I had the misfortune of dining at Bohème this past weekend. I know…the location and menu seem inspiring, but it just wasn’t my lucky evening. Our table might have had a clue when we began ordering drinks. Besides a bottle of delicious Spanish red, we asked for sparkling water. I would expect Evian or Pelegrino, but they surprised me with VOSS. For some reason I was under the impression VOSS was some yuppy water from California that drunk celebrities spray on their friends when the Cristal runs dry. Did you know its from Norway? Our waiter did, and we all stared at each other in disbelief…WTF are we doing drinking Norwegian water in cville?
The Simple Life
With restaurants in cville, I always say stick to the basics. If even the simplest of dishes are amazing, it sets up the entire menu for gastronomic pleasure. For this frenchie restaurant, I began judging the evening on its steak tartare. I wrote awhile back how Petit Pois seduced me with, among other things, its steak tartare, so the benchmark is pretty high.
If BBQ allows meat to speak to you ( you know, down there) when its cooked, then steak tartare gives meat the same poetic license in the nude (raw). The dish is basic because it takes very little prep and ingredients to get it going. My tartare arrived at the table looking really good and very traditionally french. There was a nice molded mound of raw chopped steak with an egg yolk perching itself at its peak. I must say, it looked pretty cute. It came with the requisite crostini and a nice salad. All my compliments stop right here.
What I had in front of me was literally chopped raw steak. If there was any seasoning it must have been in the nonexistent afterthought of the sous chef who prepared this dish. Granted raw meat is terrific, but you must give it an entrance, a red carpet so to speak. Petit Pois has nailed that down the past 3-4 times I have dined there. There was no entrance, and I was stuck prodding this meaty mound and spreading it on the crostini.
After that was cleared away (mostly uneaten), I had naive high hopes for my main course. I had just come off a whirlwind week of heavy wining and dining and was not in the mood for a heavy entrée. Going against every intuition I had, I ordered the vegetarian dish which sounded quite nice: stuffed red peppers.
Welcome Back to The Dining Hall
I definitely ate stuffed red peppers, but I shouldn’t have had them at Bohème. The first bite brought memories of mass produced hotel food rushing to my brain. Instead of cville, I felt like I was at a cheesy gala function at some second rate hotel. Sure it was the light dish I was expecting it to be, but how can you mess up stuffed peppers? Oh its possible.
Chocolate Deliciousness
The saving grace of Bohème was my desert, a hazelnut chocolate mousse. Mousse is one of those deserts we remember from the late 80’s…rich, decadent and usually perfect. Its very easy to over/under whip a mousse, so whomever is in charge of deserts, my hats off to you. The light texture of the mousse was perfectly juxtaposed with the roasted hazelnuts. If anything spoke to me that night it was this.
Would I go back? No. I think restaurants should approach every night as their one shot at glory. Perhaps they will be better prepared if I leave a box at their front door full of gourmet spices. For now my obsession with all things French will be fulfilled at Petit Pois. Was it just my luck, or do we truly pass on Bohème? I know Lilith disagrees with me because of her uniquely good experiences for their brunch, but with restaurants I have a saying: do or die, and I just can’t let this one go…
Photo courtesy of Storem on Flickr.
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Tagged as: , Bars, dinner, Food, restaurant reviews, Restaurants
i’m confused…why were you upset about being served voss? a lot of restaurants in town offer it as their bottled still or sparkling water, and it’s sold at feast, whole foods, foods of all nations, etc.
evian is water from the french alps, and pellegrino is from italy…what’s the big deal with drinking water from norway?
Yes, and VOSS “finishes clean.” I have no idea what the means, I just like the sound of it.
ouch, i want to make sure we never get on your bad side coconut.
Went there with a friend last year, we both had excellent dishes. What I ordered was vegetarian, but it was not the pepper. I have no idea what steak tartare should be, ground meat & raw egg is -2 for me. Anyway, we were eating out at one fancy place per month and it was probably the best, better that Fleurie. I thought.
Whatshisname was cooking, used to work at the Virginian way way way back when. Never heard anything but praise for him.
??
Cville tap water is not so bad in the winter, by the way. It is wretched in the summer.
I like Boheme, would recommend it, and am sincerely beginning to doubt that coconut likes anything at all. A restaurant review from someone who says things like “ Its always been my dream to fish with a shotgun, and be rewarded for it“? Alrighty, then. Where’s my grain of salt?
You are, of course, entitled to your opinion, but I humbly disagree. I think you were just unlucky.
Couple things:
1-yes I am harsh when things suck, but, I am equally grateful when things are terrific. terrific doesn’t mean gastro-pub micro-machine style food, just plain old goodness. The feeling you get in your stomach that lets you know the big guy is satisfied.
2-the whole bit about it being from Norway was wicked funny at the time and just because its sold at Fancy Feast doesn’t mean its the best water. I believe Thor is a connoisseur of fine bottled tap. Thor?
3-steak tartare should have many great things in it, check out the link in the post to the Petit Pois review.
http://cvillain.com/2007/07/24/petit-pois-a-little-slice-of-french-heaven/
Think of it as the rarest steak you will ever eat, seasoned to perfection. Its like beef carpaccio, but the French way, so sexy and sophisticated
4-isn’t the new trend now to filter your own water in the restaurant? Its cheaper (i think) and better for the environment. Anywhere in cville doing this now?
