We had an interesting event at Coobah in May. I was referred to this restaurant by some members and the chef and manager were initially excited to discuss it with me, everything from creating the menu to the seating arrangements. I am all about introducing some serious flavah to our repertoire. Then, just as I was feeling all spicy about how things were going, the serape was pulled out from under me (give me some latitude here, I know no Spanish, so I am working with limited resources). I was unable to reach anyone for a while and, while I was assured that our Supper Club was still planned, we did not have an exact date or anything close to a menu. Just when I was writing the cancellation email for the event, Dios Mio!, Jimmy turned up with a whole menu and a date and some decent enthusiasm. The chef had surgery, but the ever-helpful Jimmy (muchas gracias, Jimmy!) said we could get something in anyway. Bueno. Ok, finito with the pseudo-Spanish.
We had a really nice crowd, we had some wonderful newcomers and some regulars brought friends. There was even a new family with very well mannered and delightful kids. We normally do not accommodate children but we were excited to have them at this event. How cute are they? Awwww…The service was very slow, so I believe they were out past their bedtimes, which was unfortunate but could not be helped as they overbooked the restaurant and did not staff it accordingly, which I describe below.
Here is the description of the restaurant online: This upscale Latin restaurant and bar offers late-night dining and DJs. The menu features inventive dishes from Spain, Cuba, the Philippines, Colombia and Brazil, plus Coobah's signature tamales and sauces. Cuisine is Cuban, Spanish, Nuevo Latino.
The Scene (provided by citysearch.com, with a saucy mix of my own commentary!)
It's a pretty tight squeeze into Coobah (especially in the back room they put us in, which was beautiful but almost required some lap sharing), a dark Latin spot where sexy bartenders mix mojitos and caipirinhas for a crowd of Southport hipsters (yeah, gaggles of drunk girls partying up front, which posed a distraction for our servers). The decor provides plenty of eye candy too, with rust-colored terra cotta walls, metal clamshell light fixtures (it was definitely beautiful décor, but the clams must have been closed because I could barely see my hand in front of my face) and fans waving breezily back and forth above the bar (which was not helpful to us, as we were nowhere near the bar but kind of left roasting near the kitchen). Friendly, on-the-ball service makes up for long waits. (No, it really didn’t. Friendly, absolutely, on-the-ball…um, well, unless the ball was actually on top of them holding them down and keeping them from serving us in a timely manner, there was not a ball in sight. To be fair, there was another large party in the front of the restaurant, the gaggle, but our menu, our event, was planned in advance and if the small kitchen could not handle such a crowd, they should not have taken both parties.)
The food was difficult to judge, as they had too many orders from both parties as well as random walk-ins so the dishes varied in flavor and texture and temperature. They even forgot to serve me altogether. As you can likely tell, I am chatty, so it took me a while to notice. Settling the check took even longer. I would love to have more to say about the actual food, but I will have to rely on those who attended to add comments to the blog please. My food was cold and then had little taste, but was beautifully presented. The event was successful in that we had a great turnout, big crowd, stimulating conversation at a lovely place with an interesting assortment of offerings on an unusual menu. I am not, as I stated, sure about the food reviews, so I look forward to hearing feedback on the blog comments.
I would like to take a minute to say a fond, albeit sad, farewell to one of our regulars, Carol Breckbill, who moved after this event. Carol was always positive, involved, fun and an amazing addition to any event. Carol, if you are ever in town, come visit. We will save you a margarita and clear a table for your infamous dance moves! We miss you already, but I am sure you are active in your new community and we wish you the best. Sniffle.
The Menu for our fiesta:
Appetizer
JERKED “JIBARITO” FIERY JERK CHICKEN CARAMELIZED PLANTAINS RADICCHIO RED ONION-ORANGE MARMALADE
OR
CHILLED PIQUILLO PEPPERS ARTICHOKE AND DRUNKEN GOAT CHEESE STUFFING BABY GREENS
Entrée
TILAPIA “AZUL” RICE PAPER TOASTADA
SPRING VEGETABLES GINGER-LIME VINIAGRETTE
OR
STRIP STEAK URUGUAY ALL NATURAL BEEF
FRESH HERB CHIMICHURRI BLACK BEANS CARMELIZED PLANTAINS
Dessert
GUAJILLO CHILE FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE
OR
FRESH BERRY COMPOTE VANILLA SAUCE
Soda, tea and coffee included.
As you know, all roads lead to the dessert for me, so this is the dish I really remember and I have to say that, as far as chocolate cake goes, fantastico! Ok, I could not let the Spanish go. Wait til you see what I can do with a Greek restaurant. Wait, hmmm, actually nothing but Spanakopita! I will have to work on that.
Muchas Gracias to all who attended and we hope to see you at future events. Please check out our calendar at http://calendar.yahoo.com/metroceliacs and email us about suggestions for meeting themes and supper club restaurants or anything you would like to share at MetroCeliacs@yahoo.com
Jenny and Tanya
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