COCELLO // Plates on Plates on Plates

So Dillman’s flipped the potato pancake track + brought some italian into the mix. Yes -  we are talking jewish cuisine + boutique italian merging as ONE. Sour cream + Marinara living in perfect harmony. How PC of them. We feel like we live in a better world just eating here. So we're patting ourselves on the back, then we see about two dozen good looking dudes wearing tortoiseshell glasses. Didn’t get that memo? Well go get yourself some @ Labrabbit on Ashland or else you won’t be getting into this establishment. Rad glasses, cozy couches + lots of cool looking people, that’s the vibe. We can dig. So we order some girly cocktails + grill the poor waiter on everything from portion sizes to gluten free options… He basically falls in love with us. Cocktails were appealing to look at plus they they tasted mighty fine, great. The grub. Now this is where your world is going to be blown right open guys. Some of the best Italian I've had in a real long time. No offense to Italy, but this kids got it. 

Some high points...

Ravioli w/ the egg bursting out. Get it. We almost had a seizer right there… In front of a .5 dozen people… Wearing tortoiseshell glasses.

Spring mix salad w/ ricotta. Flavorful + refreshing… Perfect light dish before you gorge yourself with buttery polenta + tiramisu.

Speaking of tiramisu… Get ready to have a lady tingle (ladies) because wow. It’s kinda like seeing someone who is all wrong for you... BUT you just keep coming back because the other “stuff” is killer. Yeah, this enormous tiramisu is like that. Hand us anotha. AND MOTHER OF JESUS - JUST LOOK AT THAT COOKIE. Geezalou this place.

OLD FIFTH // A Little Garish

This Fatbrain is basically brainless today, but can still muster up a tad of energy to talk about food.

Old Fifth! More like Old N' Shabby - good one, we know. This place is basically doing nothing right. The High Plains Drifter - not just a Clint Eastwood movie. It's also a whiskey cocktail and a real delight, so I guess they did that one thing right. The 5 in the frothy egg white topper was a little garish though, could have done without that. The service was just fine. The nachos needed more stuff. The TVs, lord Jesus. Those suckers are plastered on every open piece of wall space. Look we get it. It's a sports bar for sporty dudes + women who want to spend time with said dudes, another concept lost on us. We think the real concept here is - why not drink a  boatload of whiskey drinks until everything on the menu tastes like an angel sprinkled awesomeness all up on it. The lighting is also a big ol' mess. Ghouly gals like whoa. You know that Seinfeld where, you know, came true that night. The final piece of our Seinfeld life puzzle, in place. But the company - oh the company! Guess it doesn't really matter where you are when you dig the people that your with.

We refuse to dissect the menu... here are some photos. Eastwood, What's even going on with that old savage these days?

Hubbard Inn // It ain't that great

It's been a while, so sorry to bust through the gate all negative nelly.

Hubbard Inn - It ain't that great. I want to stay positive and zen-like, but I can't tell a lie. The mushrooms on the flatbread were decent, but let's be honest, decent isn't a compliment and three mushrooms do not make a meal. It was a lunch rendezvous, so maybe they just threw us some scraps because we weren't ordering cocktails like drunken sailors. The salad - boring. The hot tea - no honey. The person with me - didn't know I was taking mental notes on how minty the salad shouldn't have been.

I want to like this place in spite of the fact it was featured on the show 100 days of summer - really that's the best we got? No! The place did have a delightful ambiance, probably would go back for a cocktail in the eve.