I'll bottom line it up here - if you're interested in the long-draft, it's at the bottom:
1. the jukebox is a peculiar choice for this venue (see long draft)
2. the 1/2 pint "to go" containers for sides are odd (see long draft)
3. consider an 11am opening time (see long draft)
4. food tasted good.
5. you WILL improve over time.
There IS upward potential here - and they will likely hit their stride over the coming months. Everything I'm putting down here can be chalked up to NOV (Newly Opened Venue) syndrome...
Every Tuesday, I take part in what I've come to call "The Curmudgeon Luncheon" - effectively, my father's friends from wayback who have become mine. I'm 53 and certainly the junior of the bunch. Today, we came here.
We were a five-top. I'll enumerate some observations:
1. The music. For me, ambient music is important. Shouldn't be noticeable on its own, but during lulls in conversation its nice to know its there. It should KINDA line up with the venue. In the Krusty Krab (I can't help myself), the owners opted for a touchpanel electronic jukebox (you know, the modern kind - like the one at Pour Paul's). So... - this means that ANYONE can play ANYTHING. I'm no music hater, but from the moment we walked in to about five minutes prior to leaving, there was an acoustic "tableau" of speed metal, death metal, and just some old-school metal. I grew up with Motorhead - I'm not a musical priss - but this wasn't the acoustic backdrop I was anticipating. Furthermore, when we asked the server about it - the response was that we'd probably want to go ahead and make our selections before the next jukebox player does, if we don't like it that much. Here's what I'm determined to do - the next time I go (yes, of course I'll go back) - I'll make it a point to drop $10.00 and pick the lamest / most unconventional songs and play them for the duration of the meal - and just look around for reactions. That'll be what it'll take for management to reflect on the value of a jukebox in a restaurant that commands single-diner entree options hitting $60.00...
2. The presentation. You know those 1/2 pint containers in the Publix deli - the ones with potato salad/macaroni salad/cole slaw? - yeah - those. That's how a side of cole slaw comes. Foolishly, I also ordered additional "Fire" sauce (not really knowing that it didn't make sense to do so with my oyster basket - yet not being advised to the contrary either...). That also came in a 1/2 pint container. What am I going to do with a 1/2 pint of garlic butter / fire sauce? For my TLH restaurateur friends who are reading this, I'm not trying to be petty or nitpicky - it just strikes me as odd -and I think you'd agree with me. The whole vibe of the deliverable is, at best, a counterbalance to what is apparently a big budget remodeling and interior decorating job. As an example: Think of Barnacle Bill's. The venue itself matched up with what you got. Everything "was one" - here - it's just not there. Yet.
3. The deliverables. Everybody at the table enjoyed the taste of the food. I liked the cole slaw. One of the curmudgeons had the onion rings (fine - although doubtfully cut/battered inhouse), two other curmudgeons had fries (they were perfect, actually) and one had the gumbo. Good taste but mostly white rice with what appeared to be a four oz. ladle of gumbo on top. The gumbo is definitely not a loss-leader. In all, we were 1 gumbo and 4 baskets (three oyster / 1 shrimp). It was good.
4. Hours of operation. Crafty Crab opens for business at 11:30. That's fine for most of us - but with an abundance of offices in the area, 11:00 would be a more considerate opening time. Sure, it's an extra 1/2 hour of payroll, but today, there were 12 people waiting to get in, at 11:30. On a Tuesday. That tells me that maybe 11am would make sense.
5. I'm going to come back. Unfortunately, it won't be with my family - since I'm the only one who enjoys seafood.
6. Did I mention how peculiar the jukebox was? It's hard to uphold a theme when you could have THAT MUCH variety in music. I mean, seriously, what if I selected an hour of Puccini? - or They Might be Giants? - or the entire first side of Gentle Giant's 1972 "Octopus" album? - I like all of it - but... I'm pretty sure that if you sought out a theme for the room, you could probably find an appropriate audio loop or genre to go with it. Heck, once the bar is up and running, let the jukebox rip - after 7. but even then, you risk someone like me "punking" the place and playing the same song over and over again just to drive this point home. I guarantee that if you've got a ten-top celebrating some big to-do, and dropping big $$ for the expensive stuff on your menu, the wrong soundtrack will be a problem...
Anyway - I'm off to Jacksonville - otherwise I'd be having dinner with Tampa celebrity Boon C. tonight! ;) read more