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Wednesday, June 01, 2005

*sigh* Restaurant Stress

So are our expectations for quality of service at restaurants too high? Were we spoiled in Chicago? Here's a few highlights from our recent experiences.

Fado Irish Pub in Seattle
*Had to ask for a glass of water 3 times
*Asked for a pint of Magners cider, was told they didn't have it. An hour or so later, saw another patron walking around WITH A BOTTLE OF MAGNERS
*Asked for my sandwich without dressing--sandwich came with dressing slathered on it
*Grade = D

Claim Jumper
Double Whammy
*SECOND TIME there after a not so great first time when we were here in April
*Stuck in the same (cursed?) booth
*Ordered app and entrees; entrees come out 15 min later but no appetizer;
*Manager comes over to apologize (positive points added there) and persuades us to take home the app to have later; we also made sure he knew that this was our 2nd poor experience
*We get the bill at the end of the night and find that we're STILL charged for the appetizer (big time negative points)
*Grade = F

Grazie
Redeemed!
*Started out with bad experience--went in for dinner at 9:40 only to be turned away b/c they closed early = unhappy and hungry diners (us)
*Decided to give it 2nd shot the following evening
*Manager was so happy we came back that he gave us a complimentary appetizer AND comped us on our other appetizer!
*Grade = A+!!!

Overall tho, folks seem to move at a slower pace here. It takes longer to get our orders taken, to get our food and of course to get our check. I guess we'll get used to it tho. :P

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

You do realize, of course, that this just means you need to come back to Chicago for dinner. :-)

Brian said...

Is there an echo in here?

Anonymous said...

Funny... that matches what I've heard about those coastal states from Nate (who almost moved to San Diego to follow a girl) and Tom (who lived in FL for a year or so.)

Very poor work ethic. Nobody cares. Calling in sick once a week to sit at the beach is normal.

Us midwesterners have a wierd work ethic out there (you know, we have a conscience about that kind of stuff...)

Oh ya - my ticket is BOOKED :)

Jim

LisaD said...

Yeah--you really can't expect to go out for a "quick bite" in these parts.

And YAY! We're so excited to have our first visitor! :)

Anonymous said...

Well, being a person who has lived in numerous states, Chicago IS the fastest pace I have seen so far. Everybody's in such a big hurry. But if you live there for so long I guess you get so used to it, that it seems like the norm - People from other parts say that Chicagoans are rude and in a rush. I'm not from other parts though. I never say Chicagoans are rude. Never.

Anonymous said...

slower pace = time to gaze in one anothers eyes. Less stress.

Cathy