I agree with belmont yo. I’ve had about six perfect brunches and a perfect dinner there, and I am itching to go back. Thor let me know they’ve got a new cocktail on their menu that I have to try…
I also feel fairly averse to our reviewing places after one try. I do it a fair amount, and I disclaimer it, but I don’t think I’ll be taken that seriously if I don’t get a few experiences. I have a Ruth Reichl crush, in addition to my Mario Batali and Gordon Ramsay crushes.
About steak tartar: it is ground steak and raw egg. What did you think it was?
Recipe 1: Cooks.com
Recipe 2: Epicurean.com
Recipe 3: FoodNetwork.com
Recipe 4: LuxuryWeb.com
I’m sorry, but I just can’t seem to find any recipes without ground steak and raw egg.
Oh, and I’m skeptical of a steak tartare with too much dijon mustard (although I love dijon mustard) because, well, what are they trying to hide? I think most recipes call for sirloin, but you could probably get away with a shoulder (hangar) or something like that.
Once and for all, know your cow!
Linky-poo
Any place using grass-fed beef around here? A year or two ago I read that’s all you can get now in the SF Bay Area high end joints, after Alice Waters went all grass (Chez Panisse).
Raw is one thing. Raw & ground is another! Eeesh.
colfer - Hamilton’s
Oh no no no, they’re ground on restaurant premises. No way would I eat raw hamburger!
lilith, boheme’s tartare cant hold a candle to even the worst of the recipes you linked to above…it was completely void of flavor!
As a vegetarian, I am not qualified to comment on the 2008 Tartare Debate, but I am sorry to hear about your not being served “the best water” (?). If I ever open a restaurant, I will be sure to get my water from the pope. After all, I only have one chance. Also, I am no epicure, but I thought Fancy Feast was cat food.
I might add that there is more to the restaurant experience than the food. The service and environment at Boheme are top notch. I see no mention of either in your in and out, one chance to impress me hit piece. This whole review boils down to your dissatisfaction with the lack of seasoning in two dishes, that the water was Norse and thus not the best, that one dish had a cute presentation, and that you liked the desert. And you’re not going back.
You roll the way you roll, I don’t begrudge you that. To each his or her own, so nothing personal. I just hate to see places I like get glibly eviscerated on one restrictively selective and grossly limited experience.
My 2 coppers, I’ll drop it now.
I took a pass on Boheme, last Friday, but for reasons which might have been very specific to last Friday night. ThatBoy and I (in our usual, post-Crush wine tasting, midwinter bundling of non-finery) walked up to Boheme about the same moment as a very, very nicely dressed group of older customers (mid-60’s) were walking up. I don’t know if there was a concert at the Paramount or whether there was some other event catering to that age group and inspiring that level of dress, but the two of us slowed up and peeked in the restaurant window. Lots of older couples, dressed far more nicely than our jeans and nice-enough-for-casual-Friday-at-work sweaters. I really want to try the place, but is that a typical crowd for 7:30 on a Friday night? Will I need to actually dress for dinner? Not that it’s a bad thing! It’s just something of which I wasn’t aware, based on what I’ve read here.
Aqueliering is a fine profession. I cannot share the details on this sacred, eternal art, but Voss tastes good to me. I keep with the traditional Italian, Pellegrino, but I don’t think Voss deserves any negative points.
Boheme does have some good dishes; I’ve dined there probably 3 or 4 times as well and I really liked the brunch the first go around, but the second time it was not as good.
I really, really like the brie appetizer (please share it or die), and the crab cakes they do (cause they put so much real crab meat in there).
I LOVE the decor and think it is probably one of the best looking restaurants around, but the meat dinner dishes don’t excite me. Others have spoke highly of this place but 2/3 times for me is enough for me to agree with cocNUT.
i went to brunch there two sundays ago with my parents and my girlfriend. we had been there previously-last spring-and it was really good.
my mom asked for hot tea, and the server said that they were:
“out of hot water”
not a good sign.
bad food and very bad service promptly followed. boheme has lost my business.
also, i had one of the worst meals of my life at the new “italian” place in albemarle square, olivate. oh my god it was bad
I have always been pleased with the service, food & atmosphere at Boheme, sorry you didn’t like it cocNUT. I was a Sou Chef in a 4 Star restaurant for years & I think their food is some of the best French influenced I have had in this state. I do agree with you that Petit Pois is very good too.
two comments - great brunch, the benedict was fabulous (although someone in our group thought the canadian bacon was too thick) - the biscuits and gravy = not too good (kinda soggy)
second comment - where else in town can you get a reservation for brunch…..?
speaking of steak tartare, a boss of mine would open a package of just bought raw steak and eat it (with a knife and fork) while putting the groceries away at home.
Yea, I know the whole point of the Internet is to allow freewheeling opinions and make everyone into an expert, but it seems kind of unfortunate that next time someone Googles “Boheme” they might not give it a shot because someone’s tartar was not to their liking.
that’s why i’ve never liked charlottesville-dining.com. Unfortunately, it’s been uber manipulated with extreme prejudice.
I have eaten there before and think that the chef (I can’t remember her name) use to work at Bizou and Hamilton’s.
The food was fine but the wine list and the waiter were not on that night. I fell that many here have said enough positive things that i must give it another try. Any place can have a off night and the food was good.
Thanks Cvillian’s for the solid info!
I would like to reiterate my strong feelings of dislike and recent experience with Boheme. I am certainly open to second chances, but cocoNUT’s review has made me think it just isn’t worth it. Not a great dinner, not a great breakfast? I am thinking Boheme may need a little redesign of its own. However, I have yet to drink there-maybe I will have give it a try as a “have a drink” place.
