Tiedhouse Reviewed in City Paper

In this week’s review of self-proclaimed cozy gastropub The Tiedhouse, the City Paper’s David Snyder first tries to define the difficult-to-define word itself:

It may be hard to pin down exactly what constitutes a gastropub, but as Justice Potter Stewart said in his famous U.S. Supreme Court opinion about pornography, “I know it when I see it.” At the Tiedhouse, unfortunately, I just don’t see it.

Although he sees potential in some dishes, he finds some serious flaws in the fare:

Ultimately, though, what solidifies Tiedhouse as a gastropub in name only is poor execution. Ever wonder how dry a meatball can be without turning to powder? Try the albondigas, Mexican-style meatballs. Think it’s impossible for french fries to be burnt and soggy at the same time? Tiedhouse found a way.

The bigger plates show that Tiedhouse is capable of coming up with truly good ideas, but an apparent lack of concentration claimed many of these dishes, as well.

On a related note, maybe it’s time to bring back that old discussion about creating a new term to replace gastropub? We still like Fooboozerie…

Low Tied [CityPaper]
Tiedhouse [Official Site]