To be fair, I regularly declare that I have a "favorite new restaurant" -- almost every week, in fact -- but this time, I think I mean it. I finally got Mr. Food Musings in to COCO500, and I've decided that their flatbread with squash blossoms and truffle oil is the single best food in the City right now. That is, until you eat their peanut butter cup, which is a fine dining version of a Butterfinger. As Joy would say, Motherf***er! That was good. (Well, Joy wouldn't use asterisks. Whatever. We can't all be so comfortable wallowing in filth.)
But the food isn't the only reason I'm loving COCO500 these days. I also think they have some of the loveliest service around, which is quite an accomplishment considering that on my first visit I had terrible service and seriously considered not going back. Just like Virginia Slims, I tell ya.
In brief: the table before ours was late leaving, so we sat at the bar enjoying a very pleasant glass of wine (Albarino for Mr. FM, and a Chenin Blanc for moi) along with the COCOmole tacos (tender beef cheeks/mole sauce/tortilla chip/YUM!). As a thank you for waiting a mere 15 minutes for our reservation, we were told on the way to our table that the tacos were on the house. SCORE!
Upon sitting down at our table, I realized -- with horror -- that we were seated next to THE LOUDEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD. Sorry for the all caps, folks, but I don't know how else to make her excruciating volume known to you. Now, I hate loud, but a quick glance to my left and I realized that they were on their dessert wine and coffee course, so I figured I could deal for another 20 minutes.
And then dessert showed up and my hopes faded. Fast. This woman positively shrieked at the waiter who brought her vacherin, and then promptly threw her glass full of water all over the floor -- and all over me. She looked at the waiter, and did a flip little hand move as if to say "Whatever, it's water, clean it up." As I toweled off my sopping wet calf, she looked at me and said, "It's only water."
Not, "I'm so sorry, do you need a napkin?" or "Did you get wet? Oh, I apologize." or even "Oops, I'm such a klutz!" She was more self-absorbed than a 2-year old, tacky as a clear plastic protective slipcover, and LOUD besides, so I gave her what I hope was a withering stare and marched myself up to the kind host to beg him for another table, any table, even if it was on the roof or in the kitchen or in a different restaurant.
We ended up back at the bar, and a few minutes into our lip-smacking dinner he stopped by to say that he was also comping our wine because of the shrew in the corner. (And to let us know that the poor souls who took our places at the table were equally put off.) I mean, that is service, folks.
COCO500, I hope you're listening because I love you, and I'm bringing my sister in when she comes to visit in 3 weeks.
I am sorry catherine, but I have to strongly disagree with you. You see, I went there for lunch today and I had the salmon pizza and it TOTALLY KNOCKS THE SOCKS OFF every other 'effin' pizza in the whole wide world including the fancy pants squash blossom thingy which, yes, I have tried before and I have loved before. So, even before I read your post last thing before going to bed tonight I was kind of wondering how I might broach you tomorrow to suggest a change of meeting place for our upcoming tete-a-tete. Forget B-Super*, we are going instead to Coco500, mylady, for lunch, next week. You have to try that salmon pizza to believe it. It is I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E! It might be the first pizza (aside from an Amici mini which doesnt count) that I have finished the whole thing. Lip-smacking good. Oh Em Gee. I am heading to the sack to dream of it right now. Bon nuit....x
Posted by: sam | June 14, 2006 at 11:42 PM
ps - for more info, I described it earlier to Luisa:
http://wednesdaychef.typepad.com/the_wednesday_chef/2006/03/christopher_ido.html#comment-18592766
Posted by: sam | June 14, 2006 at 11:47 PM
I have not yet had the salmon pizza that Sam mentions above, but in the meantime, I will wholeheartedly second your comments about the squash blossom flatbread. Truly spectacular.
