Bauer Calls Original Joe's a Reinvented Classic

The city's original restaurant critic, the notorious M.B., has reviewed the new Original Joe's. You probably remember that in 2007, the former location of Original Joe's on Taylor Street was badly damaged by a horrible fire. After much speculation as to what would become of the SF institution, the restaurant reopened in the old Joe DiMaggio's Steakhouse space in North Beach. Now Bauer given Original Joe's his two-and-half-star stamp of approval.

He enjoys the restaurant's decor and believes the designers, Arcanum Architecture, "should get a special award for giving the interior of the new Original Joe's a modern look while evoking the feel of the original." As for the food, the menu, which remains similar to the old one, it "takes pretension and throws it in the recycling bin."

While Bauer likes many of the starters, including the artichoke spinach dip "even if it appears the spinach started out frozen and the artichokes canned," he finds the entrees to be inconsistent. The ravioli is "flabby" and the sole piccata "overcooked." Don't even get him started about the coffee, it's "weak as tea, something that hasn't been brought up to today's standards." Overall, he appreciates Original Joe's for making him feel as if he's taken a trip to the past, but in "a reimagined, wholly satisfying way."

· All Original Joe's Coverage [~ ESF ~]
[Photo: Molly DeCoudreaux]]