May

Poole’s Diner Swings For The Fences

Many restaurateurs successfully find their niche, an easy place between the cook’s comfort zone and the diners’ fancies. Some feel comfortable settling in with a mid-range menu that stays consistent, while others are exhilarated by changing it up frequently, and like to think of their kitchen as a laboratory. Poole’s Diner is one of the latter. I’m constantly intrigued by their Twitter messages, playing around with imported salmon, marinated avocados, ramps, and morels. The photos coming across on Twitter are sensational (photo 1, photo 2, photo 3), and it appears that Chef Ashley Christensen is trying extremely hard to provide a selection of creative and difficult dishes to downtown Raleigh. I have enjoyed her other ventures in Raleigh, and this one has continued to be a success story, according to the masses. Unfortunately what landed on our table was another story.

The restaurant is a revived lunch counter place that went through a decade of looking like something in Pulp Fiction before Christensen dressed the place up a bit. The ceiling is metal tile and lights are low. Unfortunately the result is an extremely loud restaurant. The tables are retro formica, and the table setting is spartan (though I have no idea why a “bread plate” appeared given the restaurant’s lack of bread offering).

The very limited menu of 5 entrees and an accompaniment of salads and appetizers is posted on two chalkboards. We opted for the beet salad with marinated avocados and the green salad with red wine vinaigrette and sprinkled cheese. The beet salad was good, taking the strong flavor of the beet and steering it sweet successfully. The avocado was good, however the dish included an entire half of an avocado, a rich and fattening way to start a meal. The salad was ample size, the dressing was good, and the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese was delicious, but that’s all there was to it. I was hoping for something more complex…maybe a roasted red pepper, candied pecans, or olives to add some layers of flavor. Hell, just an offering of fresh ground pepper would have been nice.

We also splurged and got the fried green tomatoes which were the hit of the evening. The cornbread batter was appropriately salted, and the tomato was perfectly firm. Around the rim there was an aioli and a red and yellow pepper relish that were both excellent, though I think the aioli could have used more garlic (something I have maybe said 3 times in my whole life). Better too light than too heavy, though.

At this point the meal was going fairly well. We enjoyed our first two courses, but probably should have left at that point. One entree we got was the Shrimp & Grits, which delivered a very rich version that included tomatoes but not bacon. The cheese grits were good, but got overly heavy after a few bites due to the heavy cream used. A couple of the shrimp tasted fishy, while the others had a stand-alone taste that didn’t blend with the dish. The other entree was a disaster: Pork Bellies served over warm potato salad and bacon. A better description would have been: “Eighteen Dollar Plate of Pork Fat, with a few morsels of meat and potatoes”. I literally got 10 bites of meat after scraping it off of the fat globs and into the 1/4” pool of clear, liquid fat swamping the plate (pictured). The potatoes may have been good, but the only flavor I could discern was fat, fat, and more fat. It was literally the grossest dish I’ve ever encountered in a restaurant. Why didn’t I send it back? We had already waited 45 minutes for this dish.

Dessert didn’t go well either. We got a little chocolate mousse cup that was topped with sour cream. Sour cream? We did send that back and the result was a simple cup with the correct, though heavy and fattening cream on top. Absent were interesting layers of berries, mint, legumes, etc.

While it would be more fair to review a restaurant after several trips, I really don’t think I can do it, not with so many great $50-per-head choices in the area. Unfortunately we happened on the restaurant on a night when the chef was out of town, which perhaps helps to explain it. However guess what…to run a restaurant it has to be consistent. There is too much competition out there to have off nights, especially on weekends, when people are spending hard-earned money.

Few chefs on the East half of the Triangle have really gotten the knack of blending layers of flavors while avoiding an overt fat storm. While dishes don’t have to be “heart-healthy” to be delicious, there is a point where the fat content overwhelms the flavor and the health benefits of organic ingredients. Unfortunately that line was crossed in almost every dish offered. Poole’s Diner is creatively swinging for the fences, but on this account, has only managed an infield pop fly.

5 stars (out of 8 )

anonymous

Thanks for the review. I’ve been wanting to try Poole’s, but will knock it down the list a few notches. I feel your frustration of dedicating the time and money for a night out and leaving disappointed.
anonymous

I would highly recommend giving Poole’s another try – I realize it’s pricey but the menu changes at least weekly according to what’s in season and available and sometimes more often so you’re almost guaranteed of trying something new each time. Their brunch is my favorite!

