Tuesday, February 14, 2012
The Royal Devil (Not Exact Translation)
This has to be one of the most unique and intimate restaurants I have seen New York City, so far.
Diablo Royale is located in the West Village on 189 W 10th St. (Btw Bleeker and W. 4th St.) If you are ever in the mood for Mexican cuisine you should take all measure to try to make it to Diablo Royale. Diablo Royale describes itself as, "A Mexican Kitchen & Saloon specializing in Tacos & Tequilas" and it is exactly that!
The old, rustic theme throughout the restaurant is exactly the type of place one would want to spend their Cinco De Mayo! The warmth of the Mexican candles all over the restaurant keeps you wanting more frozen margaritas! To match the dimly lit, semi-religious theme throughout the restaurant, the two sets of stairs which lead to nowhere somehow do not seem out of place. The entire restaurant could easily hold around 200 people.
I find it important within any restaurant to sit down and enjoy part of the meal before going to do any sort of critique on the restroom. The reason for this is so that I create my own expectations for how I believe the bathroom should look in comparison to the nature of the restaurant as a whole. In the case of Diablo Royale, my expectations were VERY high! For most of dinner I was distracted by the intense ambiance, so much that I couldn't stop looking around (in a good way). After having three terrific tacos and a classic frozen margarita, I was on my way to the heart of Diablo Royale . . . El Bano!
I say that el bano was at "the heart of Diablo Royale" because it was literally in the center of the Mexican palace. The door to the restroom looks like old shipwreck wood with a center piece of class about 3 ft x 3 ft. On the other side of the glass (to create the privacy) is a deep, bright, red curtain which nearly intimidates anyone who dares open the door. I felt as though I was entering the devils personal office! As I opened the door I felt more and more excited and then . . . . nothing.
Once inside this highly anticipated bathroom, I was quickly overwhelmed with disappointment. I mean, it was fine, but not what I expected. In a sense it did match the theme of what was outside its seductive door, however, it was not nearly as impressive. Was it dimly lit? Yes. Did it have the dark browns and bright reds? Well, the walls were more of a lighter wood and the trashcan was painted red. However, I still wasn't impressed.
I had to wait to go inside, which at the time was fine because of the anticipation, but once inside I didn't enjoy that it was such a mediocre single person bathroom. I felt almost rushed because I knew the line had probably already built back up. The inside was very one dimensional. The classic white toilet, sink, and bright red trash can were all on the same side of the bathroom (the wall one faces when entering). On the back wall (to the right of where one enters) are cage like shelves with exposed toilet paper. While this could have been interpreted as semi artistic, it just seemed "convenient" for the restaurant to put up a cheap self and put all their toilet paper on it. I know what some of you may say, "Well obviously its best if the toilet paper is all kept in the bathroom, thats where its used!" However, it is important to remember that it is the duty (not a bathroom joke) of a restaurant to keep their lavatories clean and stacked with all proper materials!
Something that I was conflicted on in this bano was the large mirror over the sink. Overall it was a nice mirror, but I'm not sure if it really fit the setting of this particular bathroom. The large oval mirror ran horizontal instead of vertically which I found interesting. Having the mirror horizontal gave it more space on the wall, which allowed for more of a reflection on the rest of the bathroom. Since the bathroom was not that impressive in the first place I did not see a need to constantly remind me when I looked in the mirror.
All in all, the bathroom was clean and it did semi represent what was on the outside of the intense door. However, it seemed very basic to me, which normally I like. Although this time I needed more. What about one candle for crying out loud. I mean, there seemed to be hundreds in the restaurant and not a single candle in the bathroom. I often try to put myself in the shoes of the restaurant to see how much time, effort, and resources were put into a bathroom. For a restaurant that only has one bathroom you would think it would look a bit better. Therefore, on my usual scale out of 10. I award the Diablo Royale a 3.
While I did not feel like royalty sitting on the porcelain throne of the Diablo Royale, I would highly recommend this Mexican hideout any day.
Diablo Royale is located in the West Village on 189 W 10th St. (Btw Bleeker and W. 4th St.) If you are ever in the mood for Mexican cuisine you should take all measure to try to make it to Diablo Royale. Diablo Royale describes itself as, "A Mexican Kitchen & Saloon specializing in Tacos & Tequilas" and it is exactly that!
The old, rustic theme throughout the restaurant is exactly the type of place one would want to spend their Cinco De Mayo! The warmth of the Mexican candles all over the restaurant keeps you wanting more frozen margaritas! To match the dimly lit, semi-religious theme throughout the restaurant, the two sets of stairs which lead to nowhere somehow do not seem out of place. The entire restaurant could easily hold around 200 people.
I find it important within any restaurant to sit down and enjoy part of the meal before going to do any sort of critique on the restroom. The reason for this is so that I create my own expectations for how I believe the bathroom should look in comparison to the nature of the restaurant as a whole. In the case of Diablo Royale, my expectations were VERY high! For most of dinner I was distracted by the intense ambiance, so much that I couldn't stop looking around (in a good way). After having three terrific tacos and a classic frozen margarita, I was on my way to the heart of Diablo Royale . . . El Bano!
