that we're turning the corner on that front. I'm sure my grandparents would find it amusing that the humble cuts of meat they ate out of necessity are appearing on chic menus.

ETA: we've kind of wandered from the original Lawrence context but I think this is interesting. I'll start a thread and hope that Big Country, Chef CAG, Tim D and others will join in the discussion. I know they all try very hard to use local stuff (to the extent of forcing their parents to buy acreage and toil from sunup to sundown in one extreme case ).

Edited December 18, 2006 by moosnsqrl (log)

[joiei]

When I was in Lawrence this past weekend, I enjoyed an excellent burger at Local Burger. They were using local suppliers as much as possible from reading the menu. It is not everyday that you get to pick your burger according to the meat producer.

[Jaymes]

I know a little something about this because I actually was a restaurant reviewer (and reporter and columnist) for a small-town newspaper.

Unfortunately, newspapers all over the US are struggling. Even in large cities like KC, readership is down. Many newspapers have gone out of business, and many others are just barely holding on. Younger folks tend to get their news from other sources, like the Internet, and it's no longer 'a given' that everybody on your block subscribes to the paper, like it was in the olden days.

Now, local newspapers are competing for advertiser dollars in a marketplace that includes USA Today, national editions of WSJ and NYT and other newspapers, cable TV, the Internet and myriad other sources.

Restaurant reviews in small-town papers are usually tied to advertising; as in: "sign up for three months' worth of ads and we'll give you one free 'review.'"

So I was paid to write something complementary.

Luckily for me, I believe that's entirely possible without sacrificing one's integrity. In every restaurant, I found things about which I could write positively, and that's what I'd focus on. If the potatoes were cold and lumpy, but the CFS was very good, I'd just comment on the CFS and not mention the potatoes at all. And I wouldn't use superlatives I didn't mean. I wouldn't say that the CFS was the 'best I'd ever had' or any other words to that effect. Just that it was "very good" and that the waitstaff was "friendly and helpful," if they were. And frankly, I was (and remain) happy to do whatever I could to help that newspaper continue publishing in today's competitive marketplace. My ego (and pride in "my" reviews) was pretty far down on my list of priorities.

Also, in most small towns, the numbers of people that are interested in a critical review are extremely limited. And folks that are usually have the resources to travel elsewhere to get their restaurant 'experience' fix. The average person in a small town (and that's who small-town newspapers are trying to please) just wants to know where to go tonight for a decent and affordable family dinner, and what to order when they get there (hence the popularity of chain restaurants). They're not interested in reading some high-falutin' critical review by a highly trained and skilled world-class reviewer. That type of review would be of no help to them whatsoever.

It's just a completely different thing.

Edited December 18, 2006 by Jaymes (log)

[IML]

I know a little something about this because I actually was a restaurant reviewer (and reporter and columnist) for a small-town newspaper. 

Unfortunately, newspapers all over the US are struggling.  Even in large cities like KC, readership is down.  Many newspapers have gone out of business, and many others are just barely holding on.  Younger folks tend to get their news from other sources, like the Internet, and it's no longer 'a given' that everybody on your block subscribes to the paper, like it was in the olden days. 

Now, local newspapers are competing for advertiser dollars in a marketplace that includes USA Today, national editions of WSJ and NYT and other newspapers, cable TV, the Internet and myriad other sources.

Restaurant reviews in small-town papers are usually tied to advertising; as in:  "sign up for three months' worth of ads and we'll give you one free 'review.'"

So I was paid to write something complementary.

Luckily for me, I believe that's entirely possible without sacrificing one's integrity.  In every restaurant, I found things about which I could write positively, and that's what I'd focus on.  If the potatoes were cold and lumpy, but the CFS was very good, I'd just comment on the CFS and not mention the potatoes at all.  And I wouldn't use superlatives I didn't mean.  I wouldn't say that the CFS was the 'best I'd ever had' or any other words to that effect.  Just that it was "very good" and that the waitstaff was "friendly and helpful," if they were.  And frankly, I was (and remain) happy to do whatever I could to help that newspaper continue publishing in today's competitive marketplace.  My ego (and pride in "my" reviews) was pretty far down on my list of priorities.

