I have to say – the flowers are BEAUTIFUL. There was one on each table and then big bouquets behind many people. Fresh big yellow/orange roses. So pretty!
And every once in a while – things strike me funny. Like the time I saw a really BIG guy wearing a really funny pastel sweater at Palomino…tonight was one of those nights because there she was. A woman in her late 20s who thought she was walking the runway in NYC – and she was wearing knickers! (And pantyhose and ugly shoes – but we’ll just stick to the knickers.) I am not by any means saying that I’m a fashionista – very far from it…but PLEASE tell me knickers are NOT making a comeback?!!!!! My grama made me burgundy corduroy knickers when I was in 3rd grade. How do I remember? School pictures…and with a ruffled high neck (ala Prince & the Revolution) blouse. Oh yeah – 3rd grade was fun.
After the flashbacks and crying stopped…we decided to order.
Lou decided to splurge with the Steak Frites ($24). The NY Strip was a nice piece of meat – she asked for it well done – and while there were still parts that were a little pink – she did eat it – which says a lot for Lou – she’s pretty picky.
The fries were the real star – they resembled Penn Station but were skinny and tiny – they were excellent – she loved them.
I was having a hard time choosing – the braised short rib sounded delicious but was $24 and I’m on a budget so I went for the torta cubana sandwich ($11) instead. It was pretty good – the bread was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside (signature of a torta) and it was filled with ham, pork chorizo, asadero cheese, avocado and chipotle mayo. I think because they press the sandwich it sort of mushes the flavors all together. it makes all the flavors almost indistinguishable…I liked it but didn’t love it.
I did love the fries – my only complaint is that some of the fries are so small that you can’t really even pick them up. I’m not much for eating my fries with a spoon but the taste on them – really great!
One complaint – soda’s are $2.50 – which seems steep but I guess it goes with the territory in a “hip” place. The “hip” factor leads me to the atmosphere – it’s right on Mariemont square next to the theater. It’s tight with a lot of tables and it was packed (reservation definitely needed for a friday night). It was loud and buzzing – and they definitely seemed to have regulars – but not like Cheers with a couple old guys at the bar – these were suit & tie regulars. So while it is a nice place – I definitely didn’t feel like it was my kind of place.
Why Should You Go? If you like hip places or hang out in Mariemont – you should definitely check it out. The food was fine – I just didn’t love the overall package. We went to another restaurant that was more affordable and had better food the next day (teasing you I know).
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