So,
The Bristol has floated in and out of my head many times in the sense that it has come up in my life via my friends, my birthday gift, my preferred reading material, eavesdropping and various other ways too numerous to count. The most recent mention was from A-Shan and her failed attempt to go there (which is a rather annoying story and, Mr. The Bristol if you're reading, you should scold your doorman/host).
After a late lunch, late nap, and nice weather, C and I decided to head over there, despite the recent troubles A-Shan had and found ourselves faced with a quoted TWO HOUR wait. This was fine, though in comparison to the wait when I called at 8:30 (20 minutes prior) it was an additional 45 minutes. We were okay to wait, assuming it wouldn't take quite as long as predicted and fancied ourselves upstairs for a drink (or two or three).
Upstairs is like a bar/lounge with seated tables, leather benches, and a high communal table. The menu is written on a neat blackboard wall and the room is dimly lit. It reminds me of going to a friends loft party who doesn't have a lot of furniture, but it still feels comfy and you don't feel crammed in, and can find a place to perch. After chatting up the bartender (do NOT call him anything but) we learned a little bit more about the chef owners and the menu. After securing a few recommendations (and waiting an hour and fifteen minutes) we headed down to our table. We were seated at one of two large communal tables, across from 2 very politically vocal women and their mute friend. The tables are large enough that it isn't awkward, however we were rather mesmerized by the two women directly across from us who were loud and vocal about their political views, the financial situation, and cocktails.
We were now hungry, so we ordered right away, here's our menu:
Monkey Bread (a house specialty)
Heirloom Apple Salad
Braised Goat Ragu over Chitarra pasta
Bristol Cheese Burger with Duck Fat fries
I ordered a pinot noir and C had a tempranillo - both of which were great pairs for the goat and the burger. The monkey bread came first and was fabulous - buttery, soft, easy to pull apart, I absolutely LOVE the dill butter for dipping. I would have dipped my napkin in there to soak the rest up if there was any left...so delicious. Tasted like a buttery dill pickle. Following the bread was the apple salad with fresh fennel, hazelnuts, micro greens, and teeny tiny mushrooms mixed with a creme fraiche dressing. Very refreshing and highly recommended for sharing.
Our next course was the pasta - homemade and cooked perfectly al dente, the chitarra was in a goat ragu, tasted like a mix of lamb and wild boar to me with that game texture...little salty olives added texture and I really enjoyed the contrast. C was not sold on the olives...thought that the green was an odd choice for the subtleties of the dish.
Finally, the burger. The burger was amazing - I am a burger snob, so much so that I rarely order them for fear of disappointment. The bun is brioche with sea salt on top, the burger was well cooked either "pink" or "not pink" (we chose "pink"), the fries are cooked in duck fat and come complete with either house made ketchup or garlic aioli - it's my heaven on that plate. Since we were sharing everything, I had to give Chris 1/2, though I could easily have taken it down myself. Generally, I can't finish a burger but THIS burger I could and would want to. I would like to go back again this weekend to have it. I'm serious.
Overall, I was happy to finally make it there. Happy with our menu choices. Happy that the bill came to $68. Happy that they also serve brunch on Sundays. Overall Bristol=happy.