Also, in most small towns, the numbers of people that are interested in a critical review are extremely limited.  And folks that are usually have the resources to travel elsewhere to get their restaurant 'experience' fix. The average person in a small town (and that's who small-town newspapers are trying to please) just wants to know where to go tonight for a decent and affordable family dinner, and what to order when they get there (hence the popularity of chain restaurants).  They're not interested in reading some high-falutin' critical review by a highly trained and skilled world-class reviewer.  That type of review would be of no help to them whatsoever.

It's just a completely different thing.

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Great point. The dining scene in most small towns is often too static to require in-depth, weekly coverage, unless one considers column space dedicated to food writing (rather than criticism).

[ChefCAG]

I know a little something about this because I actually was a restaurant reviewer (and reporter and columnist) for a small-town newspaper. 

Unfortunately, newspapers all over the US are struggling.  Even in large cities like KC, readership is down.  Many newspapers have gone out of business, and many others are just barely holding on.  Younger folks tend to get their news from other sources, like the Internet, and it's no longer 'a given' that everybody on your block subscribes to the paper, like it was in the olden days. 

Now, local newspapers are competing for advertiser dollars in a marketplace that includes USA Today, national editions of WSJ and NYT and other newspapers, cable TV, the Internet and myriad other sources.

Restaurant reviews in small-town papers are usually tied to advertising; as in:  "sign up for three months' worth of ads and we'll give you one free 'review.'"

So I was paid to write something complementary.

Luckily for me, I believe that's entirely possible without sacrificing one's integrity.  In every restaurant, I found things about which I could write positively, and that's what I'd focus on.  If the potatoes were cold and lumpy, but the CFS was very good, I'd just comment on the CFS and not mention the potatoes at all.  And I wouldn't use superlatives I didn't mean.  I wouldn't say that the CFS was the 'best I'd ever had' or any other words to that effect.  Just that it was "very good" and that the waitstaff was "friendly and helpful," if they were.  And frankly, I was (and remain) happy to do whatever I could to help that newspaper continue publishing in today's competitive marketplace.  My ego (and pride in "my" reviews) was pretty far down on my list of priorities.

Also, in most small towns, the numbers of people that are interested in a critical review are extremely limited.  And folks that are usually have the resources to travel elsewhere to get their restaurant 'experience' fix. The average person in a small town (and that's who small-town newspapers are trying to please) just wants to know where to go tonight for a decent and affordable family dinner, and what to order when they get there (hence the popularity of chain restaurants).  They're not interested in reading some high-falutin' critical review by a highly trained and skilled world-class reviewer.  That type of review would be of no help to them whatsoever.

It's just a completely different thing.

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Well put Jaymes. Thanks for posting.

[Pete Dulin]

I know a little something about this because I actually was a restaurant reviewer (and reporter and columnist) for a small-town newspaper. 

Restaurant reviews in small-town papers are usually tied to advertising; as in:  "sign up for three months' worth of ads and we'll give you one free 'review.'"

So I was paid to write something complementary.

Luckily for me, I believe that's entirely possible without sacrificing one's integrity.  In every restaurant, I found things about which I could write positively, and that's what I'd focus on.  If the potatoes were cold and lumpy, but the CFS was very good, I'd just comment on the CFS and not mention the potatoes at all.  And I wouldn't use superlatives I didn't mean.  I wouldn't say that the CFS was the 'best I'd ever had' or any other words to that effect.  Just that it was "very good" and that the waitstaff was "friendly and helpful," if they were.  And frankly, I was (and remain) happy to do whatever I could to help that newspaper continue publishing in today's competitive marketplace.  My ego (and pride in "my" reviews) was pretty far down on my list of priorities.

