Tommy C.
Yelp
2nd date at La Clochette du Coin (B- or 3 stars) meaning "not bad, reasonable choice if in the area, and it's difficult to find a better restaurant." In this case, belled-up for the vibe and the people watching experience, but the food was very mid.
La Clochette...what happened?!? You were pretty wonderful on our first date, but this time, you did a 180! Vibe was still cool and kinda fun sitting inside while watching outside, but not only was the food weak, the service as well. I counted 6 people floating in and out of the kitchen and the coffee bar, so you weren't short-staffed, but they seemed to enjoy the "chill" vibe a little too much. It was challenging to get anyone's attention, we had to ask for cutlery after our food was served, and the effort it took to pay...probably easier to get Taylor's attention at the Eras tour.
MIddle Eastern Tomatoes (C+ ) : This dish gets the "+" simply because I love everything tomatoes, the ingredients were fresh, and the plating looked nice. The tomatoes tasted good, the labneh had an interesting texture resembling very light cream cheese, but apart from a tinge of sourness, it was a big plate of blandness. The sourdough bread, I know two home bakers - one whom I live with - both make nicer crumb, more flavorful, higher hydration bread.
A Damn Good Hot Chicken Sandwich (C+ ) : NOT! Can I sue for false advertising? A masterclass in overpromising, underdelivering. Okay, let's break it down. They forgot the dressing on the side salad, or maybe ran out of oil and vinegar? The brioche was nicely toasted, sweet and moist like a good brioche should be. But no different than a toasted "King's Hawaiian" or "St Pierre" brioche purchased from Von's or Ralph's. The jicama slaw, a little sweet, a little creamy with a hint of brightness - resembled weakly flavored banh mi pickled veggies mixed with some cream - not bad, but nothing to write home about. And the star of the sandwich, a sous-vide fried chicken thigh. Nicely cooked, tender meat, but weak on the crunch, and way way way way way too weak on the flavor. For 20 freaking dollars, I kept thinking "Popeye's chicken sandwich tastes better for $5.49" and "I could buy 3 chicken banh mi's at Paris Sandwich." You've been warned.
Flat white (B- ): Decent, but nothing exciting.
Did they change the chef? What happened? Pretty sure I won't be back.
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Food Grading Scale:
A+: Life changing. You remember these bites for the rest of your life. Occurs very infrequently and when it does, you'll know it. You don't even know how to further improve it with a magic wand.
A: Wow! Excellent. You felt happy biting into it. You're considering whether it's life changing, but know it misses the mark.
A-: Very very good. Whatever it is, it's one of the best, but you can think of further improvements.
B+: Very good. Very enjoyable, not to the point of "impressive," but worth revisiting.
B: Good. A solid example of whatever it is, offering enjoyment, but not enough for making an effort to get.
B-: Not bad. If in a pinch to eat something, this offers some enjoyment and is a reasonable option.
C+: Mediocre plus. Pretty average, but with one or two positive characteristics you can identify.
C: Mediocre. "Meh". Very average. Not bad enough to make you angry, but nothing good about it at all.
C-: Bad. You recognize it for what it is, but a very bad rendition. Your foodie self is a little pissed, and feeling like a dummy you ordered it.
D: Awful. Whoever cooked it should be ashamed of themself. Somehow, you still managed to swallow a bite.
F: WTF is this? Inedible. One chew, you had to spit it out. Fire the chef.