Before my shitty weekend where I sat and stared blankly at the computer and TV screen, I went to dinner at South, the new restaurant in South Boston (Southie for those familiar with the nickname. I have heard a little hype in Boston magazines and Chowhound but I want to give an accurate description of the night, a full critique I guess. Upon walking into the place, which people say to be a gem in an the overly gentrifying neighborhood, I was sorta surprised to see it yet I also was a little worried that we took a step into a suburban restaurant. The clientele were extremely varied from people who are thinking they are out on town, to neighbors, to college kids, and to a steady bar crowd. Don't get me wrong, I was psyched about this place thinking it was a newbie in a neighborhood that is showing tons of promise and change. New restaurants popping up there is for sure a good thing, especially with an executive chef who cooked for Mario Batale. Yes, Mario Batale. I don't think he learned anything unfortunately.
Modern American Fare is what they claim to be. I had Kobe beef over some sauce and mashed sweet potatoes. This was the meal that I heard the raves about. And it came after my gigantic Caesar salad. A salad so big I could have fed a unit in the National Guard. Back to the beef though, literally. For all of the buzz about this dish, I was not at all impressed. It was bland, the meat was overcooked (and I was never given a choice, I wish they did offer me a choice once it arrived, but I figured the chef could figure out how to cook Kobe beef correctly), and it was not accompanied by enough of the sorta tasty side dish of the sweet potatoes. One could say I have tasted more on a boy then in this meal. The service was fine, pleasant, but nothing extraoridinary. Basically a step above the college kids serving you if you went to TGI Fridays.
(just with a better outfit).
Unfortunately, I probably won't ever go back to South, or their new venture East in East Boston mainly because it is out of the restaurant loop and not worth the 4 minute drive. Instead of venturing to Eastie, they should work on their first location because their is a lot of perfecting to do.
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