Sunday, August 01, 2010

Food Critics

Jen and I are professed "foodies." We love going to new restaurants and finding gems that become our favorites. We have come across some, like Bonnell's, la Familia, and Let's Eat, that will forever be regular trips. We were talking last night and while critiquing our food and the restaurant, decided that we should be food critics and write about our foodie adventures. Here is our first critique:

Brownstone - 840 Currie St. Ft. Worth, TX. (817) 332.1555
http://www.brownstonerestaurants.com/

The restaurant is located in the 7th Street District that has really become a hot-spot with multiple dining options, a movie tavern, and other entertainment. Parking is easy with a garage within short walking distance. Parking is also available on the street if you arrive early enough. Our reservations were at 8:30pm, but we arrived 10 minutes early and were seated right away.

Upon entering, you immediately notice the "library" which is a lounging area with oversized, fluffly chairs and couches where you can enjoy a drink and conversation while listening to live acoustic music. On cooler nights, there is patio seating avalable, as well. Our table for two was next to the window with a great view of the 7th street area and the restaurant. One of the first things Jen and I noticed was the volume. It was fairly loud for such a nice establishment. There needs to be some acoustical adjustments to lower the noise level. As far as the food goes, there were some good eats and some disappointments, as well. First off, they were out of salad (???) but the server recommended a bowl of beans for an appetizer. He claimed they were delightful and a favorite of his. We also ordered a bottle of wine, but guess what...they were out of it, too. They did however give us a different bottle of higher priced wine (Tresor) for the same price of the one we ordered. It was fantastic. Thanks. Our food was brought out and the beans were brought out with our entrees, rather than as an appetizer. The beans were in a small dutch oven with three tiny cornbread muffins. The beans had a great flavor but were undercooked and rather hard. They needed another hour or two to simmer. Another concern is that they did not have bread. No Bread? What's up with that? Jen ordered the flank steak medium rare which was cooked to perfection and thinly sliced over scalloped potatoes and mixed greens with a delightful vinegarette. The potatoes were rather dry and without any kind of dipping sauce. The steak was tender and flavorful, but there are certainly better steaks out there. My selection was the Kobe Cheeks over succotash. The succotash would remind you of a squash casserole, to some extent, only slightly drier. The beef was amazingly tender and reminded me of roast like mom used to make. But again, roast without bread to "sop-up" my gravy? For dessert, we ordered two separate dishes to share. First came the vanilla custard cheesecake. This was worth the trip by itself. It was served in a small mason jar with blueberry topping and a lemon cookie. The presentation was very nice, but the sweet, smooth goodness in the jar was even better. It was perfectly complemented by the cookie. Awesome. Next was the peach cobbler with buttermilk ice cream. Parker County peaches were used and they were very fresh, but with a definite "twang." Add the "twang" of the buttermilk ice-cream and it was a little too "twangy" for us. We also felt like they needed to use more butter as the sauce in the bottom of the pan was watery. The Pioneer Woman would be highly disappointed.

All in all, we would give a rating of 6.0 out of 10. It was very trendy and fun, but the food could have been a little better. The executive chef, Casey Thompson, was the runner-up on the tv show Top Chef, so I guess we expected more. Either that or they need us as judges. We realize the restaurant is in the early stages of establishing itself and it should improve and have lasting power. They were even taking suggestions for improvement.

Let us know of your favorites.

J&J

2 comments:

Sara Graham said...

So glad to have this review!! We loved Casey on Top Chef and I was sorry we didn't get to Brownstone this summer. I now know that it can wait!

Unknown said...

Well, how fun is this! I love living vicariously!