Jo Bar: Papa Haydn for Boys
Written: Aug 22 '03
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Pros: Location, Papa Haydn's dessert list, attractive decor
Cons: Main course was bland, service was mixed
The Bottom Line: Jo Bar makes it safe for your man to enjoy Huckleberry-Mascarpone Torte.
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| prfstars's Full Review: Jo Bar and Rotisserie |
I'm strangely fascinated by Papa Haydn. I don't know if it's the mile long gourmet dessert menu, or the fact that my fiance has loudly declared that he'll never eat there with me. The Boccone Dolce and Marjolaine are reason enough to plan a visit, but the Sundogg Challenge is the icing on the Triple Chocolate Cake. One of these days, I'll find the right balance of charm and guilt and get him through those doors.
In the interim, I got pretty close when I invited him to lunch at Jo Bar and Rotisserie. Just down the street from Papa Haydn, Jo Bar shares the same owners, same dessert list, and a similar menu, but in a decidedly less precious and more man-friendly setting.
We found a small booth with a window looking out to 23rd Avenue, a prime spot for people-watching. The first thing I noticed was the interesting contrast of trendy decor and fashionable waiters with a decidedly unfashionable older man sitting at the bar, talking to the bartender the way old men have at neighborhood pubs for centuries. He gave the place a lot more charm than it could have had on its own.
In a similar way, our waiter detracted from Jo Bar's charm.
I've ranted about service a lot in my reviews. There are a few givens when dining in a restaurant. Your food should come in a timely manner, and it should be exactly as you requested. The server should be polite. Those are the hallmarks of basic service. Good service is also informative, efficient, and unobtrusive. Our waiter at Jo Bar reminded me of the sales people at some high end boutiques. They're attractive, well dressed, and blissfully unaware that they're there to serve. Our waiter came by every 30 seconds or so to see if we were ready to order "yet." Several times during our meal, he came by and interrupted our conversation to see if we needed anything. He never bothered to wait for one of us to look up. He never bothered to say "excuse me," or to wait for us to stop talking. He simply spoke right over us in a loud, annoying way. He didn't screw up our order. He made sure everything was okay and that our drinks were full. He wasn't incompetent. No, he was just annoying and sort of self-important. I'll call him Giorgio.
But anyway, on to the food.
We've had an unusually hot summer here in the Northwest, so when Giorgio suggested a glass of blueberry limeade, we ordered two. A refreshing, delicious combination of sweet and sour flavors, the blueberry limeade was served in tall glasses with sugared rims and twists of lemon. It was the perfect escape from 90 degree heat.
We started with Chevre Pate-- a small terrine of feta and montrachet, served with elephant garlic, olives, sundried tomatoes, and crusty bruschetta ($9.) It was enormous, with a good combination of flavors and textures. It was quite filling, so we decided to share the next course as well.
We chose the Portobello Sandwich ($10) which was served with crispy buttermilk fried onion strings, red pepper aioli, and a side salad. Giorgio kindly split it between two plates for us, and each plate looked completely full. As much as I enjoyed our appetizer, the sandwich was disappointing. Portobellos are usually pretty flavorful and meaty. These were bland. The aioli did nothing to pick up the flavor, and the salad was flavorless. The crispy onions were very good, but not good enough to carry the whole meal.
Jo Bar is an interesting mix of trendy brasserie and local hang-out. It's got the menu that's made Papa Haydn famous in Portland, but with just enough testosterone to make it nonthreatening to men. The prices seem steep for an informal place, but the portions are large and most of the menu items seem fairly inventive. The dessert menu looked great, but we were both completely stuffed. I doubt I'd make a point of returning to Jo Bar for lunch or dinner, but I know we'll be back someday for dessert.
715 NW 23rd Ave
Portland, OR 97210-3210
Phone: (503) 222-0048
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Best Suited For: Trendy Crowd
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Epinions.com ID:
prfstars
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 - Top 200 |
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Location: The Burbs
Reviews written: 302
Trusted by: 237 members
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