Dining@Large: Monday Afternoon Quarterbacking: B & O American Brasserie - Elizabeth Large blogs about memorable meals, dining trends, comings and goings on the restaurant scene and more.

OK, admittedly I've gotten a little backed up. I'm not firing on all cylinders today.

I still haven't done my review preview, which usually appears Sunday. But the best I could manage yesterday evening when I sat down at my computer was a six-word post. Then I fell back on the bed feeling like I'd run the Boston Marathon.

I think it's the shortest post in the history of Dining@Large. ...

Anyway, all that was to say that I know I'm going out of order here. But I didn't want to have to call it Monday Night Quarterbacking, so I'm going to start with my review of the B & O American Brasserie first.

The review preview is coming next.

Reading over my review, which appeared in yesterday's paper, I'm struck by how some of the points I make seem repetitious because we've discussed them here at length -- after I wrote my review, but before it appeared.

You may feel the same way, but remember that on the whole, the print audience is different from the Dining@Large audience.

(Kim Hairston/Sun photographer)

Comments

I don't really know if its fair to bring up the biodynamic wine stuff and the flatbread/pizza debate as one-off comments in their review.

That being said, the tone goes from bad (the title) to glowing to bad again, so I guess the unevenness of the article reflects the unevenness of the food. Hopefully B&O focuses less on getting their marketing people on every blog out there, and work on getting the food right!

Posted by: hmm | September 21, 2009 6:00 PM

I'm happy to hear that the people from the Hotel Monaco have done as good a job with their restaurant as their hotel. The Poste restaurant in DC attached to the wonderfully restored Monaco is an overpriced underwhelming expense account "brasserie".

Your review and others I have read give the reader a reason to give the place a try and see for ourselves whether we like what they are doing. I look forward to visiting.

Posted by: Trip Klaus | September 21, 2009 6:47 PM

I loved the "Don't ask"!
LOLed

Posted by: Bud J | September 22, 2009 10:33 AM

We had happy hour and dinner there last night, and t was wildly uneven. We had the chicken liver mousse, which was lovely and silky smooth, one of the flat breads and meatballs. All very nice.

Then we ordered dessert and it was ghastly! Just gross. I had a butterscotch pudding that didn't even remotely taste like that, and was served in an 8-10 oz. glass! WAY too much. My friend had the rustic apple tart, and the apples were not cooked. The pastry wasn't cooked either.

I posted a full review with pictures on my blog if you're interested in reading more.

Posted by: pigtown | September 23, 2009 10:39 AM