I went to these places on Saturday night. They are all on Fairbanks.
Scratch Tapas Bar - They call this a tapas bar, but, it's more of an American style appetizer place. I had some scallops (2 cut into quarters) that were served with a pork belly accompaniment, some trout roe, a sauce I don't recollect, a white puree that I also am flaking on and a caviar lentil puree. It cost $13. It was good. The puree was a bit sloppy and overcooked. I had a hard time incorporating the roe in a way that made sense. It seemed like more of a decorative piece. The scallops weren't dry and rubbery. The place is tiny. It's that old Sake bar. It's seats about thirty including the bar. Every seat was taken. I am a little confused at why the chose such a small spot for what appears to be an ambitious venture. The kitchen is tiny. The staff was always required to yell "behind you". They had a bartender, three waitresses, a swishy host, a spare hostess, an expediter and a floater (owner). That's alot of hands for a small place. They obviously need to pay all these salaries, so, I don't get why they chose to rent a closet. The solution to the economic realities/business model seems to be to charge alot for a little. I don't like the concept of small plates. It's never in the customer's interest. You just are forced to order three or more dishes instead of an app and an entree. I suspect that the chef wanted to be a line cook and not a chef (manager of a staff) and constructed this strategy so not to overwhelm his art or social life (they are closed for lunch and all day Sunday and Monday). It's an ok art. A little pretentious. They did the whole Grant Anchutz thing where they pour aromas into a dish and cover it and then release it in front of you. The one I smelled was just plain wood smoke. Not exactly an inventive attempt. It revealed what looked like four, cut brussel sprouts. Most of the dishes were unremarkable in their design. They even had a chicken salad. They have around a dozen choices. They had one rib eye for $32 as the only thing approaching an entree. The decor was well thought out (again alot of thought for a little space). It was like a vintage seating room or library. Filled with lots of old bric a brac. Don't get me wrong. I liked it. It was just a tad self aware. It's hard to straddle the line between providing an experience and being full of yourself. They are right on the edge. Depending on your disposition on that day, it may seem a little farcical. And this trend is played out.
The Wine Barn - I'm driving to destination two and I am so overcome with hunger that I cross lanes and pull into this wine store that I saw driving in. They said they have wood fire pizza. I decide to cross this off before I have to add it to my list. They may have the best pizza in CF. I had a pizza with finocchio (sp). That is a dried fennel sausage. It cost $9. They told me to wait for it in the other room. It took about fifteen minutes. They brought it to me in this room where they place crates (and some seats) and tables and is in the middle of the inventory. The place was packed. It seats about forty in mostly communal tables. The service couldn't have been more pleasant. They use only that Italian flour you need if you want to be considered a pizza place in Italy. They make the dough in house. The cheese was fresh (and this wasn't even a Margarita). The sauce was fresh. The sausage was from Italy. The pizza was ultra thin. They stretched the dough so it was as big as a medium fast food pizza. They gave you maximum surface area for the toppings. They (toppings) reached all the way out. It was cooked perfectly. Not crackery. A little char. They said the oven gets to 800 degrees. They also cook wings and other things in the oven. They have about a dozen designer pizzas and you can make your own desire. They serve wine by the glass from those great tap machines or you can buy a bottle there (retail markup not restaurant. Parking was abundant. It's next to Spatz. It was an unbelievable surprise. You must try it.
Keg and Cork - I went to this bar next to 4 Rivers just to knock it off the list. I stayed until 2pm. And the place was virtually empty. It just had a great vibe. They have around 300 beers (and some wine). If I was back in college, I would be here every night. They said it gets more crowded during the week (Rollins). It looks like a dump from the outside. Inside it is kind of quaint. they have a patio and patio bar. It has been no less than four places in my memory. I hope this one sticks. It's not easy to stand apart with so many of these craft brew bar around. They somehow seduced me.*5/23/15 - Renamed Paddy's. Same owner. Same beer selection. Food is a little more ambitious.
* Side Note - Upon entering the bar I had a case of explosive stomach. Not sure if Scratch did the damage, but, I wanted to put it out there because I doubt the pizza could have had any bad actors on it. I wonder if the chef at Scratch was ever a victim of this blog when he worked at another spot and remembered to get his revenge. It could have been that great microwaved food I had for lunch at Wendy's. It came on very suddenly though.
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