Sherry Lewis-da Ponte
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And then there was the mouse…Oh my!
Two friends and I had dinner there after having attended an open-air event at the Pavillion across the street. Unfortunately, the weather was unseasonably cold, wet, and downright hostile for early June, so the glass of Cabernet Sauvignon at the bar portended for a great dinner at an upscale steakhouse or so I thought.
The meal itself was good - not spectacular as one would expect when paying $73 for a bone-in Ribeye, but still good. Our waitress, Jackie, was affable and professional in her comportment and exchanges with our party. I was, however, surprised that after I informed her that the French Onion Soup Gratinee was too salty (plus, there was too much of an herb - thyme, I think - that coupled with the saltiness made the dish unpalatable), a woman approached the table and asked how we were enjoying our meal thus far. We had also ordered the Grand seafood platter, which didn’t disappoint; we said that we were enjoying the platter. I then said that I had returned the soup because it was too salty, and she stated, “Oh, I tried it earlier and thought it was fine.” I replied, “No, it was salty; I don’t like salty food.”
Now, I’m sure the woman who approached our table was a manager of some kind; however, she never said so. Additionally, it’s all well and good that she thought the soup was fine, but I did not. I was the one who had ordered it, not she. The manager, presumably, was not unpleasant in our brief exchange; nevertheless, I found her pronouncement unusual and off putting.
The rest of the meal - two bone-in Ribeyes; a filet; mashed potatoes (for two of us); fries; spinach and button mushrooms - was without incident until we were just about to leave the restaurant. We were the last patrons in the dining room at 10:05 on a Monday night. As we were getting up from our booth to leave, a mouse ran across the floor. It was clear as day as it made its way among the tables. My friend screamed, and I exclaimed, “A mouse!” She then replied, “Oh no, you know how afraid of mice I am. Let’s go.” As I said, we were leaving anyway as the night was coming to a close.
We have been to this Morton’s before and have had lovely experiences, and perhaps we’ll go to this location again in the future, but seeing a mouse in the dining room was a shocking sight and certainly an unappetizing way to end an evening.