Last Sunday I went to a very late brunch with my friend at COFFEE SHOP in Union Square. I have walked by it maybe 1,000 times and had drinks there on a couple of occasions but would never think to eat there. In fact, I have often even forgotten it existed while referencing my mental Zagats. Therefore, when my friend suggested a meal there, I took it as a sign that I was meant to dig deeper into my subconscious dismissal of the restaurant as a whole.
When we got there the hostess was perfectly nice and seated us at a table outside. Shortly thereafter our model waitress approached us and asked us if we would like a drink. Strike 1: At a restaurant named "Coffee Shop" waitresses should not be models, they should look like they have tasted the food and should make you think "hey, I don't mind if I do have a dessert, I'm lookin' good!"
After the aforementioned model situation I ordered a salad. Strike 2: They could not add grilled chicken to a green salad. I could order a "Moqueca Stew" but they would not add grilled chicken to lettuce. I ordered the Sesame Chicken and Bok Choy Salad. Yes, I know it is Brazilian. Strike 3. RiDICulous! You canNOT take the All-American image, an institution really, of a coffee shop and make it Brazilian. It is not campy or cool to have a brazilian menu assigned to the title "Coffee Shop"--it is misleading and false... and dumb!
Because I feel so strongly that this is a crime against the coffee shop genre, I will proceed to a Strike 4--The food. My salad came out and the pieces of chicken were as small as my molars (some of molars are still baby teeth!) and were dry. It is one thing to offer you only one salad involving chicken but it is quite another to then skimp on the chicken--like going to a movie only to be allowed to watch the previews.
In synopsis, I am now freed of any guilt about my dislike for Coffee Shop. And more importantly, I have a new appreciation for the simplicity of the REAL coffee shop.
No comments:
Post a Comment