Autumn

Autumn

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Awful, Just Awful

As is our habit, when we work late, we dine out. Tonight we decided to try a new Italian place. I ordered chicken cacciatore and an appetizer of fresh water mussels.

By far the worst meal I've ordered in years. Both the mussels and pasta were so over salted I couldn't eat either.






A few minutes after our meals arrived the chef walked out and asked if we were, basically, satisfied with our food. I mentioned the mussels and pasta were over salted. Sweet Wife agreed.

Now get this, the chef said it was impossible. He had not added salt to the dishes. I said sorry, but he was wrong and to taste the mussel sauce. He dipped a piece of my bread then said, it's fine. Argued with me.

The chef neither asked if I'd like a replacement nor did he offer a discount or adjustment to our bill. We were his only customers.

Ask me if I'll return.

Stephen


27 comments:

  1. The customers is always right when working in the culinary field. That chef needs to go back to school!

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    1. I don't think he really gave a damn...sure didn't act like he cared. Thanks, Sandy.

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  2. Please email me what place this was so we don't even think about going there.

    We tried a somewhat/almost good Mexican restaurant ... takeout tonight from not too far away. If only they had asked if we wanted cabbage instead of lettuce, would have proved they were true Mexican instead of Americanized Mexican. We'll try them again, asking for cabbage next time.

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    1. Okay...will do. What Mexican restaurant. Most around here are microwave heavens. I haven't had decent Mexican since I left California back in the seventies.

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  3. I once asked our waiter for a sharper knife for my steak. He said "We don't need sharp knives here." and he whisked away my steak and brought me a mouth-watering filet.

    In Florida, I recently said "In order to cut this steak, I'll need something sharper."

    He brought me a carving knife from the kitchen!!! Honest. Ask ME if we'll be back!

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    1. Awful, isn't it. Good service is history in this country. Thanks, Joy.

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  4. You've been there twice -first and last time.

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  5. That's pretty bad. How can a chef not know that you don't have to add salt to a dish for it to be too salty, especially when cooking SEAFOOD. Mercy. There are some dishes I make that I never pick up a dash of salt and they are plenty salty.

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    1. I'll be he used salted butter and that awful garlic salt too. Chef my ass...thanks, my friend.

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  6. Concur with the other comments. Saturate that place with your absence.

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  7. Given the failure rate of new restaurants this does not bode well.

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    1. You would think, as we were his only customers, he'd get it....

      Thanks, my friend.

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  8. I am italain and i don't add salt to my dishes. neither did my mother, grandmother, aunts, cousins and etc. If he was using "garlic salt" instead of garlic powder, then its super easy to over do it. You only need a pinch.

    Just like when we go out to eat Italian, I will never order red sauce. To me, no one does it right. Senior will tell you I always get Alfredo.

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    1. Then you are indeed a good cook. Most don't add salt...thanks, my dear.

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  9. It's the way of the world these days! The customer can go eff himself is most peoples attitude! My daughter fell at a restraunt when she was really little, the waiters decided to DEEP clean while they were still open the floor was drenched! On my way to the bathroom, I managed not to fall, but as we were leaving my daughter slipped and landed hard on her back and head. The customers in there all said that we should sue them. We aren't those people but would have liked an apology, which we didn't get. We payed for our meal and went to the car, my husband went back in and decked the manager! He deserved it for not acknowledging our daughter being hurt and for not saying he was sorry. It was a Mexican restraunt, they acted like they didn't understand English. I think they understood my husband though. They locked the door when we left! I guess we should have sued them. I just didn't want my daughter to have to go through a bunch of crap just to prove a point to a bunch of illegals!

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    1. Your husband let him off easy...and, his action was very proper. Thanks, Sweet Kelly.

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    2. I just remembered what set my husband off! When we were "trying" to talk to the manager he had another guy hurry and put up WET FLOOR signs! They were worrying about covering their own asses and could've cared less that my daughter just bonked her head on the tile!!! Okay, I'm done ranting about this, it was in the past, moving on!
      Last week though I went to a cell phone place and tried to upgrade to an Iphone, well alot of extra charges and b.s. and I didn't want the damn phone anymore. The employee and manager referred to me as the Iphone instead of Kelly or Mrs. So and So. Horrible customer service everywhere I'm afraid. It's too bad too that Iphone was pretty neat LOL!

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  10. How long would your business be open if you treated customers like that?

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    1. About a week...if that. Thank you, my friend.

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  11. What bummer! They should be blackballed from the world of culinary excellence.

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    1. He/They, will not last long in this city. Thanks, John.

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  12. It was probably for the best that that it was too salty. You were taking a risk eating shellfish like mussels in a place you weren't familiar with. I once had a bad oyster at an oyster house in Tampa. I spit it into my beer. The waitress said "that's disgusting, why did you do that?" I replied because it tasted like sewage. Would you rather I had spit it on the bar or the floor? I never went back.

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    1. Very, very true, Muddy, but I do tend to take a risk now and then...thanks, my friend.

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