Mini-review: boloco (Brighton, MA)

Note: this also appears with my reviews over on Yelp.com

I wish we had boloco here when I lived upstairs @ 1932 Beacon # 5 back in the day. Then again, I suppose I would also have needed discretionary income to really enjoy it, so nevermind. What would be best, then, is if we had boloco in Chicago, now.

3 things that struck me about boloco:

Great options
I like options. So being able to pick from among 8 different burrito "treatments" (e.g. the Classic, the Mediterranean and the Bangkok), then pick your main ingredient (beef, chicken, tofu), then pick your size made me happy.




Interesting smoothees
Nice to have a burrito and a smoothee in the same place. Even better when the smoothees are something other than just the routine choices.


The smoothee cups are organic, too, made "entirely of corn"

Fast & friendly service
Got our order within 3 or 4 minutes - surprisingly fast.

Review: The Venetian (Las Vegas)

Note:this also appears with my reviews over on Yelp.

Like Joe Pantoliano's character at the end of Risky Business who couldn't "go $40 on the artsy fartsy thing", I just can't go 4 stars on the Venetian. 3.5 stars, tops. (Actually, that comparison might not make any sense whatsoever, but I'm leaving it because I love that line for some reason.)

Three main take-aways from my three-night stay at the Venetian:

1. The place is massive.
Public spaces are crawling with people, including the usual assortment of cliche Vegas characters: twits, schmucks, hustlers and greaseballs of all backgrounds (but the jackass factor here was noticeably lower than it was over at the Palms, for whatever that's worth. I'm not a Vegas aficionado, so my grasp of the relative knob factor from property to property is limited at best).

2. The rooms are big and spacious, but weirdly unstylish.
The bed area is fine, but the living room furniture reminded me of my Grandmother's place in Jersey circa 1980. I was looking around for the box of Thin Mints and glass of 7-Up that she always hooked me up with. Had to settle for a Heineken and some Kit Kats out of the mini-bar.



3. The gym is excellent.
It is also expensive @ $80 for a 3-day pass, but excellent. And underused. Only a handful of people there each time I used it. All the equipment options you could want and little competition for using it.



Other assorted notes:

- Bring something to entertain yourself in the check-in line. Maybe a Nintendo DS, your blackberry a yo-yo, whatever. Felt more like an airport security line than checking into a hotel. Yikes.



- Bathrooms are huge and have a nice lil' TV for your viewing pleasure (plus, with their channel lineup you can watch random Asian game shows while you shave. Beat that.)



- Service might need a little prompting if you're not a 'whale'. The key I was given upon check-in didn't work. I learned this after it took 20 minutes to pick up some food to-go at the San Gennaro stop in their food court (took crazy long time for them to serve the 5 people ahead of me) and I had trekked the additional 8 minutes through the casino, over to the elevator and then all the way to the end of the hall to my room (suite 14329). Called the front desk on my cell and they said it could take 30 - 45 minutes for security to come get me into the room. I calmly suggested that wasn't optimal for me. After a brief hold I was then told they'd try to put a rush on it. Wound up waiting only about 5 minutes. But it still kind of stank to be sitting there feeling my dinner getting cold in the bag waiting for security to correct what should be just about the most basic hotel / guest interaction possible.

Would I stay there again?
Sure. Why not? Great gym. Seemed convenient enough to everything I needed to get to. The Grand Canal Shoppes and restaurants in the Piazza San Marco were nice enough. But I really don't have a lot of Vegas experiences to compare it to.

Did it seem like a good value?
Hard to say, as I was here during CES, which is the busiest week of the year for them and probably also when prices are the steepest. Think my (work expensed) room averaged $400/night for the three nights. Not cheap. But the room was bigger than many 1-bedroom city apartments.

Mini-Review: Nove @ the Palms (Las Vegas)

Note: this also appears with my reviews over on Yelp.

Just a mini-review as I was here under the non-traditional circumstances of a group drinks/dinner (20+ folks) in their upstairs section, and it wasn't their best night.

Nove is an interesting space with some really great views, but the food I had was only okay. Cheese pizza app was mediocre, my salmon was okay, and, just judging by how much pink meat was left on a couple of my colleague's plates, either their dishes weren't that good or the kitchen rushed too much trying to make up for some lost time, giving some folks rarer steaks than they would have liked.

Would need to check this out as part of a smaller group to really give it a fair shake, though.

Review: Enoteca San Marco (Las Vegas)

View from my table @ Enoteca San Marco

Note: this also appears with my reviews over on Yelp.

Overall Impression:
Thought this was a nice place to relax and people watch in the artificial twilight of the Venetian's "St. Mark's Square". Had some good, simple food and experienced sharp, friendly service. Also, just based on a quick scan of the offerings in this square / upscale food court, it seemed to have the best range of vegetarian options.

Highlights / Lowlights:

What was great -

- Food. The somewhat inventive take on caprese salad (see photo) was both visually interesting and tasty. Then the simple pasta dish I had with black pepper and pecorino cheese was understated excellence.



- Service. I experienced team table service, which when done poorly can be chaotic. But everyone here was on their game - a nice balance of friendly and professional.

- Wine. They offer a nice sampling of regional Italian wines, including a nice example of one of my sentimental favorites - Morellino di Scansanso.

