The Bristol

I posted this in the Comings and Goings thread, but it was suggested that I make a separate topic for my review on it, so sorry if this is repetitive!

Went to the Bristol last night....everything was okay, but nothing really stood out. To be fair, I'll point out the pros and cons of our meal:

-Okay, I hate to start with a downer, but everyone at my table agreed about this and this probably bothered me the most about the restaurant: the uniforms. I know that seems like such a stupid thing to fret over, but if the entrees on your menu are over $10, I expect at least a black button-down. I know this isn't the first pricier restaurant to go for a casual feel, but the black shirt with the sports bar-esque logo (we got the Heineken logo feel) and jeans look does not really mesh with the rest of the atmosphere. The layout of the restaurant is low-lighting and simple, elegant fixtures that seems to clash with the wonky music selection (which, by the way, needs to be turned wayyy down) and then these uniforms. Jeans?! No no no.

-Waitstaff was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. I had lingered by earlier in the afternoon looking like a sweaty mess and the owner/manager was really talkative and inviting, which made me want to come back later with others. The waitress we had was also very friendly and attentive. Also liked that our waters were always filled without being pushy about it. I definitely give customer service a big thumbs up.

-The fritters stood out as probably our favorite appetizer of the three we ordered, and possibly the whole meal. It would have been better if they were seasoned though. Corned beef wrapped pickles was also an interesting idea, though not our favorite as the recipe could use a bit of tweaking. The corned beef definitely tasted a bit more brisket-ish and the pickle was a pickled cucumber, which obviously would have pickled had it been a pickling cucumber of some sort). They were also pretty seasonless. We could overhear someone at the table saying "This has no flavor!" and then proceeding to salt the shit out of it. The flatbread was tasty, but in general, everything seemed kind of amateur. Perhaps we should have gone with a seasonal selection as items which used organ meat looked a lot more interesting. Also, I liked that they had a countdown of how many were left. However, I think as a restaurant it's important to make sure to have an all-around solid menu. If the focus is the seasonal items, then you might as well toss the main menu.

-Impressive cocktail and drink list! I was a huge fan of the fact they carried Goose Island Matilda on tap, being that I really haven't seen that on tap anywhere else. But maybe it was a little too impressive? The novel-sized drink menu seems to dominate over the dining menu. Was this intentional? We wanted to order drinks, but faced with a drink list long enough to combine the entire size of stock at Bin 36 and the Map Room, it became too distracting when trying to figure out what to eat and what to pair it with. Also, our cocktails took quite a long time to arrive, but I'll cut them some slack for opening night. Otherwise, the elderflower cocktail gets a huge thumbs up and the dark and stormy wasn't bad either.

-Cuts of meat were seasoned really well, and the prawns were cooked perfectly. Overall they were good — not great, but good. But the entree sizes are a killer. Wayyyy too small with no side dish! Not even the option of a side dish! Granted the cost of prawns is expensive, but side dishes are not. The strip steak was $18 for 6 small cuts and a handful of tiny blue cheese ravioli. There were maybe 5 or 6 prawns, but no side dish at all!

-The desserts confused me the most. It seems like most restaurants really try to salvage themselves with desserts and frankly I feel like all the desserts were a huge disappointment and a waste of time, which upset me a lot because I was really looking forward to it. Much like the other portions at this restaurant, dessert was incredibly small and cost $6. The biggest rip seemed to be the "nutter butters" which looked like a snackpack with two cookies — which I gather was the point, but it didn't really strike me as tasting significantly better than the significantly cheaper and more economically-sized original. The biggest waste of time was the mixed seasonal fruit with "English cream." I think there might have been 2 small globs of English cream, but mostly it was a dish of berries and squares of shortbread. We were so indifferent that we didn't even finish it. And the biggest disappointment was the pistachio tart with poached pears. This seems salvageable though if they get rid of the poached pears and add more pistachio filler. The poached pears kind of tasted like make-up to me. I can't really think of a better descriptor than that. The pistachios and the crust were definitely very good though — if only there were more!

I honestly want a restaurant to succeed, but frankly I felt like this was a big waste of money. Everything seemed really amateur and way too casual for the prices they're charging. I just hope someone from the restaurant can take these into consideration because I think it has potential for being a really great restaurant, I just know that given how much we spent and still walked away disappointed, I wouldn't really consider dining there for anything other than possibly stopping in at the bar.

The Bristol
2152 N Damen Ave
(between Shakespeare and Webster)
773-862-5555

I ate at The Bristol tonight and had a great experience.

We entered the sleek dining room at about 7:00. It was mostly full but we were greeted warmly and seated right away.