Also, in most small towns, the numbers of people that are interested in a critical review are extremely limited.  And folks that are usually have the resources to travel elsewhere to get their restaurant 'experience' fix. The average person in a small town (and that's who small-town newspapers are trying to please) just wants to know where to go tonight for a decent and affordable family dinner, and what to order when they get there (hence the popularity of chain restaurants).  They're not interested in reading some high-falutin' critical review by a highly trained and skilled world-class reviewer.  That type of review would be of no help to them whatsoever.

It's just a completely different thing.

←

Agreed. I think that a publication and the restaurant review should fit the marketplace that it is serving. A small town audience may want to know less about the execution of French techniques to prepare such and such a dish or some wistful anecdote that leads into a narrative about a dish, and more about the basic flavor, presentation, value, etc. in straightforward terms.

That said, isn't omission of commentary or critique of lesser quality food, i.e. "the potatoes were cold and lumpy," providing a disservice to the reader? Certainly, others will order a dish with potatoes in it and might find the same experience. Isn't the observation of both what did and did not work in a restaurant––regarding menu, service, atmosphere, value––essential to mention in a review?

Sorry if that strayed too much from the original thread. To bring discussion back to Lawrence, what establishments in Lawrence are worth reviewing or writing about besides Free State and Wheatfields? For Kansas Citians that want to dine in Lawrence while in town, where might they go if they knew more?

[ChefCAG]

I know a little something about this because I actually was a restaurant reviewer (and reporter and columnist) for a small-town newspaper. 

Restaurant reviews in small-town papers are usually tied to advertising; as in:  "sign up for three months' worth of ads and we'll give you one free 'review.'"

So I was paid to write something complementary.

Luckily for me, I believe that's entirely possible without sacrificing one's integrity.  In every restaurant, I found things about which I could write positively, and that's what I'd focus on.  If the potatoes were cold and lumpy, but the CFS was very good, I'd just comment on the CFS and not mention the potatoes at all.  And I wouldn't use superlatives I didn't mean.  I wouldn't say that the CFS was the 'best I'd ever had' or any other words to that effect.  Just that it was "very good" and that the waitstaff was "friendly and helpful," if they were.  And frankly, I was (and remain) happy to do whatever I could to help that newspaper continue publishing in today's competitive marketplace.  My ego (and pride in "my" reviews) was pretty far down on my list of priorities.

Also, in most small towns, the numbers of people that are interested in a critical review are extremely limited.  And folks that are usually have the resources to travel elsewhere to get their restaurant 'experience' fix. The average person in a small town (and that's who small-town newspapers are trying to please) just wants to know where to go tonight for a decent and affordable family dinner, and what to order when they get there (hence the popularity of chain restaurants).  They're not interested in reading some high-falutin' critical review by a highly trained and skilled world-class reviewer.  That type of review would be of no help to them whatsoever.

It's just a completely different thing.

←

Agreed. I think that a publication and the restaurant review should fit the marketplace that it is serving. A small town audience may want to know less about the execution of French techniques to prepare such and such a dish or some wistful anecdote that leads into a narrative about a dish, and more about the basic flavor, presentation, value, etc. in straightforward terms.

That said, isn't omission of commentary or critique of lesser quality food, i.e. "the potatoes were cold and lumpy," providing a disservice to the reader? Certainly, others will order a dish with potatoes in it and might find the same experience. Isn't the observation of both what did and did not work in a restaurant––regarding menu, service, atmosphere, value––essential to mention in a review?

Sorry if that strayed too much from the original thread. To bring discussion back to Lawrence, what establishments in Lawrence are worth reviewing or writing about besides Free State and Wheatfields? For Kansas Citians that want to dine in Lawrence while in town, where might they go if they knew more?