“This weekend I made the grave mistake of having an affair. I cheated on Blue Moon. I attempted Boheme for my weekend breakfast treat. I am now filled with regret, guilt, a smaller wallet, and a growling stomach. I have heard some rave reviews on this place and was certain it would live up to it’s Cvillain/locals recommendation.
The breakfast was lacking. I had very little desire to eat anymore than the hashbrowns, which were decent. The gravy on my “biscuits and gravy” had the consistency of water and the biscuits, while I realize they are supposed to be on the dry side, were just a crumbly mess. The poached eggs on top were more like the well done egg you would fund on a McDonald’s Egg McMuffin.
My dining mate had Eggs Maryland (crab cake in place of ham in Eggs Benedict). The crab cakes were full of crab meat, making the price reasonable, but again the eggs ruined what could have been a great dish. This guy not only usually finishes his meal, but clean up my plate as well. Needless to say, there was food left on both our plates.
I will give Boheme some credit. The service was OUTSTANDING. The place was also clean and smoke free (maybe you want to check it out cocoNut?). The air was a little too pretentious for my taste on a weekend morning, but not so much I couldn’t ignore it.
I will not be going back to Boheme for breakfast anytime soon, but since the service was so wonderful I considering giving dinner a try. I only hope next weekend my love will take my cheating ass back.”
-taken from Boheme’s last post
i like charlottesville-dining.com. i don’t necessarily believe everything i read, particularly the insane rants like the one about x lounge stealing from them, but it’s good for specific dish recommendations & things like “it was really smoky.”
@18
maya also takes brunch reservation
@24 i just read something from charlottesville-dining.com that seemed much more like a creative writing essay from a borderline psychotic.
wait, many of the things there are like that. the longer ones, anyhow.
bit i agree it’s good for dish/drink/smoky (and a chuckle).
Feast doesn’t carry Voss. Just Va spring water, sparkling Pellegrino and Fiji (because of continued customer requests). The Voss rep did send a Norwegian techno music cd along with their water. The CD was awesome, the water tasted… well like water.
@6 and @7
I grew up eating steak tartar, however strange it may sound (my morther was a weee crazy) and I have always had the impression that good steak tartar is nothing but fine raw meat with a raw yolk on top, no spices or additives whatsoever. I really enjoy a good steak tartar, but I really don’t appreciate the amercan version that seems to be an attempt at covering up the meaty goodness. I’d actually go specifically to restaurants that would serve one of these, my favorites unadultered. Go Boheme!…I like Petit Pois, but they have nothing on the meal I enjoyed at Boheme, that was scrumptious.
test
its the number of links, b’yo. have a good show this eve.
Thanks, I always try (sometimes too hard - hah!).
I tried Boheme for the first time last Sunday for brunch with my lady… not very pleased.
-The eggs on my benedict were solid
-I ordered an extra side of fruit a la carte because the menu didn’t list either of our dishes coming with it; well, they both did, and I had an extra side of fruit to take home(which I forgot).
-$8.50 Mimosa? I should have just ordered a double rum and coke like the guy sitting next to us — I watched the pour and that dude got HOOKED UP.
-our table was directly to your right as soon as you enter the restaraunt, in front of the glasses, so we had servers reaching over us to grab/restock glasses throughout our meal.
also: why were all the servers dressed formally and the two people behind the bar not? I didn’t really care, I was just curious.
So yeah, definately not worth the 60 bones I dropped, but everything said, I’m more than likely gonna go back when it’s warm out, because the out-door seating is bangin.
They won best new restaurant and best new brunch in the daily paper. I guess that means a lot of people disargree with you. And Voss is a very nice water– I’m not sure why that would upset anyone.
And Voss is a very nice water– I’m not sure why that would upset anyone.
Because its *Norse*… duh. Obvi!
Yo, hey wait a second you objections to things Norse?!
cocoNUT: I think you may have an issue with Boheme, because they are just a tad too authentic?!
Petit Pois has the best freaking steak tartare I’ve ever tasted (I wasn’t always vegetarian). But you can’t promote it too much, they are actually not supposed to be selling it due to the government’s ridiculous crackdown on raw unpasteurized products like local chevre or apple cider.
Ha! Authentic!? Please, Boheme should not be considered in the same regard as a proper bistro, no effen way. Trust me, when things are quality, I highlight them on this site. Authentic French food is simple, oh so buttery, and frikkin tasty. I wouldn’t put any of those things in the same sentence with Boheme.
Oh, and Fleurie filters their water.
204 @ 34… I would check the batteries in my sarcasm meter if I were you.
/loves me some vikings.
cocoNUT:I guess I will not be taking you advice on kissing either, as your judgment is clearly not based in any grounds in the actual authenticity of the French kitchen, but rather what you consider to be. Being European I am not going to claim to be an expert, but rather merely a participator in consumption of erh Food, prepared well erhhh in the style…I think you get my drift. It is important to be educated or intimately familiar with the things you heartedly critique, otherwise it is but slander
“there are only two things i hate in this world, and one of those is people who are intolerant of other peoples’ culture.”
“what’s the other thing?”
“what?”
“the other thing you hate, what is it?”
“… the dutch.”
I heart Parlie
what of the box?
Box = new thing going in Atomic Burrito’s old spot. Noodles, I think?
