Friday, December 28, 2007
Jimbo's Grill at the Mill
Jimbo's Grill at the Mill is part of the effort to finally do something with the Porterdale Mill, which had long sat as an abandoned textile mill in search of a purpose. Now it's been turned into a rather impressive set of apartments, and the cotton warehouse next to it is full of shops and restaurants like Jimbo's Grill.
For a place that's only been open a few months, the Grill at the Mill shows some potential. It's very clean, for one thing, and they made an effort to use some good, fresh ingredients for the burger's garnishes. Jimbo seems to be mostly about grilling burgers and hot dogs (although the hot dogs are actually broiled). The burgers themselves are OK, but not exactly distinguished. If you like hot dogs, the ones they have are good.
The ambience could use a bit of fine tuning. A place like the Cotton Warehouse has had decades to accumulate so much character it positively oozes out of the brick walls. And the balcony in the upper level dining area has a nice view. However, the decour could use a bit more of a theme. There's a variety of reproduction vintage posters and faux-retro decorations on the wall, but they cover quite about five decades and several different topics - gambling, movies, vintage vermouth ads, 1950s diners, and more.
A review of Jimbo's wouldn't be complete without mentioning the dessert menu. It's not what you would expect here at all. Jimbo uses his relationship with the management at the wedding cake bakery next door to put some top notch sweets in here. You can order nintey-nine cent petit fours that are just plain astounding. They're served with a level of ornate presentation that is about as unexpected as Jeff Foxworthy giving a serious lecture on theology. But Jeff Foxworthy can talk about issues facing the church if he puts his mind to it, and Jimbo can serve up desserts that you shouldn't miss.
For a place that's only been open a few months, the Grill at the Mill shows some potential. It's very clean, for one thing, and they made an effort to use some good, fresh ingredients for the burger's garnishes. Jimbo seems to be mostly about grilling burgers and hot dogs (although the hot dogs are actually broiled). The burgers themselves are OK, but not exactly distinguished. If you like hot dogs, the ones they have are good.
The ambience could use a bit of fine tuning. A place like the Cotton Warehouse has had decades to accumulate so much character it positively oozes out of the brick walls. And the balcony in the upper level dining area has a nice view. However, the decour could use a bit more of a theme. There's a variety of reproduction vintage posters and faux-retro decorations on the wall, but they cover quite about five decades and several different topics - gambling, movies, vintage vermouth ads, 1950s diners, and more.
A review of Jimbo's wouldn't be complete without mentioning the dessert menu. It's not what you would expect here at all. Jimbo uses his relationship with the management at the wedding cake bakery next door to put some top notch sweets in here. You can order nintey-nine cent petit fours that are just plain astounding. They're served with a level of ornate presentation that is about as unexpected as Jeff Foxworthy giving a serious lecture on theology. But Jeff Foxworthy can talk about issues facing the church if he puts his mind to it, and Jimbo can serve up desserts that you shouldn't miss.