Also, it’s a French/Southern restaurant so I wouldn’t go into it expecting a low fat meal between those two food cultures. You don’t eat it everyday, right? besides, avocados are good fats!
anonymous

Bravo on the review! I’ve been waiting for a very long time to find a review of this restaurant similar to mine. In contrast with yours, however, I have been to Poole’s on multiple occasions and have found it to be a bomb (not “the bomb”) each time. With the exception of their breakfast french toast (which, to Poole’s strong defense, is so extremely large and rich that it takes a team of 3 young and hungry mid-20yo men to finish off) the entrees are terribly limited, self-indulgent, and expensive. As you had mentioned, consistency is key, and I would expect a restaurant’s entrees with prices like those to be consistently filling, fresh, edgy, and delicious. In my multiple tries there, I found the entrees to have one of those qualities, but certainly not more than one at any one time. I’m not a journalist and haven’t really been working on putting together a full repertoire of restaurants in Raleigh to use as ammunition either to boost Poole’s image or debunk it. However, it just feels as though a restaurant with entree prices in that bracket should compare to Sea Thai in NYC (seathainyc.com) or Mie N Yu in DC (www.mienyu.com), and breakfasts should compare to The Delicatessen & Macbar in NYC (delicatessennyc.com). I live in downtown Raleigh, but am more than ready for a consistently edgy, yet delicious and practical place to eat where the portions are what you’d expect, ambience has nothing to do with sports, there is not a single “tapas” on the menu, and staff is friendly and efficient. I hoped that Poole’s would be such a place, but it is not. I don’t think that it is fair to defend why Raleigh cannot compare to DC or NYC when it comes to the culinary arts (with the exception of competition based on density). We churn out terrific chefs, bakers, etc. on a regular basis (I can think of several friends who have gone to Johnson & Wales recently whose plates blow my mind), and definitely have an abundance of local critics to help fine-tune menus and prices. Unfortunately, with places like Poole’s setting the bar and getting a cult-like following, our tapas and sports bar overflow, it really makes me wonder what is keeping kitchen creativity and diversity from downtown Raleigh… How do we become a hub of *really good food*? With places like Lilly’s, Remedy, Poole’s and other restaurants with small overhead and an overall good intention and idea (and, in many cases, exceptional execution) staying lucrative and busy, it would seem that we’re definitely in a good place to flourish with restaurant diversity.
Fraiser

Agree to disagree. I’ve been to Poole’s 10-15 times and each and every time I’m amazed at how great the experience has been. I’ve lived in DC and several other cities larger than DC across the pond and am amazed that we have so many places as good as Poole’s and others in the Triangle. Maybe you caught and off night but I’ve never sent a person to Poole’s that didn’t report loving it and then reporting each time they go back how great it is. Again, not doubting you didn’t love it for good reason but I’m very surprised to say the least because I think Poole’s compares favorably with about any place in its price point on the eastern seaboard.
Jenna

I’ve been to Poole’s many, many times, and always leave happy. I think in order to really get the most of it though, you can’t order like it’s a regular restaurant…you’ll end up with WAY too much food.

My husband and I use this strategy: one starter, one salad, one entree, one side. Split everything. We’ve found that this is the best way to get to try lots of different dishes without leaving too full. As a bonus, we normally spend less than $60 total.

A note on the pork belly: I’ve found it delicious every time, so I think your experience might be a fluke.

Definitely give Poole’s another try!
Daria

It sounds like this was your first visit? There is a rule in restaurant critiquing that you should visit 3 times before writing a review to get accurate perception. It definitely sounds like you went on a off night given that Ashley was not there. I’ve been to Poole’s about 5 times now, mostly for brunch and it has been excellent every time. It is my experience though that her food is rich. This is not a place you should really visit that often, it is a splurge.
They have the best macaroni and cheese hands down.

All things considered, you can find some pretty good food in Raleigh and I hear great things about Durham/ Chapel Hill as well. I do get disappointed at the excess of sports bars with their mediocre food, so I’m really happy to find little gems and I hope they can stay strong.
Dana

It is unreasonable to expect 3 visits before writing because a) everyone is a blogger, and typical diners won’t keep going back to a place that gave them even one bad meal and b) look at the restaurant price book and ask yourself if YOU can afford to eat at all of those places 3 times.

