Whether you live in Harrisonburg, go to school in the area, or you’re just stopping by for a visit, I strongly recommend you check out Clementine Café located in Harrisonburg’s historic downtown area. This independently and locally owned restaurant offers a diverse, mouth-watering menu accompanied with a chic, big-city-style atmosphere. Clementine’s spacious, dimly lit dining room and art-infused basement lounge may seem a bit out of place for the small southern town--it’s rare to find a Harrisonburg restaurant that has a bathroom with wooden floors, nice leather couches, and floral arrangements. But, its unique blend of flavorful food, live music, and ample art displays has established Clementine as a cornerstone in Harrisonburg restaurants.
While Clementine may give off the vibe of a big-city restaurant, it doesn’t have the big-city prices. Their list of original sandwiches and burgers all fall within the $7-$10 range--I recommend the honey ham topped with pineapples, Swiss cheese, caramelized onions, lettuce, tomato, and honey mustard. Or, if you feel like taking on one of their entrees, they range from $12-$23--the southern fried filet mignon is worth every penny. If you find yourself coming to Clementine with a full stomach, it’s also a great place to hang out and have a drink.
Clementine’s sophisticated atmosphere is also rather casual and homey, especially in the basement lounge. The basement lounge includes a fully stocked bar, numerous couches and tables, a 72’’ flat screen TV, and brick walls lined with local artwork. In addition to the relatively laid back atmosphere, Clementine offers an extensive drink menu. With over 75 types of beer, a diverse wine selection, and just about every other type of mixed drink you can imagine, Clementine is bound to quench any type of drinker’s thirst. If you’re just stopping in for a few drinks, I suggest Thursday nights in the basement lounge for happy hour (7-9 PM). This includes $3 well-drinks, $2 skinny pinks (run all night), and $2 Purple Hazes (light, fruit-flavored beer). And, if you find yourself getting hungry after a few drinks, appetizers are available to order from the basement.
Clementine consistently has live bands, DJs, game nights, and art shows on both the main floor as well as in the basement. Open 7 days a week from 11 AM- midnight. 540.801.8881
Every town has that particular bar & restaurant where everyone feels welcome and you’re not able to look in any direction without spotting a familiar face--every town has their own Cheers. Harrisonburg’s Cheers is undoubtedly Dave’s Taverna located on the corner of South Main and Water St. Dave’s pulls off the neighborhood feel. Whether you’re a student, a professor, or a local resident, you’ll feel right at home in this Harrisonburg landmark establishment. While Dave’s Taverna is physically one of the larger bars in town, it’s dozens of tables are placed such that you’re more than capable of joining tables with old, or new, friends; but, you can also retain some privacy to your party if you want. The atmosphere is the definition of casual at Dave’s. Feel free to wear anything from sweat pants to a dress or shirt and tie.
Okay, so the place is casual and friendly, but what’s the food and drink like? One of the major draws to Dave’s Taverna has to be the cheap booze. Dave’s has, by far, the best happy hour in town--every day from 4-9 PM. Their happy hour includes $2.75 well-drinks, $1 16oz. Budweiser products, and greatly reduced draft and pitcher prices. And, for those of us who don’t mind drinking Natural Light, pitchers are $2 all day, every day. This should be enough of a reason to check out the place. However, if you’re not a big drinker, or you are and need something to soak up that booze, Dave’s offers all the classic bar food along with some traditional Greek dishes. The food’s quality is well above that found at most local pubs, but with most sandwiches and burgers placed at about the $9 mark, the food is a bit pricey for what you get. Unless you’re getting an order of onion rings or fries, house favorites, I recommend ordering from their micro menu which offers slightly small portions for about half the price. You really can’t go wrong when ordering, but the real crowd pleasers seem to be the taverna burger, the steak and cheese, and basically anything doused with their tsatziki sauce.
Dave’s Taverna has cheap booze, good food, and good people. Did I also mention that the general setup of the bar is pretty damn cool? The first floor of Dave’s includes the main bar, with a lower level of tables and stage--Wednesdays are jazz night. Up a spiral stair case is a dining room to your right and, to your left, a catwalk lined with tables overlooking the bar below. Additionally, when it’s warm out, Dave’s opens its tarasta, a rooftop bar. The tarasta consists of bar with large TVs and dozens of outdoor tables scattered across the spacious rooftop. When weather permits, this is a great place to have a drink with some friends. The only downside is they don’t serve pitchers on the tarasta, but they do serve cheap 20oz. bottles and cans.
Dave’s Taverna is open 7 days a week, 11 AM- 1 AM, and also provides delivery/take-out service.(540)564-1487
Dan,
ReplyDeleteI really, really liked your clementines review, I thought it hit on all of the major points people look for in a restaurant review, and it did so in a really casual and friendly tone. I did notice that it was overwhelmingly positive, but it is possible that you didn't find anything negative about clementines to talk about. I thought your writing had a good flow to it, and I really enjoyed reading it!
I also thought that the Dave's review was a really fun read as well. It offered both the positives as well as the negatives about the bar, and gave the reader a good sense of the layout. Overall I thought that both reviews were really strong!