Posted by: NS | June 15, 2006 at 01:23 AM
Sam -- My, I don't think I have ever seen you so excited about food! S-l-o-w-l-y back away from the keyboard, and do not fret -- Coco500 it is. We are in at 1:15 and I will turn over my ordering to you and your salmon pizza fetish. It sounds divine. Maybe I will have to take home a squash blossom flat bread or get there early and eat it before you get there or something; it will be hard to give it up altogether but a two pizza lunch seems a bit lush even for us!
NS -- mmmm, isn't it sooo good? I think I dreamed about it last night. Also, I forgot to mention it in my post but must credit Fatemeh with the smarts to love their 50-50 (buttermilk panna cotta + mango + passionfruit. Oy, vey...
Posted by: Catherine | June 15, 2006 at 08:41 AM
i love coco500 and pondered going there today (until i found out we had in in-office meeting hurrumph).....i'll definitely try their squash blossom flatbread next time i venture out! thanks catherine.
Posted by: alison | June 15, 2006 at 11:40 AM
Glad to hear that Coco500 is a winner. I loved Bizou and haven't been able to muster the heart to go back as I was fearful of being disappointed (though I was pleased to hear they kept the green beans on the menu--addictive little things that they are). Okay, if you and Sam both love it, I will take the plunge.
Posted by: Tea | June 15, 2006 at 12:01 PM
tea - you WILL love it. even fred like his pizza (potato and teleggio) and he is a fussy one. Catherine - i can still pick you up - got nothing better to do.
btw - their cauliflower flatbread which i tried on my first visit during the spring was incredible too (even though i am not a big fan of cauliflower. Dare I say a couple of points ahead of the squash blossom one even.) They told me they change there toppings quite often, but I think I was assured the salmon would be on the menu for a little while yet.
Yes I am excited about this food. it is on a par with zuni's caramel pot de creme and A16's gnocchi and Petit robert's squid salad and Bar Crudo's chowder.
Posted by: sam | June 15, 2006 at 12:21 PM
Alison and Tea -- run don't walk for that flatbread, folks.
Sam -- okay. I'll be ready at 1 with my salmon stomach on.
Posted by: Catherine | June 15, 2006 at 12:39 PM
Okay, I just tried the salmon pizza. Sorry, Sam -- while it was admittedly very good, the squash blossom flatbread reigns supreme in my book!
Posted by: NS | June 15, 2006 at 08:10 PM
LOL- that's a great story! We had a similar experience there recently with very loud neighbors who blabbed on endlessly in a manner I could only describe as self-absorbed. Sorry but the tables are just too close together! BTW, Hubby had the salmon pizza and really liked it, although he was overwelmed by the unpeeled meyer lemon at first. I'll have to try the squash blossoms next time. I'll also try the fried green bean appetizer next time - one of our noisy neighbors ordered it and it smelled really good.
Posted by: Catherine Ross | June 15, 2006 at 10:50 PM
it is noisy and cramped, yes, shame. we went for a late lunch the other day which i think was a good move, especially as they sat us away from the other occupied tables.
ah - now we have a huge squash blossom/salmon debate to look forward to.
when I had the SqB one it was overly salty so maybe it was an off one and I need to try again. Despite our diets, Catherine and I SHOULD do a comparative taste test i think.
thanks for testing it NS.
personally i am not a fan of the green beans, but one evening I had an immaculate salad with hazlents. Unfortunately it wasnt on the lunch menu this week.
Posted by: sam | June 16, 2006 at 10:15 AM
Sam, one of the three orders of flatbread in which I've partaken over the weeks was right on the edge of being too salty, but the other two were perfect. I also share your sentiment about the green beans; I personally found them to be thoroughly unremarkable and rather disappointing...
Posted by: NS | June 16, 2006 at 11:43 AM
See, I like those green beans -- although how much depends entirely on the dipping sauce offered. Lemon aoili, thumbs up. Eggplant caviar, thumbs down.
As long as we're talking favorites, the spring pea ravioli are damn good, as are the mole tacos (oy!) and the aforementioned peanut butter cups.
