Fish Sticks and Green Jello

Last month my friend David and I went to Medjool as part of our attempt to go to nice restaurants in SF then review them for fun. So far we've made it out once because I had to flake on our second outing which was supposed to be to the Slanted Door. I definitely plan on doing this again though.

Here are our first reviews.

David's Review:
As I entered Medjool on that pleasant Wednesday night my first imporession was that the place was empty. Not entirely surprising because it was the middle of the week, but it was a little disconcerting that almost no one was there at 8pm which, I believe, is the prime time of dining. You can tell that the venue is probably a lot busier and frenetic during the weekend evenings when the almost cavernous space is likely filled with club goers drinking and talking at the bar and people there to catch some light tapas style dining with friends. I believe there is a dance floor there but right now I'm too lazy to look on their web page and see. The design of the is decidedly colorful with contemporary with clean lines and the space definitely looks like it could accomodate it.

Upon being seated we were presented with the wine list and immediately had a bit of sticker shock. I don't remember there being many choices below $10 per glass and the prices went up from there quickly. I'm no somolier, but they did seem to have a decent selection from which to choose. My glass of wine (either the Chardonnay amista or Nero d'Avola, I can't recall which) was robust and flavorful, but again the price soured my enjoyment of it a bit.

We enjoyed several courses which I again feel were slightly overpriced.
Nothing sensational, especially for the amount paid. The hangar steak was cooked to perfection but they decided that it would be better smothered in a sauce that tasted suspiciously like A1. The whole point of hangar steak is that it's a rather fatty cut and has flavor on its own merit. Oh well. Next was some tuna tartare with some sort of chili sauce. The presentation was nice, but again it was nothing special. Onto the 3 scallops which were memorable only because I enjoy scallops. Luckily they didn't bludgeon them with sauce. The chocolate pot de creme was tasty as a dessert.

The service all night basically sucked. I hate to point a finger at our waitress but I'm going to. When the place is this dead it shouldn't be such a chore to flag someone down or to remember our order correctly. At least when it was remembered the food was delivered to the table quickly enough.

All in all we dropped over $80 for a rather unexceptional experience. I think this place was designed as a meeting place for the young professional semi-hipster set with a lot of disposable income. Even if we had gone on a Friday or Saturday and the place had been hopping I don't think I would have found it terribly enjoyable, but that's just me. Spending that much before the night has even begun is kind of silly, especially when the same amount of cash could have purchased a far more enjoyable and memorable experience elsewhere. Don't get me started on the fact that they didn't have paper towels in the bathroom. YUCK. I give this place 6 out of a possible 10 stars.

Anyway, until the next time, bon apetit.

My Review:
((I'll add mine soon!))

There are a few photos up on flickr located here.

Labels: friends, restaurants