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HA HA! Welcome Pete! I wonderd if you would stumble across this forum

[moosnsqrl]

Agreed. I think that a publication and the restaurant review should fit the marketplace that it is serving. A small town audience may want to know less about the execution of French techniques to prepare such and such a dish or some wistful anecdote that leads into a narrative about a dish, and more about the basic flavor, presentation, value, etc. in straightforward terms.

That said, isn't omission of commentary or critique of lesser quality food, i.e. "the potatoes were cold and lumpy," providing a disservice to the reader? Certainly, others will order a dish with potatoes in it and might find the same experience. Isn't the observation of both what did and did not work in a restaurant––regarding menu, service, atmosphere, value––essential to mention in a review?

Sorry if that strayed too much from the original thread. To bring discussion back to Lawrence, what establishments in Lawrence are worth reviewing or writing about besides Free State and Wheatfields? For Kansas Citians that want to dine in Lawrence while in town, where might they go if they knew more?

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Welcome aboard, Pete. Glad to have you.

Other resturants in Lawrence worth mentioning (IMHO) are: La Parilla (pan-Latino), Zen Zero (pan-Asian), Cafe Beautiful (best sushi in the area - again, IMHO), Local Burger (just what it sounds like), West Side Deli (recently relocated from west 6th to downtown and renamed the New Hampshire Street Bistro), Teller's and, of course, Pachamama's not-so-recently relocated from Alvamar to downtown. This is by no means comprehensive but representative of some of the good things going on over there (finally!).

[ulterior epicure]

Cafe Beautiful: anyone care to comment? Here's what I know:

1. Reservations are a must.

2. There is no menu.

3. BYOB.

I'd like to know more. Is it kaiseki? Strictly sushi/sashimi? Cost/price? Quality? Etc...

Edited June 6, 2007 by ulterior epicure (log)

[Milt]

We visited Lawrence, where my daughter has lived for the past eleven years, in early June. We took her, along with her three children, to Free State Brewery for lunch - as we have on our last few visits. It is a great place to eat when there are a wide range of tastes and ages in the party.

Just the same, it is obvious that Lawrence has several other places worth a visit. Her, in no particular order, is her admittedly incomplete list of places we should consider on our next trip: Teller's, Massachusetts Ave.; Vermont Street BBQ, 728 Mass; La Parilla, 814 Mass, Zen Zero, 811 Mass; Indo, 125 E 10th; India Palace, 129 E 10th.

[MarketStEl]

Parachuting in with questions and comments filtered through a haze of 1200 miles' distance and more than 30 years' absence:

--Is the Kansas City Magazine still published by the Chamber of Commerce, or has it become independent like Philadelphia did about 35 years ago? (The fact that it has a restaurant reviewer suggests to me that the connection to the Chamber has been severed, but if so, how long ago?)

--Lawrence isn't expanding to the east? It had seemed to me in the 1970s that Lawrence and Metro KC were growing towards each other, which would IMO bode well for Lawrence in some respects in that it would now fall into the Kansas City media orbit (as it already is in TV). I would also think that a blurring of the boundary between the two cities/regions would also bolster Lawrence's independent dining/music scene.

--Lawrence was cool (for Kansas) even back in the 1970s. With the lifting of Kansas' restrictive liquor-by-the-drink laws -- instigated, so I've heard, by aspiring Lawrence brewpub owners -- I imagine Lawrence has become cool, period. The city supports a music scene; except for that westward expansion, it seems to me that it should be able to support a restaurant scene, too.

--I didn't become turned on to tomatoes until I left Kansas City to attend college. There are great tomatoes to the west of me in Lancaster County, and absolutely fabulous ones to the east of me in New Jersey. Anyone out there had a chance to compare our local products with those of the Sunflower State? Or do I need to conduct an inspection trip of my own?

--Judy: It will take all the powers at your disposal to get me to appreciate turnips, one of only two or three foods I absolutely detest.

[moosnsqrl]

You pose a lot of interesting questions, and I will reply to the best of my ability, this weekend when time allows.