I took a good number of photo's with my new cell phone and while they aren't great I hope they give you some idea about the experience I had,

The Dining Room



Sorry if these are all a bit out of focus.

The menu is nice and we decided to have a number of small plates rather than app and entrees.

We started with the Anchovies



These were just wonderful. I'm not big on fishy, oily anchovies and while these had a good amount of fishieness to them it was cut wonderfully bu the pickled currents. A really nice dish

The pork rilettes were ordered as well.


These had the perfect balance of meat and fat. The three disks had a bit of sea salt really made the flavors pop. They were served along with perfect little crostini and a very nice plum mustard. The frisee salad with toasted hazelnuts accompanied the dish nicely.

The next three plates to arrive were the duck fries...

Perfectly fried with a garlic aoli with a wonderful hint of lemon zest and a spicy house made ketchup. Some real skill going on here. I liked these far more than the duck fat fries at Hot Doug's (BLASPHEMY I know!)

The sweetbreads were a knock out!



These were maple glazed, which I was skeptical about but it really worked and served along with a spaghetti squash with just a hint of basil. Just a wonderful dish.

We also ordered the "Boneless Stuffed Wings"



Perfectly cooked Chicken wing meat wrapped around a bit of chorizo and the entire bite wrapped in perfectly crisp chicken skin. A light celery and bleu cheese salad was a perfect compliment. Subtle enough to taste the components of the dish but it was flavorfull enough to compliment it all.

Desserts were a wonderful "Nutter Butter" cookie served with Chocolate Fondue.



Perfectly crisp peanut butter cookies with a great peanutty filling. The chocolate fondue was basically a mousse that went wonderfuuly with the cookie.

And finally a pistacio tart.


A nice buttery yet crumbly crust with a good filling and awesome poched pears. Perhaps the only mistep of the night was the Lemon Cream which topped it. It was far to lemony and over powered the suble flavors ofthe rest of the dish.

The wine llist had both good range and depth. We selected the Capiaux "Gary's Vineyard" pinot noir. This wine wasn't a typical California pinot which I find too fruit forward. This wine had good earthy notes to offset the fruit. At $75 this was the highest priced wine on the list, which focused on food friendly Rhones (primarily Australian) amd some good Spanish selections. Like the wine list the beer list showed both depth and range. Beer lovers will not be disapointed.

Small plates ranged from $4 to about $12 and entrees, which we didn't order were in the $15-$24 range.

The staff was attentive and cordial.

I'll be back.

As stated above I had the same feeling about the staff dress. No one was dressed the same and it made it kind of hard to determine who worked there and who might be a guest walking around.

Last night I tried the pork rilettes, duck fries, chicken "wings", hamburger, pickles with corned beef, and a very tasty stuffed pasta special, along with a Moscow mule made with homemade ginger beer. Overall good stuff-the pasta was stuffed with ricotta and a pork product, and served in a light herby lemony brothy, sauce--tasted way better than I'm making it sound, and the highlight of the night. On the negative side: portion size on the fries was quite stingy, and they were different but no better than Hot Doug's, IMHO. A Sazerac I tried was not made properly, and came across bland. Server was hyper-animated, and didn't come across as genuine. Positives far outweighed the negatives-will return.

We were there also last night (in fact, I think I am the blurry person on the far left of the picture in the pink shirt)

We didn't get any main courses, and so I can't comment on that pricing, but for what we ordered, perceived value was quite reasonable - I did think that the wine pour was a bit stingy (but I didn't like my wine, so maybe that was for the best!)

I didn't mind the staff dress, and thought the food was tasty, though perhaps over-salted. I liked the variety on the menu, and thought the wine/spirits/beer list was broad enough that I could easily find a few things I was interested in. We got the mussels, tomato tart, duck fries, and agnolotti (ham/ricotta/lemon pasta).

The room isn't cozy, and I wish it was, but there's not much to be done about it - it is what it is. The food and wine reminded me of The Spotted Pig, the room is a bit more like Avec, with only a few "gang" tables and more 2 tops.

It did seem really loud at times, and I'm not sure if that was a few people shouting or if it's how the room sounds. We had a really hard time hearing each other and the wait staff at times.

But we'll definitely go back. I hope it stays good, since we're right around the corner!!

leek wrote:(in fact, I think I am the blurry person on the far left of the picture in the pink shirt)

Sorry about my shoddy camera phone photo skills.

I agree the room was a bit loud.

