Recent Openings/New Losses

Anyone who's glanced at this blog probably knows how much I miss Limani, or how much of an insult Duro was to Limani's legacy. Weezie's Kitchen, the most recent incarnation of the restaurant, opened recently in the ill-fated Carytown location. Compared to Duro, it has much more potential, though it's not the most interesting eatery in town.

I went to Weezie's Kitchen expecting a dineresque experience, with low prices and casual fare. While the welcome was warm, and the waitress was friendly and competent, little about the atmosphere or cuisine said "comfort food." I recognized the elegant bar, white walls and decorative red highlights of red from Duro, which were only different from Limani because they weren't cobalt blue.

The menu included a page of appetizers and dishes with an insert listing alcoholic beverages and entrees for the day. The items on the menu were fairly inconsistent - chicken tenders, salad options, meatloaf and grilled fish aren't not usually grouped together under the comfort food category. After we ordered, the server brought us four warm pieces of white, homestyle bread with packaged butter.

For an appetizer, we tried the chicken tenders, which were light, crispy, and clearly homemade. I chose crabcakes for my main course, and picked two side dishes from ten to twelve options. My roasted red potatoes and green beans were decent but not spectacular, and the crabcakes were tasty but on the mushy side. Some of the entrees had designated side dishes, while others allowed for choices - interesting and a little confusing. Nothing at Weezie's Kitchen made me feel strongly about going back, but if I liked meatloaf I might be happy about the Carytown addition.

Another disappointing new venue just took over my favorite Fan coffee shop. Crossroads, whose first location is on the Southside, opened a second shop in the old World Cup. Serving Rostov's coffee and Bev's ice cream (minus the rich hot fudge on their sundaes), Crossroads doesn't offer much in the way of originality. Their breakfast, lunch and vegetarian options are pretty standard, and their scones look weak compared to the robust triangles of sweet pastry World Cup sold. I had a bagel with packaged peanut butter, which was barely toasted and seemed to be as mediocre as the old bagels, and a Naked Juice, which you can get almost anywhere.

I don't see Weezie's Kitchen in my future, but I will most likely end up at Crossroads again, just to be sure it doesn't live up to its predecessor.