Bourbon Snow Cone?
Is it a snow cone misted with bourbon?
Ok, seriously, where’s the bourbon? It’s most definitely not in our glass. Is this a poor excuse for a prank? We prefer not to be pranked when $10 cocktails are involved. What we were served was (quite literally) watery ice slush with candied pecans floating in it. There might’ve been a hint of bourbon flavor. But, it was incredibly hard to tell… mixed in with what must have been at least 4 ounces of tap water.
Interestingly, a neighboring table ordered the exact same drink. Their glass appeared to be overflowing with bourbon. Only the fewest ice shards topped their glass. Is it a problem with consistency? Or, did we look like an easy mark? We confess. We’re usually very agreeable. But, when our glass appears at the table sans bourbon, make no mistake, we will comment on it.
Varasano’s Brew?
When we asked our server who made this “brew” of unknown origin, we were told that the management wouldn’t tell the servers. Why you ask? Well, that’s because they might pass the information along to guests. Silly guests, you’re not entitled to this top secret information. When we asked if we might be given a little hint, we were told that it MIGHT be in the “Miller” family.
Nucci
The Nucci
Capicola? Check.
Arugula? Check.
Olives? MIA
Emmenthaler? MIA
Herbs? MIA
The crust was fine. But, it was lacking in the maturation that we’ve come to expect from a dough used in a Varasano’s pie.
Calzone? Undercooked on one side.
The look? Shabby urban chic?
Well, it’s closer to shabby. We were told that this location opened in October. How is it possible for a restaurant that opened in October to be in such a state? In lieu of a podium, there’s a short table littered messily with sticky menus. We know this because we stood there for at least 5 minutes before someone finally wandered over to acknowledge us. Then, you pass by an odd DJ stand. Dead air plants litter the nearby wall. The dead air plants mingle with some healthier (but still sunlight starved) herb plants. We’re all about the food. That’s true. We try not to be affected by our surroundings. But, the incredibly shabby, drab… ok, not drab. We’ll say it. Our table was dirty. Actually, if we’re being 100% honest, it was sticky and dirty. Sticky drink glass rings (of what we’re guessing were the last diners at the table) were clearly visible all over the table. We had to wipe it down.
Also, both plates delivered to our table had large chips missing from the top edge… on the service side of the dishes. Actually, we shouldn’t call them chips. That would be too generous. There were chunks of china missing from both of our white rectangular plates.
Is this what to expect from Varasano’s as the brand expands?
We’re done with this location. Never again. Period.
If it’s true that we vote with our wallets. We’ll be taking our voting dollars elsewhere.
