240189 Sat May 10 02:13:39 -0700 2003 17 19 Outer Boroughs 0 1274131 If less is more I want more from the Chicken Bone Cafe. No that doesn't make any sense. Everything just seemed too fussed with withou any benefit in taste. I wanted to like the Chicken Bone Cafe much more than I actually did. The PR machine has generated a ton of positive reviews and press but in the end I just wasn't that impressed. I've read about how they shop around for the freshest supplies from all over NYC. Well it's one thing to have the best ingredients but another thing to know what to do with them. Everything seemed kind of overly conceptualized but underflavored. The house roasted salmon sandwich with wasabi aoli, mesclun greens on a pumpernickle baguette. For all of that effort of roasting, and aioli making it somehow still tasted like canned salmon salad without a hint of wasabi that I could detect. For smaller dishes we ordered the beef jerky on shrimp chips and the potato, cheese, and bacon gratin. The jerky dish was kind of one dimensional. The jerky was too sweet, the chips lacked flavor. For the same price at Pho Bang on Mott St. in Manhattan you can get a platter of grilled pork on shrimp chips that is just an awesome marriage of flavors and textures. The gratin dish fared much better. It was a nice satisfying dish stacked with golden coins of yukon potatoes and layers of cheesey deliciousness. The staff seemed kind of self absorbed and more interested in chatting with each other than attending to the customers(all six of us). When I inquired about the Vietnamese Sausage sandwich(actually the sausage was just the crumbled BBQ pork you find on many varieties of Banh Mi) someone I assumed to be an owner went on in great detail about the house made sausages and pickles in the sandwich. When I enthused "oh good, I love Banh Mi" He kind of looked down his nose at me and said "well we've elevated it beyond what you'll find in Chinatown" Well the only thing they've elevated is the price. They didn't notice that even an average Banh Mi like at Banh Mi So 1 , made with commercial ingredients for 2.75 has more depth of flavor than their 8 dollar exotic creation. Portions in general were less than substantial. By no means am I saying that you wouldn't be able to get a decent meal here. I'm just kind of tired of these "emperor has no clothes", NY Mag pick of the week type places. It seemed like more of an attempt to bring a taste of Tribeca to Williamsburg than creating a laid back place to hang out and get some fresh, tasty, well thoughtout food for a fairprice. In case you're interested in trying it for yourself it's on South 4th St. in Williamsburg. enjoy! Frank Sat May 10 02:13:39 -0700 2003 0 Iron Frank 1 1274138 I had higher hopes, myself. I visted two Fridays ago, and should've been scared off when I saw the sign on the front door indicating a private party would be taking place from 7-9:30pm. But as it was 10:30, and we were told it would be only a 20 min. wait, I figured we'd be fine. The place is shoulder-to-shoulder packed, we leave, come back, no one will budge from their tables and no one is eating, only drinking. It's a bar scene, and ultimately we end up waiting one hour to be seated (one of those situations where you've waited so long, you feel more annoyed by leaving). It is a birthday party, the crowd is drunk and rude, and it's the first time in Brooklyn for many of the revelers (one had rented a Zip Car, especially for the occasion--I only know this because of the loudmouth factor in the room), and it showed. Apparently the crew that had set up shop, thought it was a bar that happened to serve food, and had no plans to leave any of their spots. When we were finally seated, a drunk girl practically sits on my lap a number of times and people begin throwing wads of who-knows-what back and forth through the open window next to me. An inebriated frat-type randomly tried picking a fight *twice* with my date, "If you bump into me one more time, I'll...." and yelled at us when we left. The staff did nothing to alliveate the chaos. By the time we ordered food I just wanted to get the hell out of there. In fact, I can barely remember the food. I did the banh mi, which was good enough, though I would have been fine with a Chinatown rendition. I also had some fennel, citrus-y, prosciutto, parmesan salad, which I can barely remember. The date had a pork sandwich that he insisted tasted like tuna fish salad. A gentleman, who I think was the owner came over, mildly apologized, then asked if we wanted to try the chocolate brioche (the dessert the NY Times gave a special paragraph to a few weeks back). If he meant would we like to try it for free, I might've said yes, but he was just indicating that we should order it. I declined. I should've declined entering the place the second I saw the clientele inside. For the record, I'm not an over-the-hill killjoy, but when I'm paying for a meal I expect the atmosphere to be a least a tiny bit conducive to enjoying food. Maybe I picked a bad night to visit, but as their are plenty of other dining choices in the neighborhood, it'll be a long, long time before I head back. Choking on the Chickenbone? I felt like gagging. Sat May 10 12:58:56 -0700 2003 1274131 0 Krista G. 2 1274190 I'm not defending the place, I've never been, but you really can't hold it against a spot b/c of the people that showed up one