Today was dubbed SuperScrunch's special day, so we decided to let him pick the lunch destination. He "opted" for Martine, a downtown cafe and tapas joint we've all frequented many times over the years but have yet to review.
We usually like to go there when it's cold outside and we don't feel like traveling. When someone says a place is within walking distance, the span between our office and Martine's front door is usually what I have in mind. I don't know about you, but if I'm going to lunch, I don't want a Pioneer Trek slyly inserted into the middle of the journey there. Ask my wife about Pioneer Trek one time if you like hair-raising stories involving the plucking of live chickens. Or maybe dead, I can't remember.
Anyway, because Wingnut was feeling extra gimpy today, the seating on the upper floor (which most of us prefer, well, the important ones anyway) was out of bounds. Our server seated us well away from the windows and I got to sit on a comfy couch, which was good because I'm old, ornery and have been just generally out of sorts today. I ordered a full-size pastrami sandwich and upgraded my side to the French onion soup, which is always excellent except for the piece of bread they stuff down into the bottom of the bowl. It's probably just me, but eating a soggy slice of wheat bread is just not appealing. I must be recovering from the past two weeks, because I essentially finished my meal. The debris in my soup bowl doesn't count.
Martine doesn't have the most expansive of lunch menus but it's filled with well crafted sandwiches, tasty salads (so I've heard) and a pretty fair burger. Even the bacon veggie quiche is very good. According to the eatery's Web site, the Zagat Survey said Martine has the "best, most unique and innovative cooking in town,' plus there's an 'imaginative wine list' to boot." I can't vouch for the wine list, but ... aw hell, I can't vouch for any of it. Martine's good, but not great.
I'm kind of interested to see what the photos of our outing will look like since Wingnut was the assigned photographer and seemed intent on getting some "artsy" shots for the blog. He about took a swing at me when I prematurely tried to take a straw for my beverage (he was lining up a top-down shot of the straws as they fanned out in a small glass). He's a weirdy, I know.
Probably the highlight of the meal was Jon's riveting account of a congenital deformity, of which I will not speak of in this forum. Needless to say, the revealing of the malady got my imagination revving into high gear, trying to think up a bunch of "what if this happened?" scenarios. Unfortunately, the illness turned out to be nothing to write home about, as abnormalities go. Ah, well. There's always next week.
Man-up possibilities: 6 (eating two salads doesn't count, Chuck)
Food quality: 8
Service: 8
Overall: 7
Quotes of the day:
I hate these pants. I'm gonna take them off.
He totally p***ed out. There was a trail of urine leading out.
Me and 35-cent. We're tight.
You're rich in blessings.
I just work at the paper. I don't read it.
Do we need one of those silver umbrellas? We can just use your hair.
You were comparing your salad to my quiche.
I didn't know Jonny was a bleeder.
GPaK's definition of fall: A big bowl of chicken noodle soup on a chilly, cloudy day.
ReplyDeleteIt must be fall.
It is a bit odd that it took the Crew this long to get to Martine, but I'm glad we went today. I, like Brady, appreciate a shorter walk, and this was about the shortest walk we could get. But most of all, I like a good bowl of soup.
I had a roast beef and Swiss sandwich (just a half, because I'm not as manly as Brady, I guess), and it was good. Nicely seasoned beef, good bread, melty cheese. But the best part of the meal was the soup.
Seriously, it was delicious. Big chunks of chicken, large carrot coins and other vegetables, tender noodles and a savory broth. In fact, in retrospect, I should have just had two bowls of soup and skipped the sandwich. Perhaps the other fellas would have mocked me, but then again, Wingnut had TWO salads, and SuperScrunch had quiche, so what could they say?
One more interesting note is that our meals have changed from gripe-fests into business meetings about this blog. Very interesting, indeed.
Man-up possibilities: 6
Food quality: 8.5
Service: 8
Fizz-o-meter of Coke: 6.5 (it was a bit flat)
Overall: 8
I love specials. My friend Jen has the best luck when she orders specials...I on the other hand am generally not as lucky.
ReplyDeleteBut today was my lucky day. I dined at one of my favorite downtown restaurants, the Martine. And I was successful in finding a special I loved. Call it luck or love. Either way, I enjoyed my lunch.
With the little voice inside my head (that could be my wife) saying watch what you eat....I chose the Moroccan Beef with roasted vegetables.
The presentation was amazing (check out the photo!) and the taste exceeded all of my expectations. Absolutely outstanding!
I think Gary actually thought about stealing a taste. Seriously...he commented about the smell a couple of times, so I thought I had a shot of turning him back to the dark side!
As a bonus, I got two side salads, one with dressing on the side, the other without...I was the casualty of a server mistake. Not a bad mistake if they are going to make one.
I love all aspects of this place; Service, food, ambiance.
I will continue to return back to the Martine again and again. And especially on Friday's which will now feature the Moroccan Beef special.
Food quality: 10
Man-up 9.5
Service 9.5
Overall: 10
So now that we have a captive audience — we must if you've made it to the third comment of today's post — I'll enlighten you all by telling you a) why it's my "special day" and b) about my congenital deformity.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow's my birthday, so I guess that's why it was deemed special. Last year the GPaK crew actually went to lunch ON my birthday. This year I have to settle for birthday eve. It will suffice and the fellas gave me lunch selection dibs in honor of my birth. Aren't they nice! I chose the previously noted Martine for its close proximity and solid grub.
I like to try new food from time to time but when it comes to Martine, I'm pretty much married to the Quiche. It's generally a thick slice and today's version had more bacon than I can ever remember. The bacon lovers of the crew would have enjoyed it. Most bites were extra crispy and the accompanying fruit is a perfect compliment to the meal.
As usual - or most usual - I chased this bad boy with water and it was exceptionally watery today. Maybe I was dehydrated but I finished three glasses. Very solid water and easily the most I've ever written about H2O.
For those still hanging around, I guess I'd never informed the GPaK of the fact that I have hemophilia b. It was brought up because of a discussion over the annual insurance elections and evidently it was a highlight for Brady.
While not something you wish to have, I'm actually pretty lucky. It's the mildest bleeding disorder one can have and I actually wasn't diagnosed until I was 16. It's very manageable, I wear a medic alert bracelet and infuse coagulation factor when necessary for mild injuries, muscle strains, or trauma to hopefully reverse any excessive bleeding due to accident or sports injury.
Bottom line though is the disease has pretty thick lines with British royalty so I guess I have elite company... depending on how you look at it.
Martine is definitely recommended for those frequenting the downtown area.
Food quality: 9
Man-up: 8
Service: 9
Water: very watery
Overall: 9
Maybe SuperScrunch is a long-lost descendant of the lost Romanov czars of Russia. I'm thinking it's a distinct possibility. Think of the monetizing opportunities!
ReplyDeleteNow we are talking. Thanks KC! Need to do some research on that one.
ReplyDelete