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Night 7: Thyme Square Café
One week into my month of meals, I head for Thyme Square.
This place is aptly named, sitting as it does on a prime
chunk of real estate near the epicenter of today's bustling
Bethesda, across from the Barnes & Noble and next
to the Landmark Theatre. Thyme Square has location,
location, location.
On a Wednesday night, though, the place seemed more
Jan. 1 than New Year's Eve. I sit at one of several
occupied tables in the dining room; there were several
more outside. Basically, there was nothing doing. A
TV was tuned to "American Idol," mercifully
soundless. The bartender stood around, the wait staff
loitered in the corners. I've worked as a waitress and,
believe me, weeknights can be killers The bartender,
happy I think to have someone to serve, snaps to attention
and politely takes my order. A server delivers it suspiciously
quickly. When I thank her she says wistfully, "It
looks so good!"
It wasn't good. It wasn't bad, either. It was just
Wednesday: the roasted salmon, potatoes and asparagus
sure sounded good, and I'm sure they were, when they
were first cooked. But the meal has been at least par-cooked
and jazzed again under a broiler. The effect has all
the appeal of the fibber on Match.com: a good idea past
its prime. Not awful, just not the meal of your dreams.
You can't blame a place for a weeknight slump. On the
weekends, Thyme Square is usually tootin' with business,
and the plates are flying out of the kitchen as the
food is made. As I get my check, the sound track is
playing a disco rendition of "MacArthur Park".
That clears me out immediately. Back to restaurant list
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