I thought I would check out tonight's Off The Grid since it was a cold, windy night. Every commercial enterprise is a risk and OTG is no exception. Perhaps I was a bit late (7:30 pm) but the truck vendors likely lost money tonight. It was cold and quiet on California Dr. as you can see here.
There was the usual set-up. Chairs but no tables even the dogs were shivering. When the nightly Union Pacific freight train rolls through one is reminded of real industry that still occurs in small batches on the SF Peninsula. OTG would consider that ambience.
It was cold but we still went out since the kids seem to like the idea after practice. We were there about 6pm and it was still cold. I don't think the Broadway restaurants have much to worry about and I hope they are starting to realize that.
Posted by: Mom | May 12, 2015 at 10:26 PM
Guys, listen, Bruce Dickinson puts the capital "H" in Haute Cuisine, if you will, but every once in a while, I love to eat comfort food and I oftentimes walk to "Off the Grid" and enjoy some BBQ or a Lobsta roll. Some of the food trucks represent the best that SF has to offer and they can be dynamite!
Being cold outside is one of the risks of al fresco dining, as are the blaring train horns, as mentioned above. My beef with OTG (other than having no good burger trucks) is that there are no tables on which to eat. Yes, we must sit down and eat in a chair or use another chair for a table if you get there early enough. One time I was enjoying a BBQ beef brisket and three bites into my sandwich, and it was BBQ sauce meets Armani pants (I know, next time I'll wear some jeans to the affair), but needless to say, it wasn't a pleasant experience walking back over to my house in Burlingame Park with BBQ sauce stains on the crotch of my pants. As if Bruce Dickinson needs to attract more attention to that area ("hey, look there's Bruce with the stained DICKinson")...I can see the bad puns now!
Ok, now that I got my whining out of the way, here's my prescription for a solution, and it's simple: Just set up a bunch of tables. They don't have to be large, that is, they can be small bistro tables. Will make the experience better and quite frankly, I think it would be better for business for OTG. Tables without chairs or chairs without tables is kinda like not having a steak-knife with a steak. Tables and chairs cause people to congregate around them and eat, as eating is a social experience and even the food has to have a seat "at the table" or shall I say "on the table". Can you imagine a work cafeteria with chairs and no tables? or a restaurant for that matter? Super simple solution, but when you boil it down to basics and think about it, it only makes sense. If you want people to sit, give the food a place to sit. If OTG does this, I can see it being more successful in Burlingame!
Posted by: Bruce Dickinson | May 16, 2015 at 12:33 PM
If anyone has not ever read the book.
The book, not the movie with Christen Bale.
Please read "American Psycho."
At least read the Amazon review.
Does it sound like anyone on this site.
Awesome book.
Horrible Movie.
A very difficult read too.
GREAT WRITING!
Posted by: hollyrollerhotwire.com | May 17, 2015 at 02:38 PM