Atomictumor

Back when we had fewer kids and an actual babysitter, Bos and I would often (well, about twice a year) treat ourselves with a visit to the Bleu Hound Grille. When we first started going, we really enjoyed it. Great food, friendly service, fancy but very comfortable. Yes, it was expensive, but we felt that the overall dining experience was worth the extra bit of dough every once and a while.

At some point, though, things started changing. The quality of food began to decline and the atmosphere was depressed. We were changing, too. More kids came along, finances tightened and our babysitter moved away; eventually, we just stopped going to the Bleu Hound.

Fast forward to last night, when Bos and I were pondering where to eat for our once-a-month parents’ night out. My first suggestion was Puleo’s over at Cedar Bluff. Bos agreed that sounded good, but mused that he wished there were somewhere local (other than the tired old chain restaurants) that we could go.

I thought about it a little and recollected the good ole days of the Bleu Hound. Why not try its successor, 80 East Pub & Grille? Perhaps 80 East could manage to recapture some of the old charm and vitality of Bleu Hound. To me, it was definitely worth finding out.

We arrived at about 6:05. There were a few people there, but several empty tables and no waiting list. We were seated and began to look over the menu. The entrees are pretty standard American fare: chicken of some sort ($16.50), beef brisket ($14.50), New York strip steak ($21), 7 oz. tenderloin ($24) and some halibut (can’t remember the price). Non-entrée offerings included fish ‘n chips ($9.50), a couple different pasta dishes, and some meal-sized salads. I was pleased that $8-$9 sandwiches are offered all day, although we were not provided the sandwich menu with our dinner menu. I suppose that’s something you have to request.

Bos decided on fish ‘n chips, and I decided on the beef brisket. Unfortunately, when it came time to order, our server informed us that they were out of the beef brisket. So, I opted for the fish ‘n chips as well, and we both got $2 side salads (Caesar for me, house for Bos) to accompany our meal.

Our salads arrived. Mine was pleasant enough, though the Caesar dressing was on the bland side. Bos was less complimentary of his, noting that it didn’t appear freshly made. Along with the salad came some fresh bread and olive oil for dipping, which was very good.

Some time lapsed between our salad course and the fish ‘n chips, so we took in our surroundings a bit. The décor of the dining room has changed little, if any, from Bleu Hound (at least as far as I can remember). However, instead of fresh flowers, full bottles of wine decorated each table. It’s a nice touch and probably a great way to sell some wine, but it was absolute torture to my very pregnant (and otherwise wine-loving) self.

There is a small deck off the back of the dining room, where they will evidently have live music at some point. The deck is wonderful in theory, but I’m afraid that its small size will ultimately limit its functionality.

And then there’s the “English pub” section of the restaurant, which is little like what I would envision a pub to be. There’s no tap; in fact, at several points in the evening I saw workers carrying out six-packs from a storage closet. There are a few bar tables along the front wall, but there are no bar stools at the bar itself. No cozy wooden booths, no dim lighting, no fun drinking music. The fact that the pub area is directly adjacent to the dining area with no real sound buffer leads me to believe that any amount of boisterous bar behavior would not be tolerated. In short, the “pub” isn’t relaxed and fun, and that’s a disappointment.

Okay, back to dinner. Our fish ‘n chips finally arrived, and it looked and tasted good. Bos and I both agreed that the portion size was adequate for the average appetite, but that the overall price of the meal was disproportionate to what you actually got. That being said, I didn’t go to the restaurant expecting to get a cheap meal. In the end, I would rather go to 80 East and get some fish ‘n chips than go to Red Lobster for something similar. Our bill, before tip, was $25.

Overall, I’d say it was a pleasant dining experience. The food was good and our server was good – though I can’t say that I was overwhelmed by either. Above all, I think that I appreciate the small dining room and the feeling that I wasn’t crammed up next to 500 other people, how I often feel at other restaurants.

Unfortunately, I think that 80 East Pub and Grille is its own worst enemy, for the simple fact that the concept doesn’t quite match the restaurant - yet. If the owners truly want it to become “the community’s restaurant,” they need to abandon the old ghost of Bleu Hound. Change the decor. Dim the lights. Relax the atmosphere. Keep the pricey menu if you must, but make sure more affordable fare is readily available. Get some beer on tap and install some wooden booths. Above all, make your customers feel like its a place where they can relax and hang out.

I’ll be cheering you on.

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 19th, 2006 at 2:54 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.