Dan, you definitely allow the reader to imagine they are there with you enjoying these restaurants. You also provide someone who doesn't know the restaurant with enough information to decide whether or not to go. This includes the prices, setting, and even a few mentions of food that they serve. Both reviews would be extremely valuable to someone who is visiting or has yet to experience these places. My only suggestion is to put in the prices of other things mentioned (such as appetizers at Clementine) and the types of alternate meals (smaller portions at Dave's). As someone who has never been to Clementine, I definitely want to take a visit downtown now!
ReplyDeleteDan, for the Clementines review you definitely gave the reader great insight to the atmosphere as well as food and drink selections. If someone new to harrisonburg read this review they would absolutely want to go there for a good time. With that being said, I feel like you could have found SOMETHING to be critical about. Overall, it sounds like a great place, however, not all readers may agree with your general taste so maybe if there was at least 1 or 2 things to forewarn readers about i think that could make it a lot stronger.
ReplyDeleteThe review for Dave's was also really good. I liked how the casualness of your tone reflects the casual atmosphere in Daves. You did a great job of describing the layout as well as the prices and different deals that they offer. i would have liked to have seen a little more description about the food, you say it isn't that worth it, but why? are the burgers bad are the fries soggy etc. Also, you may want to think about the crowd that is going to be coming here. Should we take families here on parents weekend, and if we aren't old enough to drink, is it worth going to just hang out and eat? are people under 21 even allowed in. I think that these changes would make it much stronger and have a much wider appeal.
Overall, both reviews were strong and i definitely cannot wait to check out these 2 places for myself.
Dan,
ReplyDeleteI really liked the review you wrote about Clementine. AND, it was so crucial that you mentioned the bathroom because I feel like everyone raves about it! Two things I would mention about Clementine that you didn't in your review: they switch to a late night menu after 10 (of mostly appetizers), and trivia is on Tuesday nights at 9:30 (this draws a line of people out the door quite often). I just thought I'd throw these things out there because, in my opinion, they are good things to know.
The review of Dave's Taverna was well-written. I think that if you clarify a bit about why the burgers etc. are over priced for what you get, people won't be as nervous to try out a burger. I like the suggestion about the half-priced deal on the micro menu--it gives you some credibility because it seems like it could be a hidden section on the menu. Maybe don't use the word booze as much and mix it up with beer?
Great work!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDan,
ReplyDeleteThese reviews are well written and I think your casual, conversational tone worked well. I liked your very detailed descriptions, especially in the first paragraph of your Clementine review, but I think you could go further with them. Instead of just putting all the facts and figures in a list, you could describe the places with more imagery. What colors did you see? What did the food smell and taste like? What was the service like?
For Clementine you could add more explanation of the events they have there, because a lot of the live music and trivia nights are a really big draw and something that makes it a unique place.
For Dave's I liked the comparison to Cheers, making it something readers can immediately identify with. When you are describing the food you say it is pricey for what you get which is negative but then you say you can't go wrong when ordering and list a bunch of crowd pleasers, so I was a little confused.
The only other thing I can say is that I thought you could insert a little more of a critical opinion, because these reviews almost remind me of advertisements put out by the businesses themselves because they of the style and how they are so positive. Even if there really was nothing critical to say, I think if you add your own voice to these a little more it will definitely be stronger!
Dan,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the language of both reviews. I enjoyed the Clementines review because you really appealed to your audience by showing your familiarity with the area and by anticipating their concerns in terms of prices or the social situation that they find themselves in. Armed with this information I'd feel more comfortable walking into this previously unfamiliar restaurant. My only concern on the Clementine's review was that it seemed to end sort of abruptly. I'm glad that it ended with useful information, but maybe a better transition into it.
The same goes for your review on Dave's Taverna. Again, awesome job at recognizing your audience and appealing to everyone in the Harrisonburg area. I love that you don't just stop at describing the place itself and the food and drink, but also the social aspects of it. I thought you really got your point across about the atmosphere by comparing it to "Cheers." It was a great review, and the only thing I'd watch in it, maybe, it the rhetorical questions, because they might need to be rephrased or tweaked a little bit, and I think your writing is perfectly strong without them. Great review, and I'm looking forward to going to these places!
I thoroughly enjoyed your review of Clementine. You did a good job at capturing the essence of the restaurant as well as appealing to interests of prospective diners.
ReplyDeleteWhile seeming more like a plug for the restaurant, if you get nitpicky and find some negative aspects about the restaurant it would become more “real” and not seem “too good to be true.” For instance, I don’t like the burgers, maybe just find some things that you would even recommend that Clementine’s should improve. You did a good job at maintaining the trendy vibe of the restaurant and helping the audience visualize what a night in Clementine would be like.
Dave’s Taverna is certainly a relaxed, fun place to dine – which you certainly conveyed through your review. You did a good job at highlighting the great aspects of Dave’s but again, I recommend playing Devil’s Advocate and also appealing to the negatives.
Your casual tone throughout appeals to readers as well as allows it to read smoothly. You never went too in depth to the point where readers might be skeptical about your credibility that provides a nice touch to the review. After some refinement, your voice as the writer will come through more and I think your review will be much stronger.
