So last Friday, La Dee says to me: "Russian Ballet in town. Shall we brave it?" Hm. You have to understand, my tastes in art are rather particular and entirely limited by visceral feeling. I get: syncopated beats, heavy brass and percussive strings, electric guitar, the color blue, righteous vocals. I don't get: ballet, woodwinds, chinese opera, italian opera, modern painting. Still, you have to try to expand your boundaries...
Luckily for us, the tickets were sold out. Plan B turned out to be excellent- since we were in town we were at liberty to explore Boodles Bar and Restaurant at JM Mall. Their ads have been teasing us with the promise of Creole food* for a while now, and we finally had a chance to see if they would have some jambalaya and gumbo, blackened catfish, jazz and moonshine. We went for the A la Carte menu.
I was going to write a long review but I haven't the heart for it. Here, instead, is the condensation:
A la Carte menu = Unacceptable substitutions. Unacceptable omissions. Dried out fish, ugh. Good vegetables. Exceptional honey mustard dressing. Decent salad. Middling dining room. Charming view. Suitably heavy, matching cutlery. Clean linens, if musty. Decent staff. Dismal lighting. Nice South African wine list. Surprisingly manageable prices. Maniacal air-conditioning. Soulless atmosphere. Overall: okay, I guess, for a conversational dinner where the food should not distract. But the wine is Not Box. That's the best I can do.
*Yeah, right. And the jazz? Not so much either.
"I don't get: ballet, woodwinds, chinese opera, italian opera, modern painting."
ReplyDeleteLol ... I'm with you! I have yet to go to a ballet, I suppose I should try it one day.
Just out of curiosity, what are your personal favorite places to eat in Dar? (Places you like to go over and over and like the food, atmosphere etc.)
I am out of the loop so I currently don't have any favorites, but a connoisseur such as yourself surely knows whats up :-)
So in short, Plan B was a downer :-( Tried out the indian restaurant in oysterbay.nawab something.
ReplyDeleteThat's what happens when you try to step out of your comfort zone... What happened to our trusted steak from you no where? A good follow up to this story would be what ensued after the mediocre din din;-) Come on, give us a glimpse of how you let your hair down!
ReplyDeleteHey Dr. Bob: Addis in Dar and Azuma, we're practically family. For quietly competent food, Shooters is good for that steak dinner. Palm Beach Hotel doesn't skimp on their ingredients, it's quite the hidden mid-week gem. Coral Beach hotel- but go for the Indian food. Lunches that don't hate your arteries can be found at Al Basha, next door at the Japanese take-away place. The Subway in Masaki... you know, i think this might be a blogpost.
ReplyDelete@SN: well, the first half of plan b could have been a downer BUT the salad rocked, as did the wine and conversation and of course the view of the harbor. Nawab in oysterbay, huh? Added to the list.
@Sunshine: I don't think so, love. this is a family blog ;)
Yeah, I think a blogpost is called for!
ReplyDeleteNice tips though, I'll refer back to these next time I'm in Dar.