What's a GastroPub775? Surprising, that's what.

The moment I saw that name - GastroPub775 - I’ve got to say, from a lifetime spent in marketing and PR, that’s the last one I would have recommended. I’m not going to tell you what first popped into my head when I saw it. That name, paired with the ill-fated Meadowood Mall location, left me thinking that someday I might try the place, but …

Then there was the review in the ever shrinking RGJ. It fairly glowed. But heck, that’s what those writers are getting the (LOL) big bucks to do. No, really, small and mid-sized market food writers do try to be true to their experiences but I also know that dumping scorn and bad reviews all over a potential advertiser is frowned upon. Best to say nothing and move on. If you can’t say something nice …

Mr. Maven and I swung into GastroPub775 today shortly after 1:00 p.m. based on the strength of that review. I knew better, but did it anyway. Now I’m going to hastily qualify that statement. A review as good as the RGJ put out, hopefully, will have one effect - give the restaurant a load of customers. It did. They got slammed. Then we walzed in.

They’re new. The front of the house staff is really green. As in hired yesterday.

This is where the dilemma comes in. When the staff finally got around to asking how everything was, I said “the food is simply amazing, which makes the incredibly inept service so surprising.” Yikes. I could see the servers face reveal that I’d drilled down to the paydirt. But since she seemed to be the only one in charge, or with any experience, I figured she could take it and deal with it. And she did.

They should give her a raise.

Here are my issues:

You shouldn’t be getting your drink order - coffee - a full 30 minutes after arriving. We practically had to beg for the coffee - which was some of the best restaurant coffee I’ve ever had. I’d have liked to enjoy it. Oh, and a saucer filled with sloshed coffee isn’t good. And a spoon with the coffee is a nice idea. Stirring with a licked off fork, not so much.

One server per table is good. Multiple servers, busers and greeters becomes a confusing game of Who’s On First? That could explain things never arriving or getting there late and hasty in a panic.

When your table orders a few items to share, with a couple extra plates to divvy things up, those plates ought to show up before the folks are finished and have paid.

But, here’s why I’m going to go back to Gastro775:

The food. It really does raise the bar in Reno. The menu, while offering all the usual suspects from soup to BLT to entrees to dessert, puts an authentic and deft Basque country twist to everything we tried. The chef was actually trained in the Basque country and it shows big time. We saw far more things on that menu that we simply have to go back and try - soon.

On the chef’s seasonal specials, I couldn’t resist the cute idea of a ‘sweet dumpling heirloom squash’ stuffed with sourdough crouton, fresh fig and plum - baked to tenderness and served swaddled in a hazelnut buerre blanc that was so damn good that I would have eaten that with a spoon and died happy. I ate it all - skin and all. With my fingers. And I licked my fingers. Happiness for a mere $5.

Mr. Maven opted for the 3 Chorizo Sliders. We asked the server just how that was prepared, and she told us that the Basque chef made the chorizo herself and pronouned it full-tilt good, Winnemucca worthy Basque chorizo. Oh, it was that and more. This is the best slider in all of Reno. This slider is the best in Nevada, with sweet grilled onions and a fresh, warm and fluffy bun. It’s not gummed up with a lot of hooey, lettuce and tomato. Nope. You want nothing between your taste buds and these succulent little chorizo patties. Again, $5? This is a lot of love for a five dollar bill.

We also ordered the Bravas Potatos. This was the only place where the food came up short - they were somewhere between room temperature and well, cold. Hot they would have been incredible. Real potato flavor, tender and mealy. The Bravas sauce was perfect.

As I said, there’s so much that we simply must go back and try:

Chukar Lettuce Wraps? Yup. With real Chukar meat. Honest to gawd. Hand rolled meatballs in a spicy orange sauce? OMG, I’m back in Spain!  Steamed clams in a chorizo broth with a crusty baquette? OMG again.

The Chicken Breast and Warm Barley Salad sounds killer, if I could decide on that instead of the Seared Duck Breast Salad with a pomegranate glaze, jamon serrano, manchego cheese … ooooooh. Even a humble BLT takes on a new importance when served on flatbread with oven roasted tomatos, applewood bacon, butter lettuce and brava sauce mayo.

I could live here. Honest. This is my kinda food. Even Mr. Maven said that we ought to try it for dinner sometime - that’s a huge compliment from him, and miles from his initial impression of “it’s too dark in here, and the print on the menu is too small”

At the end of the day, perhaps I should give Gastro775 a simply horrid review, then we could have it all to ourselves. But the nicer part of me says, “Nah, let the other people in on this undiscovered jewel. The food is sooooo good, despite the name.”

They know what the challenges are in regard to the front of the house. There needs to be some serious training going on. For our part, we’re gonna hang in there since we both think the pay off could be very, very delicious indeed.

-maven