Norman Rose Tavern: new restaurant along First Street
We typically avoid restaurants along First Street as they seem to suffer from bad food or bad service and in rare cases both. Norma Rose Tavern breaks that mold. They don’t take reservations, so it is first come, first served. So we gladly put in our names, were told it would be forty-five minutes, and informed them that we would be across the street at the Avia Hotel enjoying a glass of wine in their lounge and would return to claim the table and not to give it away any sooner. They honored that request nicely. A note on the Avia lounge- it is a nice place to gather around a table for a glass of wine while you wait. We haven’t tried the restaurant yet as they have exchanged chefs multiple times and we’re waiting on some history to be built before we go.
As for Norman Rose Tavern, it is now another local’s favorite, and it is tavern food. Sandwiches, soups, salads, burgers, chicken, fish, french fries, onion rings, etc. This is not gourmet as in innovative and different. This cuisine is for those who want something easy, simple, and tasty. We ordered the truffle-parmesan fries to start and the macaroni and cheese (pure comfort food!) and we were not disappointed: crisp, freshly fried, and tasty fries, with a smooth, creamy, delicious cheese sauce on the macaroni. The field greens salad with Pt. Reyes Blue Cheese (a personal favorite cheese of mine) was spot on, as was the tavern chopped salad (with more Pt. Reyes Blue Cheese). Unfortunately they were out of snapper that night so we settled on the Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich and the Lamb Burger. With Oenotri just next door, we can’t even tell you how happy we are that these two new restaurants have opened just 3 blocks away from The Inn On First.