Posted by: Catherine | June 16, 2006 at 12:11 PM
oh my god after all this back and forth, my suspense is neverending??? will i like the squash blossom flat bread or the salmon pizza better? i can't wait to find out! Let the countdown begin!
Posted by: Little Sister | June 16, 2006 at 02:34 PM
The coastal salad with coriander dressing is really good!
Posted by: Catherine Ross | June 17, 2006 at 10:18 PM
ah - that explains it - i didnt realise there was more than one dipping sauce pairing. We had eggplant as I recall which might explain the disappointment?
Catherine - I am bring my spare stomach with me tomorrow - did you realise lunch is in the middle of England v Sweden?
I might just have to check the score on my phone at some point ;)
Posted by: sam | June 19, 2006 at 04:51 PM
Whatever you need to do, feel free. I'll see you chez moi at 1.
Posted by: Catherine | June 19, 2006 at 06:48 PM
My order of green beans, like Sam's, came only with the eggplant dipping sauce... By the way, the halibut on the dinner menu is absolutely fantastic. The website suggests that they do a nearly identical one for lunch, although it may be presented more as a salad.
Posted by: NS | June 19, 2006 at 07:02 PM
And the verdict...on a desert island, Sam would take the salmon pizza and I would take the squash blossom flatbread. That said, I must confess that I adored the salmon pizza, far more than I thought I would (not the world's biggest smoked salmon fan). It was light, and the thin slices of lemon and fennel offset the creamy fish and creme fraiche (that's a tongue twister!) was divine. The 50/50 still rocks the house, too.
Posted by: Catherine | June 20, 2006 at 04:03 PM
the moral of the story is: the flat bread is good, the pizza is good. it is all good. the mole beef cheeks are good too. coco 500 is just good.
plus since we quite happened to bump into two other food bloggers there quite by chance, and I saw another girl dining there who had been sitting next to me for lunch last week, I can only assume they get a lot of return visitors and everyone thinks it is good. hooray for Coco 500
Posted by: sam | June 20, 2006 at 07:01 PM
hey there, ms. fm....
i was getting really good about checking the blogs for a while, but i needed to take a break after being bombarded with some of the crazies on yelp.com.
so here i am back again, reading the blogs about the restaurant in which I spend more hours than i do at home....
i wanted to say that i am thrilled that you had a good time that night. i was the host about whom you speak and i totally remember that evening.
a good friend of mine (and probably the bartender that got you the free tacos) and I were reading a book called dining out (by andrew dornenburg and karen page). In it there was an interview with our FOH hero danny meyer (of grammercy tavern fame). In the interview, Mr. Meyer says that his goal is to never let any guest leave unhappy and that every employee should have a sense of genuiune hospitality.
... well, all I can say is that I try. I many not have been super friendly tonight to the table of six that showed up 35 minutes late AND incomplete, but if someone comes in and expresses some sort of understanding and consideration for other humans, i will bend over backward to make sure they have a great time...
you definately showed that and I am glad to hear that you appreciated what we were able to do for you.
Did your sister have a good time when she came in?
A
Posted by: call me coco | August 24, 2006 at 01:23 AM
YES! a resounding yes! i had a fabulous dinner and evening. I think my vote went to the squash blossom flatbread, but it was all divine! I can't wait to go again next time on the west coast.
Posted by: Little Sister | August 24, 2006 at 07:52 AM
Hey Coco, thanks for stopping by! Now that I know I have your ear, I'd just like to gush mercilessly over how much I, and most of my friends, love love love your restaurant. In fact, I think it's been at least 2-3 weeks since we've been in, which means we're overdue for a fix. Thanks again for being so cool that night, you totally made the difference that night between good and great -- or, considering the loud b*tch in the corner, good and horrid.
Posted by: Catherine | August 24, 2006 at 08:38 AM
Good local food can't be beaten. Glad it's enjoyed the world round. www.thelocalfoodcompany.co.uk
Posted by: Devon Girl | January 08, 2007 at 02:16 PM