Claro--Brooklyn

(347) 721-3126

Okay, this was an outdoor pandemic meal.  We picked this place as they outfitted their garden pretty well, versus eating in a wood lean-to on the street.  So I've got to give them a grain of salt, as they were working with what they had.  And not to nit pick, but we were the only kiosk without heat, which may have influenced my overall experience.  On top of that, taking Covid protocols seriously is important and I have mad respect for them doing so, but at a certain point their protocols broke down to nonsense, as they were completely unenforceable.  If we're expect to have our masks on when the server arrives, then the server should wear a bell-collar so we know when she's coming.  If you're going to put your menu on-line, then your WiFi shouldn't have a password.  Small things, but they add up.  We're inconvenienced too, you know?

Stepping down off of that soap box, I should mention the food.  The menu was a four course tasting, I'm not sure if that's a Covid thing or not but between the five of us I'm pretty sure we covered just about everything.  The food was exceptional, as long as you got what you liked.  Given the nature of the web based menu, combined with the distant waitress, we were left taking educated guesses.  And if something didn't taste good, it wasn't because it was ill-prepared, but rather becuase you ordered something that you didn't like--like my octopus and bacon tostada.  That and you'd better like Mezcal.  That's all there is to drink outside of beer and wine.

I will mention again that it was cold as balls outside.

Okay that's all. 

Kitty O'Shea's Orlando

(407) 238-9769

Jeez.  Orlando.  Right before the pandemic decided to show up.  So, firstly, I got tested and similar to the days before the ol' wifey wife it was a relief not to have to call all of my loved ones and tell them I was infected with some disease due to my irresponsibility.  And secondly, I had to go.  It was a difficult choice, but at the time Florida was relatively safe and NYC was on the downswing so why not?

Okay, with that said, I was going to do an Orlando super post similar to Berlin and Portland, etc...  Except Orlando is so steeped in chain restaurant homogeny that there wasn't much to write about.  I didn't dig deep, and I wasn't with company that wanted something risky or trendy.  Steakhouses and Hooters would suffice.  And I must say, hooters is a great place to sit and drink beer.  Nonetheless, as my random luck would have it at one of our multiple afternoon happy-hour Hooters excursions we met Ray, the owner of Kitty O'Shea.

A .little about Ray.  He is from Buffalo.  He was the first winner of the annual wing competition.  He moved to Florida and opened this bar.  It is a traditional Irish Pub, which is saying something in the strip-mall,  chain-restaurant mecca that is Orlando.  More so, Ray took me (as a fellow purveyor in the industry) on a full tour of Kitties; walk in box, bathroom renovation, structural problems, etc... followed by him sampling John Powers Irish whiskey--an Irish spirit he admitted he'd never tried.  Several beers ensued.  I only had drinks so cannot comment on the wings.  But I will say that this dude checks out and so does his bar.

Le Crocodile--Brooklyn

718.460.8004

RIP Reynards,

Andrew Marlow out, a new Quebecois-themed place in.  Fortunately they didn't touch the beauty of the restaurant other than prohibiting access to the bathrooms from the restaurant directly.  It was very much a similar experience in terms of service and style, and since they served daiquiris, the same could be said of my antics.

The food?  Very french.  The steak au poivre was spot on.  Damned good I say.  Then the ol' other wifey wife and I had a rillette, some leaks, and a shrimp cocktail, all also top notch.  The eggs were a touch weird, but fine if you're in to that sort of thing.

The big to do was that another, lesser know reviewer from the Times was there.  His name rhymes with feet swells. Everyone was in a twitter about it, though I feel the staff's apprehension was due to my presence.  No way to say for sure.  Though in my opinion it is obviously that my reputation is so great other critics must ride my coattails into the greatness. 

Worth a try, this place.