Chase's Daily — Restaurant in Belfast

Meh.

We went late morning and got a "burrito" and an omelet.

"Burrito" was a bit of a misnomer; what it really was was a plate of sauteed veggies with black beans salsa and cheese which happened to have a tortilla around it. There were none of the typical flavors that tell you you are eating a burrito; no cumin, no chillies, and IIRC, it actually involved some kind of crumbly cheese.

The omelet was more enjoyable although the flavors were so strong as to be in-your-face. My wife and I were musing afterwards about being shouted at by the food. No need for it all to be so loud.

We sat at the counter which afforded me a view of the operation. I counted 13 people assumedly on the payroll to serve what has to be fewer than 60 seats. There was little-to-no communication between people and everyone was working at a strangely slow, dreamy, almost meditative pace. It was bizarre. I've been working in, and managing professional kitchens for nearly 20 years and I couldn't figure out what four or five of these peoples' job descriptions were supposed to be. There seemed to be a lot of redundancy and overcrowding in the kitchen.

Whatever they are doing is working well enough perhaps; our food arrived in reasonable time. But I can't help but think they could cut their payroll by a third at least and either lower their prices or increase their profits. It looks to me like one more restaurant opened by folks who had no prior experience in foodservice and have done their best to figure it out. Again; what they are doing is arguably working, but looks to be fraught with redundancy and inefficiency.

On an upside, the chai is homemade and quite delicious with strong flavors of cinnamon and cardamom (I would have added more black pepper, but that's a personal thing). The coffee was what you'd get at the counter of any roadside diner or convenience store.

Had we known, we would not have gone to Chase's. The food isn't very well designed or terribly successful in its execution. And the $30+ check total was not in line with...

The food is worth their weird, stoned acting, wacky service :P. Super disorganized. Both times we went. For example, the second time there, the server acted like she was stoned out of her mind. Went for weekend brunch. Got seated, then waited about 20 minutes to order. Then waited another 45 minutes for our food to show up, but not before our waitress showed up to our table at about the hour mark and asked us very sweetly, "how was your food"? I stared at her in disbelief, because we were still waiting for our food to arrive, and our table was clearly devoid of said food. I looked at her and simply stated, "I don't know, we haven't received our food yet." She blinked a bunch, kind of like a robot trying to process this information. She returned about 10 minutes later with our food. And, it was delicious! The things I'll put up with for great food! Apparently, this places is known for their eccentric service...

I am not a vegetarian, that said, I love good food, and this is very, very good. The produce used is locally grown so it is incredibly fresh. They even make some of their own cheeses. In addition to creatve, flavorful pairings, the food is visually stunning. Portion size: in a world of "super size me", the portions are "normal" size so don't expect overflowing plates. Cost: yes, Friday night dinner entrees will cost you $20 to $24, but to me, it is well worth it for the dining experience. Wait staff: attentive, understated, and reserved. They know how the food is prepared and the ingredients in the dishes. Reservations are highly recommended. Of note, Chase's is a place to take in the atmosphere, savor your food and engage in conversation (Friday nights, i haven't been there for lunch). If you are seeking a place to sit, eat quick, and run, there are other places in Belfast that would...