The idea to start a dining critique blog occured to me this afternoon as I struggled to gnaw through the beef jerky that one of the so-called "Top Ten Lunch Spots in Tucson" attempted to disguise as their "Spiced New York Steak." Upon entering the restaurant "Feast" in downtown Tucson, AZ area, for a solo lunch before heading back to good old Sierra Vista, I was eagerly greeted by a seemingly pleasant waiter who enthusiastically suggested the "Spiced New York Steak" as a late lunch option. At $19.50 I figured, what the hell, I havent eaten all day, it might be a bit much for lunch but its bound to be tasty and I'm always craving a good piece of steak. Serious, serious mistake. The entree, as described on the menu, reads
"Spiced New York Steak~ Seared Angus Beef New York steak rubbed with cinnamon, star anise, ginger and white pepper, with a relish of lemon, orange, garlic and fennel. Served with scallion rice cakes and sautéed spinach."
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| Please take it away |
However, let me peel back the heavy layer of BS and translate for you: "Overpriced, Disappointing How-Dare-You-Call-Yourself-New-York-Steak~ Overdone, beef-jerky-ish tendon-aplenty steak, covered in a gritty, makes-you-wince rub of sorts topped with toss-in-the trash lemon, orange and garlic peel leftovers. Served with three tasteless gummy rice plops and oversalted, makes me want to gag sauteed spinach. All served luke warm..... I am not exaggerting or joking in the slightest - this seriously may have been the worst meal I have ever eaten out. The plate came off as poorly prepared and downright confused. The flavors, or lack-there-of, were severaly conflicted making for a sufficiently miserable meal. After literally forcing myself to fight through half of the steak, I called it quits, decided to rant publicly about how awful the meal was by launching a blog, and nabbed the check. So unless you favor tacky table cloths, break-your-back wood chairs, and overcooked, overpriced, food, I don't suggest you waste your time with "Feast." ...
In summary...
"Feast" 4122 E. Speedway, Tucson
http://www.eatatfeast.com/
Ratings:
Food: Gross
Service: Fine, less the steak recommendation
Atmosphere/Decor: Trying too hard to seem like they're not trying...
Overall experience: There's no way I feast at "Feast" ever again
Phew, that was a rant, but it feels good to get it out. Anyways, I haven't totally given up on Tucson, I did grab a flyer for the 2010 Tucson Culinary Festival which seems promising.... as for tonight, I'm taking on a new recipe for meatballs I've been excited to try and looking forward to some traditional angel hair and meatballs to get the sour taste of "Feast" out of my mouth...
What is the part of the meal at the top that looks like wood shavings?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.boardcraft.co.uk/images/wood-shavings.jpg
I legitimately may have preferred actual wood shavings. Those wood wannabes were apparently "lemon, orange, and garlic shavings." The only word that comes to mind when I reflect on those strange toppers is putrid.
ReplyDeleteIf, in fact, you're an east coaster with a refined palate, as I am, or was, then what in the name of Wolfgang Puck or Bobby Flay did you think you'd get for $19.95?? At a real steak house, like Ruth's Crist, 19.95 wouldn't get you squat-diddly. I've learned that out here in the wild and woolly west, you need to be very specific about saying "rare" or "black and blue" as otherwise your meat will tend to be somewhere between well done to burned.
ReplyDeleteValid point, however what you cite as examples are steakhouses - this "Feast" is a lunch spot with far from a steak-centric menu, so for $19.50 off the lunch entree menu and as a waiter-recommendation, I assumed I'd be getting a reasonably priced conservatively-sized cut of meat. As I've learned through experience, price really does not automatically indicate good taste and quality - plenty of places slap a steep cost on a meal just to give the illusion of quality, but in reality plenty of places offer delicious cuts of meat at very reasonable prices, while I've also encountered the occasional $40+ steak that severely disappointed. I do, however, agree with your point about being clear about your expectations with the server - judging by the several overcooked steaks I've had since arriving in AZ, medium-rare is not a term most restaurants are familiar with here - I may just be asking for the next one bloody just to see how that may be interpreted.
ReplyDeletePerhaps your refined pallet should focus on the epicurean delights offered on post or the surrounding gourmet eateries in Sierra Vista. This seems to be your basis for comparative analysis.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. My next entry will most likely be on ye olde Robin Hood Sandwich Shoppe -- the celebrated PX eatery. Stay tuned... if you couldn't detect the thick coating of sarcasm, this blog isn't for you.
ReplyDeleteI am inclined to agree with anonymous at 5:05am. You really couldn't have expected a good steak for 19.95. You probably should have gone to the glamorous Texas Roadhouse if that was your intended budget limitations. I mean you are from the East Coast, think Angelo Maxi's at a minimum for good steak. Otherwise, you're not even a food critic, just a cheepo.
ReplyDeleteOhhhh Zamorskis. Please reference my comment to Anony at 5:05 AM. This has already been addressed. On another note, get psyched for my briefing today - its gonna be killer
ReplyDelete