Odyssey to expand with nacho concept at Lincoln Center; how to reinvent your bar every three months; José's celebrates 50; My Cellar Wine Bar opens + more food & drink news
Hi James, thanks for the kind words of support and for writing with the question.
Fair question and somewhat of a pandora's box as the Roswell review has aged over the years and been probably my most controversial piece to date. A lot of that review was a moment-in-time analysis of our larger scene and many felt I was unfair to use them as such an example, and I've since partly agreed that they shouldn't have taken the full brunt of a state-of-the-scene commentary. It was just that coming after the Smorbrod closure when the town rejected something unique by a talented chef (we could digress into the reasons why) in favor of a rum and coke spot with food that I felt was mediocre and poorly executed (at least during our visits) I wrote somewhat of a reactionary review. Kinda like, this, here, now? I was blaming the marketplace and consumers, to a degree ... it's always about where we choose to spend our dollars that sends the signals of what this culinary scene will grow into. Anyway, so that I don't write the longest response ever here, let me jump to Nacho Matrix.
It's coming from time-tested operators (10 years with Odyssey) who've been mulling this concept over for nearly as many years. They're members of the Side Dish Dozen I have to say with transparency. It's clearly a concept built off the popularity of a comfort food item served at bars and eateries all over - but taking that item to the extreme of spinning it 10 different ways and making it customizable. Kind of like the mac and cheese places that have opened and offer various toppings (like barbecue meats) to compose a full menu. It's obviously beer-friendly for the location right next to Goat Patch, which will be a key synergy to making the project work, I'm sure.
I can't defend nachos as groundbreaking, other than the uniqueness of how the staff has approached building out their signature plates to spin various international cuisines, etc. As you say, that's novel, and unique in town (whereas Roswell's menu was generally standards found elsewhere widely in town). They've worked to do the necessary steps to layer the plates as they build them to ideally get something of each ingredient in every (or most) bites, so it's not just a rain of toppings on top of a dry pile of chips. So anyway I take it at face value of how elevated nachos as a canvas can become. FWIW the limited items I've tried when I was by to photograph at the soft open I enjoyed, with no higher expectations than knowing I was going in for dolled up nachos -- I need to get back to try the other 85% of the menu, including the other nacho variants and the pozole and other items before I could levy any honest judgement. But even then, I'd professionally recuse myself to a large degree and re-state the fact that they're a Side Dish sponsor and anything I write the reader will have to decide if I've been unbiased or held punches, etc. It's a slippery slope and a new era for me as a journo after 2 decades. Back at the Indy we had a sales dept. and church and state and I never had to touch sales in any way. Now, as the sole guy behind Side Dish, to survive as an independent journalist, I need funding to make a living. So I've made this deal with the Dozen members who I've placed in a special category -- without them I can say Side Dish wouldn't be viable (because although I sincerely appreciate every dollar given by voluntary paid subscribers, it's not enough to make even a part-time salary at this time).
So as a wrap-up, I'd probably say something like it's a different time despite being the same place location wise. Different considerations as I approach the memory of the one and the first opening weeks of the other. Too soon to say personally until I get back to dine. Feel free to reach out with your experiences at Nacho if you make it in - happy to hear your honest assessment. And again, thanks for the inquiry and food for thought. Cheers!
Schniper, I dig the blog & content, it's exactly what I'm looking for here in Springs.
I'm having a hard time reconciling two reviews: the former The Roswell & that of Nacho Matrix.
What?... a menu oriented around nachos isn't "jejune"?
Bahn Mi nachos? Italian nachos? Ahi Tuna nachos? - novel, but I can hardly keep a straight face.
Hi James, thanks for the kind words of support and for writing with the question.
Fair question and somewhat of a pandora's box as the Roswell review has aged over the years and been probably my most controversial piece to date. A lot of that review was a moment-in-time analysis of our larger scene and many felt I was unfair to use them as such an example, and I've since partly agreed that they shouldn't have taken the full brunt of a state-of-the-scene commentary. It was just that coming after the Smorbrod closure when the town rejected something unique by a talented chef (we could digress into the reasons why) in favor of a rum and coke spot with food that I felt was mediocre and poorly executed (at least during our visits) I wrote somewhat of a reactionary review. Kinda like, this, here, now? I was blaming the marketplace and consumers, to a degree ... it's always about where we choose to spend our dollars that sends the signals of what this culinary scene will grow into. Anyway, so that I don't write the longest response ever here, let me jump to Nacho Matrix.
It's coming from time-tested operators (10 years with Odyssey) who've been mulling this concept over for nearly as many years. They're members of the Side Dish Dozen I have to say with transparency. It's clearly a concept built off the popularity of a comfort food item served at bars and eateries all over - but taking that item to the extreme of spinning it 10 different ways and making it customizable. Kind of like the mac and cheese places that have opened and offer various toppings (like barbecue meats) to compose a full menu. It's obviously beer-friendly for the location right next to Goat Patch, which will be a key synergy to making the project work, I'm sure.
I can't defend nachos as groundbreaking, other than the uniqueness of how the staff has approached building out their signature plates to spin various international cuisines, etc. As you say, that's novel, and unique in town (whereas Roswell's menu was generally standards found elsewhere widely in town). They've worked to do the necessary steps to layer the plates as they build them to ideally get something of each ingredient in every (or most) bites, so it's not just a rain of toppings on top of a dry pile of chips. So anyway I take it at face value of how elevated nachos as a canvas can become. FWIW the limited items I've tried when I was by to photograph at the soft open I enjoyed, with no higher expectations than knowing I was going in for dolled up nachos -- I need to get back to try the other 85% of the menu, including the other nacho variants and the pozole and other items before I could levy any honest judgement. But even then, I'd professionally recuse myself to a large degree and re-state the fact that they're a Side Dish sponsor and anything I write the reader will have to decide if I've been unbiased or held punches, etc. It's a slippery slope and a new era for me as a journo after 2 decades. Back at the Indy we had a sales dept. and church and state and I never had to touch sales in any way. Now, as the sole guy behind Side Dish, to survive as an independent journalist, I need funding to make a living. So I've made this deal with the Dozen members who I've placed in a special category -- without them I can say Side Dish wouldn't be viable (because although I sincerely appreciate every dollar given by voluntary paid subscribers, it's not enough to make even a part-time salary at this time).
So as a wrap-up, I'd probably say something like it's a different time despite being the same place location wise. Different considerations as I approach the memory of the one and the first opening weeks of the other. Too soon to say personally until I get back to dine. Feel free to reach out with your experiences at Nacho if you make it in - happy to hear your honest assessment. And again, thanks for the inquiry and food for thought. Cheers!
Touche - I was being reactionary, blaming the marketplace, consumers; & disappointed in the Springs food scene writ large w/ a few rare exceptions.
I've been in at Nacho Matrix on four separate occasions.
The nachos were fine; I preferred some of the non-nacho items.
Thanks for the dialogue. We'll be seeing you around.