Slow is Julian

I stopped into Julian on a beautiful sunny day for a late lunch. The restaurant was empty, but the patio was full! As we were seated, I observed the restaurant is a lovely setting in Brookside. However, I was quickly shocked to see only Ms. Tio herself, and one other staff member serving tables. Tio was in her full chef garb, and I believe that she was quite possibly not only serving, but also cooking. I immediately became nervous that my quick lunch might turn into a ‘slow food movement' experience. By the time the waitress came around to take our drink order after waiting for about 15 minutes, we were ready to order everything. I ordered the house smoked salmon. It was on top of what appeared to be brioche French toast, with a cream sauce and fresh chives. Let me just say that it was worth some of the wait. The fish was delicate and flavorful. Perfect for the light lunch I was hoping for.
My sister ordered a sandwich and French fries. I am a huge fan of crispy fries, but these were burnt. However, her sandwich was also lovely she says.

I am torn. The food was delicious, but an hour and a half lunch for one small plate is not my idea of relaxing. In fact it was quite stressful as we waited and waited to be taken care of. I may give Julian one more try simply because of my dish, but I would advise Chef Tio to either close up and not offer lunch, or staff up to make sure it is a good experience.

$9 for my salmon entrée and iced tea, a good value

3/5 stars

Holy Moly Dog Nuvo!

These are not your college 'quarter dogs' folks! I ordered the Chi-Town dog, basil lemongrass pickle, and bottled water. I really liked the small location. It is clean, and well kept. The whole store has a great street view.

The Chi-town dog was not only BEAUTIFUL but delicious. The bun was soft, the peppers were spicy, the dog itself was fresh, slathered in homemade jelly relish, thinly sliced pickle spears, peppers and teeny-tiny fresh tomatoes. I am certainly a hot dog lover, but these are some of the best of the best. I was staring at the dog hungrily as I drove back to work, and the smells were so good that I had to gobble it up before I even got back to the office.

The pickle is another story. Though the flavors were nice – and different – the brine was overly sweet. Not enough vinegary bite! The pickle was floppy, and somehow too sweet and salty at the same time. I would pass on ordering it again. Some shoestring fries might have been the perfect accompaniment to my dog.

At only $7, it is certainly a good value. I am certain I will be back to try more of the menu!
4/5 stars, but would have been a 5 if I hadn't ordered the pickle!