Pretty interesting! I’m down with the cocktail pairings. Do you know of any other places that do a cocktail pairing?
Vespertine.
Went here the other night; $156.83 lighter and exactly 31 minutes later I was out the door and eating duck wings, fried potatoes, a cheeseburger and a donut at Woodley proper. At $5.06/minute this was the most expensive meal per minute I’ve had since my lunch at sukiyabashi jiro.
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wtf?? thanks for the report, guess I’m out.
You don’t like quick meals? What if it’s the most delicious food ever?
I’ve been known to eat McDoubles under 2 minutes.
RIP McDouble
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A great meal is always much more than the food alone
I’m laughing at the idea of stupid Vespertine cocktails.
“Here we have a Dutch gin, infused with fresh blueberries and rosemary, strained into a spray bottle. Three sprays are then introduced to a completely pitch black coffee mug, with desiccated olive shavings as garnish.”
“This next cocktail is literally just comedian Tim Allen’s 1997 autobiography. It’s not even a cocktail, it’s a book, I’m a genius, &%$# you.”
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Well sheeeoot… Our party was there well over 2 hours. (And finished sated.) Was Jiro-san himself doing a cameo as guest itamae for you that night?!
Unless jiro-san magically turned into a young white dude with tattoos, then no.
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Then white dude with tattoos must have been channeling Jiro with his deft and efficient service.
Dang, that sounds like you had a hurried meal. How many bites did you receive?
I got the full 17-course omakase plus a $12 halibut supplement. I couldn’t justify paying for the two other overpriced nigiri supplements - $12 jellyfish and $32 wagyu.
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is it off the menu with their $ menu abomination? that 2 mcdoubles for $2.50 was actually a pretty good value.
Yes. Replaced by bacon McDouble for $2. That’s a hard pass from me.
I had an enjoyable meal here last night. I liked the speakeasy concept and the creativity and enthusiasm the chefs and mixologist brought to the table. Everyone seemed to be having fun, which can’t always be said for some of the more austere sushi bars out there. The sake, cocktail and beer pairing was also nicely done.
My main issue, and what would stop me from ever being a regular here (though I would happily return on occasion), is that the neta selection hews tightly to the fatty and unctuous: salmon, toro, buri, bone marrow, wagyu, uni, escolar, etc. These are all certified crowd pleasers (I enjoy them myself) and I totally get why a restaurant would want to cater to a broad western palate, but for my money I like to see more shellfish, white fish, and mackerels.
That said, the place was full for its 5’oclock seating on a Wednesday night, so its approach is clearly working.
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I’m 4 for 4 on great meals here. Agree with the post that the cuts are on the fatty side. There is one bite that I just can’t get out of my brain–a perfect prawn raw most of the way and slightly grilled on top, with a carmelized onion puree. Virtually every bite and drink here on Friday night was a hit.
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