Disclaimer: I know an owner – but if anything I think this makes me more critical – not less –

I went with a group of four (total) on this past Tuesday night. Overall, we had a great time. I personally found the room warm although very loud. Lots of exposed brick and dark/deep red-ish wood tables. I absolutely loved the light fixtures – kinda creepy/rustic exposed bulb dropping from wood planks. I disliked the chairs (ikea light metal) I’ve seen them before and the do nothing for the ambiance of the room. The art was a little kitch-y from me, with all the house shapes but I felt it worked with, as opposed to fought with, the overall appeal. There was a host, but upon entering it was difficult to discern who to approach. We were had about a twenty minute wait for a table but were able to stand at a wall slung high top table between the bar and the door while we waited and enjoyed a bottle of cava. It was a bit crowded up there, but not uncomfortable. And various people appeared to fill our glasses and advise us as to the status of getting seated. I was extremely happy with were we were seated. In JLenart’s dining room picture you can see where - Right by the open door/windows on the north east side of the room. And thank god for that it was packed and hot in there. (quite a few employees glistened with a few beads of sweat) There is no love lost between me and communal seating – I’ll do it, but if I have a choice…

Our service was mixed. Our server Maggie, was very knowledgeable about the menu. We had a person in our party who could not eat dairy and Maggie took all her questions and know every ingredient in every dish. Although it was very busy in there she never made us feel rushed or like she had somewhere else she needed to be when she was at the table. However, she wasn’t at the table much (we where there for 3 and ½ hours and I think she came to the table 4 times, maybe) I will say that our water glasses were never empty . and our table was always marked after dishes were cleared and another course awaited. But the table would likely have had additional drinks if we didn’t have to wait around with empty glasses for so long. The timing of the food was a little off. We ordered a lot and we told the server to bring it out as she/the kitchen saw fit to serve it. Nothing came out for what seemed like a long time (over 20 minutes-longer then we waited to be seated)– considering that we order some of the breads (flat and monkey)and salads – I thought this was egregious – especially because after that the food came out rapid fire – with out any coursing --- but every dish was explained with detail when it was deliver to the table – which I like. I recommend not ordering all your dishes at once. We decided we wanted more after all the food we originally ordered came out and this helped matters.

Now for the food. Forgive me, as I should have posted about the details sooner. I have forgotten many details – especially for the dishes that neither stood out nor fell short…I am positive that we ordered two dishes in addition to what’s listed below, but I can’t be sure… here’s my best go at it. I loved the Roasted Chicken and Stone-fruit Panzanella….a-mazing – the stone fruit salad was perfect in its acidity and bright flavor against the rich roasted tender chicken. I will say that the chicken was pretty pink near the bone and we inquired about it and a server (not our server) advised that it was cooked but that it was grass fed or local or organic etc and that the meat always remains more pink near the bone. I have never noticed this before and I have eaten local organic fed chicken in the past - does anyone have any intel on this? I also very much enjoyed Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Blue Cheese Ravioli the meat was perfectly cooked – the raviolis burst in your mouth – but my favorite part was the warm raddicco (sp?) slaw the bitter slightly vinegary slaw sliced thought the fat in the dish and made for a perfect bite – beef- raddicco, blue cheese and pasta – heaven. But my favorite thing I ate that night was probably the pork rillettes – I was shocked that pig meat steeped in fat could taste fresh and had a texture a little more hearty then a brandade. Some places this dish can be too paste-like for me. I loved the frissee salad with the hazelnuts (wished there was more) that came along side. The whole table enjoyed the stuffed chicken wings although I felt that this portion size (4 small cylinders) was disappointing (maybe make them bigger – or give more pieces). The whole roasted fish (I forget what fish exactly) was excellent in its simple execution– I especially loved the sour cherries – I could have eaten them alone….We were very disappointed in the Pickle Rolls with Corned Beef and Horseradish as well as the Monkey Bread and the flatbread – the pickles just looked down right gross – I think they need to use pickling cucs as opposed to the regular sized – the need to be more “pickled” these were like fresh pickles - jewish deli style (anyone remember the table pickles from barnum bailey restaurant in Skokie) just simply needed more more beef? Less pickle?– nothing stood out -- not even the horseradish –the breads were just bland – which especially surprised me because the monkey bread was to be dill and sea salt if I recall correctly – we were actually (accidentally) brought two orders of Monkey bread and we didn’t even finish one. The Mussels were literally inedible – all you could taste was orange rind- what a waste of some beautiful looking crustaceans …We ordered the Duck-fat Fries with Ketchup And Garlic Aoli…not bad at all – however - the ketchup was gross and tasted very metallic. The salads were well well well above average --- The Watermelon Salad, Marinated Feta with Black Olive Vinaigrette was absolutely divine – I don’t know where they got that feta but I want it --- I want it now! and can I be honest with you all – I have never eaten anything other then pink watermelon – this watermelon was yellow – and it was de-lish! The Heirloom tomato tart/salad I also remember as being very good but I cannot recall any details on it – I know it was devoured quickly --- the deserts we had were ok – nothing special but good – we ordered that Chocolate Fondue With Homemade "Nutter Butters” I liked these a lot – but the rest of the party were not as smitten and the Fruit Ice - Concord Grape – could have been bolder – with more grape--- concord should be bold – but I’ll tell ya what ...there was nothing left in either dish when were done – thats gotta say something -its not like we were hungry at that time (see food listed above)

