Before high school (I attended Acalanes) sometimes we'd meet at the Park Hotel's Duck Club Restaurant for an overpriced bagel. I'm pretty sure I hadn't been back there since 1999ish, so I was only slightly surprised to see that the place was redone with a new look and name.
Loved the new Bistro. Loved the outdoor and indoor seating (I've now experienced both). I like the menu items and went by for a pleasant Happy Hour, after first attending a Yelp event here. At the Yelp event I asked the Bistro Host about their blistered peppers. He informed me they use a mix of shisito and padron peppers. My husband insists there's no difference but I say there is. As usual, I am right. *wink* The host suggested that on return visits I call ahead to confirm they have the Spanish (Padron) peppers in stock. I was also told I could request all Padron, instead of a mix, when ordering.
My HH visit included a glass of house CabSav ($5), Popcorn ($4), Padron peppers ($4), French fries ($3), and Calamari ($5). Husband arrived late and ordered a slider ($4) and a Bud Light ($3) - about $30 total.
I requested only the Padron peppers when ordering and my waitress informed me they don't carry these; only shishito. I told her that I had called ahead and she said "PADRON??? Puh-drone?" several times. Yes. Yes. They have them. Please check. She eventually came back and let me know they did indeed carry them. The rest of service was about as smooth as ordering. Our potato fries first came out as sweet potato fries, my drink wasn't offered a refill, the bill was slow to arrive. She also spoke very softly and it was loud inside. BUT I thoroughly enjoyed my peppers. The size of the popcorn was a little bit weak but it was delicious and I was so happy I ordered it. Calamari was over-breaded for my liking, but the lemon had a cute strainer wrapped around it to prevent seeds on your plate.
All in all, I enjoyed the food and setting. And the ho-hum service wasn't that big of a deal. Learn your menus, servers.
No comments:
Post a Comment