I took some of my own advise and finally made it up to Charlie’s on Leavitt for dinner the other night. The namesake Charlie is the same Chef Charlie Socher of Cafe Matou, and the restaurant has been garnering some pretty decent reviews.

On the night that we went, the main dining room was very rowdy and boisterous. There were a couple larger (6+ people) parties that had clearly had their fair share of the robust wine selection. A woman at one table let out a loud shrieking cackle that quieted the entire room. Not to be outdone, the drunks at the other table followed this with an equally loud screech. Good times.

The wait staff was exceptionally courteous, and the wines were tasty. The food, unfortunately, left something to be desired overall. I ordered the Blue Point oysters, which were delicious, and the lamb sausage, which was very dry and very burned. And not it a good, intentional way. Matt ordered the goat cheese and roasted garlic plate, which was literally a head of roasted garlic and a medallion of what tasted like Jewel Brand goat cheese. In other words, you could make this dish at home with little work and very little cost. He also had the mussels which he decided were “eh, good”.

They could have been having an off night. Maybe we should try another night. But if I decide to go for small plates again I will likely head out to Iberico or Avec, where I know the eats are always good. If I am feeling really sassy, I might head over tot he new Volo Restaurant & Wine Bar a hop, skip & jump away from my house. Small plates are so hot right now.