(Pics are menus of where I potentially want to eat for bday)
Ok friends, I need your help. I don’t care for my birthday and never have but the one thing I will always try to make sure of, is that I’m eating GOOD FOOD (cheap or expensive idc) bc this is the day I’ll be okay with ordering a lot on the menu to try a lot of different things.
I unfortunately haven’t been to as many restaurants as I wish I could’ve by now, so I always do a lot of research. I also always end up making like 3-5 reservations at places ahead of time to give me more time to figure out where I should go.
When picking, I first see if they’re available for a good date (near my bday), then look at their menu and see what I’d actually order if I were to go, then see their reviews on yelp and Google, then see what’s said about them on here.
Last year I booked Este, Oseyo, Underdog and Juniper (had never been to them) and ended up going with Este. I don’t think I’d go back, wasn’t bad, wasn’t great. So I call that a bust, but at least I got to try it! (Side note, they charged me $25 to “hold” my 6” cake until dessert time)
This year, I initially chose Bill’s Oyster, aba, Kome, and Jeffrey’s (also having not been to any of them). Well I’ve gotten to my step of seeing what’s said about them on here and I’ve dropped Bill’s Oyster and now added Clark’s, Perla’s, and Mongers (haven’t been to any) based on what I’ve read.
I’ve also now found out about/did a deep dive on MML and now don’t know if I should take their restaurants off my list (Clarks, Perla’s, and Jeffrey’s).
Like I said, idc about price as long as I’m happy with what I’m eating with a good experience. If it helps, I’ll list what we’d (my fiancé and I) potentially order at each place:
aba:
-smoky garlic hummus
-Greek village (Greek salad)
-green falafel
-pistachio crusted halibut
-grilled chicken kebab
-basque cheesecake
Komè:
– komè wings
-aji fry
-komè fries
-vegetable tempura
-karaage
-yakitori
-komè chazuke
-either soba or curry udon
-a sushi roll
Perla’s:
-Fish and shrimp ceviche
-Fish and chips
-Potato crusted sea bass
-baked shells and cheese
Mongers:
-daily ceviche
-blue crab cake
-gulf red snapper
-either fish and chips or fish tacos
Clark’s:
-jumbo shrimp cocktail
-lobster roll
-crispy snapper
-shells & cheese w/ crab
Jeffreys
-little gem Caesar salad
-crab and sesame beignets
-seared scallops
-gulf snapper
-carrot ginger opera cake
TLDR: wanting GOOD FOOD for b day, Clark’s, Perla’s, Mongers, Kome, or aba?
Thanks friends 🙂 feel free to first say your pick then any comments so it’s clear what you’d vote for!
by Fabulous_Parsley
11 Comments
I have not been to the others but Aba was very good when I went 2 years ago. Plus it’s on congress so there is a ton to do before and after. I will be adding the others to my list though they look good.
What’s wrong with bills? It’s more casual so I wouldn’t recommend it for your bday but I love sitting at the bar and getting the burger or shrimp poboy. Also what’s the beef with MML? I love all of their restaurants. Perlas and Clark’s both have good food. Aba also has great food. Don’t stress so much!
Perla’s is my favorite out of all of those. And their deck is such a great atmosphere.
with this amount of research and pre-planning, i think you are setting yourself up for disappointment. any of these would be a nice choice, but if you’ve put so much pressure and expectations on picking The Best it’s going to be difficult to meet that.
that being said…
jeffery’s would easily be my number 1 pick. both the the service and food are a noticeable tier above the rest of your choices. dark and romantic.
perla’s would probably be my second choice. shared a lot of oysters, shishito peppers, and lobster bucatini. all very good. surprisingly very large portions – we couldn’t finish the bucatini split between 2.
clark’s is also good. their oyster + martini happy hour lured me in but i’ve been for dinner a handful of times as well. tbh if you’re not into oysters i’d probably pass. mainly because they seem to book reservations very tightly. i’ve had to wait the 4x i’ve had a resy. it’s only like 10-15 min which i don’t mind, but the space is pretty small and it’s impossible not to feel like you’re in everyone’s way while waiting.
monger’s i’ve only been to once, but have been meaning to go back. this may surprise you, but i just had oysters + drinks at the bar. loved the oysters and service was solid.
kome is really great, but i’d save it for a different occasion. i think a lot of the dishes you’re interested in are discounted on their HH menu. i also like it for a nicer lunch spot.
haven’t been to aba
also, it is not unusual for restaurants (especially nicer ones) to charge you fold holding/serving a dessert you brought. since you’re not ordering off their dessert menu, they’re losing that sale while also having to wait longer to turn over your table. i agree $25 is pretty steep, but that means they’re also probably trying to strongly discourage people from bringing outside dessert. if you plan on doing that again you should ask beforehand. but just order dessert from the restaurant or plan to dessert at home or a second location imo.
Love Mongers
I have been to all of them more than once. I would recommend Jeffrey’s, especially for a birthday or other special occasion. Service and food are impeccable!
I’ve been to all except for Aba
Honestly, you have some good picks that all offer very solid meals. At this point I’d start focusing on ambiance
Komè is one of my favorite places but for a birthday dinner where this much research went into it, it would not be my first choice.
Mongers has a slightly better ambiance for a birthday dinner in the evening. Maybe a *smidge* cheaper than Perla’s
Perla’s does offer a really wonderful patio. Depending on when your birthday is and how lucky you get with the weather that might be something to consider.
Jeffery’s if you all out just want the nicest meal you can get.
All offer *good* food, so at this point you really can’t go wrong!
All good places. My logic in these tough calls leans toward what can’t I cook well at home? For me I can make bitching steak but wouldn’t be able to elevate halibut or fish as well. Hope that helps.
Aba is mid and not worth your money
I had my 40th at Jeffrey’s last year and it was amazing! Highly recommend. All of your other choices are great as well but Jeffrey’s is the way to go in my opinion. It’s just in a class of its own.
I’ve been to all of these, and Clark’s, Kome, or Jeffrey’s would be my picks. Don’t go to Aba. Great patio, just ok food. The quality of food/service at Clark’s is much more consistent than Perla’s. Everything you have on your to-order list from Clark’s is v. good (love their shells and cheese). Guessing you don’t like raw oysters though? If you’ve never tried them and go to Clark’s, I’d highly recommend trying them there! Kome is consistently amazing food, but the vibe isn’t super fancy so it might not feel super special for a birthday celebration, although if you’re going to be dining alone you can sit at their sushi bar! (Would also recommend sitting at the bar at Clark’s). You can also get a lot more bang for your buck there than the other spots on your list. I’ve only been to Jeffrey’s a couple times — it feels very special, so good for celebrating, but it is really known for its steaks. I haven’t has seafood there, though, so I can’t speak to that, but since it looks like you’re leaning toward seafood, I think either Clark’s or Kome would be perfect!