There are [en fin] great restaurants in Lawrence, in spite of itself and its checkered past. I will put together a semi-definitive list.

If you are heading to Lawrence, please post a "plan" topic so we can help you and, dare we hope?, join you.

I happen to think KS has the <<ne plus ultre>> of tomatoes, but I know those are fightin' words, so just come see me and I will hook you up and make a believer of you.

The early (over-wintered) turnips are pretty much shot and the fall crop a ways off, so you're probably safe.

Personal aside: Do we need to call Mr. Bricker?

[Guest]

You pose a lot of interesting questions, and I will reply to the best of my ability, this weekend when time allows.

There are [en fin] great restaurants in Lawrence, in spite of itself and its checkered past.  I will put together a semi-definitive list.

If  you are heading to Lawrence, please post a "plan" topic so we can help you and, dare we hope?, join you.

I happen to think KS has the <<ne plus ultre>> of tomatoes, but I know those are fightin' words, so just come see me and I will hook you up and make a believer of you.

The early (over-wintered) turnips are pretty much shot and the fall crop a ways off, so you're probably safe.

Personal aside: Do we need to call Mr. Bricker?

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moosnsqrl i'd love to hear what you have to say when you find the time!

[chileheadmike]

[

moosnsqrl i'd love to hear what you have to say when you find the time!

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Careful what you ask for....

[moosnsqrl]

[

moosnsqrl i'd love to hear what you have to say when you find the time!

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Careful what you ask for....

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OK, Scoville-Boy, you were once a cook at what was then the best restaurant in Lawrence . . . perhaps you can find time between snide remarks to illuminate Dinger?

[chileheadmike]

[

moosnsqrl i'd love to hear what you have to say when you find the time!

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Careful what you ask for....

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OK, Scoville-Boy, you were once a cook at what was then the best restaurant in Lawrence . . . perhaps you can find time between snide remarks to illuminate Dinger?

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Ok Ok, sorry. I just couldn't help myself.

We don't get back to Larryville nearly often enough but here's my list of where we go when we do. Unfortunately my favorites (Cornucopia, Tin Pan Ally, and Paradise and Lunch have all closed)

Bambino's: I had to take Brianne there because its the site of the old Cornucopia. Not quite the same. Decent pasta served by nice hippies.

Free State Brewery: Obvious choice but I've always had good food and beer there.

There's a couple of Mexican places we like. One on New Hampshire between 7th and 8th, and one at 23 & Iowa. Both decent but not in the same league as the finer places in KCK.

There's a Thai Restaurant where Paradise used to be (I think) where I had the hottest Pad Thai of my life. Wow, at the top of my heat level. Really good, Brianne had a milder version that she really liked.

[MarketStEl]

You pose a lot of interesting questions, and I will reply to the best of my ability, this weekend when time allows.

Since then, I've enjoyed a great Vietnamese pig-out at an old Philly Chinatown favorite with a Phillyblogger who it turns out is something of a foodie himself; he told me to bring my camera next time so we can enjoy some food porn later.

But I see no answers to the cultural/geographical/media questions, though I do see some mention of good Lawrence restaurants. Anyone up for these still?

Personal aside: Do we need to call Mr. Bricker?

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I should anyway on general principle. It's been a while since I've talked to him.

[Jaymes]

I know a little something about this because I actually was a restaurant reviewer (and reporter and columnist) for a small-town newspaper. 

Restaurant reviews in small-town papers are usually tied to advertising; as in:  "sign up for three months' worth of ads and we'll give you one free 'review.'"

So I was paid to write something complementary.