Who makes a blanket statement better than cocNut? “French food is simple.” Genius.
And what does that youtube clip have to do with this?
JAH BE PRAISE, I HAVE A HEART
I think a fair number of people skip the egg, often in favor of olive oil:
http://www.dvo.com/recipe_pages/holiday/Steak_Tartar.html
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/steak-tartare-cocktails-2007 (From L.A.’s Cut)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/steaktartar_82581.shtml
http://www.howtocookeverything.tv/htce/TakeOnTheRecipes/detail/recipeId-62.html
http://chezmegane.blogspot.com/2006/08/steak-tartare.html
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20040818/news_lz1f18slice.html (note at end regarding egg v. olive oil)
Not saying it is the norm, or even a sizable minority, but plenty of people do steak tartar without egg.
if i hear one more thing about the box, i’m not fucking going.
Anybody remeber cocNut’s groundbreaking story on the bullfighter picture at Mas? “Things are heating up…”, etc.
Typical idiocy from a pretentious, braying jackass.
god dammit, i hate my last name…
Been to Boheme once for brunch and loved it. Don’t remember the exact dishes but everybody’s was good. Coffee was excellent, and I’m particular about that.
@47: It’s open now, Parlie: http://cvillain.com/2008/02/21/armageddon-2/#comment-24816
Sorry you can’t go now. We’ll enjoy it without you.
204-and what would you say if I told you I was European as well? I eat with the best of them, and call it luck or normal offerings, but what I had at Boheme was bad, really bad.
ff-grow up
“Things are getting spicy at Mas, and it’s not the chorizo.”
re: 51 and cocNut’s being european
I would ask : what did we ever do to Europe to deserve this?
@53: Well, we dumped their tea in the Boston sludge in ‘76, then bombed the crap out of most of Germany in the ’40’s. Then we sent them Jerry Lewis, Dynasty, and the Backstreet Boys, among other things. It’s lucky this is all they’ve done to us.
I rest my case
Their tea? That nation resides not in Europe, but speaks of it in horrors. There be but one place upon the sceptered isle where I’ll trod my heart. Maybe two. One’s a copse in devonshire, th’other’s away from brutish hoards.
It is not credible to judge a restaurant by its bottled water, or by its vegetarian offering. These things indicate almost nothing about how good a restaurant really is.
And what brunch is like — even though Boheme’s is rather lovely by comparison to what else passes for brunch in this town — is also not particularly relevant.
Glad so many people are thinking about what’s going on there… though I would try going there again, and doing it right. In the evening –
Have been a fan of these people since the beginning.
give me tips about europe! very excited to be going there for the first time. sparkles(while my hand up to my elbos is covered in paint, while my left had gracefully balances a glass of wine…)
but yea! point me in the right direction!!! i uber excited!.
but i wanna see the best, hang with them and see the best—squeeze it in!(that’s what she said! doh!)
oops.
It is not credible to judge a restaurant by its bottled water
Yes it is! It’s all part of the experience. Other good criteria: looks, design, bathrooms, layout, lighting, noise-factor, bathrooms, how servers are dressed, how servers look, how servers act, quality of mixed drinks, butter vs. oil, music (if any), location, ownership, bathrooms, smoking policy, drug policy, flatwear, candles, tablecloths or not, furniture, waiting area, price, hours of operation, funny odors, food presentation, food taste, food variety, gun-play (frequency & type)… the list goes on
now that the dust has settled , i wanted to let you all know that zinc does steak tartare too. Drop by for a taste and let me know your impressions.
BTW , i went to Boheme with my wife a few weeks ago for brunch and it was very disappointing.
littlebirdie: where in Europe are you going?
I also take my steak tartar (e) with sea salt (preferably from the Baltic sea) and freshly ground pepper. We can all agree to disagree on what is good or not since food and taste is a rather subjective story. But it does sound like Boheme makes it just the way I like it, so I am going back. Maybe it is a good thing that we don’t all like Boheme, since the place would be too crowded if we all showed up. So cocoNUT, what restaurant is your favorite across the board?
Man, I have had nothing but excellent food at Petit Pois. I find it very unpretentious and the prices for the entrees are great. Unless something has changed in the past couple of months, i HOPE its still good. I definitely have to try Zinc’s tartare now. Despite my previous negative run in with a bartender (a little over the top, i know), Zo.Ca.Lo has a great food and drink menu. Consistency is important…I can’t expect so much from the cville food scene, but to be able to depend on the same place over and over again counts for a lot. I haven’t been to Zinc yet, but sooner or later I will be tempted to go in like a moth to their bright blue sign outside. Their menu looks very nice.
204-i really want to know what your thoughts are on Boheme’s tartare. I know you can make a great tartare without all the hoopla, but you really do need to start with quality ingredients, and I just wasn’t feeling it there.
Silmo: good point, never thought about that until you just said it. But its definitely not on the top list.
Re VOSS: did none of you drink from the sarcasm tap on Friday or something!?
littlebirdie: do let us know! Europe is a great place to travel, I am sure everyone on the site has one little piece of advice for a great trip.
Shenanigans: ah, a vegetarian turned tartare lover?? at petit pois? nice! Can you elaborate on the crackdown a little more, sounds dubious.
Re Youtube Video: if any of you are a fan of that movie, you’ll remember that scene. He gets so fed up “OH you wanted a *&^DA, now you have a N&*(A!”. How I felt when 204 says I might not like Boheme b/c its TOO authentic (laugh!)
