urban solace: hash house on the cheap

that might be a stretch, but i kept getting that feeling as we dined at the new urban solace in north park. and i mean that in a good way - it's comfort food, a-la hash house, but without the $28 entree prices. i think the folks running this fun, friendly place with exemplary service might be on to something.

one of the newest additions to the burgeoning dining scene in north park, urban solace is located between the new pink elephant bar (not to be confused with yellow elephant bar, home of chickenhawk republicans) and that old queen, shooters. the ample-sized patio can be seen from the sidewalk, and adjoins the french quarter-style builing housing the restaurant. but don't be fooled by the building's new facade, you won't be eating jambalaya here. instead, upon entry you're greeted by a dimly-lit, tastefully decorated bar/lounge area with a relatively small dining area.

not surprisingly, we were told there was a half-hour wait for dinner (it was 8 on a saturday and the place was packed) but we were called on our cell phone shortly thereafter and dashed back in. lots of intriguing appetizers on the menu, but we settled on the goat cheese/butternut squash dip, and the albacore chop with avocado and nuts. both came with thin, salty baguettes perfect for dipping/piling. while the chop was quite similar to an appetizer we had at island prime, there was plenty of raw albacore to satiate the sushi fiend in me. the dip was creamy and a nice accompaniment to the cheese and baguettes.

the entrees were no letdown from the apps - jay had the mac and cheese with bacon and i had a salmon blt with aioli. the mac and cheese was addictive and the definition of comfort food, and my blt was tasty along with the sweet potato fries that accompanied it. and with entree prices under $15 and sandwiches under $10, there's real value for your food buck. i can't think of another restaurant in town that offers this level of atmosphere and food at this price point.

in addition to the above, the service was impeccable - the best we've had in a while. our waitress was friendly and attentive, and we had several staff members assist us throughout the meal. food delivery was timely too. throw in a young, vibrant crowd and it was about as good as it gets. we'll be back soon.