Restaurant Review: Locke-Ober
Yesterday, I decided to conduct an anthropological study of the eating habits of the Boston Brahmins. Eh, either that, or I got invited by a friend to Locke-Ober, the 3rd-oldest restaurant in town.
Now, I'll admit that I was initially somewhat turned off by their having a dress code. Really? In this day and age? I appreciate old ambiance and all that, but, really? So, fine, despite coming from work, I said goodbye to jeans and put on something a bit nicer...including heels. My inner monologue was something like, "I am wearing heels... this place had better be good!" The restaurant is located in some back alley of a back alley, stuffed with BMWs and etc. I am glad I did not need the valet parking, my poor Mitsubishi would be so out of place.
We walked in and I noticed that the Maitre d' and waiters were all very formally dressed and that they had a coat check. Good. I then noticed that we were quickly shunted off to the 2nd floor dining hall where we would not disturb the Brahmins. ::roll eyes:: I would also note that small, tight staircases, even when carpeted, are not friendly to heels, though I did all right with that. We were seated and given the restaurant week menu. I should note that we went during restaurant week, which I guess makes a difference, though you'd think they'd try to convert all the newcomers to regulars. Maybe we just don't look right, but they did not even try, with us. Too bad for them, really. And from what I can see from the online reviews, this is not unusual. Most people who go during restaurant week are not happy.
But, all this is secondary. The main question I ask about a restaurant is how is the food. Mediocre. Really. It's upsettingly so. Actually, the worst thing I can say about it is that nothing was fantastic. But then again, the best I can say is that nothing was really horrible. Of course, we were working off the Restaurant Week menu, and they never offered us a glance at the other, which I would have liked to see. I would also have liked to see the wine list, but whatever. I started with what they call a chowder. It isn't. It's a thin soup with lobster in it. Now, I will admit that the quality of the ingredients was quite good-- large pieces of lobster, fairly fresh--but that's about it. The taste was...fine. Then, I had the roast lamb with risotto. The lamb, again, was of very good quality--it really was a good piece of meat. Too bad the kitchen couldn't improve on that. It was lightly seasoned and roasted. And it tasted sort of bland. The risotto was good, but not great, and the tiny dollop of avocado sauce on the plate was the only real flavorful aspect. For dessert, I had a lemon...thing. It was rather different from the description in the menu, a sort of light (and tasteless) lemon mousse, with caramelized bits of stuff on top, and a cut-up strawberry underneath, all served in a martini glass. It was ok, if again, bland. That's really the main quality of the food at Locke-Ober, or at least what I saw of it. My companion got the same appetizer and entree as myself, and his desert, a Bailey's Sundae, looked half-melted. The quality of the ingredients is high, but really! It's not the 1870s, and spices are readily available. There's no need to completely rework the menu, but some changes do have to be made.
A note about the decor: umm, what? I am still trying to figure out the fake-Tudor ceilings, the colonial layout, the fake-French chandeliers, the King George chairs, the wood paneling, the wall paper patterned with fleur-de-lis, and the Italian-ish curtains over some random walls. I get that they're trying for Old School and High End looks, but mixing random elements of both just doesn't do it for me.
And really, if they're trying to go there, they need to work on their manners. The Maitre-d' was polite enough, but obviously rather harried, most of the food was brought out by bus boys, we saw our waiter maybe once... I don't think he ever mentioned his name. In a place like this, I rather expect the waiter to hold the chair for female guests. Nope. The only high point there was that other restaurant patrons jumped to open the door for me (since, you know, in this culture, women are incapable of doing that).
Really, I expected more on all fronts and just did not see anything that would make me want to go back. There are a number of very positive reviews online, and I do wonder if their not-Restaurant-Week menu and manner is better. But I do not wonder enough to go back and find out.
2/5
Now, I'll admit that I was initially somewhat turned off by their having a dress code. Really? In this day and age? I appreciate old ambiance and all that, but, really? So, fine, despite coming from work, I said goodbye to jeans and put on something a bit nicer...including heels. My inner monologue was something like, "I am wearing heels... this place had better be good!" The restaurant is located in some back alley of a back alley, stuffed with BMWs and etc. I am glad I did not need the valet parking, my poor Mitsubishi would be so out of place.
We walked in and I noticed that the Maitre d' and waiters were all very formally dressed and that they had a coat check. Good. I then noticed that we were quickly shunted off to the 2nd floor dining hall where we would not disturb the Brahmins. ::roll eyes:: I would also note that small, tight staircases, even when carpeted, are not friendly to heels, though I did all right with that. We were seated and given the restaurant week menu. I should note that we went during restaurant week, which I guess makes a difference, though you'd think they'd try to convert all the newcomers to regulars. Maybe we just don't look right, but they did not even try, with us. Too bad for them, really. And from what I can see from the online reviews, this is not unusual. Most people who go during restaurant week are not happy.
But, all this is secondary. The main question I ask about a restaurant is how is the food. Mediocre. Really. It's upsettingly so. Actually, the worst thing I can say about it is that nothing was fantastic. But then again, the best I can say is that nothing was really horrible. Of course, we were working off the Restaurant Week menu, and they never offered us a glance at the other, which I would have liked to see. I would also have liked to see the wine list, but whatever. I started with what they call a chowder. It isn't. It's a thin soup with lobster in it. Now, I will admit that the quality of the ingredients was quite good-- large pieces of lobster, fairly fresh--but that's about it. The taste was...fine. Then, I had the roast lamb with risotto. The lamb, again, was of very good quality--it really was a good piece of meat. Too bad the kitchen couldn't improve on that. It was lightly seasoned and roasted. And it tasted sort of bland. The risotto was good, but not great, and the tiny dollop of avocado sauce on the plate was the only real flavorful aspect. For dessert, I had a lemon...thing. It was rather different from the description in the menu, a sort of light (and tasteless) lemon mousse, with caramelized bits of stuff on top, and a cut-up strawberry underneath, all served in a martini glass. It was ok, if again, bland. That's really the main quality of the food at Locke-Ober, or at least what I saw of it. My companion got the same appetizer and entree as myself, and his desert, a Bailey's Sundae, looked half-melted. The quality of the ingredients is high, but really! It's not the 1870s, and spices are readily available. There's no need to completely rework the menu, but some changes do have to be made.
A note about the decor: umm, what? I am still trying to figure out the fake-Tudor ceilings, the colonial layout, the fake-French chandeliers, the King George chairs, the wood paneling, the wall paper patterned with fleur-de-lis, and the Italian-ish curtains over some random walls. I get that they're trying for Old School and High End looks, but mixing random elements of both just doesn't do it for me.
And really, if they're trying to go there, they need to work on their manners. The Maitre-d' was polite enough, but obviously rather harried, most of the food was brought out by bus boys, we saw our waiter maybe once... I don't think he ever mentioned his name. In a place like this, I rather expect the waiter to hold the chair for female guests. Nope. The only high point there was that other restaurant patrons jumped to open the door for me (since, you know, in this culture, women are incapable of doing that).
Really, I expected more on all fronts and just did not see anything that would make me want to go back. There are a number of very positive reviews online, and I do wonder if their not-Restaurant-Week menu and manner is better. But I do not wonder enough to go back and find out.
2/5