The Hornet

Always a scene, Broadway has long been a great place for night life, shopping and dining and The Hornet , with its big windows, is a always great place to sit and watch the colorful locals while enjoying a cocktail. Because of its convenient location next to the Myan theater it also seems like the perfect place for a bite before a movie.

Despite being surrounded by the hipsters of the Baker District , I was shocked to hear the lady at the table next to me, dressed in lime colored sweats and hat, order an extra side of Ranch Dressing for her fries. Ranch dressing? Really people? Its not the wonder condiment to be used on everything from fries to pizza. It’s a dressing. Use it on a salad if you have to but don't throw it all over your food like the end of a porn movie. Disgusting.

After settling my stomach with a Great Divide Titan IPA I asked the waitress what the best dishes were. Very helpful, she showed me some of the more popular plates and also demonstrated a good knowledge of the wine selection.

When the Shells and Cheddar with lobster, bacon and cream plate arrived I found the pasta cooked well but the cheese covered shells first hid any sign of the tasty proteins I was waiting for. Digging further, I finally pulled up some lobster like a long awaited pod on the Deadliest Catch and just as disappointing as the show, the lobster brought nothing to the dish and was lost in the cheesy sea. When the lobster did show up it was often because of its fishy taste which revealed its sub-par quality. This is a worthwhile plate at higher end restaurants but not for the Hornet. Using a low grade lobster brings it down and you ask “Why bother?”.

The Zorba plate, ordered for its exotic sounding name and Colorado lamb, was a promising looking plate and I'm always looking for food made with local ingredients. Served in a pita with spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, feta chees and cumin yogurt, it looked like an appetizing plate. The lamb was coked well but lacked the memorable flavors of a mediterranean dish. Besides the much needed spices the rest of the ingredients were lack luster and offered little help to the pita.

Served on the side were the sweet potato fries. Finally something I could get my mouth around. The fries were cooked just right and tasted great. Although they got cold fast I enjoyed them and would recommend you try it as your chosen side. I would bypass the chipotle ketchup that is served with it as it overpowers the fries and leaves them screaming for attention under the smoky flavor.

The Hornet is a great place to meet friends for drinks but don't expect much from the kitchen. I do appreciate those who strive for originality but I give thanks to those who know where to draw the line at what they can do well.