February 23: Cherry Street Public House

I was out on vacation the first few days that Cherry Street Public House opened, which might have given them the time they needed to smooth over slow service. The general consensus around the office, though, is the food is, shrug, OK, I guess.

One of my coworkers had a gyro earlier this week. After waiting what he said was a very long time for his food, it was bland and just OK.

Another one of my coworkers had their savory waffle. "How was it?" I asked. "OK. Nothing special. Umbria is better."

When the staff told me last week before opening that Persian food was a major menu component, I was skeptical. So... coffee, lamb, and flatbreads? I freely admit that I know zero about Persian foods, but it seemed like an odd combination. Then they released the menu, which didn't make the combination of foods make much more sense, with waffles and lox added to the mix. It's pretty scattered.

But what do I know?  I don't know what a chicken khoresh is supposed to be, so I'm going from the menu. It's a "Persian stew, served over saffron steamed basmati rice with yogurt, fresh herbs, and Persian flat bread, [with] tomato and eggplant." I ordered at the register, grabbed a seat at the counter, and the food arrived very quickly.

I don't have a basis for comparison, so the following is without judgement or opinion: The rice was slightly crunchy, as if it were cooked longer or shorter than typical Chinese rice. The chicken meat, peeking out from under a heavy ladle of the khoresh, was dark grey with yellow and green flecks. Tender, but firm, almost too much to cut with a fork. The khoresh itself was a mild inoffensive blend of tomato and -- I think -- split peas, topped with a sprinkling of fried or dried.. something. Some kind of starch, I think. Maybe grated fried potatoes? Overall, the flavors were very muted, except for the spoonful of veggies, which was contrastingly spicy (and, to my western eyes, unidentifiable).

Overall, just as my coworkers experienced, it was OK. I paired it with a cappuccino, which had a bolder taste than the items on my plate. It was, however, strong enough that it's what I imagine middle-eastern coffee tastes like, so that cleared up a tiny bit of my menu confusion.

Cherry Street Public House has the advantage of being in the same building as our office. Don't go there thinking you'll get something great or out of the ordinary. It's OK. I suppose that's OK. I was just hoping for more.

Cherry Street Public House
210 Occidental Ave S.
Chicken khoresh, cappuccino, $15.62