Kathryn L.
Yelp
Our Server Maurice, did his absolute best in taking care of us during our private dining experience...the experience itself was substandard.
Reservations:
On my first call the Hostess stated with up to 12 guests we could sit in the main dining area. In my second call the Host stated up to 15 guests could sit in the main dining area. After the conflicting information, I called back & requested to speak to the Special Events point of contact. It was Gage who clarified everything. 15+ guests must utilize the private event room, $90 per person Prie Fix & spend minimum. He emailed me the contract, I filled it out, sent it back & never received an executed copy...no problem.
Due to the fluctuation of guests & a few days before the dinner, I tried to contact Gage multiple times via phone/email with no response. Again, no problem as the restaurant game is one of the busiest industries...we ended up connected the day before the dinner.
My Daughter & I arrived an hour early to ensure everything was set & ready to go. I asked the Hostess for Gage & was told he was not working. I stated our headcount was a solid 10 & would like to request shifting to the main - no worries about having to wait if necessary. She stated, "there are a few ways to blend tables together but it may be a little tight".
Out of the blue, the manager on duty - a tall woman with blonde hair approached us. I said hello, mentioned my name & tried to reiterate what the Hostess said about shifting to the main dining area. Without any basic salutation of sorts to me or my Daughter, she said: "We already set up the private area, I had to call in an extra employee into work plus Gage said you already signed the contract".
Sometimes I don't do the best job in turning the other cheek.
To that end, my response was "First of all, good afternoon. Second, the contract wasn't fully executed nor sent back with Gage or anyone else's signature. Third of all, my Bonus Daughter called around 4:30P she was told by the Hostess that there was plenty of tables in the main dining room for a party of 10 at 6P."
My cheek turned partially.
Not to further the mixing of the words, the manager then stated she needed to print out the Prix Fixe menus. That & with the private dining room not being set up agitated me further.
Quick Note:
*The private dining room is located upstairs.
*Everyone arrived at 5:45P before our 6P reservation.
*We were seated for 20 minutes before the table was ready.
*Dishes & glasses had to be sent back repeatedly due to being dirty - no fault of Maurice's.
*The food was quickly prepared (some entrees undercooked), salty & not adhering to a few of the guest's preparation requests - again, no fault of Maurice's.
*The family-style of sides were extremely minimal portions.
*To accommodate the V Crew you'll spend $40 to select four sides of Veggies - I opted to eat the salad & french fries & gave the rest of the $90 plate to my Newphew.
*While a few guests were still dining some of their food was picked up by a random employee who came upstairs trying to clear the table.
*There was no time limit, yet the last 30 minutes or so we all felt rushed.
At the end of the day, restaurants have to make money & pay their staff, no quarrels from me on that. However, accommodations for 10 people were doable as we saw empty tables throughout out our three-hour visit. As far as the extra help needed there were Servers kinda of hanging around the station by the patio, so that was a mute point.
Overall with the inherent factors it did not equate to our private dining expectations. Maurice's spirit, engagement & service made up for the deficiencies.