Garr Joins 99% at Jackknife and Cake Flour, Rosen Reviews 'Restaurant Impossible'

He may drink enough $135 bottles of wine to invite "snark" at the Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2013 ("not only the French, but the Domaine Serene!") but don't worry, proles! At least for this week, Robin Garr stands with "the rest of us who are still struggling for a paycheck." After slagging previously praised Brasserie Provence and El Camino as "pricey new spots," Garr occupies a few paragraphs describing what's on the menus of both Jackknife Café and Cake Flour on Market.

At Jackknife, Garr finds "an egg-salad sandwich ($7), a daily special, wasn't much like Mom used to make, but in a good way: Rich, creamy and lightly spicy ...on a fine, round French-style bun, with a tart, crisp cornichon and a ration of thick and crisp kettle chips. Red pepper gouda soup ($5) was a thick crimson purée, simple and consoling for a brisk autumn day."

About Cake Flour, Garr says "the roasted veggie sandwich ($8) was fine, and "the turkey pesto sandwich ($8.59) was flavorful but a bit puny, made with a deli-thin slice of Smoking Goose Farm Indiana turkey and a thin schmear of basil pesto." Lunch costs were "$30.74 plus tip" at Jackknife and "$22.90 plus tip" at Cake Flour. Fight the power, Robin! [LEO Weekly]

Meanwhile, Marty Rosen rehashes the TV show "Restaurant Impossible" and his own former reviews of past Coach Lamp Restaurant & Pub incarnations. "Ten years ago, when I first wrote about the Coach Lamp Restaurant and Pub…I wrote the best comparison would be to one of Marvel's awkward, angst-ridden, teen superheroes." A long-time fan of the Coach Lamp who can't seem to understand it's need for an "Impossible" makeover, Rosen imagines "Robert Irvine, host of Food Network's reality show 'Restaurant Impossible,' wouldn't have disagreed strongly with that assessment when he dropped in on the Coach Lamp earlier this fall." He likes the remodel, noting "the new place looks great, and even if it's too cold to dine outside, you ought to visit the patio when you drop in." Rosen is also pleased that Irvine is nicer than "some of the more abusive restaurant rescue shows."

He also notices the food. Rosen gives the opinion that "some appetizers fall short in quality and seem out of sync with the new concept." [Courier-Journal]
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