I say that el bano was at "the heart of Diablo Royale" because it was literally in the center of the Mexican palace. The door to the restroom looks like old shipwreck wood with a center piece of class about 3 ft x 3 ft. On the other side of the glass (to create the privacy) is a deep, bright, red curtain which nearly intimidates anyone who dares open the door. I felt as though I was entering the devils personal office! As I opened the door I felt more and more excited and then . . . . nothing.
Once inside this highly anticipated bathroom, I was quickly overwhelmed with disappointment. I mean, it was fine, but not what I expected. In a sense it did match the theme of what was outside its seductive door, however, it was not nearly as impressive. Was it dimly lit? Yes. Did it have the dark browns and bright reds? Well, the walls were more of a lighter wood and the trashcan was painted red. However, I still wasn't impressed.
I had to wait to go inside, which at the time was fine because of the anticipation, but once inside I didn't enjoy that it was such a mediocre single person bathroom. I felt almost rushed because I knew the line had probably already built back up. The inside was very one dimensional. The classic white toilet, sink, and bright red trash can were all on the same side of the bathroom (the wall one faces when entering). On the back wall (to the right of where one enters) are cage like shelves with exposed toilet paper. While this could have been interpreted as semi artistic, it just seemed "convenient" for the restaurant to put up a cheap self and put all their toilet paper on it. I know what some of you may say, "Well obviously its best if the toilet paper is all kept in the bathroom, thats where its used!" However, it is important to remember that it is the duty (not a bathroom joke) of a restaurant to keep their lavatories clean and stacked with all proper materials!
Something that I was conflicted on in this bano was the large mirror over the sink. Overall it was a nice mirror, but I'm not sure if it really fit the setting of this particular bathroom. The large oval mirror ran horizontal instead of vertically which I found interesting. Having the mirror horizontal gave it more space on the wall, which allowed for more of a reflection on the rest of the bathroom. Since the bathroom was not that impressive in the first place I did not see a need to constantly remind me when I looked in the mirror.
All in all, the bathroom was clean and it did semi represent what was on the outside of the intense door. However, it seemed very basic to me, which normally I like. Although this time I needed more. What about one candle for crying out loud. I mean, there seemed to be hundreds in the restaurant and not a single candle in the bathroom. I often try to put myself in the shoes of the restaurant to see how much time, effort, and resources were put into a bathroom. For a restaurant that only has one bathroom you would think it would look a bit better. Therefore, on my usual scale out of 10. I award the Diablo Royale a 3.
While I did not feel like royalty sitting on the porcelain throne of the Diablo Royale, I would highly recommend this Mexican hideout any day.
Monday, January 30, 2012
The True Artisan ROAM Burger
For those of you who enjoy meat, you may experience what I like to call the "Craze Burger Crave." This is when nothing in the world can satisfy you except an amazing burger. While many restaurants rave about their classic American dish, there are only two restaurants I have ever eaten at that I believe have, "THE WOLRD'S BEST HAMBURGER!" These two restaurants are: 1. R. J. Grunts - Chicago, IL. and 2. Artisan ROAM Burger - San Francisco, CA.
Roam Burger is located at 1785 Union Street (between Octavia and Gough) San Francisco, CA 94123. This atmosphere of Roam is exactly what I would want my restaurant/ bar to look like (if I had one). This ROAM has very warm tan walls which accented well with the bright, cherry red, bar stools which sit under the large wooden bar! The atmosphere at Roam creates to perfect combination of a bar/ family restaurant.
The loo at Roam is as classic as the cuisine and the rest of the restaurant's atmosphere. The first thing to note about the bathroom at Roam is that they have two unisex bathrooms which I find to be a huge plus! The equality and consistency of both the male/ female restroom is always impressive. Having unisex bathrooms allows for traffic to flow easily between both the male and female lines. One of the watersheds is also handicap accessible!
As soon as you step into this spacious bathroom you first recognize how wonderfully clean it is kept! The beauty of this bathroom is held in its simplicity and elegance. If the bathroom were a rectangle, the toilet would be on the back, left, small wall. Directly across from the toilet on the on the parallel wall rests the sink on a dark granite counter that spans the entire width of the loo. The mirror is simple and large, this compliments the centered sink very well. The door to this spacious private/ public room is on the right of the longer sides.
Along the perimeter of the walls are two tile boarders midway down the wall that stand out from the rest of the white tiles. One of the boarders is an alternation of blue and green tiles which create a similar spiral effect one would find on a candy-cane, while the other boarder is a simple green strip. These boarders help continue Roams theme of a warm, elegant feeling. The classiness of the tiles is replicated with the same light green color found on the accent wall just behind the mirror.
Roam has has struck the chord of the type of restroom I would like to find in all restaurants. It is simple, elegant, private, and most importantly clean! The addition of having a hand dryer (saving paper waste) helps keep Roam environmentally responsible. Therefore, I award Artisan Roam Burger a 9.5 out of 10!
In addition to having a terrific bathroom, the burgers at ROAM are absolutely spectacular. After I finished my first burger, I immediately order a second. Usually, I don't enjoy indulging myself with heavy foods, but ordering two burgers is a must. In fact, I could have ordered a third but thought it would best to use it as an excuse to one day return the Artisan.
This is truly a San Francisco treat!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
Pictures
Irish Bank
The Irish Bank