This weekend we were invited to join our Great friends the Vara's to destroy a large gift certificate at a local bistro in Mahopac. We were all over it. Can't wait to meet up for a great night.
We had a great start to the evening with munchies (solid move by Madam Vara) and a drink at the Vara's and a death defying ride to the restaurant with Jim driving the G35 at a pace to terrify the ladies stuck in the back seat. There are times I am glad that my eyesight without my glasses is not the best at night. (Although, determined legal by the States of GA and CT)
The restaurant is very cute. It is one of those places you go to once or twice a year for a special occasion. It takes a while for the drink order to be taken and a while (30 minutes perhaps for the wine arrives- which in retro respect a good thing). About this time, a lady from a table in the corner stands up and loudly asks if she can have a ta-go box and the check. They have been finished for a 1/2 hour. Umm. hmm. There are about 5 empty tables.
Our reservations were for 8 PM. The waitress pours the wine and says she will be back to take our order. One delicious but slowly drank glass of wine later, we get an opportunity to place the order. Roughly 3o minutes later, a waiter comes out to apologize on the time the starters are taking. They burned ours. Starting over. Now, understand... in a professional oven the bay scallops (small ones) take under 10 minutes under the broiler.
Roll ahead to the second bottle of wine being finished and it is now somewhere between 10:15 and 10:30 PM (I think). The dinner hasn't arrived. The waitress comes over and says to Rob, "We are plating your dinners right now, we apologize for the delay.. we are just waiting for your steak to finish (medium well)" Rob replies, " Let me get this straight, we sat down at 8:15 Pm it is now 10:30 and you are waiting on me" - Classic!!! Darn that patron for wanting a medium well steak.. Wouldn't you put this on first and then put on the others?
I want to say the food was splendid, the service was pleasant and they made accommodations on the bill. Thank God the company was the exact right people we would both want to be eating a leisurely meal with at a great restaurant. If it was clients, I would have been pulling my hair out. We were all just starving. End result, after surviving the slow service and laughing about it. We are now trying to figure out someplace to vacation... Great Friends.. we turned potential sour grapes into fine wine and a wonderful memory. End Result - Fantastic weekend.. it gave me something to blog about. Thanks to the Vara's for a great time! (and birthday present)