There is some tweaking to be done – I love the chalkboard but it looks hap-hazzard up there- why were drinks on there? --- also dislike tee-shirts as uniforms – but I have no problem with jeans– I love the beer selection (Yay! large format beer selection – looks like a wine bottle but its filled with beer!)and the diverse wine list ---I will be back ---

JLenart wrote:

leek wrote:(in fact, I think I am the blurry person on the far left of the picture in the pink shirt)

Sorry about my shoddy camera phone photo skills.

Oh no, I wasn't trying to insult your skills! Forgive me

My wife and I stopped into the Bristol on Saturday night to drown our Cubs sorrows.

We called at around 12:30 am, and the woman we spoke to was more than happy to day "come on in!!". Didn't even give us a "Well..the kitchen is closing soon so.." Good start. We're right down the block so we got there within a few minutes and grabbed a seat at the bar. Nice beer selection. Friendly bartender. He made a comment and I think it might explain the casual uniforms.. "We're a neighborhood place" that kind of sums it up. I don't need to have my waitstaff dolled up for me.. in no way does a uniform equate to the experience. In fact, I welcome this brand of casual restaurant to the neighborhood. You are paying a premium for the high quality of food, and the time and effort it takes to produce it. Plus.. the rent on N. Damen isn't exactly cheap. I am delighted that i can walk 2 blocks down the street in a t-shirt and shorts, and get a quality bite to eat without being looked at weird or having to get dressed up. The owners wanted to create a neighborhood feel, and I think they are succeeding.

We had an order of sardines, the stuffed chicken wings, and the duck fries. Everything prepared quite well. Duck fries were a bit too crispy for my liking, but that is just a preference thing..they were prepared as intended. things kind of come out as they are made.. and this is also by design. It might take some time for people to "get it". This is very low key.. the focus is on the food and drink..there is no course by course formula here. I am looking forward to stopping in more on the way home from work to see what surprises the chalkboard has to offer.. I think this is what will make this place special. But for now..this is already a improvement on the Damen Ave. dining landscape and I hope they stick around for a while.

This restaurant looks and acts a whole lot like MADO, except MADOs desserts are fabulous. You must read Michael Nagrant's Article in New City 10/9/08! He also tried to copy Sweets & Savories Duck Fat Fries.
http://www.newcitychicago.com/chicago/8213.html

peaches wrote:This restaurant looks and acts a whole lot like MADO, except MADOs desserts are fabulous. You must read Michael Nagrant's Article in New City 10/9/08! He also tried to copy Sweets & Savories Duck Fat Fries.
http://www.newcitychicago.com/chicago/8213.html

I don't think he copied Sweets and Savories duck fat fries. Duck fat fries aren't very uncommon these days, and if anything, Hot Doug's has the most notable fries -- and I might be wrong on this, but I think it was the first Chicago restaurant to do it.

peaches wrote:This restaurant looks and acts a whole lot like MADO, except MADOs desserts are fabulous. You must read Michael Nagrant's Article in New City 10/9/08! He also tried to copy Sweets & Savories Duck Fat Fries.
http://www.newcitychicago.com/chicago/8213.html

I don't feel that Bristol is a rip off of Mado in the least bit. Is Mado the first to feature organ meats or charcuterie? No.

To me, it sounds more like you have some sort of axe to grind. Perhaps I'm wrong and if I am I appologize.

You know, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this article.

With all due respect to Mr. Nagrant, it's not like Chalboard (Which I love!) was the first ever to use a chalkboard menu, nor was Mado the first to ever do whole animal and farmers' market inspired cooking.

I've dined at all of the restaurants cited in the article and don't feel the Bristol is ripping anyone off. Just my opinion.

Good restaurant ideas stick for a reason. Because they work, the gang at the Bristol is using some of them that work, and more particularly, work for them. That's a good thing. Essentially accusing a chef of what amounts to plagerism doen't seems fair in this instance.

Sure the criticisms in the linked article about the execution of the dishes coming out of the kitchen bare weight and that's fine.