I’d also like for everyone to visit this site:
http://www.banamazing.com
MikeB

I’ve eaten at Poole’s 3 times now, maybe 4. My choice of dishes have all been delicious, but the last two times I’ve been with others that had very lackluster offerings served to them. My last experience there were 5 of us that were there at opening (second party seated) and our meal took 3 hours… THREE HOURS! Its not like this is a 15 course journey or anything. On top of that, they couldn’t even bring our dishes out at the same time: entrees for each person were delivered sporadically over a 15 minute period. We had to get up and find our waitress to get refills and again to tell her we were ready for dessert after not getting any attention for 30 minutes.

I doubt we ever go back. A real shame, because we’ve always been big fans of Ashley Christensen. There are just too many other good offerings in the Triangle to deal with bad service and inconsistent dishes.
Dana

Yes! Thanks Mike, for inadvertently reminding me about the timing issue we had. After waiting 45 minutes for entrees, mine came out first. Five to ten minutes later my wife’s came out – just two at the table.
David

“Amazing” > “Good”
RonT

Dana, I am sorry to hear about your experience. I have been to Poole’s several times (3 for dinner, 1 brunch) and each time I left feeling like I had treated my taste buds to some great flavors. The service was fine each time, and things just went along very well.

I love the fact that the menu changes and that the environment is laid back and unpretentious.

In its price range, I cannot think of another restaurant in Raleigh that I have enjoyed as much, or felt as though I was getting my money’s worth.

The biggest take away I have from your review is that I need to make sure I only go when the owner is present (she has been there each time I was there). I agree that we should not have to think about that though. But, given the wonderful food I have had there, this is not going to deter me from going.
http://www.danamccall.com Dana

“Amazing” >>>>>>>> “Good”. Tornadoes, explosions, locations of seminal events in history, incredibly uncommon acts by humans – they are amazing. Plates of food are not.
gd

I’ve never seen a whole tables worth of food come out at once. It always comes out at different times there. Thats just how it is done when everything is made from scratch per order..

People just like to complain too much.
I also don’t find Poole’s to be that expensive
Dana

Last week I disclosed records of my costs for eating in 204 area restaurants. If this were a matter of liking to complain too much, shouldn’t there be more reviews like this at gogoraleigh?

Too, if I just wanted to complain about something, I wouldn’t have given fair reviews of the meal’s bright sports. Instead I would have also included a paragraph outlining how our table got no service for 25 of the 45 minutes we waited for our entrees. I would have detailed the worst table service I’ve had in 3 years. However I didn’t because I know that this was not necessarily a symptom of an integral problem with the restaurant nor was it a key variable of my experience.

If poorly timed entree presentations is simply the result of food made from scratch, then you are implying that Poole’s is the only restaurant on that list of 204 that makes its food from scratch. In fact this is a symptom of a disorganized kitchen and puts diners in awkward positions as it is rude to begin eating before everyone at the table is served. That’s why it is an important issue covered in restaurant reviews and why it is so impressive when a restaurant delivers a well-timed, fresh meal that is the correct temperature. It isn’t easy. It is a skill that is appreciated when it is done correctly.
http:/varmintbites.com Dean

I wasn’t going to chime in, as I am an unabashed fan of Poole’s and a good friend of Ashley’s. I am not here to defend her or the restaurant, but I suspect that in the end, Poole’s just may not be a restaurant that you would ever like. First, the bread plates and the timing of the entrees are part of what Poole’s is all about, that being sharing of food. In many ways, Poole’s is a family style type of restaurant, where you order several things for the table, and all get to share. The timing of service is intentional — a dish comes out and all get to try it. Then something new comes out. To me, this type of dining is far more enjoyable than the static, one-course-at-a-time that is the standard everywhere else.

I also wonder why you decided to order such rich dishes. You ordered pork belly and bacon — the same item in different forms — which is easily the fattiest and richest part of the pig. The fattier the better in my mind. Heck, you complained that half an avocado is too much — “a rich and fattening way to start a meal.” I’m glad she didn’t have foie gras on the menu, Dana. You also complained about the richness of the shrimp and grits due to the heavy cream used. Finally, your dessert came with “heavy and fattening cream on top.”

See the pattern here? Again, I’m not defending the food itself, and if the service was bad, then it was bad. But I truly suspect that you don’t want to eat rich, fatty food. Not all of Poole’s dishes are that rich and fatty, but many are, as they’re not afraid of butter and cheese and cream and duck fat. When an avocado is too fattening for you, then you’ve already demonstrated a predisposition to not liking a chef’s style.