Overall though, a good review.
Dan,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading both of your reviews. As previously stated in reference to Clementine's, you did a great job at capturing the essence of the restaurant. You painted a picture that gave the audience a sense of the vibe created at Clementine's.
It seems that your review belongs in a newspaper surrounded by a few other restaurant reviews, or in a tourist guide. If this is the case the short and to the point descriptions work. However, I was left wondering a little about the food. A little more description may work.
Your review on Dave's Taverna was also well written. I got the point that the bar is better suited for socializing and drinks than fine dinning.I also appreciated the transitions between your topics. It made the review easy to follow.
Overall, I think you did a great job! I would only suggest that you consider your publications.
Dan-
ReplyDeleteStrong pieces. I thought your tone--casual without losing credibility--was appropriate in both reviews. It's interesting that in both cases you focused more on the drink than the food, but in a college town perhaps that makes a modicum of sense.
I was a little confused by the nature of this piece though. Is it meant as two separate reviews, or is it--as the title sort of suggests--a cross-section of Harrisonburg's downtown restaurants? If the latter, perhaps an intro paragraph might make some sense.
Also, what's the exigence of this piece? Both of these restaurants have been around for a while, so why review them now? Perhaps comparing them to a newer place might make sense from that perspective.
Those aside, though, I had very few complaints about the writing, which I found to be fluid and clear. Well done. These might do well in a local paper--Rocktown review or The Daily News Record.
-Jackson Breyer
Dan,
ReplyDeleteI like your first review on Clementines. It is straight forward, clear, easy to read, casual, and you don't leave many questions to be asked. Since it is a very positive, somewhat biased review, however, it leaves some space for the question, is there anything actually wrong with this place? Then again, some people aren't looking for that, so good review.
Your review on Dave's was also a good casual read. However, in reading it, your tone seems to change (from paragraph 1 to 2). The tone doesn't always match your phrasing in some places, and if you are targeting "that" audience- the booze drinking type- you may still want to change your wording. It's easy to lose credibility when you over use the word booze. And like Caitlin said, you gotta make sure your don't contradict yourself. It was fun to read about 2 of my favorite food places.
Clementine's
ReplyDeleteI like the way you’ve laid this out. The transition from food to drink is really smooth, and I like the way you said, “if you’re coming in with a full belly,” because it encourages the reader to go for atmosphere and drinks, not necessarily the food. My one discrepancy is that, having never been to Clementine’s, I don’t receive a visual besides “big city style” until you describe the basement lounge. So more descriptions of the atmosphere will help your reader really get into your piece.
Dave's
The first sentence is exciting, but I think you should eliminate the first part and just say “Every town has it’s Cheers” then explain what that means in order to increase the pace. Your transition between the first and second paragraph is very effective at communicating the answers to some of the reader’s perceived expectations.
Your language is good, although I might not enjoy the idea of my food being “doused” in tzsatziki sauce. As in the first article, I’ve never been to Dave’s either, so I’d prefer the general description of what it looks like so I can get a visual of myself there with a drink in hand.
Dan,
ReplyDeleteGood thoorough review of two great Harrisonburg restaurants. You did a really nice job explaining what the visitor's expectations should be in going to these restaurants. Something that I think would help your piece is some sort of introductory paragraph or two generally about downtown Harrisonburg that may set up the scene for visitors who have not been to Harrisonburg before. Good use of imagery describing the feel of the restaurants; however, don't be afraid to continue that more throughout the piece.
The first review on Clementines definitely made me starving; if I hadn't sold my soul to Jack Brown's I'd be checking our Clementines! As another student said, it was "overly positive" - I believe you can fix this by addressing things that often go overlooked: location, parking, service, versatility in the menu, etc. Otherwise, good review.
ReplyDeleteThe Dave's review is a bit more casual than the Clementines review. I think your casual approach adds to your review, I mean we are talking about Dave's. I'm not sure what your target audience is, but I could see this in a "night-life" section of a Harrisonburg Brochure. You did a good job of addressing the atmosphere in both reviews; the jeans or shirt and tie comment I felt really summed it up well. I believe that picking a target audience and honing in will help your review, overall well done though.
Dan,
ReplyDeleteConcerning your review of Clementine’s I like your initial description of the café in today’s troubled economy it’s wise to give the reader a sense of cost; does a big-city atmosphere mean a big-city bill? And you do just that. You also speak to both the restaurant and bar side of the establishment—and although these are the two biggest features—you could dedicate some more to the local artwork, or live music there. You may consider for your second draft going back when they have some kind of event and incorporating that into your review as well. Other than that it was a very positive review (which others have already mentioned) but still a solid depiction of a good local bar.
Concerning your Dave’s Taverna review I like the Cheers analogy, though I feel like it may generally apply to the younger audience. In your second paragraph you start with the most important aspect of Dave’s (it’s selling point) the cheap booze, and especially those $2.00 pitchers. That sells me on the place. Your review is still highly positive and I think generally the reader (if having listened to your review and went to the Taverna) might have discovered they in fact could have gone wrong when ordering off the menu. Be more critical, especially of the food, as well as touch on the service—was it fast, rude, friendly, etc…