I had an unsatisfying dinner the other night at a place out in the Pleasure Point neighborhood. New chef offering a new ambitious menu. But from start to finish things were just off enough to make me regret the $100 spent on dinner for two.
Red wine served much too warm—and this is a problem for many restaurants. Please treat wine with respect, and don’t make the patron have to reach into the water glass for an ice cube.
Wait staff untrained. Bringing an appetizer before bringing plates for sharing, not knowing details of the menu.
Make sure that whoever is cooking actually tastes the food before sending it out. We had a paté that was dry as styrofoam. It wouldn’t have taken much to whip up a mustard sauce, or an aioli, or even a chutney to provide along with the dish. But nothing accompanied the paté to help coax moisture into the experience. Clearly no one in the kitchen realized just how dry it was.
An entree of flat iron steak arrived almost cool to the touch, practically raw (I had asked for “between rare and medium rare”), and accompanied by legumes that lacked any seasoning whatsoever. Again, no one is tasting the food.
When I asked our waiter if the steak could be cooked a bit more, I was told “that is medium.”
Stop right there! No restaurant employee—manager or waiter—should ever tell the customer that they are wrong. Even if they are. And I wasn’t. It was one of those moments where I really wanted to tell this rude individual just how much experience I have had with restaurant dining, etc. etc. usw.
But of course I didn’t.
Waiting for that steak to finally return to our table took so long —and broke the rhythm of the meal so completely—that my companion and I had pretty much finished her entire dinner before the steak arrived.
A dessert that showed innovative concept—a zucchini cake with whipped goat cheese and pine nut brittle—was made silly and unapproachable by X-Men sized brittle. The hard pine nut brittle arrived in slabs larger than the cake beneath. Slabs so thick that they couldn’t even be chewed without endangering the teeth, lips, and gums.
Everything that was wrong with this dinner could easily be fixed. Easily. Make sure the staff is trained. Never tell the customer that they’re wrong. Make sure someone tastes the food —flavor is an important ingredient in dining. And dammit, chill the red wine!!! Just a half hour before serving will make sure it isn’t warmer than room temperature.
I give thanks for new menus and appealing restaurant experiences. I want hard-working chefs and restaurateurs to succeed. But I’m also an advocate for the patron who is in good faith—[$100 before tip and tax] and you just never, ever tell the diner that they are wrong. Ever. They will never come back to your restaurant. Ever.
I am surprised that you did not tell the manager or chef about your experience… it is always helpful for them to know.
What, oh what is this paragon of dining bliss called? Inquiring minds and all that . . . and I share your view about the utter inappropriateness of correcting the customer. The worst.
Thanks Christina, for this…I’m pretty sure I know what restaurant this is, and we were actually thinking of going there because we had heard about the change in chefs–I agree with you on untrained waitstaff, and out-of-sequence presentation of courses being unacceptable, but those two things seems to be the norm now in this county. Recently, we’ve gone to a number of restaurants in Carmel, and it is amazing how different they are in service to up here…so much more professional…and the prices are generally no higher…don’t get me started! Anyway, thanks again…
good service indeed hard to find…many seem to find this high paid job just temporary…servis compris is coming…performance based pay may improve
Why not name the restaurant Christina so we can avoid a disappointing meal? Certainly waiting tables can be a temporary job but good management should both train and supervise their employees properly to avoid these kinds of mistakes. And also be sure their customers get at least a warm welcome from whoever is hosting, something we have found sadly lacking in many local restaurants.
Please permit me to rant, related to disappointing dining experiences. Tonight I thought I’d try the “supper club” held on Tuesday nights at the Food Lounge space, but it was somewhat of a disaster, between the deafening noise level and the seemingly inefficient kitchen. How much time does it take to put some salad on a plate? My husband was finished eating and my dish still had not arrived. They had run out of several menu offerings already. Maybe Santa Cruzans are so desperate for new food options and like the idea of supporting these “pop up” restaurants. (There was too long a line the previous week at Monday night’s Mortal Dumpling pop-up; Ty’s Eatery Wednesday barbeque seems popular but at least they are more organized.) I wish these young restaurateurs good luck but they really need to get their act together.
I have the deepest respect for anyone who puts it all on the line by starting their own business, especially a restaurant with its high fixed overhead and narrow margins. So it’s regrettable that so many fail, often not because of just the usual lack of capital but the lack of preparation in the way of experience and education. Certainly many thrive especially those family restaurants, usually ethnic, started out of necessity, preparing the food they have eaten all their lives and valuing their customers. The key in my mind is that it’s business providing a product to the public and the paying public deserve at the very least the same level of professionalism as other service providers. Too often the restaurant experience falls far short of this, they are in a learning process that might work out but I object to being the subject of an experiment I did not volunteer for while paying for the privilege. I want a meal prepared by a professional that can at the very least provide something at the level of meals I prepare in my own home. Is this unreasonable?