Gray and Grizzled Food Fan

Dear Customer Service Director,

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of patronizing various dining establishments in your restaurant group. Consequently, my expectations were high last night when I took my husband to his birthday dinner at Café Z. My expectations were not met.

There were several problems which I would like to mention. First, the service was indifferent, uninterested and uninformative. No suggestions, commentary or inquiry as to the quality of food was made. A maitre d’ passed our table several times to speak with a couple at a neighboring table but made no effort to acknowledge our existence. I expect such treatment in some restaurants, but not in one that proclaims its democratic atmosphere as a virtue.

Second, the seating was behind a busing station, though seats were empty in more aesthetically pleasing portions of the restaurant. I’d chosen the restaurant for my spouse’s birthday largely because it’s so beautiful. Sitting in the most remote wing under a low ceiling did not allow us to enjoy much of the décor.

Finally, the food was not up to the high standards of your restaurants. My scallops were greasy, the foie gras was underseasoned, and the cake in the chocolate dessert was dry. I enjoyed my beef and my husband enjoyed his lamb. The wine was also good. Again, no one asked. Again, in a restaurant of this quality, everything should have been superb.

I regret feeling compelled to write this letter of complaint. At this point in life, I eat out less often and choose more carefully where I go. I thought I’d made the right choice last evening. I hope it was just an off night.

Sincerely,
Fulana de Tal

This entry was posted on January 11, 2007 at 3:23 pm and is filed under Restaurant Complaints. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.