Love Zinc’s tartare…..had some last night….always tasty
I think it sounds like boheme has a consistency problem more than anything.
@64: Um, I used to eat meat. And I ate the tartare. Now I don’t eat meat anymore. It’s pretty simple.
I think it sounds like boheme… will have more than just consistency problems, what with all you h8terz.
Tell you what, I volunteer to hold the first “Great Tartare Off”. We will take tartare from Zinc, Pois, Boheme and maybe a control from Europe (while were on that we can get some decent water). Then we will blindfold all you tartare nazis and have you sample each selection and ask if you can identify its origin and ask you to rank it’s quality. Then we will find out who is just runnin’ they mouf, and who really knows their raw chunks of dead thing.Then we will finally find out two things…. What the best voted tartare in town is, and who amongst us knows their food vs.those who are just wagging their e-peen all over the intarwebs.
I propose this be held at the Pavillion during intermission of the Feist show.
Yeah, cuz there will be a lot of manly meateaters at that show…
Shhh… Nanigans… Don’t let on. Its the spectacle were after. When my kids were little I would take them to the meat aisle of the supermarket for entertainment and explain all the parts. They were enthralled and horrified at the same time. This will be like that.
When I was little, my dad fed me groundhog.
i was fed rattlesnake when i was little. very chickeny…
Being raised white trash once removed, I was fed all manner of dead things and an inordinate amount of mayonaise at extended family functions. And lets not forget the molded opaque jello loaf things. A lot of those.
Oh gawd, those jello salads! So awful! I’d rather wrestle in it.
With the chunks of dyed mystery “fruit”, and in some seasonal shape like a rabbit or a yule log? Im pretty sure the jello was only in there to give structure to the mayo.
/is still in therapy
i was fed rattlesnake when i was little. very chickeny…
Does everything that one cannot describe the flavor of, taste like chicken? That’s clucked up! Poor little peckers, being vaguely bunched up with all the other indescribable foods.
I’ve had rattlesnake, and it tastes like…….rattlesnake. Yeah, that wasn’t very helpful, was it?
yes, i know. “tastes like chicken” is kind of unhelpful also… but i kind of thought it did. of course it’s been about 15 years since my dad killed things in the backyard and put them on the grill, so this is a vague memory…
Chopped horse meat, very sweet
yessssssss tartare competition. I only have one request….lets do it now….imagine having a competition around raw meat in the cville summer………e.coli anyone!?
well I don’t even know how to respond to any of this.
People upset about their table right beside the door… when it is the only table left in the restaurant and you wanted to sit there just to get a seat?
Upset about VOSS? are you kidding?
Steak Tartare has not been on the menu at Boheme for over a month and a half now.
Please feel free to dine in jeans… I guarantee you our older customers won’t bite you! = )
Mimosas are $7… not $8.50.
I am confident Boheme has the best brunch in town… hands down…
there was a problem with a girl overcooking eggs but she has been replaced by somebody competent.
Watered down biscuits and gravy?
The recipe is just sausage, milk, and flour.
Maybe the hollandaise and poached eggs on top make it seem watery?
did you really not like brunch or are you just upset about our drink list?… because the only thing you complained about while at brunch was the fact there was a drink on the list named “lilith” and that we didnt have one named “thor”. thats the ONLY thing you bitched about… and you were asked more than a few times if you were enjoying things… next time if you don’t like something about your food I would suggest you speak up so we can fix it then and not wait to slam a restaurant as soon as you leave on the internet.
The staff at BOHEME works VERY HARD to bring its customers and friends delicious food, great service, in a beautiful environment. We appreciate any constructive criticism we receive so that we may continue to improve and satisfy your needs. Thank you all for your input.
oh yeah and cocoNUT… we do carry Cristal as well…
“For some reason I was under the impression VOSS was some yuppy water from California that drunk celebrities spray on their friends when the Cristal runs dry”
You DO know Cristal is not from California too right?
Hey Eduardo:
You don’t need to be so defensive about Boheme.
That is an entirely good restaurant.
I have been there many times, and I know that this is true,
Bon nuit,
Yeah but the 1-1/2 month on the tartare is interesting. I don’t think they would serve it in that case! &#)
Eduardo, It was I who asked about your Lilith cocktail. If you recall (I assume you are the one who works at the bar), the question I asked was “How come no Thor cocktail?” To which you responded, “Because we didn’t know what Thor would like in a drink and we think we know who Lilith is and what she likes to drink” or something along those lines.
cocoNUT didn’t know anything about your drink menu. Thor didn’t write this review, I didn’t write this review; cocoNUT wrote the review; so I am not sure how you got to a Freudian problem which translated into a “bitching about” and a vindictive negative review.
That is hardly the case. The reason we have our writers on staff is because they have experienced a world of tastes, but also have a passion for Charlottesville. We welcome interaction on this site, trust our writers’ opinions and trust the community’s opinion.
As you can see from the comments in this article, there are other foodies that agree and disagree with cocoNUT. I’m not going to let you know my opinion on Boheme, but I can tell you there was a lot of debate over this review given that we had a division over Boheme in the Spicy Bear ranks. It’s tough with food, but to each his own. Please don’t take this personally. We understand you work hard to do things right for your customers.
Look at this review and subsequent commentary as the best feedback you could possibly get. Thanks for reading.
(Oh, and hello everyone! It’s my first comment.)
yes… I apologize for being so defensive and you are right… I do appreciate the feedback. thanks again.
