Friday, January 20, 2017

Cottage Bar (Grand Rapids, MI)

When in the course of human events, a man moves from a small, rural town in southern Michigan to the bustling metropolis of Grand Rapids in West Michigan, he takes upon a mighty responsibility of pursing truth. One of the ways said man chooses to pursue truth is through reviewing onion rings, according to the onion ring standard. One would expect a mighty urban area to conquer the small, rural city. Does this hold up to reality? Read on, to find out. 


Presentation and Appearance: 3.5/5 

The appearance of these onion rings is, in a word, delightful. The consistency is consistent, the breading is smooth, and there are little to no irregularities on the plate.

The presentation is not ideal, but it's to be expected. Somewhat typical for onion rings in a restaurant, they're heaped onto a plate, hardly big enough to contain the sheer volume of rings. The presentation is nothing special, but it's certainly not bad either.

Taste: 1.5/5

On my first bite, I was optimistic. There seemed to be a strong onion taste, coupled by a robust flavor in breading. However, repeated bites and rings indicated the horrible truth; the taste simply wasn't there. There's a mild onion flavor in every onion ring, but hardly noticeable if you weren't looking for it.

The flavor in the breading is almost non-existent. Beyond a thin veneer of grease, it's bland, empty, and tired. Overall, these rings left next to no impression on me. Very little taste or flavor permeate these onion rings, and they're little more than a vehicle for grease and breading.

Texture: 2.5/5

For the lack of taste in the breading, it has a fine texture. Thick, crunchy, and crispy, the breading does not disappoint. However, the essential component of an onion ring, the actual onion, fails to deliver. The onion is mushy, weak, and slim. The scourge of onion ring lovers everywhere arrives once again, as the inner onion slips out of the breading. The result is a hollow shell of fried bread, desperately trying to masquerade as some facade of an onion ring.

Value: 2/5

Originally, I was optimistic about these onion rings. I stopped in over lunch, immediately ordered onion rings, and waited. Within five or six minutes, they arrived. I was blown away by the speed of service, but the reason become abundantly clear.

The rings were almost certainly frozen. At the very least, they were mass prepared and ready for frying upon order. The speed was amazing, and that's often one of my main criteria for food.

However, the price was exorbitant. For a small plate of onion rings, I paid nearly six dollars! What's more, the rings were of mediocre quality, if decent quantity. I can genuinely say I've has fast food onion rings substantially better quality (and a better value) than these. Though they were filling, and sufficed as a lunch, it is a lunch I will bitterly regret until the end of my days.

Total: 9.5/20

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