RTG Day 3: Hops & Hominy Review

Rediscovering the Groove, Day 3: Write A Review

I met AT for dinner at Hops & Hominy last night, a 3-week old restaurant on Union Square that hopes to satisfy the city's "down-home cookin'" palate.  We were part of the early evening crowd, arriving at 6p, and were promptly seated at a neat rustic table for two.  I had a good view of the bar -- where the tender seemed to be busy shaking drinks all night long -- and an interesting mural by Audra Knutson featuring bunnies and a peacock gathered around a cobwebbed tree.*

YAYs

• Complimentary cornbread and sweet butter.
• My order of lip-smacking buttermilk fried chicken, served on top of a bed of bacony brussell sprouts, plus a wonderful side of mac and cheese.
• They let us stay -- and replenished our water -- for the 5 hours we were there.
• Nice attentive waiter who thoughtfully labeled my to-go box with the contents and date.

MEHs

• Two different versions of the menu, which was explained as an "oops, we've only been open for 3 weeks, and the menu's been changing." 
• Our eager request for alligator bites was...denied.  Sorry, wrong menu.
• Our beignet dessert too closely resembled our own failed attempt at making beignets previously.  (Cafe du Monde, you've ruined it for everybody! No one can make 'em like you!)
• AT's rabbit fettuccine, which we agreed was tasty but wouldn't necessarily order again.  
• My $10 Whiskey Smash could have used more lemon and mint, the two other main ingredients in the drink.

While I did enjoy my dinner entree, we gave the place 3 stars overall.  Now..., where to next?

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*Photo credit: SF Eater.