GandD is located on the corner of 50th and Bryant, sandwiched between Patina and the Malt Shop in the location that used to be Black Bird. Forgetting the fire that took down Black Bird and Patina, this is a fantastic location for a restaurant and it's in the middle of a neighborhood that has severely been lacking a great local pub. I'm happy to say that GandD has in just two weeks proven itself to be a very good local pub, bordering on great. If you're looking for a beer, the selection is fantastic, with a range including a few local breweries like Summit, Brau Brothers, and Fulton, and some more distant but still nice breweries like Old Speckled Hen. Personally, I'd choose Bass over Old Speckled Hen, but all in all it's a great selection of beers and the older, bald-headed waiter (sorry!) was clearly knowledgeable and excited to answer any questions or offer recommendations. He wasn't my waiter, but I enjoyed watching his interactions with the tables around me.
They also have a wine list that looks pretty extensive and well rounded, but I don't know nothing about wines so I can't comment. But my friend did get some wine, and it came in a really neat looking glass, so there's that.
The food menu didn't excite me quite as much as the beer menu, but it didn't let me down either. It seemed to be one of those menus that looks great at first glance, but as you read the descriptions, you start to notice things that just sound weird, with almost every selection having at least one ingredient that just sounds... off. Like the cheeseburger that comes with frizzled leeks. Or the Banh Mi with green beans. And while it is definitely cool to have a menu that combines traditional Irish pub fare like Bangers & Mash with more exotic choices like the aforementioned Banh Mi, it will be interesting to see how it goes over in South Minneapolis... a city where people actually consider something like a Banh Mi to be "exotic."
But enough about the menu: Let's get to the actual review already.
I arrived right at 3:00 on a Wednesday afternoon, since that's when they're happy hour begins. I knew this not because it's posted either on their website or Facebook page, but because I had to email them to ask. Happy hour is from 3-5, Monday-Thursday, offering $3.00 taps and certain discounted glasses of wine. No discounted appetizers, which I found disappointing, but the waitress did offer to bring a different menu just for munchies. First piece of advice for George: Don't have a separate, secret menu for cheaper, smaller plates. Just have a couple discounted apps for Happy Hour.
I started with a glass of the Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA and an order of Onion Rings. The beer was fantastic and the onion rings were exceptional. The rings were big and thickly coated, but still oniony and not greasy at all. They came with a side of some kind of chipotle mayo that was pretty good but not all together amazing. But the onion rings themselves were pretty great and well worth the trip. I mean... if you love onion rings, that is.
I probably could've been satisfied on just the onion rings alone since they were big and plentiful, but I only ate half because I wanted to order something else to make this more than just a review of a plate of onion rings. I really wanted a burger, but the only one that really sounded appealing was the plain version with just tomato and arugula, so I ordered the Banh Mi instead because I wanted to be adventurous and really see what this kitchen can do. Not everybody can make an exceptional burger, but a bad burger is still a burger. A bad Banh Mi, on the other hand, is a disaster.
This one wasn't a disaster, but it wasn't the best I've ever had... but that doesn't mean it wasn't high on the list. The first couple bites were a little off, but then I took the green beans out and it got a whole lot better. I like green beans as much as anybody, but as a side, not as a part of a sandwich. They just are too oddly shaped, awkwardly more crunchy than anything else in the sandwich, and just have a flavor that didn't exactly overpower the other elements on the bread, but it didn't compliment them either. The pork was fantastic with a really nice, interesting flavor, and seemed to be shredded instead of a big chunk which I liked and made it easy to eat. Then there was a nice wasabi mayo, daikon, and pickled carrots. This was a very good sandwich... but take off the green beans.
Unfortunately, the french fries (or "handmade chips") that came on the side left a lot to be desired. They were clearly fresh and hand-chopped, but they just weren't cooked enough so they were soggy and just unappealing. They were thick, which I love, but that just made them all the worse because they seemed limp and flaccid. And I'm talking about french fries here, people! When I go back -- and I will, because bad french fries aside, the place was great -- I'll ask them to make my fries extra crispy. But too be sure, I shouldn't have to do that, since the chef should know already that long, limp, undercooked fries are such a disappointment they can knock a perfect A+ down to a B. Sorry to talk so long about fries, but these had the potential to be just as amazing as the onion rings, but they really fell flat.
About the service I can honestly say that it was both good and bad, since the first server's shift ended midway though the meal so she handed us off to somebody else. I didn't catch anybody's name, but the first young lady was attentive -- but not too attentive, which can be annoying -- helpful, and very friendly. I started out alone just to read and have a beer or two, and she mostly left me alone, coming along only when I wanted her to, which seemed to border on the supernatural. The next guy was fine, but bland and a little too slow and attentive, even forgetting to bring my friend's wine until she asked him about it. But to be fair, when I first arrived there were maybe two other people in the place, but toward the end it was close to filling to capacity, so the difference in service quality had a lot to do with that as well.
I also met the owner Frederico Navarro, who was very friendly and likable. I was reading a comic book, and he came over and asked what it was, then told me he's a big fan of Moebius, so we chatted about him for a bit. I liked the guy and respected his ability to know exactly when to come over and introduce himself, and then when to exit the conversation so he could attend to his job and I could get back to my comic.
So all of this was my long, round about way of saying I really liked my first happy hour / dinner at George and the Dragon, but they still have a bit more work to do before it officially becomes my favorite place to hang out. It's right on my bike route to and from work, so if they ever fix those fries and make the service quality a little more consistent, I'll definitely want to become a regular.
I say... check it out.
1 comment:
I actually have no idea what "Banh Mi" even is, so I guess it must be pretty exotic.
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