Perhaps I'm not privy to all the details here, but again, this is just my opinion.

What I think was funny in the article was that he said everything needed salt. I've eaten there twice and I think everything has too much salt! Including the salty foods that have the big kosher salt sprinkled over them!

I had a solid meal - tasty sardines, amazing fries and a perfect Japanese sweet potato dauphinoise.

The one thing we didn't like were the beignets (I forget what they called them...) - bland, not a lot going on. But at $4, not a disaster.

It's a perfect place to have some high-end (and large format as someone pointed out) beers and have small plates. I'll probably go back and sit at the bar - I liked the room and the service.

I thought Nagrant's article still was very positive in whole.

I agree on the Chalkboard thing....that's why I said every bistro before desktop publishing had them too in the same article. Mado obviously got inspiration from Avec at some point. It just seemed that when you take everything in collective, menus, focus, decor, service style, neighborhood, etc...it seems more similar than most...I recognize that there's nothing new under the sun and it's tough to be completely original...but there's a big difference between being John Mayer and ripping off Marvin Gaye note for note versus say being Nirvana and influenced by the Pixies. I'd say the Bristol falls somewhere in the middle.

That's what's so impressive about Alinea, sure there's some similarity in what Achatz does to Adria etc...but he's insanely disciplined about not doing stuff if it has a whiff of anyone elses work, likewise the wine pairing program from Joe Catterson represents an expertise, a commitment, and investment that I've never seen...almost everyone still hews to a bottle pairing or cursory glass pairing...Catterson and his crew open up hundreds of bottles with each menu change to find the right pairing....originality is truly precious.

That being said, I'd like five versions of Mado if they were all as good as Mado, or five versions of Sun Wah BBQ if they were all as good as Sun Wah BBQ...ultimately it's about execution...the night I was at the Bristol, it didn't feel awesome...whoever was working the deep fryer especially needed to up their game as almost everything was uniformly greasy and not very crispy. They also need to up their cocktail mixing by making sure there's balance in their drinks. That being said, as discussed in the article, service was tremendous, and the pork liver, heart, and tripe was in the parlance of Guy Fieri, "off the hook". I do really believe Chris Pandel is very talented and I think the place is one to watch.

As the staff at Mado and anyone who knows me is aware, I am a gigantic fan of Rob & Allison Levitt's restaurant. It almost instantly became one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. Therefore, it is not lightly that I say yes - there are similarities between the Bristol and Mado. It is with even more caution that I say that – though there are differences which make both restaurants more than worthy destinations - in some ways I like the Bristol even better.

Wow. The Bristol is doing everything right, in my opinion. The owner is a passionate front-of-house guy who takes a hands-on role in making sure his customers are happy. He's the guy who puts your name on the waiting list for a table. He's the guy who comes over to check that everything is OK at your table. He's the guy who fills your water glass if it's empty and the busboy is busy. He's also the guy who will notice that you're debating over what to order, and will come over to your table to wax justifiably poetic about some of the spectacular dishes on the restaurant's menu.

I started with french breakfast radishes served with whipped goat milk butter. Simple perfection. Sweet, creamy, unsalted, slightly tangy butter. Sharp radishes served with their peppery greens attached (I lamented seeing another patron clean his plate of all but this very edible - delicious, in fact - part of the dish). A small pile of extraordinary quality coarse grey salt on the side. Pick up radish. Wrap green around it. Dip in butter. Adorn with 2 morsels of grey salt. Bite. Savor. Wonder why you haven't been eating this way every day of your life. If you're one to assume like I did that the toasted bread on the side is superfluous, do not repeat my mistake. All of the bread at the Bristol is baked in house, and this particularly airy and yeasty baguette is truly remarkable.

The Bristol menu is one of few where everything really calls to me. Boudin blanc with roast fennel and chanterelles? Crisp sardines with spicy green tomato? Country fried rabbit with peach jam and cheddar biscuit? Grilled prawns with anchovy butter? Raviolo with egg yolk, ricotta, and brown butter? Roast marrow bones with shallot jam?

In the end, I settled on my old friend, the roast half chicken, which - at the Bristol - was served with a stone fruit Panzanella. Pick your favorite words to describe a juicy, perfectly roasted chicken with crisp skin and just the right amount of seasoning to bring out the best of the bird. Then imagine busting-with flavor heirloom tomatoes, nectarines, and plums mingling with crispy croutons that taste of terrific olive oil. There you have it. A dish that defies all attempts to improve it. This is what a roast chicken is supposed to be.

