by Mary Tolhurst on AWFUL. I was at Tavern on Friday night for a farewell dinner for a colleague. The disaster started quickly when a friend asked for a beer (which they have on tap) and the waitress had to ask if it was a beer or a mixed drink. Our waitress was completely inept and only got worse as the night went on. I wanted to try the Three Olives Root beer flavored vodka and asked her what people usually mix it with. She said she didn't know, but that she'd check with the bartender. She then came back with a root beer vodka and club soda, instead of coming back with a suggestion for me to either accept or deny. In fact, I don't like club, so I sent it back. The rest of the night she messed up drink orders, disappeared for 20 minutes at a time, etc. The food was extremely disappointing -- $18 filet sliders with a minuscule amount of meat on them, and mussels that smelled like they'd been marinating in a garbage can and had to be sent back. Terrible, terrible experience, even taking into the consideration that it was free for me. You couldn't pay me to go back.
by Jason Sabourin on Wow, I really should have looked at rateclubs before making my OpenTable reservation here. I had NO idea what I was getting myself and some girlfriends into for a Saturday brunch this weekend. Don't get me wrong, we had a great time and the place was "hopping" as one of my friends put it, but I was not expecting a nightclub scene at 1 in the afternoon. Next time I want to have a party at brunch, this is certainly where I will go, however! I loved the group that came out as I was waiting outside, the birthday girl handing out homemade cupcakes from a shoebox lined in tin foil. I kinda wish I'd gotten one of those... The front is a bar/lounge area, and the back is slightly more of a restaurant, though the whole place is loud and full of activity. Lots of pop-y dance music if I remember correctly. Britney Spears, Katy Perry, that sort of thing. The $7 bottomless mimosas were good, definitely strong, but the champagne flutes they're served in are small, and getting someone to come by for a refill can take a while. I understand why they don't leave a carafe on the table, but I have to say, I kinda wish they would (like they do at Circa). A basket of warm biscuits (served with whipped butter, blackberry jam and apricot jam) came out super fast and were SO good! I was reminded of an old friend saying, when he saw an attractive girl, that he "wouldn't kick her out of bed for eating biscuits," haha. Speaking of girls, there were LOTS of them! I had this idea in my head that a place in the Castro would have more men than women, but that was definitely not the case here that day. Anyway...all three of us ordered the Frittata, and when it was served the table of eight tipsy girls next to us all looked over and started drooling. Ok, not quite drooling, but their eyes got wide and they immediately asked their server what we were all eating. It was filled with lots of good veggies like zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, was topped with a little melted gruyere, and finished with home fried potatoes and two slices of perfectly cooked bacon. Heaven on a plate I tell you. It was delicious and filling. A perfect brunch meal!
by David C. on It really depends on what night you head out to Cielo. Saturdays will usually result in expensive, wait in line for a long time, sorry you don't have the right girl/guy ratio outings, so suck it up and wait punk kind of nights. But regardless of these typical Meat Packing drawbacks, Cielo usually turns into a guaranteed good time. Feel free to shake your ass in the company of many other devoted ass shakers here. My best night there?? Grooooooooove Armada!!