night. They can't do much, and if you go on another night, the crowd might be more in line with what you're looking for. Just a thought. Stinks about the rotten luck, though. Mon May 12 10:22:21 -0700 2003 1274138 0 billyblancoNYC 3 1274204 I was there two weeks ago.. and was very under-whelmed. We are always happy to welcome a new venue to the neigbhorhood, williamsburg needs good food so badly. The food was ok, not the sublime I expected. It was a sunday late afternoon and while not crowded (plenty of open tables) none of the specials were available. As mentioned by other reviewers portions were small-ish and overall I wasn't blown away. Mon May 12 14:13:05 -0700 2003 1274190 0 Lauri 4 1274209 This place is really playing the media game for all it is worth - witness the feature on their bartender/signature cocktail in the Sunday Style section. Mon May 12 15:13:24 -0700 2003 1274204 0 jen kalb 5 1274222 You're right on the mark about the media thing. When I went there the first week it opened, I ordered one of those signature cocktails, and the bartender needed to look at the recipe. He didn't know how to make any of them. You'd think they'd get an old-timer who's been around the old, grungy, real-deal bars, but instead they got this young actor-like guy with a beret who looked like he was just out of college. If you're going to serve old-time cocktails, you might want to add authenticity to them by hiring a guy who actually knows how it's done. Just a thought. Mon May 12 17:34:38 -0700 2003 1274209 0 Aidan 6 1274225 Most of these posts have to do with complaints about media attention and crowds. How can you really blame the restaurant for either...too much good attention and too many people? I think the objections may have more to do with the attitude that chowhounders have toward restaurant media and popularity rather than the restaurant itself. For what it's worth. I've been there three times and the food was really excellent. Mon May 12 18:22:39 -0700 2003 1274222 0 Nick Bogaty 7 1274232 FWIW, I've been once, and the food was mostly mediocre. The much-praised tartiflette was certainly tasty but nothing like the second coming. The only other thing in the good food ballpark was the Vietnamese sausage sandwich, but it was way overpriced at $8, and not nearly as good as a well-made banh mi at 1/3 the price. I really wanted to like this place; I'm all in favor of people who go out of their way to use great local ingredients. But this place is definitely less than the sum of its parts. I guess I should give it another shot. Maybe it was a bad night. But until I see a lot of posts indicating that this place is good, I'm not going to spend the money. Tue May 13 00:08:51 -0700 2003 1274225 0 Peter Cuce 7 1274249 BTW, what did you have that you liked so much? Tue May 13 12:42:06 -0700 2003 1274225 0 Peter Cuce 7 1274256 I'm not blaming the restaurant - which is clearly playing the publicity/buzz game very effectively , as it has every right to do to succeed in business - but surely there is a difference between non-review coverage of a supposedly "happening" spot as per timeout,NYmag, the "style" section, announcements of restaurant openings in the Times food section, etc. and bona fide reviews? As chowhounds we ought to be able to tell the difference and see past the buzz to the reality, good or bad. Thats all. Tue May 13 14:18:56 -0700 2003 1274225 0 jen kalb 5 1274234 I went there a few weeks ago and just sat at the bar and had drinks. Their classic drinks menu was very good, and I thought the place had a great atmosphere. Can't vouch for the food though because I didn't try it. Tue May 13 09:04:50 -0700 2003 1274209 0 MR. B 1 1274221 Wow, I’ve got to say I’m really surprised at this series of postings. If you scroll down to mid-April, or do a search, a bunch of people (myself included) posted many of those very same rave reviews of Chickenbone when it first opened. I’ve been back several times since and at this point have had practically everything on the menu, and have experienced only minor disappointments. As a rule, though, we always go early and on a weeknight because we are too old and jaded to deal with waiting and crowds when we want to eat; the “scene” is never of as much interest as the food. Unfortunately, when you go later at night, especially on a weekend, that is probably always going to be an issue, especially in a neighborhood like Williamsburg when the food is good and inexpensive and there’s a big bar scene. I personally have never found the staff to be anything but solicitous, as did several other people who posted in April. I have always found everything to be FULL of flavor, very robust and distinct. Because I’m so enamored of the place I would have to urge you to give it a little time and try again – they certainly have had a lot of attention from the get-go, and we all know that growing pains are part of life… Mon May 12 17:29:16 -0700 2003 1274131 0 Marella 2 1274246 I, too, have only had positive experiences there. I haven't been in about three weeks, perhaps things have slid since then. Tue May 13 11:49:19 -0700 2003 1274221 0 brooklynmonkey 1 1274267 I had a great time at Chickenbone, and so did the table I was with. Every dish was very good and very flavorful, except those silly ice cream rolls. I went on a Tuesday or Wednesday. My brother went on a Friday and hated it. I think that place should not have