Back in early summer, I visited Storyville Restaurant, formerly Saint and the namesake for a famous 40's/50's Jazz club (frequented by such notables as Billie Holiday, The Duke, and Sarah Vaughn because they ran a recent promo deal through Groupon including "Dinner" for 2 or 4.
I use the term "dinner" loosely as Storyville management should have considered. The dishes served were more bar fare in portion size and quality. If you have not visited the space before, your expectations for 'dinner' may be much different than what you are actually served.
Not only was the misnomer misleading, but the execution of the samplings was less than impressive, which certainly took me by surprise with someone as respectable and highly regarded as Chef Louis Dibiccari (of Chef Louie Nights and past chef for L'Espalier, Sage, and Sel del la Terre) serving as their consulting chef. I expected much more.
It seems there was, at one point, buzz about much experimentation taking place in the kitchen since Storyville opened its doors back in September of 2011, but the menu has remained basically the same from what I gather through research.
The menu I encountered featured theoretically sexy dishes, however, I believe the primary issue during my visit with friends was that most of the dishes we ordered on this particular evening (6/6/12) simply missed the mark. I am willing to go back and sample dishes like the Steak Wellington, Guinea hen pot pie, and the Salad Niçoisse.
I will say that the drinks at Storyville are the real stars of the venue. The creators of the cocktail menu and the mixologists drew inspiration from the roaring 20's which, of course, makes for an interesting program. The modern concept drinks were attractive as well. The theme of the dining/bar area was very speakeasy as well (in keeping with the history of the building) with its dark furniture and amber lighting, the fleur de lys retained from the Saint days, and finally a great live jazz band.
Table service was a bit slow. I'm pretty sure the other diners filling the space were all using the deal so I imagine the pacing was off due to the crowd.
The Food:
The meatballs were served at too cool a temperature, but were flavored decently.
The flatbread was dry and unappealing both visually and to the palate. The bacon flatbread was also dry and a bit salty. The three cheese flatbread was just OK.
I enjoyed the chickpea panisse served with lemon aioli. They were seasoned well and served crisp.
The goat cheese terrine was another dish that seemed to save the table. It was served with fig jam, pecan, and brioche.
The sliders were also served cool and were also dry.
I see a few of these items have been removed from the menu since I dined there months ago.
Even while writing this review, it's difficult to say I'd give Storyville another shot, but I believe in trying anything TWICE.
I use the term "dinner" loosely as Storyville management should have considered. The dishes served were more bar fare in portion size and quality. If you have not visited the space before, your expectations for 'dinner' may be much different than what you are actually served.
Not only was the misnomer misleading, but the execution of the samplings was less than impressive, which certainly took me by surprise with someone as respectable and highly regarded as Chef Louis Dibiccari (of Chef Louie Nights and past chef for L'Espalier, Sage, and Sel del la Terre) serving as their consulting chef. I expected much more.
It seems there was, at one point, buzz about much experimentation taking place in the kitchen since Storyville opened its doors back in September of 2011, but the menu has remained basically the same from what I gather through research.
The menu I encountered featured theoretically sexy dishes, however, I believe the primary issue during my visit with friends was that most of the dishes we ordered on this particular evening (6/6/12) simply missed the mark. I am willing to go back and sample dishes like the Steak Wellington, Guinea hen pot pie, and the Salad Niçoisse.
I will say that the drinks at Storyville are the real stars of the venue. The creators of the cocktail menu and the mixologists drew inspiration from the roaring 20's which, of course, makes for an interesting program. The modern concept drinks were attractive as well. The theme of the dining/bar area was very speakeasy as well (in keeping with the history of the building) with its dark furniture and amber lighting, the fleur de lys retained from the Saint days, and finally a great live jazz band.
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| The Lady Day |
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| 2 Sazeracs, 1 Mai Tai, 1 Lady Day |
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| "The Zombie" cocktail. A classic concoction created using 3 different rums. |
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| The Girls, Storyville |
The Food:
The meatballs were served at too cool a temperature, but were flavored decently.
The flatbread was dry and unappealing both visually and to the palate. The bacon flatbread was also dry and a bit salty. The three cheese flatbread was just OK.
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| Flatbread with tomato and fresh basil |
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| Chickpea panisse |
The sliders were also served cool and were also dry.
I see a few of these items have been removed from the menu since I dined there months ago.
Even while writing this review, it's difficult to say I'd give Storyville another shot, but I believe in trying anything TWICE.
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| Thank God I have fun with my girlfriends wherever we end up! |
