When given the expected wait time, it's usual to add a wide margin of error but the cheerful front of house staffer came bustling across to collect us very promptly and this level of amiable enthusiastic service was a notable feature of our whole evening.
The menu hopes "you have brought your meat-eatin' shoes" and a vegetarian would certainly feel left out of the fun here, not helped by the large portrait of a beef beast on one wall.
The pitch is American smoked and barbecued meat, simply served and boasting strong flavours.
We tiptoed into the carnivore heaven by choosing some alternatives to hunks of red meat for our first courses. The clams were their usual delicate selves, nicely set off by the wine and mint liquor and the mushrooms with chick peas, smoked garlic and a punchy element of blue cheese were close enough to their description as "magic" although not in the sense some 60s survivors might have hoped. The fried chicken was crisp and appetising and avoided being greasy and our final choice of the boar sausage brought us up to the full-on meat experience, generously served and with a robust lentil backing.
We had intended to select a main course each but the advice of our server suggested that after our starters three would be enough to share and she was right, greedy though we are. What you are presented with is, basically, a slab of barbecued meat from a choice of half a dozen varieties, each served with pickles and a rich sauce. We opted for the lamb shoulder and the pork knuckle, both tender and full of the promised smoked flavour.
The disappointment was the short rib, which was certainly smoked but which had been robbed of its succulence, leaving it almost like biltong. This may have been deliberate but was not what we expected.
We bulked out the order with three of the excellent side dishes: a substantial and tasty serving of white beans with ham hock, a good cauliflower cheese and wildly tempting curly fries. Our most dedicated meat lover did point out that perhaps if an option of a crunchy green salad with a sharp citrus dressing had been offered it might have made a useful counterpoint, but he was dismissed as being a bit of a blouse.
There are three desserts and, in the interests of research, we shared the chocolate and chilli mousse, which led us through layers of sweet fruit, rich chocolate and a pecan crunch, following through with a real snap of chilli. This seemed an appropriate ending to a meal which had plenty of bite, provided with an engaging touch of show business.
Our meal: $253 for four starters, three mains and three side dishes; and two desserts plus four glasses of wine.
Wine list: The drinks list, as you would expect, boasts plenty of cocktails with daft names, there are craft beers and a modest wine list. The Theory and Practice Hawkes Bay 2014 chardonnay was acceptable and the Rocca delle Macie chianti 2013 survived its ordeal by red meat.
Verdict: A great venue for an uncomplicated, robust evening with a party atmosphere well calculated to lift any flagging spirits.
- Canvas