Have dessert. Have the chocolate sabayon with homemade nutter butter cookies. Have it. I repeat: do not leave without eating the chocolate sabayon with homemade nutter butter cookies. The smooth, eggy custard is served in a small teacup sprinkled with more of that terrific coarse grey salt. The cookies are fresh, buttery, crispy, and filled with a salty peanut butter filling that has god knows what kind of dopaminergic additives. You will not be able to put these down. I don't care how full you are. You'll consider ordering another to go. Then you'll eat it on the way to the car.

Is the Bristol perfect? No. While the bar stools are very comfortable, the counter doesn't have a wide enough ledge, and there is no foot rail. And, as hoards of people started to descend on the place while I was dining at the bar, there was not enough room for them to wait comfortably anywhere in the restaurant.

It's been a long time since I've anticipated my next visit to any non Sun Wah restaurant with this much excitement.

JLenart wrote:As stated above I had the same feeling about the staff dress. No one was dressed the same and it made it kind of hard to determine who worked there and who might be a guest walking around.

They all now wear black t-shirts with the restaurant logo, so this "problem" is no more.

Onto bigger and better things. This is really starting to look like the casual, friendly neighborhood restaurant I've been searching for in Chicago since I moved here. Yes, this is based on but 2 visits - but so far I love the Bristol. Tonight I had those superbly simple, but delicious radishes with goat butter again, plus a new addition to the daily-changing menu: head cheese made with pork and beef tongue. This was more gelatinous than versions I've elsewhere (Mado, for example). The flavor was deeply porky, with only subtle spices. It was served with pickled watermelon radishes. I can't say whose version of head cheese I like best, but I can say that I am darn happy to have both nearby. Other items I was dying to try on the menu: goat mixed grill with a chop, belly, and rib from a locally farmed animal, and a spiced chicken thigh with sunchoke puree and mustard greens. Some people pay lip service to the idea of sourcing local ingredients. These guys live and breathe it, and will wax poetic with no end if you let them about how much they love their farmers.

A relatively silly claim has been made elsewhere that the Bristol has copied other restaurants, including Mado, the Publican, and Chalkboard. Brief conversations with the owners of this place reveal that such speculation is nonsense. For the trio that owns The Bristol, this is so clearly a labor of love - something that's been in their dreams and plans for a long time. Their pedigrees are impressive: Executive Sous Chef for Rick Tramonto, and General Managers from 160 Blue and Nine Steakhouse. These guys left their comfortable positions at successful establishments to start their dream. You can see the passion in their eyes when you talk to them. You can see and taste it on the plate too.

I have to express my complete dissapointment in this restaurant. We tried the Monkey Bread, Flatbread, Chicken Wings, Pork Roulette, Ham Steak, Roast chicken and Whole Fish. The portions were incredibly small and the dishes varied from bland (monkey bread) to downright awful (the whole fish). The service was also mediocre and best (worst) of all when we went to send the fish back because it tasted funny, we were told that they would only credit our check for HALF of the cost because they had three people taste it and they thought it was fine. Can you imagine?? We live in the neighborhood and would never go back.

Contracts that with The Publican which we also tried this week. Without getting into details, I can tell you that this is the real deal - everything, including the service, was excellent. I cant wait to go back.

We popped into The Bristol last night and had a generally very pleasant time though I think it's only to be compared to Mado if you want to call it Mado Lite-- take the more nosh-like half of Mado's menu and use it as something to go with beer. And that's actually a pretty cool thing, if bar food is now whole-animal cooking and charcuterie rather than burgers and mozzarella sticks. (No, The Bristol isn't a bar, but it's decidedly pub-ish.)

The head cheese was more gelatinous than Mado's and I felt the desire for mustard more than at Mado; the harsh pickle bite of the (very pretty) watermelon radish didn't do it. But once the pork rilettes (which I liked better anyway) arrived with their mustard, it worked well for the head cheese, too. Duck fat fries were pretty good if greasy, much better in the aioli than the ketchup which lacked the true Heinzian umami; fried green tomatoes were very tasty; Kennyz's breakfast radishes were a nice if starkly simple dish, but, um, don't they make a brush for getting the last bits of dirt off of vegetables like these? A chocolate sabayon constructed in honor of Nutter Butters made a rich close to the meal.

All in all a pleasant time, reasonably priced, and I'm sure it will be an occasional stop for us from now on. Only two fairly minor cavils: one, the order in which things came out seemed weird, that is, it felt like we got two main courses, then two side dishes, and finally an appetizer/salad. You may want to pace your ordering to force the pace you want upon the kitchen. Secondly: why is this place called The Bristol, like it's a faux-English pub (The Fox & Badger) or a dull bar in an upscale hotel ("Whether you enjoy casual snacks and expert cocktails in The Bristol, or dance the night away at Gamers, your stay at the Westin Moose Jaw will be..."). The name really doesn't seem to fit the place.