What wasn't so great -

- No complaints, really. Maybe it was just the fact that I sorely needed some relative quiet and escape after a day at CES, but I enjoyed a nice simple solo dinner here.

Would I eat here again?
With everything there is to try in Vegas I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to get here, but if I'm at the Venetian again, yes, I'd definitely eat here.

Did it seem like a good value?
One app, one entree, some Pellegrino and a glass of wine for $56 before tip. Not a bargain, but what is in Vegas?

Review: Flatwater Grill (Chicago)

Note: this also appears with my reviews over on Yelp.

Overall Impression:
Save this place for warm spring / summer nights. Even better if you can expense it. I had a better experience than some other reviewers here (even on a quiet Saturday night in January), but would agree that the value for money isn't delivered unless views are your absolute #1 priority.

Highlights / Lowlights:

What was great -

- Appetizers. We tried both the Aloha Avocado Egg Rolls (fantastic) and the Baked Apple Brie (solid).


Aloha Avocado Egg Rolls - excellent

What wasn't so great -

- Service. More spotty than poor. Our server was friendly enough and mostly attentive, but both he and the runner missed a couple of small details you would like to see nailed, especially on a slow night. For example, our knives weren't changed out when they cleared the apps; and an empty wine glass was left behind when my second glass was delivered. Certainly not end of the world stuff, but when the tab hits ~$150 for two, those are table stakes kind of service details.

- Dessert. The chocolate opera cake was something only real chocolate freaks could love. It was dry and not particularly warm. Really could have swapped it for something out of the frozen section at a 7-11.


Chocolate Opera Cake - disappointing

Essentials:

Food - Mostly good. Great appetizers, solid entrees (halibut and buccatini caprese), disappointing dessert.

Service - Again, mostly good with a few misses. On slow nights your server can either fall into a semi-lethargic rut or give you top notch focus. We got more of the former than the latter.

Amenities:

Space - Low lighting, loungy feel. Almost feels retro sleek in some vague way.

Valet - Beware of these guys. They were AWOL when we arrived (had to pass our keys to the manager who went and got it taken care of for us). And they weren't real personable on the way out. Plus, we saw someone's Mini Cooper go from 0 - 30 in reverse in about 3 seconds. Not that you get real TLC from any valet service, but this guy seemed extra disrespectful.

Would I eat here again?
Maybe for drinks and appetizers in the summer, especially if I can do it on someone else's dime. Otherwise, no. Too many other places to try.

Did it seem like a good value?
Depends on how much of a premium you place on the view. Felt a little steep to me.

Review: Sol de Mexico (Chicago)

Note this also appears with my reviews over on Yelp.

Overall Impression:
Edgewater needs a place like Sol de Mexico. This is the kind of place you love to 'discover' and tell everyone you know about. Great food, great service, great value. Completely worth driving 38 blocks west and 26 blocks south through a steady snow to get here. During our meal we felt the same kind of rush we had the first time we tried Dorado: that, "are we really getting this kind of dinner experience for this kind of money?" sensation.

Highlights / lowlights:

What was great -

- The Food. Across the board good, from start to finish. We started with a nice guacamole (maybe a little mild if you like a stronger lime / cilantro kick, but still fresh and tasty).



Moved on with a tremendous soup from their special New Year's Eve menu. The check listed it as "Aztec soup", but I think the menu description was pumpkin flower puree and green beans, with a splash of mole. I'm not a soup aficionado and I loved it.



Finally the entrees (see pictures - note the simple yet elegant presentation). I had the Chuleta Manchamanteles (pork chop with mashed potatoes, pineapple and mole)...



... while the wife had Callos en Crema Poblana (scallops in a green sauce). Terrific. Pork was tender, mole was tasty, pineapple provided a fresh, sweet contrast.



- The Service. They were friendly across every contact - from the initial reservation phone call to the greeting at the door and all throughout the meal. Even with a party of 25 - 30 people taking up 75% of their dining room, we still received pleasant and attentive service. Our server (and the kitchen) were also flexible and accommodating, allowing us to order a mix of items from both their regular menu and their special four course NYE menu.

What wasn't so great -

- Only thing I could mention here wasn't Sol de Mexico's fault. Toward the end of their stay, a few of that party of 25 twentysomethings gearing up for a big NYE started playing drinking games. At that point things kind of crossed the line from general, festive youthful exuberance into semi-obnoxious antics more suited for a frat house than a nice restaurant. But given the unique circumstances of timing (NYE) and the party (can't imagine they regularly seat parties of 24+), I imagine this isn't representative of Sol de Mexico's clientele behavior

Scorecard:

Two Critical Questions

- Would I eat here again? Absolutely.
- Did it seem like a good value? Definitely. An appetizer, two soups, two entrees added up to $56 before tip. The BYO factor amplifies the good value to be had here.

Essentials

Food - Excellent

Service - Very good on a busy night

Amenities



Decor - Cool, colorful, lively and interesting



Wash rooms - Okay. Much more modest than luxurious (not a judgment, just an fyi). Also, somewhat confusingly, the door with the banana on it leads you into the ladies' room, NOT the mens' room.

Parking - Plentiful. We parked directly in front of the restaurant. Open meter parking for blocks in each direction.