Eduardo-While I realize you have already apologized to KRED and maybe that was even directed to cocoNUT, I feel that A) you apparently think I am someone I am not and B) only apologized because KRED justified the negative feedback.
I ate at what seems to be your restaurant or at least a place you work, last weekend. I did have the “biscuits and gravy”, but spoke to no one but my server, about nothing but food (so maybe those remarks were directed toward someone else–clearly KRED). I am aware of how to make gravy, and have had gravy numerous places, and this was not by any means gravy or hollandaise. The pouched eggs, as stated by others as well, were over done. This was just last weekend, so I am not sure when the cook was replaced.
I was certain to include the GOOD aspects I observed at Boheme with the bad. I would expect everyone else on here, including you, to express nothing but their true opinion of the places they try. I am pretty sure everyone on the site would agree. If we could not do that here, then where?
I do appreciate that you apologized for your harsh and defensive response to the few negative responses to Boheme. Please do not feel there was any intention of personal attack with our restaurant reviews. Your participation on the site is not only welcome, but encouraged…negative or positive.
I only hope that the critical reviews of Boheme encourage growth and improvement on their part. I did have a very nice server and thought the place itself had great decor.
Earth the cville, the VOSS comment was a sarcastic one, and yes I hope everyone on this site knows Cristal is from France and isn’t owned by P-Diddy.
That Steak tartare comment was BS, I had it for dinner February 8th to be exact…I believe its the 24th today, which puts us at 16 days ago…..2 wks and 2 days to be exact, exactly.
We all understand your staff, and every other staff in the city works very hard to bring a good dining experience. What you have to understand is the cvillains who stop by cVillain every day care a great deal about their food and will call someone out when things aren’t up to par. Its not something to get angry over, upset, yes. As KRED points out, these are great takeaways you can use to make your place better than anyone in the city…..market research doesn’t get better than this. So when you think the negative points in the review above are remedied, please let us know and we will give it another shot. I think we are fair on this site: we give both good and bad reviews for everything and anything in town…BUT we are also human and will give things a second or third try (if we are poked hard enough).
What I don’t want to see happen is Boheme or other restaurants in town trying to give preferential service to anyone affiliated with Spicy Bear or who writes or will write on cVillain.com. That destroys the objectivity we claim to achieve….I am sure my difference that evening could have been much different had I alerted the manager someone who writes on cVillain was dining that evening. But where is the fun, and more importantly, truth in that?
Would I go back? No. and then…
please let us know and we will give it another shot…
will give things a second or third try
Just sayin.
So, what? Is everyone out enjoying chunks of raw meat for brunch? Is this void a jesus thing? What?
/ghost town up in here.
Mmmmm.. out enjoying brunch at the diner, just no chunks of dead meat. But home now, so feel free to entertain and/or amuse me.
Is it a conspiracy that no one is responding to my “tit” comment?
no, but we were all offended and had a private discussion about removing you from the site. tits have no place on the internet. the internet is for tartar, and nothing more.
Well at least Ruven Afandor can rest easy. CocoNut approves of his work. To quote : “His work is actually quite good.” What a load of his shoulders! I love the inclusion of “actually.”
How is Eduardo’s comment harsh and cocoNUT’s review not? Actual question. I am clearly self-conscious about this… even though it has nothing to do with me.
Let’s also be sensitive to the “code.” I have a toe out of the closet but I remind all villains not to open the door and reveal. Thank you!
On another note entirely, Eduardo makes an awesome point about asking for something you want if it’s not to your liking. An undesirable food consistency is up for critique. A bad table if you don’t ask to sit elsewhere isn’t. I hate getting bad tables so I often hold out for the next if I can stand to. In my opinion, it’s better to be honest about tastes and let the server and cook think you’re HM than to be unhappy and whine. As a server I couldn’t care less about someone needing more sauce or less ice. It was my job to do what people want, and I wanted tips. The worst that can happen is “sorry, no.” Chevre instead of feta? BFD. Ask.
You know — not changing the subject entirely — as much as I like this restaurant, I have to tell you… and I know, because I know the people behind it fairly well… that the place has been up against it. And being up against it is not an easy thing for a a new restaurant. In a town with as few people and as many (!) restaurants as Charlottesville.
Did you know that the place was nearly destroyed last fall, when it was discovered that the lead chef at that time was forging checks on the house account to the tune of nearly Fifty Thousand Dollars?
Well he left — and the proprietor was nice enough not to prosecute him for it,,, but you have to imagine that it was a sad and demoralizing moment.
They got through it, and kept on going, with the kitchen under the direction of a young talented woman. But trouble continued: the new chef could not handle the stress of her job. I was told by servers there that she would go haywire if someone came in for dinner at 9:15 (!), and that they were afraid to ask her for additional bread when tables requested it?
So — last night… Saturday, I was there, and learned that the place almost didn’t open yesterday. Seems the lady in question had submitted her two weeks notice earlier in the week, but then didn’t bother to honor that commitment. Instead: she failed to show up, along with her two underlings. There was nothing prepped, and nothing ordered — so that the remaining crew had to scurry to do the best they could on a very busy night. The food was cooked by the man that usually works for the catering arm of the operation, along with a friend of his.These guys did a great job, never having done dinner before. The bartender washed the dishes. The owner made the drinks. The place held together, in spite of the sabotage. There were only a few, understandable, complaints.