tried to extend itself and get the PR it did - it's way too small. While I still think it's a good place, it's not going to be one of those Chow places that we all love and go nuts over. It is what it is - I think all of us WillyBers were hoping for something fantastic in the neighborhood and this was our hope for non-cheesy, decent food. It's fine and I will be back, but I'm in no rush. Tue May 13 16:46:09 -0700 2003 1274131 0 Sara Z 1 1274274 We went there about a month ago inspired by the raves here. We kept poring over the menu, thinking we had been given the lunch menu by mistake and trying to find something for dinner. We're over 40...maybe it's a young folks' thing that a sandwich and a cocktail are dinner? Anyway we had the pork sandwich which was rather bland, and the roast beef which was quite good; still it struck us as fancied-up cubanos for three times the price. We had saved our appetites expecting something great, and El Spouse was rather aggrieved at feeling like he'd not had enough to eat. So we got dessert. I don't remember the details of the baked apple except that it seemed to have too many unnecessary elements. The chocolate brioche thing was great...that's the one thing that may get me back sometime. I do hope they hit their stride. The room is lovely, although it is very loud (it wasn't even completely full when we were there but the din was hard to pierce), the service was very friendly and helpful and there is potential in some menu items. Tue May 13 19:32:00 -0700 2003 1274131 0 lintsao 1 1274886 First of all, I'm surprised by the comment that the "PR machine generated tons of great reviews." Has anyone stopped to think that a restaurant the size of the Chickenbone may not even have the budget to hire a PR firm? Second, we should all be so lucky in our endeavors to get notice and positive review...especially in the early stages. I've been watching the Chickenbone for a while as it's in my neighborhood...and they haven't even been open for 2 months!! I have the luxury of being able to stop by the Chickenbone regularly, and I've noticed a lot of other neighborhood folks doing the same. I think this says something about the place, no? As for the food...well, I've heard a few folks complain about portion size...and then about the Vietnamese Sausage sandwich. Hell, where else can you go to get food as fresh as I've had at the Chickenbone for prices as low as they're charging? It costs $7 to eat at McDonald's. As for the Vietnamese Sandwich...I find it refreshing to have it on a well-made baguette rather than the insipid bread used in Chinatown (and, believe me I've tried 'em all)...the homemade garlic aioli rocks too! I've hung out and talked to the staff...all of whom are really sweet. And, back to the food. The chef is out at the market all the time...I see him with those big Greenmarket bags unloading his car every morning (ealry!) and then at the restaurant every night making up innovative and flavorful specials like goat's head. I mean, the guy braised goats' head and served the cheeks ontop of diced veggies that included the diced tongue with a fried goat brain and spicy pickled ginger ontop. It was $16!! I don't understand where people get off bitching about a little joint where people are pulling off this kind of food -making it taste great- and charging nothing. Every neighborhood would benefit from a Chickenbone on the corner. Thu May 29 00:36:44 -0700 2003 1274131 0 David Webber 2 1274888 I am a chowhound. I think I'm more of a Chowhound than anyone I know. I go anywhere and everywhere to find great food. I believe in that what drives a Chowhound is the search for great, honest food. Nowhere in my personal definition of "Chowhound," nor in any definition I have ever heard or read has there been a provision that precludes eating establishments from being "worthy" because they're getting press or hype. It seems, however, part of a chowhound pathology. It's cliquey. It's snotty. And, it's corosive to the all the great things Chowhound stands for and the philosophy upon which Chowhound was built. We should be careful. Who cares if everyone knows about a place? Who cares if it is in plain view? We should be happy about something like that. People eating better food all over the world...this will certainly result in more people making better food everywhere. So, wash yourselves free of the haughty tone, the attitude may just be clouding your vision and taste buds. I've eaten at the chickbone twice, both times excellent and both times different experiences. I went once and sat at the bar, had a delicious Dentergems wheat beer and a Pork Confit sandwich with a gribiche sauce and pickled jalapenos that was simply dynamite. Another time I returned with a colleague and I had a homemeade tagliatelled with guanciale and spring onions and he had a ramp soup with smoked duck...unbeleivably flavorful. We finished it off with these Gelato sandwiches I haven't had since the last time I visited Palermo. Very cool...inexpensive and very relaxed. Thu May 29 00:51:46 -0700 2003 1274886 0 Marco Fante 2 1274909 The "insipid" bread you talk about is the correct bread to use with banh mi. Usually they mix rice flour in so that the bread has a lighter texture and crispier crust. Using a baguette throws off the balance somewhat. Anyway, Chickenbone's version was kind of lame. Thu May 29 12:39:19 -0700 2003 1274886 0 Peter Cuce