Trey Popp tries out ChiSteven’s at 901 S 9th Street and worries he stresses over whether our BYOB culture is heading in a bad direction.

By and large, the fare was nothing that a competent cook couldn’t make just as well at home. The only dish for which that wasn’t true was an appetizer of ground beef and pork meatballs, which were surprisingly light and set off by a savory tomato sauce that was markedly more flavorful than those accompanying our other dishes.

Ordinary food served in generous portions has its proper place in any restaurant landscape, but not at the prices ChriSteven’s charges. Sadly, the only real value here is the ability to dodge wine markups. If that’s the direction the BYO scene is headed, the debate over which new one is the best won’t be worth having.

ChriSteven’s [City Paper]