If this isn’t a citadel of fine dining, that’s fine with me. I don’t think it’s supposed to be. It is, I think, an entirely comfortable place to go out to eat, with atmosphere you really couldn’t have in New York. (Charlottesville, happily, is not a zoo, and so that is possible here.)
Anyways, I say ease up on Boheme — it has lots of chops and promise. If only they will learn to stop hiring nutcases to run the kitchen…
Well shiet, that probably explains such divergent opinions.
What is the big deal? Try a place, if you like it go back, if not, don’t. It is obvious that this is just a few people that know each other, or have an idea of who the other people are, and are having a drawn out dumb conversation. This is just stupid. I was searching Boheme, and this crap came up. I was intrigued at first, and then just disgusted. It did draw me in, I have to admit. It is a shame however that a diner who is interested in going out has to be infected by the negativity coming from a lot of the users on this site. Not that any of these comments whould sway MY decision to go anywhere, but for some it might, and it is not fair to Boheme, that this site could cause loss of business for them due to a few peolple, probably from competing places, or friends of the same. Give it a chance regardless of what this site says. Why order the vegitarian meal anyway? It is always just overpriced, and never satisfying. Order a soup and salad, and eat all of the bread for gods sakes. I agree with Lilith, if something is wrong let someone know then if nothing is done, then write in about it. Give them the chance to fix things. This just seems like a site for people who do not have the balls to tell a waiter or manager that there is a problem with their dining experience. As a former manager of several places, I assure you that for the most part all employees want to make your dining experience a pleasurable one, and if there are any problems, are more than happy to fix them, or compensate you for your discomfort. I will not get involved in the tartare debate of ‘08.
Your meta commentary is a lot more boring than any of the actual commentary. Yet it does give me a chance to make the meta meta commentary.
Ordering the veg dish: I think it is a good workout for the kitchen. Without heavy animal fats to make the flav, chef’s gotta work the roast to turn the light oil reaction. I am not veg, but I think it’s a good test. (Better than “eating all the bread”! Or, I drink your milkshake.)
Tartare debate. Since you mentioned it, I guess you want to hear more about it. Now “eduardo” claims it was not on the menu. Reviewer’s “last weekend” moved. OK, you’re right, it is boring. Maybe they drove up to the IGA and got some ground chuck after some fool ordered it off-menu.
D’Art post @95. Unboring.
Jalapeño, thanks for coming, but it sounds like you have had very little exposure to fine food. If “don’t order the vegetarian dish” is your solution, what about all those people who don’t eat meat? Are they stuck to soup (which is going to be 100% vegetarian everywhere, right?), salad and bread?
Also, as for not liking a dish if you’ve worked in a restaurant you know how much of a big deal it is to send a dish back. I send a dish back for being under/overcooked, but not for being not great. I have had many not great a dish in this town, but just because it doesn’t fit my definition of “great’ doesn’t mean that the restaurant can fix it.
Oh, forgot to add this site is probably bigger than you think. I looked a the statistics for just this article. Not including email readers, it was viewed over 1000 times by 550 people in the last three days.
The people who author most of the content on this site have no affiliation to any restaurant or bar in this town.
So, please be kind and informed before making accusations.
I’m sorry, but if you can’t throw together a few vegetables, what kind of chef are you? Not a critique of Boheme, just of restos in general.
@94 Thank you for having a clear mind and I could not agree more.
@99 I wish all the moderators were as diplomatic as Lilith, this looks like a personal attack, this whole post seems like a case deParis/Redinger against the people posting on Cvillain. I am not disclosing names but you who are in charge or own this site should maybe consider that this site only will have mass appeal if someone takes the high road and refrain from being defensive and sticking up for each other for the sake of sticking up when the majority disagree or challenge a post by one of your own. When you are King you have to be benevolent, only then will the people love you. Admit when you make a mistake or apologize when you go too far, like the rest of us. Thor you used to be better than this.
Jalapeno: by commenting on this site you just supported its existance. And yes, I agree with Thor on the vegetarian dish comment. Vegeterian dishes should not be excluded from a restaurant review…if its on the menu its fair game. We should look at all menu items in the same light if that were the case. So you are officially involved in the Tartare Debate of 08′. Welcome!
As for this post giving a negative light to Boheme…I don’t this that is a superlative. There isn’t anywhere else on the net that is cville based where you can catch this kind of heated discourse about a restaurant. There are obviously those that do and do not like Boheme.
In light of D’Art enlightening commentary above, it does strengthen the inconsistancy argument. I would be interested to know when things are smooth sailing in the French quarter.
Um, how was I offensive? It seems as though you had a disagreement with others and as always I sit back and enjoy the discourse. I stated my opinion as i usually do.
I’m sorry we can’t reach a consensus on this one, but I will be going back to try things again like I always do, as will others.
Look, if Boheme had people in the kitchen who were messing up and cocoNUT and others happened to eat there at a bad time and we figured that out; then didn’t we resolve things? I didn’t see a majority disagreeing, not sure where you got that idea.
Everyone knows cocoNUT has a hard head. That’s how he’s always been. Anyway, I’m sorry you think I’m failing, but I think this is more about consistency problems at a restaurant.
Honestly, I thought this was some of the best food in town, but things changed and here we are, all confused over whether or not steak tartare has eggs in it. WELCOME TO THE INTERNET
Not about the egg, about the scallions and all that, capers, mustard. Maybe that justifies the grinding. I drink your milkshake, with an egg in it.
ooooo yum, capers and mustard.
