J. Lawrence N.
Yelp
Another reminder to never judge a book by its cover. This was our second time coming to Keuka. Well, kind of. About a month ago, we decided to try this little tapas and wine bar on our way to a movie. We were there for about 10 minutes when we decided to pay for our Perrier because we weren't feeling the vibe. (Whatever the heck that is ... ) Ironically, we ended up going to this other place that was so unbelievably disappointing.
Anyway, a couple of days ago, I decided we had not given Keuka a fair try, especially after reading some of their Yelp reviews. So we did. And, boy am I glad we did.
It's not a large place by any means. There are many 10 two-tops, if that, that are feet away from the bar area. It's very understated and unpretentious. And, where before I thought those things were reasons for concern, they are actually quite befitting of what gives Keuka its charm.
Daniel was our waiter/bartender. He kind of had me at hello because he managed not to do my biggest pet peeve when it comes to servers at restaurants, especially wine and tapas bars. He didn't seem to grimace or diminish us as guests when we ordered Perrier and not alcohol. We don't drink, and I absolutely hate when waiters tend to ignore diners when there isn't liquor on the bill.
But I digress.
We ordered a dozen oysters to starts, because that's our newest addiction.
However, we struggled on deciding what we wanted to eat. Welcome to our world for the last 14 years of marriage. Lol.
Daniel was very attentive and observant to our struggle, and offered to help us decide. He's been working there for five years, and surprisingly, really seems to be able to hone in what customers are leaning towards. (I overheard him do the exact same thing with the table a couple of seats away. He managed to pick up on what their likes were, and suggested the perfect choice.)
Jayson was a bit hesitant to try the watermelon salad because the watermelon is actually cooked, like on a grill, to give it a meaty, hearty taste (like a vegetarian steak or portabella mushroom) would be. He likes boring old-fashioned watermelon. And, he didn't want to end up sending it back. Still, Daniel convinced him to give it a go. It was delish! Very tasty, like a steak or portabella mushroom. Different and very good.
I had the fig and pig, which is basically fig jelly, brie and thinly sliced prosciutto. But, as I'm not eating bread, Daniel suggest putting it on a bed of greens. And, what do you know it worked. But, it wasn't anything spectacular. In fact, had in been the sandwich version, it would have fallen flat.
It is a great little spot. I don't know if we'll go back. It wasn't spectacular. But, it's one of those places that works better for people who drink, and want a little something to nosh on. Plus a bit of liquor wouldn't wonders in making the food here seem more than ordinary.