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Message |
    
jbirchby
Citizen
Username: Jbirchby
Post Number: 48
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 22, 2005 - 10:13 am: |     |
So after reading how happy everyone on the board was about the fact that Heart and Soul has reopened for in-house dining a few nights a week I was expecting an onslaught of people there this past Friday evening (his first night back open). But lo and behold while my husband and I were basking in the glow of his amazing cornbread, there was only ONE OTHER PERSON there. Folks, lots of people here were campaigning to get Jesse to open for dinner again by emailing him about how badly they wanted him to reopen, where were you? Please, please, please put your money where your mouth is and get thee to Heart and Soul before it closes again… for good. |
cmontyburns
Citizen
Username: Cmontyburns
Post Number: 858
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, May 22, 2005 - 12:07 pm: | |
Safe to say that if he wants people to know he's reopening, he should place some advertisements somewhere. I doubt any significant chunk of the town reads this message board. |
ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 3821
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 22, 2005 - 2:18 pm: | |
Jbirchby,
I think Cmontyburns is right... it's about advertising in all the right places.
I also agree that a significant chunk of the town doesn't read this message board, and those that do, although well intentioned rarely show up, or for that matter even respond to all the different requests for help.
Speaking of support for Jesse, "Well it's about time..." yesterday I posted an opportunity for everyone to experience his wonderful food right here in town, and even you missed the chance to support him... BTW, this is the second time we are trying to get something going for him here in Maplewood.
Where are all his fans? So, yeh, WTF?! Go figure...
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nina
Citizen
Username: Nina
Post Number: 162
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 22, 2005 - 4:31 pm: | |
What nights will they be open? I had given up for the summer. |
Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 6447
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Sunday, May 22, 2005 - 4:34 pm: | |
I also thought they were closed for the summer (or were only doing catering or something). |
Jay
Citizen
Username: Jaymon
Post Number: 112
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, May 22, 2005 - 5:26 pm: | |
Where? Who? What? When? |
jbirchby
Citizen
Username: Jbirchby
Post Number: 49
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, May 22, 2005 - 5:55 pm: | |
Fair enough, for you folks out there who don't know, here's his website: http://www.heartandsoulrestaurant.com/
It says that Heart and Soul will be open starting, May 19, 2005, Thursdays –5 PM to 9 PM, Fridays – 5 PM to 9:30 PM, Saturdays – 5 PM to 9:30 PM.
CMonty, the reason I posted this here on the message board is that many people from this board emailed Jesse requesting him to reopen. And now they seem to have vanished... So if you're out there please go! |
Dave
Supporter
Username: Dave
Post Number: 6450
Registered: 4-1997
| | Posted on Sunday, May 22, 2005 - 5:58 pm: | |
Niecy's is opening table service next week. Give them a shot, too. |
papayagirl
Citizen
Username: Papayagirl
Post Number: 381
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Monday, May 23, 2005 - 10:33 am: | |
You know, i've never mentioned this before because people on this board seemed to be so pro-H&S, but my husband and I tried the food once, and we weren't blown away by things the way we'd expected to be. Maybe our expectations were just too high.
We got takeout, and if i remember correctly, 2 dinners with cornbread were around $35. Nothing was bad, and one or two of the sides were above average, but it was just too expensive to justify doing very often when the portions didn't leave us with any leftovers for the next day. We'd rather spend that amount for chinese or pizza takeout and know we don't have to worry about dinner for a couple more meals after that. And i know we can go and eat in the restaurant, but the place actually feels more like a take-out shop with some tables to me, as opposed to a "dining room." (At least this was the case the last time i was there when all of the hype started.)
I'd read here that catering was really his core business, so i even tried calling to get some prices for a party my mom was hosting a while back. She was planning on making some of the food, and just wanted some trays of sides to fill out the menu. Chef Jesse was very nice on the phone, but when i asked him if he could do something like this, he confused me and himself, and couldn't really give me a yes or no answer or a price. I got the sense that his catering services were really about providing full meals (as in main course, two sides, and bread) to large groups, as opposed to say a tray of greens. And that's not something i'd ever personally have a need for. I just looked at his website again to see if maybe this had changed since i'm now hosting a party and will need similar sides next month, but he doesn't even have catering menus up at all, and I don't think they answer the phone during the day, which is typically when i have time to call.
And last weekend at the Mayfest in Maplecrest Park, i was psyched to see Carribean Cuisine and some of the other area restaurants there. I'd hoped to see H&S there so that maybe it would be a good opportunity to try some other selections without a $15 commitment, but he wasn't there.
I'm not ragging on H&S or Jesse or the way he conducts business, but if people are perplexed by why his restaurant was empty the other day, it may be that all of the enthusiasm here on the board by a group of outspoken people isn't indicative of everyone's attitudes or experiences across the board. |
AlleyGater
Citizen
Username: Alleygater
Post Number: 341
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Monday, May 23, 2005 - 2:20 pm: | |
Papaya, I am not lying when I say I have yet to hear any bad criticism about Heart and Soul on this board. I have actually been amazed that his restaurant has altogether avoided negative criticisms. On this board that is VERY hard to believe. Am I one of the outspoken supporters? I guess so, but only because I don't want to see another quality restaurant leave town. I am NOT surprised that someone might have a problem with H&S. You can't please everyone right? I would agree with you that the food is a bit pricey, and I would love to keep my meals down to a $10-$15 pp price range. But sometimes I'm willing to splurge and pay a bit more for quality. I definitely wouldn't say that H&S is expensive, more in the moderate range. I have no experience with H&S catering and it sounds to me like you have valid concerns. But you also said that the one meal you had there that the food wasn't bad and some of it was actually quite good. A few of us on MOL have had many meals there that were quite tasty with high quality ingredients, and we really get a sense of integrity when we eat at H&S. One conversation with Jesse and you can get a sense that the man cares about his food and you as a customer. In this day and age, and with all the bad dining options in our area, I will be saddened if H&S can't make it in our area and has to go out of business. |
algebra2
Supporter
Username: Algebra2
Post Number: 3428
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, May 23, 2005 - 2:31 pm: | |
I had the same issue with H&S catering. Jesse really didn't seem to want to work with me. I wanted to get trays of food and he couldn't do it. He wanted a per head kind of thing. After a few phones calls/messages I ended up using Church's Kitchen and got about $450 worth of fried chicken, ribs, and mac n cheese. I've heard great things about H&S but I eat that kind of food once a year. For what it's worth, Church's was excellent -- there wassn't a scrap of food left after the party! |
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