I was excited about happy hour at Les Tontons. My colleague had been here once before and the ambiance looked right: cozy and intimate, with low chairs and tables and soft lighting.
I had high hopes when I walked in, too, because the six of us were seated immediately, and then given a shooter of St. Germain and fresh lemon. If you're trying to hook me in, elderflower liquor is a surefire way! (Great music is another way, and Tontons delivered on that too.)
We tried to order just then, but the woman handing out the shooters couldn't help us: she was there to promote St. Germain and wasn't affiliated with the restaurant. That gave us time to choose our food, at least. After seeing Da Rosa products on the menu, we decided to split the mixed platter, with charcuterie and cheese, among the six of us.
The Da Rosa meats lived up to our expectations, but the cheese selection was bland and, frankly, boring. Where were the sharp flavors, the oozing variety? Were these prepared hours ago, just pulled out of the fridge? It seemed so by the looks of the wilted lettuce and the pasty gherkins.
While the cheese part of the platter was disappointing, that wasn't the worst of it. Unfortunately, the Tontons version of this cocktail is not made with fresh lemon. My drink had the bitter, chemical taste of lemon out of a box or squeeze bottle, one that is saturated with artificial compounds to preserve freshness and flavor. I looked longingly at the shooters and wished I could have poured them into a tall glass and enjoyed the cocktail the way it should have been.
There was time for another round before happy hour was up (great prices here!). Not up for a super sweet cocktail, I chose a rum and coke for a second drink. They brought me a real Cuba libre, with artificial squeeze bottle lime juice!
It's a real shame about the chemical citrus and sad cheese. Otherwise this place had potential. read more