The Dandelion

Gastropubs. They are everywhere. It's as if restauranteurs suddenly realized that people want the food to actually taste good when they go out? What a surprise! But, in all honestly, this shift probably occurred in response to the "foodie scene." People began to go out to share a meal together, enjoy each other's company, have an actual conversation with friends as if your having a family meal, instead of going out for a wild Friday night, getting so drunk that some greasy chips are enough to satisfy. I've been to my fair share of these little gems, and as time has passed, some were merely made to keep up with a trend, and others are worth the night out.

A few months ago I went to Philadelphia, just another part of my college application process, but one that was a lot more fun. After a long flight, no reservation, a casual wardrobe, and little understanding of the city, we decided to go to a British themed gastropub. According to Google, it had good reviews, and in today's world Google's reviews are basically Gospel. The actual restaurant was quite charming: overflowing flower pots lining every wind

ow and edge of sidewalk, a gray facade draws your attention away from the loud vibrancy of the city. And the inside was equally cozy, all open windows and tons of lace drapery and burgundy carpets. It was quirky, and I was excited!

Like any good restaurant, they started us out with bread and butter. Very tasty. The bread was soft and fresh with just the right amount of crustiness and spongy inside. After a quick perusal of the menu, I decided to order crab risotto, and my companion went more traditionally English and ordered rabbit stew at the recommendation of the waiter, despite the 80 degree weather. My risotto had a good flavor, creamy and cheesy with a nice acidic bite from freshly squeezed lemon and a gremolata of lemon zest, panko, and parsley, plus copious amounts of parmesan cheese. Like I said, the flavor was good, very well balanced, and I was pleased to find large lumps of sweet crab meat (I am always glad when a seafood dish has more than a few morsels...). However, I had one major issue. Maybe it was because it was busy. Maybe it was because they were unprepared for so many people to come on a Tuesday evening? Either way, my risotto was a little undercooked; they rushed adding the liquid--Chef Ramsay would not have been pleased. But I was hungry and tired, so I didn't complain. My companion's dish wasn't much more well off--it tasted fine, but also felt rushed. On top if it all, service was slow and inattentive. They were slow to refill glasses and they forgot that we ordered an appetizer, which at this point was so unremarkable that I've forgotten what it even was (Welsh Rarebit? Probably).

In the end, it was just ok. The food didn't live up to the atmosphere, but maybe they just had an off day. Should I give them another chance? We'll see..

Rating: 2.5/5

I'll stick to tea time,
Christina

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