My recent visit to The Bristol was great. There were some items that I loved more than others but the overall experience was quite enjoyable.

Good: The wine and beer list offer unique items as well as many standbys, all reasonably priced. Sardines, Relish plate, Pork butt on Toast with peach marmalade (one of the best things I tasted), Pork Agnolotti all were well seasoned and very good. Service was well informed and both owners talked to us, which might have been because we are in the business, but they were talking to all guests. Enjoyed the feel of the space and the music was fitting and never too loud.

Not Great: Monkey Bread, it wasn't bad but I probably wouldn't order it again. Chicken and dumplings. The flatbread was good, but not enough bacon, more bacon = goodness. Truly amazing fries are an art and the Duck fat fries are not quite there yet and the house made ketchup needs some love.

I have to address the "ripping" off that The Bristol is being accused of in articles, here and on other websites. EVERY RESTAURANT RIPS SOMETHING OFF FROM ANOTHER RESTAURANT (whether it's locally, nationally or internationally)! Avec did not invent communal seating, Chalkboard didn't invent writing menus on chalkboards, Mado didn't invent pork. And Schwa didn't invent ravioli (if you do a little research you will find that the ravioli dish at Schwa is also a "rip off", Paul Bartolotta was doing that SAME dish at Spiaggia years ago and Michael Carlson happen to work there at the time). Each of these restaurants are good and even great in their own respects, but they didn't invent the aspects of their restaurants that are mirrored in others. If anything The Bristol brings all of these amazing things under one roof, which is great! The Bristol is a nice addition to the dining scene, great for those who live in that hood and worth the trip for diners (like me) who don't live near there.

WineChic wrote:Service was well informed and both owners talked to us, which might have been because we are in the business, but they were talking to all guests.

I haven't been in the business for almost 8 years now, and these guys had no idea that I had that past at all. Regardless, I couldn't imagine them being more friendly to me, or talking to me with more exuberance about their philosophy and goals for the restaurant.

I usually don't write reviews unless it is bad or ever. But I had some beer and appetizers last night with CG and Hebrew Jam and felt compelled.

So we sat at the bar and ordered appetizers, as I hate communal tables. I hope this trend dies soon. If it’s at a place that you don’t take your coat off and eat out of a basket, it’s fine. Here is seems trendy and forced. A bit like high school, so I was immediately nervous. It will come to no surprise that high school was a difficult time for me.

Speaking of high school…blackboards. Lots of blackboards and chalk dust. Is this a trend too? They should have called it Blackboard. You could have the waiters dress as teachers and the customers use crayons to draw what they want to eat. Don’t steal this idea.

We started with the Smokey Fritters, which were self explanatory, nice salty pockets of cheese in a very light dough. This kind of relatively cheap ($5) appetizer is nice with 2 cold beers. That would have filled me up. But I was with CG and Hebrew Jam, so we had to order at least 8 more things. I wanted to have a beer after work and we ended up with a $120 tab. CG paid for everything though, because deep down, he thinks we are dating and that he is the man in the relationship. He’s wrong on both counts.

The Monkey Bread was pretty good, but this should be free and on every table. It’s a small biscuit with sauce. The bread had sea salt on it, which can lead to a huge salty bite or a huge bready bite. The dill sauce was cooling, and a little sour, but we liked it. If you go, you should get this, but again, it should be free.

Scotch Olives taste like Pizza Pockets ™ and I mean that in a good way. Like a mini supreme pizza. It has inspired me to “scotch” up some more things this weekend.

Then the cold meats started rolling in. Pork Rillette or something. You guys know more about this stuff, but if you don't, it’s basically a cold tater tot made of animals. I was told by CG that this was delicious, and I should like it, but I didn’t and I’m usually very susceptible to peer pressure. The sauce was a bit like syrupy sweet horseradish and was served with some tangly greens and some toasted bread. The pork was a bit bland, but when spread on the bread with the greens it gave a better balance. It just wasn’t my thing.

While we are waiting for our next round, let’s talk about the service. In a word: Very Good. We sat at the bar and our guy was attentive and friendly. His approval seemed to progressively increase at each choice we made, which makes me feel smart and cultured. For example:

Me: “I’ll have the stuffed chicken wings”
Him: “Excellent choice, sir.”

Me: “We’ll have the head cheese.”
Him: “CRANK IT!”

