The group celebration of Tony's birthday tonight was the occasion for a visit to the old B&C. Not a venue I was hanging out to dine at, I must admit, but 'interesting' nevertheless.
The food, steaks all round, was as you'd expect. The salad bar, ditto.
The thing that had me gobsmacked was the staggering number of diners there tonight. I know every man and his dog seem to enjoy eating there. It's a well known venue for your average joe.
So I assume tonight was typical of any Friday night at Ball and Chain. They were hanging from the rafters, and guess what? The host for our booking told me halfway through the meal that they'd been told the table was re-booked for 8.00 pm so we had to be out by then.
The 3 rooms downstairs were chokkers, plus upstairs. Then for them to have re-bookings - that's extraordinary, I reckon!
And true to their word, as our table of 14, plus an adjoining table of 8 left, there was a crowd inside the door, waiting patiently if noisily for us to vacate.
Amazing!
It's not like the food is that great. It's fine, but quite frankly it's nothing to write home about. I watched the grill chefs slaving away, sweating profusely, and the waitstaff ploughing through the crowds constantly, clearing back and delivering.
The place was like the busiest anthole you've ever seen. What a great way to make money!
I tell you, Phil Capon is no mug.
Sitting back listening to and watching all the hustle and bustle, I thought back to the time B&C was first opened by the late and great George McHugh. Remember the sing-alongs he used to force all diners to participate in after all the mains had gone out? Remember the bibs you used to have to tie round your necks prior to eating? Thank god those days are gone! I hated that sing-along thing! Despite the great food there, I tried to escape well and truly before all that singing palaver started!
Ah well, maybe change IS good!
Friday, 2 May 2008
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12 comments:
And I would lay good money that it wasn't that cheap either Rita? It is sad that in this affluent and educated time that mediocrity and McChurnover will always be sortafter. Don't get me wrong, the best meals I have ever had are the simplest like my Wife's lasagne, a bbq with friends or a hawkers pad thai, but when you are paying top dollar you would expect a little more that a grilled hunk of indeterminate quality beef, a deep fried potato and a sneeze buffet - sorry, salad bar.
I love a good steak with simple sides and as I eat very little meat, a steak is a treat, but I wouldn't pay their prices for it.
Good on them for making it a success, and I'm sure years of hard work has paid of, but why aren't the top restaurants, cafes and regional eateries busier? Come on Hobart, eat outside the square!
What do they charge for a steak mains, HRV?
I remmber incurring the wrath of the waitress (she scowled) when I said my steak was underdone!
Us customers is just palestines.
Medium rump steak - $21.90
Large eye fillet - $42.00
Bread Roll - $2.60
Sides (chips or veg) - 5.50
Aveage meal price including salad bar, no drinks - $40.05 for main only. It is certainly up there
And no you are not a 'philistine' just a customer asking for what they ordered.
Cheers, HRV...yes, that's getting up there.
Mind you, it's well known. I heard US sailors charge into it for a steak when in town.
And recently, in a small bookshop in Strathalbyn (SA), we got chatting to the owner.
When we said we were from Hobart, she said: ``Oh, our pal owns the Ball and Chain, do you know it?''
Small world.
Yes hry - you're correct about it not being cheap to eat there! I suppose my post was about the fact that for a place with such highly priced mediocre food, they were SO busy I can't believe it. It seems to me to be like the emperors new clothes. And we had to wait AGES for the food to come out. Understandable given the circumstances, but combined with all the above, I find it hard to understand the whys and wherefores.
Rita, thank you for putting into words what I have always felt about the Ball & Chain. How depressing to realise that its popularity seems to verify that we Hobartians are, to quote Sir Grumpy, just a bunch of palestines.
Cheers
Curly
It does fit into the American style of average dining and would certainly appeal. And yes it is a small world.
I HATE the B&C salad bar, and actually the B&C most of the time. TIs good if I am craving steak and cant be arsed cooking and I have a bit of money...otherwise, Meh.
The B&C is consistently acceptable and safe - which I guess is why people keep going back.
I don't mind it for a 'family' dinner (the older folks love it) but it's not very interesting. The steaks are usually cooked pretty well, mind you I don't personally eat steak!
Plus B&C is still really popular with tourists. A large number of tourists still are stuck in the late 80's when there was only B&C, Mures and The Druken Admiral, because they are still the only places that they have heard about.
It always makes me laugh when Phil is in the paper complaining about the 'slim' margins of restaurants! Ha!
I reckon we're all just confirming what Sir Grumpy said way back at the beginning, and which Curly endorsed - we're all just a bunch of palestines!
I also remember the old days with George McHugh - a favourite for wedding receptions in the 70s. I went back a few times at the urging of JS a year or two back. It was OK but nothing special. I recall one occasion when Mon found a steak a bit tough and overdone. The waitress was most surly and stood glaring at her while she ate her replacement meal. I was amazed at the prices they are charging now.
In the meantime, I think I'll content myself with a nice medium porterhouse at the Shamrock, or, even better, get a bit of that wonderful aged eye fillet from Wursthaus and good it to perfection at home for about the same cost.
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