And by the way, do you ever start a meal at a Mexican restaurant with guacamole?
Dana

Good points, Dean. One thing to remember is that the review was written in retrospect. We were satisfied with our meals until the entrees started to arrive. However in review, I just thought everything was tipped in the unnecessarily fattening realm. It wasn’t something that consciously dawned on me until the second half of the meal.
First the “salad” – I love avocado, and haven’t seen anyone outside of NYC prepare guacamole correctly, but I think that a half of an avocado plopped on a sweet preparation of beets, in retrospect, is overwhelming and doesn’t balance the dish. We would have preferred less beet, less avocado, and the presence of some lettuce. This would have made for an outstanding appetizer. I didn’t order this dish, BTW. I got the perfectly dressed, but ultimately too simple lettuce salad. (Incidentally, why was her lettuce wedge salad at the Times Bar so much more interesting than this one?) At the end of this course, my wife said “you won”.
I ordered pork because from the 5 entrees available, one was a hamburger, the shrimp was already being ordered by my wife, the roasted chicken sounded boring, and the other one I can’t remember and the $38 salmon special weren’t appealing.
I order the marquis pork dish in many restaurants and am rarely aware of the fat issue. We ought to be able to drop in on ANY any top notch restaurant and blindly order the pork dish or the fish dish of the night, and get an outstanding product. This is where the cream of the crop really shine. While the pork belly is in the fatter area of the pig, I was hoping that I could get a version of pork in the restaurant that was creative and appealing. This was neither.
Shrimp and Grits by Bill Neal were never overly fattening and rich. This dish was good, but certainly not as good as Crooks, and not as good as Busy Bee’s, and it simply followed the theme of the parade of fat.
I, too, like Ashley personally and respect the hell out of her work ethic, tenacity, and her creativity. However I have acquaintances who come into my office who expect my “A” game, and I know I have to bring it every single morning no matter how I feel or what else is going on in my life. That’s business.
The problem is that every diner, every night is a “blogger”. I just happen to have a website. The people at the next table who sent their meals back? Maybe they have websites, maybe they don’t. However they do have wallets. So did the group who looked at the menu and walked out when the restaurant was half empty later in the evening. There are plenty of other negative comments online about Poole’s, too; so many that my mother and a friend considered going to eat there until reading other online reviews about 6 months ago. Being the rebellious child, though, I went to prove her wrong
bob

I had a thousand things to say to defend Pooles, as I think it is fantastic. Thankfully Dean covered many points on my list. Then, I looked at a posting on your site from a few days before this one in which you called the addition of a Golden Corral to Raleigh “great news”. Not sure what to say to that other than you are right about one thing… Pooles is not the restaurant for you.
http://www.danamccall.com Dana

Bob,
You don’t consider the construction of a new restaurant to a blighted part of town “good news”? Are you expecting U.S.1 to be lined with $50/head restaurants? It will never happen. Are you expecting normal people to eat $50/ head food 7 nights a week?
Maybe Poole’s isn’t the restaurant for me, because I am sure i can do a better job with a piece of pork belly. For starters, I could go in a market blindfolded and pick out a nicer piece of pork belly meat. I am just thankful to live in an area where there are so many other national award-winning choices.
Danielle

My husband and I are avid restaurant enthusiasts who love to try the new nice restaurants in the area. I was really excited to try Poole’s when we went but was extremely disappointed. Some of the food was excellent, namely the brussels sprouts salad and roasted rutabagas. However, the service was HORRIBLE and other dishes were not very good. I got fried fish, which had absolutely NO flavor at all. All of our sides came out about 30 minutes (at least) before our entrees, and our entrees all came out at different times, 15-30 minutes apart. When you each order an entree at 20+ bucks a pop, I don’t think you can really call that “family style”. Our waitress was very aloof, acting like she didn’t care about the customers at all. With the prices as high as they are, I would much rather go somewhere that the food is consistently good and the service is at least good. So many restuarants in the Triangle have great food and great service. I don’t think I will be going back to Pooles.
Casey

Please keep writing these bad reviews so less people will go there. Poole’s is my favorite joint in town but don’t go near as much as I would like because it is always too crowded. Please scare the people off that should be at Applebee’s in the first place.
Dana

(Just to let you all know where I am coming from) if I am going to spend >$40 per head for mainly food, THIS is the level of cooking I want to find. I get it in other cities and in a few other restaurants in the area.

Rick Bayless’ recipe for state dinner black mole
http://tinyurl.com/35opzp4

Posted by Dana on May 2, 2010 | Tags: Food. | ( 21 ) Comments

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Poole’s Diner Swings For The Fences

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