He didn’t really say that, but he was enthusiastic and hospitable (or any other Thesaurus result for friendly). His buddy, however, the bartender making the drinks for the dining area was a bit obsessive compulsive with his waitstaff. Very condescending and a bit mean. I know wait staff need to be growled at, I’ve managed a Bob Evans before, but the customers shouldn’t hear it, especially when it is said to every single waiter, barback and expediter there. The one thing in common was him. He was a jerk.

Back to the Head Cheese. I’ve never had this before, but I’m open to eating faces and this seemed the place to do it. There was plenty with two thick slices, served with pickled carrots (I think) and a mustardy sauce. CG again told me it was delicious…although I kept thinking how great this would be on a sandwich. So we ordered some bread.

“HELLS YEAH!” our server replied “HOW ‘BOUT SOME TOAST POINTS, SON?”*

I had a mouth full of cow face so all I could do was nod. I’m going to sound like a chump, but the bread made all the difference in the dish for me. By spreading it on the bread, the head cheese was warmed, which released more aroma and flavor. Had this been brought to room temperature before serving, I’d have a much more favorable opinion on it.

Chicken and Dumplings: It was a very smooth chicken stew, tender, thick, but bland. The dumpling was not mixed in with the chicken, which was a good thing, because it gave some salty seasoning to it. If I were alone, I would have used the dumplings as spoons and sopped the rest of it up. Just ok though.

Stuffed Chicken Wings: Don’t let the name fool you, these are chicken nuggets. Chorizo and blue cheese surrounded by wing meat and apparently fried. I didn’t care for it, the chorizo and blue cheese were crumbly dry and the wing meat was very greasy…like Jewel rotisserie chicken greasy. Like your teeth stick together after every bite greasy. Neat idea, but maybe would be better with white meat.

Duck Fat Fries: Slightly overdone for my taste, and very crisp. I’ve had duck fat fries at least 4 times in the past year and they have either been greasy and heavy or overdone like these, so maybe that’s just the name of the game. Served with mayo and fresh ketchup. I didn’t care for the ketchup, it was a bit watery, but the mayo (I mean aioli, whatever) was great. I love fries with mayo.

At this point I think we had 8 appetizers, so our consumption was down to a slow graze, and the cold food was warming and the hot food was cooling. The even warmer head cheese had a much smoother taste now, as did the rillette.

My overall score for this place is 75 points out of a possible 7 thumbs up. It’s got some great stuff to try, and I recommend it, but I probably won’t be back for a while.

*he really didn’t say any of those things. I’m taking screenwriting classes at the Discovery Center, and rule 1 is to make one character in the story yell every line.

While I may not have stated it clearly, Kenny I am happy you reiterated my point ... I loved the fact that the owners were talking to everyone, whether they were industry, foodies, neighborhood folk etc. I was impressed with the generous hospitality to everyone in the place. It added to the great feel of the restaurant.

“HELLS YEAH!” our server replied “HOW ‘BOUT SOME TOAST POINTS, SON?”

Banner quote.

“HELLS YEAH!” our server replied “HOW ‘BOUT SOME TOAST POINTS, SON?”

This entire post is one of the most original and refreshing things I've read on the site in months. I'm immediately adding "I'm open to eating faces" and "mouth full of cow face" to my lexicon. In fact, my first novel may now be titled "Mouth Full of Cow Face."

We walked by last night, looking to get in around 8:30 and it was PACKED. And those were not neighborhood people! Well, from some neighborhood, but not mine, too pretty

Santander wrote:

“HELLS YEAH!” our server replied “HOW ‘BOUT SOME TOAST POINTS, SON?”

This entire post is one of the most original and refreshing things I've read on the site in months. I'm immediately adding "I'm open to eating faces" and "mouth full of cow face" to my lexicon. In fact, my first novel may now be titled "Mouth Full of Cow Face."

Agreed! I laughed out loud a couple times. I hope to see "lookjerk" posting more often - I think the screenwriting class at discovery is paying off.

with one lookjerk exception...

In a word: Very Good

thats two words...

Lookjerk,
Absolutely hilarious post and one of the funniest things I've read on this board in a while. Thanks for taking the time to write it.

lookjerk wrote: I wanted to have a beer after work and we ended up with a $120 tab. CG paid for everything though, because deep down, he thinks we are dating and that he is the man in the relationship. He’s wrong on both counts.

This made my night

We went this past Sat. night around 6 or so. It was busy, and by 6:30 or 7, there was a wait. By the time we left, maybe 7:30? they were turning people away in fear that they'd be over the number permitted by fire code (I thought the staff did it in a very nice way, though the people being turned away were really cranky about it).