Saturday, December 28, 2013
Slept in significantly. Recharge Spa new website work: browser testing, print stylesheet. Holly, Matt, and Will picked me up. Matt gave me a small gift: a five-ounce tin of A L'Olivier lavender-infused olive oil—very sweet! The four of us ate dinner at Straw, suggested by Will via a coworker. The theme of this restaurant is carnival, and as you might expect, carnival typography and artwork and a few objects comprise the restrained and tasteful decor. One of the tables has a tilt-a-whirl car for its seating. They were out of 3 dishes when we arrived at 7:00 PM. We ordered. Drinks arrived within a few minutes. We were busy chatting for about 30 or 40 minutes before the appetizers arrived with a quickly delivered apology for the delay. Nearly another 30 or 40 minutes passed before three appetizers arrived, then another delay before Holly was apologetically informed that the dish she had selected was no longer available. The replacement dish she ordered did indeed come out very quickly (perhaps 7 minutes?) as the server had promised. Moral: do not eat here if you have a show to catch afterwards. We ate: potato chip nachos (house-fried potato chips / cheddar bechamel / diced tomatoes / sour cream / scallions: $7.50), elote (grilled corn-on-the-cob / garlic aioli / cotija cheese / chili powder / cayenne / lime: $5), satchemo [sic] (cheesy grits / andouille sausage / prawns / green beans / cajun butter dipping sauce: $15), where the heart is (hand battered and brined buttermilk fried chicken / scallion mashed potatoes / gravy / citrus slaw: $15.75), the ringmaster (ground chuck burger / home-made glazed doughnut / cheddar cheese) with sweet tots (sweet potato tots / blackberry bbq sauce): $12. We drank: lemonade (Holly), big dipper (Matt, Sabe vodka infused-sake / lemonade / strawberry compote / basil / fun dip rim: $8), cotton candy cocktail (me, Sabe vodka infused-sake / champagne / seasonal cotton candy / poured table-side: $8), orange cream float (Will, Sunkist orange soda with vanilla ice cream). We were all too full for dessert. It's pricey for what is mostly ordinary food prepared properly according to a theme (carnival). The potato chip nachos are very basic nachos with housemade potato chips instead of tortilla chips. My veggie chili had crispy (tortilla?) strips that had turned completely soggy by the time I received it, and it was more of a soup than a chili. My cotton candy cocktail arrived with a large wad of cotton candy in a small cocktail glass and the alcohol was poured on top, melting the cotton candy and turning the alcohol a deep blue. The drink was strong and tasty but gimmicky nonetheless. I knew going in that I was eating what I called "upscale carnival junk food" (hopefully not a new category of restaurant), so although I was disappointed it didn't change my mood. The kitchen was clearly not prepared tonight, and the front-of-house staff seemed under strain to keep service together. Straw is basically what its theme represents: a novelty for temporary amusement, and I would not be surprised or disappointed if it soon disappeared with the morning as carnivals sometimes do. I had said in the car afterwards that I would return to try the 4-person cocktail, but having had more time to reflect, it is no longer a desire. When we left, it was 8:30 PM. During dinner we decided to catch the 9:00 PM showing of American Hustle (2013) at Four Star Theatre, my first time to this tiny venue. While watching, I didn't like the film that much because I thought it took too long to get to its denouement, it unnecessarily favored female nudity over male nudity, and except for the saving plot twist at the end it didn't seem that intelligent. It is very well-acted, the story is told with care, and its dragging plot redeems itself somewhat in the finish. Holly loved the costumes, and I did, too. I found it unsatisfying overall, but others might like it. Said hello to an upstairs neighbor. Late meal: leftover mac and cheese with leftover beef brisket that Patrick had made earlier.