Luckily for me, I believe that's entirely possible without sacrificing one's integrity.  In every restaurant, I found things about which I could write positively, and that's what I'd focus on.  If the potatoes were cold and lumpy, but the CFS was very good, I'd just comment on the CFS and not mention the potatoes at all.  And I wouldn't use superlatives I didn't mean.  I wouldn't say that the CFS was the 'best I'd ever had' or any other words to that effect.  Just that it was "very good" and that the waitstaff was "friendly and helpful," if they were.  And frankly, I was (and remain) happy to do whatever I could to help that newspaper continue publishing in today's competitive marketplace.  My ego (and pride in "my" reviews) was pretty far down on my list of priorities.

Also, in most small towns, the numbers of people that are interested in a critical review are extremely limited.  And folks that are usually have the resources to travel elsewhere to get their restaurant 'experience' fix. The average person in a small town (and that's who small-town newspapers are trying to please) just wants to know where to go tonight for a decent and affordable family dinner, and what to order when they get there (hence the popularity of chain restaurants).  They're not interested in reading some high-falutin' critical review by a highly trained and skilled world-class reviewer.  That type of review would be of no help to them whatsoever.

It's just a completely different thing.

←

Agreed. I think that a publication and the restaurant review should fit the marketplace that it is serving. A small town audience may want to know less about the execution of French techniques to prepare such and such a dish or some wistful anecdote that leads into a narrative about a dish, and more about the basic flavor, presentation, value, etc. in straightforward terms.

That said, isn't omission of commentary or critique of lesser quality food, i.e. "the potatoes were cold and lumpy," providing a disservice to the reader? Certainly, others will order a dish with potatoes in it and might find the same experience. Isn't the observation of both what did and did not work in a restaurant??regarding menu, service, atmosphere, value??essential to mention in a review?

Emphasis added in above quote is mine.

I hadn't noticed this reply until today, so want to answer.

And my answer to that last question is that of course, it's essential to mention in a real "review." But, as I said, "reviews" in small-town newspapers most often (not always) are not the same thing at all as the sort of independent reviews one finds in larger publications. They usually are advertisements. Period.

And while not mentioning the cold, lumpy potatoes may be a "disservice to the reader," if one does mention it, one will get one's cold, lumpy ass handed to them on a stainless steel platter.

[kendix]

So what's the best place to eat at after winning a national championship?

Rock chalk Jayhawk!

[ulterior epicure]

So what's the best place to eat at after winning a national championship?

Rock chalk Jayhawk!

Right after? Um, probably Local Burger.

[chileheadmike]

So what's the best place to eat at after winning a national championship?

Rock chalk Jayhawk!

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I took my kids to Larryville last Sunday. We had some time and they wanted to go someplace "cool". We walked around Mass St for a while and ended up at Zen Zero. It was excellent.

I had: Sauteed eggplant and veggies with spicy broth and rice. Lots of veggies cooked nicely in a flavorful broth. I appreciated the jar of chile/garlic paste at the table.

Brianne had: Green apple and fruit salad in spicy dressing. Fruits included mango, pineapple, grapes, it also had some pecans I believe. She loved it

Meghan had: Seamed chicken and a side of noodles. She's 8 and very picky. Its hard to get her away from chicken fingers and fries. I didn't think she'd like much there. She absolutely loved it. She discovered soy sauce and chopsicks on the same day. Maybe there's hope for her.

Another walk around downtown and we ended up at Sylas and Maddy's for ice cream. A big hit with the kids.

RCJHKU!

[chileheadmike]

It seems as though there's a new burger joint in Lawrence. I'll have to make the trip soon.

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2009/feb/23/c...gourmet-flavor/

[moosnsqrl]

oh good grief - just what the world needed . . . no doubt saw that Hillary Brown was making some scratch on the non-McD crowd.

Not sure that's a niche I found wanting but good for them if they steal clientele from the "evil" burger people and not from Local Burger or Johnny's.

It seems as though there's a new burger joint in Lawrence. I'll have to make the trip soon.

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2009/feb/23/c...gourmet-flavor/

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[Zeemanb]

If you crazy kids want the best burger in KC, you needn't go any further than the Bluestem lounge......