Bonobo, June 23, 2005
Bonobo
18 East 23rd St.
It's an interesting concept. Name a restaurant after the most recently identified great ape. Said great ape, the Bonobo, is closest to humans of all the great apes, even more than a chimpanzee, sharing about 99% the same DNA. The website continues to tell us about how bonobos live very long lives (I don't doubt it, but can't find life expectancy anywhere) all by eating natural food in their general form - some bugs, but mostly vegetation. The only way they die is old age, accidents or by predators -- degenerative diseases are unheard of.
So they name a restaurant after this wonderful animal. And I'm not being facetious, they are very cool and have much to teach us about a lot of things, perhaps eating being one of them.
But what irks me about this is that if they are so brilliant and so closely linked to humans...why haven't they evolved. Why didn't their brains develop like humans, especially if we share 99% of the same genetic code. My guess is that its because they never learned to cook food/eat meat.
But you have to appreciate the idea behind this concept and, truth be told, the food is very good. I ordered the veggie nut burger with tomato compote and a side salad and it was remarkably flavorful, not dry at all (that's the low-heat cooking for you) and filling taboot.
If only places like Bonobo could hire managers that aren't what your conservative uncle thought you were like when you told him you were going vegetarian that one Thanksgiving. If you don't know what I mean, go to Bonobo to get the image yourself.
18 East 23rd St.
It's an interesting concept. Name a restaurant after the most recently identified great ape. Said great ape, the Bonobo, is closest to humans of all the great apes, even more than a chimpanzee, sharing about 99% the same DNA. The website continues to tell us about how bonobos live very long lives (I don't doubt it, but can't find life expectancy anywhere) all by eating natural food in their general form - some bugs, but mostly vegetation. The only way they die is old age, accidents or by predators -- degenerative diseases are unheard of.
So they name a restaurant after this wonderful animal. And I'm not being facetious, they are very cool and have much to teach us about a lot of things, perhaps eating being one of them.
But what irks me about this is that if they are so brilliant and so closely linked to humans...why haven't they evolved. Why didn't their brains develop like humans, especially if we share 99% of the same genetic code. My guess is that its because they never learned to cook food/eat meat.
But you have to appreciate the idea behind this concept and, truth be told, the food is very good. I ordered the veggie nut burger with tomato compote and a side salad and it was remarkably flavorful, not dry at all (that's the low-heat cooking for you) and filling taboot.
If only places like Bonobo could hire managers that aren't what your conservative uncle thought you were like when you told him you were going vegetarian that one Thanksgiving. If you don't know what I mean, go to Bonobo to get the image yourself.
posted by Michael Mahle at 3:37 AM
2 Comments:
I was just there yesterday, considering getting one of thsoe "ice cream" things until I realized that I'd rather have real ice cream and I could make their pureed fruit stuff rather easily.
Anyhoo, I only went to Bonobos once, more than a year ago I think, and I remember really liking their banana almond pudding. Or something like that. And then I realized I could probably make it easily, except I never tried. Once I tried making a raw pumpkin pie that came out okay but not good enough that I'd want to make it again.
I think it'd be nice if Bonobo's interior had more ...personality? It's a nice large clean space but it doesn't really make me wanna hang out and eat a salad.
Hey Robyn,
Yeah, I totally agree. The interior is pretty boring. It is not at all a "welcoming" place. I ordered and quickly got out of there.
See ya,
MM
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