Scowl, Nu?

Gut, aber nicht Sehr Gut

Review of: Suppenkueche

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 3

Read review on Judy’s Book.

Having lived in Munich for two years, there’s something comforting about Bavarian cuisine. When it’s done exceptionally well, it’s a play of tender roasted meats, rich sauces and handmade dumplings that can’t be beat. When it’s done any less than perfect, it’s a heavy, gloppy mess that sits like a bowling ball in your gut for the better part of the week.

There lies the dichotomy of Suppenkueche – over the past 13 years, I’ve had amazing Bavarian dinners there that could stand up to Munich’s best, and I’ve had meals that left me searching the medicine cabinet for an Alka Seltzer.

The good news is that yesterday’s meal was back on the good side – Jaegerschnitzel, a pounded pork cutlet pan fried with a mushroom sauce, with spaetzle that were light, fluffy and perfectly buttery. I accompanied this with a selection of beer ranging from a northern Koenig Pils to a Muenchner Maibock from Hofbraeuhaus.

Can I give the restaurant four stars? I’d love to as the menu is traditional, and every German I bring in agrees that it smells like home. However, high prices for beer and inconsistency in the food quality keeps me from giving that elusive fourth star.

Barely better than average steak

Review of: Hereford House

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 2

Read review on Judy’s Book.

I’m a steak fan… and you would think that in a city where beef has been so important to its development, every steak you find in the city would be exceptional, but this small local chain just served up OK beef… nothing that I couldn’t find in any major city.

The caesar salad was fair, and the anchovies that I requested were pretty grim… leathery and without any anchovy flavor. The steak was a perfect medium rare, but wasn’t nearly as good as steaks had in Chicago or Boston.

It’s ok – not worth the price or worth returning to in my book.

Decent Irish Bar

Review of: O’dowd’s Little Dublin

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 3

Read review on Judy’s Book.

I wonder if the largest Irish exports are just Irish bars, or at least the pseudo-memorabilia that seems to line the walls of every Irish bar. I say pseudo-memorabilia in this case because O’Dowd’s is owned by a bar/restaurant chain and is probably less than 20 years old – and the historical relics laid out everywhere were purchased from a wholesaler, not from the owner’s travels through the emerald isles.

With that said, the Murphy’s was good, but served incorrectly in a British pint glass, not an Irish stout glass – and the Jameson’s, well, it was Jameson’s.

I could see myself sitting in the corner of this bar, drinking whisky and stout while listening to the seisun (this time a bodhran player and a guitarist) play old Irish songs. It’s nothing special, but sometimes that’s what makes places like this so inviting.

Perfect Pulled Pork

Review of: L C’s Bar-B-Q

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 4

Read review on Judy’s Book.

You know you’re heading into a great barbecue joint when the owner’s “office” is the formica table in the corner – stacked with paperwork, half finished bottles of soda and coffee and maybe a baseball cap or two. You don’t come here for the decor or the widescreen television playing CNN in the corner. You come here for the ‘cue.

Unlike the fru-fru ‘cue shops in cities like San Francisco and New York, this joint puts the meat dead center… as in right behind the cash register – and when the smoke pit’s black iron doors open up when one of the chefs puts in or pulls out some sort of succulent meat, all you can smell is sweet smoky goodness.

The ribs look amazing, but the combo sandwich – half sliced brisket and half pulled pork with a side of fries is how I roll. The fries? Fantastic. The pulled pork? The best I have ever had, hands down. The brisket? Honestly, I’ve had better – not that it was bad – but compared to the pulled pork, it just wasn’t spectacular. Next time, I’ll try the burnt ends – they looked amazing.

If you have a craving for the Q, the whole Q and nothing but the Q – jump in the car and head on over. You won’t regret it.

Great Haircuts and Products

Review of: Edo Salon

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 4

Read review on Judy’s Book.

I’ve been using Bumble and Bumble hair products since moving back to the states, and Edo has been my source for shampoo since then, even though I was going to another salon until recently.

However, when my regular stylist couldn’t see me for four weeks because of a limited schedule, I decided it was time to change and gave Edo a call. Because of my extremely chaotic wavy hair, finding someone who can do a decent job is a challenge. Not only did the staff take time on the phone to find the right stylist, but I’m happy to say that they chose the right person for the job. She took her time to analyze my hair, find an appropriate cut and leave me with a fantastic style.

Because my stylist has limited hours, I’m not listing her name here – but if you’ve got challenging wavy or curly hair, drop me a line and I’ll pass her name along.

The salon is bright and clean, and if you’re a fan of Bumble and Bumble products, I highly recommend making an appointment.

No Local Love

Review of: Momo’s

By: Avery Glasser

Rating: 1

Read review on Judy’s Book.

If you happen to live close to the ballpark like I do, you cross your fingers and hope for the day when a bar or restaurant opens up that isn’t designed to cater solely to the baseball “tourists” that head into the neighborhood. Every bar here seems to charge $5.50 where in other neighborhoods you would pay $4.25 maximum. At least at O’Neill’s you get a full 22 ounces of Murphy’s Stout for $5.75. But MoMo’s? 16 ounces of beer for $6.

That’s not local love. That’s gouging tourists and anyone else who happens to go there.

I can’t comment on the food, the clientele or anything else. I can say at these prices, MoMo’s is a No No.