Bruce F.
Yelp
I had a mixed experience at Piatello yesterday that was saved by really great food, which to me, at least, is of the highest priority. A lower rating was salvaged by the fact that the meatballs were delicious, as was the cheese pizza (that required a surcharge over the cost of the margherita pizza (??), and the tagliatelle--all delicious.
I found the order-taker on the phone to be curt and way-too-rushed, difficult to hear, and unwilling to repeat the order. Two simple requests were rejected (the addition of any protein to the little gem salad). Of course, when I arrived to pick up the order, it was lacking an item, requiring a short wait while the bar-tender had to go back to the kitchen to figure out where things went wrong. I could have told them that the order-taker didn't want to repeat the order, so this was a predictable self-inflicted wound.
Instead of the host being responsible for pick up orders, I was directed to the bar to pick up the order, where I waited for the bar tender to serve all the patrons at the bar while my order sat waiting on the bar-and I stood at the bar to be noticed. Eventually, after several minutes, I waived down the bartender, to whom I pointed out my order was sitting on the bar.
I asked the bartender if I could add a side of marinara to the order while they were searching for my lost order of meatballs, to which she replied she'd have to charge me. After crumbling my face and swallowing my pride, I said go ahead and charge me. I'm a religious, God-fearing guy, so I figured an eye-for-an-eye, and I'd just deduct the marinara surcharge from the tip, but to my surprise, when the bartender brought the side of marinara, she said it was on the house.
That gesture normally would have been met by me with a big "thank you very much, that's soooo unnecessary", but given the frustration with the unnecessary delays and "take no prisoners" approach of the order-taker who took my order (wrong), the "free" marinara was somewhat of an expectation.
I know Piatellos can do better--and they almost always do--I just didn't have time to review those experiences, so I'm averaging the star rating and shooting straight with this narrative of only my experience last night. Really happy to have such a nice Italian place right in our own back yard, but consistency does matter, just sayin'.