Garlic Bread from Montheiths Bar in Alexandra

Montheiths Bar in Alexandra
26 Centennial Avenue, Alexandra 9320

Ph: 03-448-9189
Email: mbba@xtra.co.nz

http://www.mbba.co.nz/
https://www.facebook.com/MonteithsAlex

This ought to have been interesting - always like going to franchises and and see how much 'license' they have with their menu.  Turns out quite a bit - in fact, often it depends on the local chef.  So this was indeed interesting!
The Garlic bread arrived in good time.  It was sold on the menu as :

Warm Ciabatta Loaf
$9.90
Served with garlic butter

As you can see it was on a platter and nicely arranged.  So far so good.  Upon touching it several things became clear quite quickly.  The 'warm' bit was a gross understatement.  It was hot to the touch - which - of course - made the cutting a bit tricky if not difficult.  Now I do like Ciabatta bread as a general rule. It does have a light springy texture - which in this case worked to its advantage for as you held the loaf (2 seconds at a time) and tried to cut into it - even the serrated sharp knife 'squashed' the loaf until you got the bottom , then cut through the base and presto it sprang back into its desired shape.  I am a pastry chef by trade - so I do have more of a 'heat-tolerance"  on the skin of my hands then most people have - have to admit - 2 seconds was the  most I could hold it.  Probably should have used the supplied napkin to shield myself from the 'warm' loaf.  The disappointing part was that the bread itself on the inside was luke-warm at best and given that the supplied piped butter came almost straight from the fridge and needed to be cut rather then could be smeared . . . . .
Because the fleshy part of the bread was luke-warm at best and the butter almost stone cold not much melting was done - thus when you ate the bread you bit into bits of butter - not overly pleasant.  

The next surprise was that this was not a timber bread board that it came with - rather some form of stone and that in-itself was still warm.  Presume it is the same plate that would be used for ' cooking - on - the - stone - plates ' of various steaks etc.  I did notice several 'grooves' in it presumably from the steaks being cut. At least the heat would have killed any left-behind bugs!

For my taste the garlic butter could have done with more garlic flavor. 
There was enough for 2 people with the loaf being cut into 4 slices easily (once you got past the 'hot' part) and did not leave you with the 'I want more' feeling.

I am aware there is a growing trend and ongoing discussion about "De-constructed" meals / coffee's.  I am of the personal opinion that if I am parting with my hard earned cash and pay someone to cook for me - then it should be just that - cooked.  It is not that you get 'cheaper' prices for a half constructed meal/drink.  I guess my expectation differed from the honest written menu.  Remember - it was written as "Warm Ciabatta Loaf served with garlic butter" and it was literally just that - apart from the warm part . I will have either to revise my expectations or ask some more questions before ordering the next time we eat out again.

Presentation	4 out of 5
Quantity	4 out of 5
Taste:	1 out of 5
Quality	1 out of 5
Overall score:	10 (out of poss 20)