A very wise woman once said:
“as long as you subscribe to the “negative attention is better than no attention” adage, consider this free advertising and consider yourself the coolest kid on the block”
Get yourself a drink Boheme, you’ve earned it.
cheers to that
Can I come out now? Is it over?
I’m happy!
@107… I’ll drink to that! = )
One other thing: what does it mean to be “Definitely No Puccini”?
If we updated — would we say: “Defintely No Kenny G”?
Puccini is a rare elegant cousin of the Zucchini, and is generally used as a symbol of restaurants that serve only the finest waters, as Puccinis will only grow when watered with Peligrino and the like.
/the more you know!
How do you even know that B yo?! My god you are a plethora of knowledge!
Wait till you see belmont yo’s special post tomorrow!
And of course by “special post”, she means “short bus, helmet and dribble-bib special”.
/im here to tell ya.
I know alot about Boheme I use to work there. I think if you have an dream of running your own resturant you should have some idea on how to run it! When there are problems don’t blame on other people so you can get pitty from your guest. Don’t act like you have no idea money was missing. Treat your staff right and give them the help they need instead of just saying you will do fine. Don’t count on people that has never run resturant. The owner has to do more than just stand at the baar and look pretty and drink wine.
@95:
ask yourself why a whole kitchen staff walks out on a restaurant.
and consider the laws of probability when determining whether several employees just all happen to be nutcases or if it’s an individual smalltown restaurant owner.
then again, you’re probably said owner. live & learn? yeah, right.
re: D’Art post @95.
I heard it was $100K. OK, here is how unreliable this rumor is. I overheard on the street, no names, just “partner ripped him off for $100K, looking for somebody to do x”, x being part of a restaurant business. Drink that milkshake! For shizz. /Absurdly pretentious homicidal statement issued with bad haircut./ If you wanted to commit me, you should have kept me in Wisconsin, where my arrest, the videotape, and the eyewitness statements would have been enough to satisfy jurisdiction. I can become again the man who once crossed the surrey park at dusk, in my best suit, swaggering on the promise of life. Oscar buttocks.
Hmm. Seems somebody’s put the Benzadrine in good old colfer’s Ovaltine again.
yeah. either that or a serial killer from wisconsin is in his house right now. either way i can’t really help.
Wow Colfer
/what?
The most recent three posts all seem to refer to an earlier one of mine, so I want to make a few things very clear:
1. I am not the owner of Boheme, am only a fan.
2. I could be wrong about the amount of money that was embezzled from the restaurant, but have more than enough inside information to know that it was substantial.
3. In the restaurant business, or perhaps all businesses, when there are compensation issues, you discuss them. Or, in worst case scenarios, you take it all to court. But you just don’t walk out on a Saturday night without warning anyone. Unless you’re an amateur.
4. None of these three comments are actually literate enough for me to waste my time replying. (Nice use of the / slash!) Aren’t I a nice person for bothering to?
god this place is a fucking bloodbath. get me out of here.
Wow — people come and go so quickly here!
By “three most recent posts” as I mentioned above, I am referring to Nos. 117-119.
god this place is a fucking bloodbath
Blood, Bath and Beyond?
/needs a new spatula
//slashy!
Parlie, well that is what you get when you envoke steak tartar(e)
Mumbling grandpa meant to say this: it’s rumor, for example, I did actually hear that on the street today. The rest are quotes from the 5 oscar-nominated movies, and one from a recipient (Tilda Swinton). More ovaltine!
I am not the chef at Boheme, but if I were and if I had read this post, I would have walked out too.
The owner has to do more than just stand at the bar and look pretty and drink wine.
What??? Then what the hell’s the point of owning a restaraunt.
/need new dream
I just know the owner pretty well for the pass five years and when you turn into a complete ass and you blame everybody else Than you have issues. You have to treat people right and not to try to screew them over. Especily when the old chief had raise most of the money and the reason he did not prosecute was they the investors were all his friends and relative. The owner stared treating them all like shit and siaid he was going to pay them back and never did. They were already talking about taking him to court . So basicly he had to let the guy off .
back @123
@119 & 128
I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE!
Anybody else see SNL this weekend? Couldn’t stop laughing at the I drink your milkshake show. Hader did a pretty awesome Daniel Plainview.
So a propos. I think baked stuffed lobster is a perfect metaphor for this post. Why yes, I am going to finally tell you how to make it! No, you do not put the animal in boiling water. You put the lobster on its back to render it completely helpless, then stick the point of a very sharp knife in its head and slice down as hard and fast as you can and let it sit there dead and wait for its claws to stop flailing around.
But… could this lobster get the last word in?
I am going to finally tell you how to make it
…oooor maybe just tell us about the killing part.
Dont worry. I have a small stash of thorazine. I’ll hook you up.
Oh. My bad. Then you stuff it and bake it.
With what do you stuff it, dear lilith, dear lilith?
With what do you stuff it, dear lilith, with what?
Ugh. I am never eating lobster again.
Lobsters have feelings too. That is it I can’t do this anymore, I have to go on a hiatus, too much brutality and anger
“oh yeah, right lisa. a wonderful, maaaaaaagical animal.”
I can’t believe this stupid thread is still going. Where’s cocoNUT???
fucking matt damon
oh caroline that was so funny, I actually laughed out loud
[…] in the tartare Nazi thread, the thread jack turned to odd food. That got me wondering– what is the strangest thing I have been served and expected to eat? […]
a little more lychee a little less raz.. flawless… XO