In honor of the shitshow that is Valentine's Day, we asked you brave souls who went out last night to tell us how it went. We love us some romance, but hitting the scene on a night filled with overcrowded, understaffed restaurants with expensive set menus just doesn't spell l-o-v-e. And yet every restaurant in town was double booked. We'll roll out your war stories as they come in, so please, do share.
There is no fury like a man squeezed into a tiny dining room scorned. Here we have an anecdote about the ever affable Amarone Kitchen + Wine on Sunset, which many people have raved about since it opened a few months ago. But small space + extra holiday crowds does not equal romance to this guy.
"The more I think about the evening the more pissed I get. The reality is that we as diners should not have to be on our toes all the time – when I call up and make a reservation I should not have to ask if it’s a special fixed menu – they should tell me and this was never discussed. I should also not have to ask if they are going to move in a bunch of extra tables into an already cramped space. The seating was a total joke, a fire marshal would have rolled on the floor laughing – there was a bank of 4 table downstairs at one side and we sat at one, more cramped tables at the window – the table were 2’ square or under and the plates were oversized, it was a total joke, there was no room for anything on the table, one could not get up to go to the bathroom – there was maybe 4-6 inches between the tables – plucking romantic my a$$."
"I took a peek upstairs and encountered the same misery – if someone is cramped and uncomfortable then the party is over before it starts – they could have served me food from paul bocuse and I would have still felt like leaving but the food was a zero, small portions of rich nothing.Unconfirmed: If there were extra tables in or if it's always tight quarters. Confirmed: This guy is on a tear and won't let up until he gets his $200 back.The owner and wait staff are very nice and gracious but its not enough – the guys are all from italy and I asked for a spritz with aperol and he looked like I was from mars – give me a phucking break, this has to be one of the most popular anytime drinks in all of italy."
· Black Thursday Aftermath: Picky Eaters, Bad Service [~ELA~]
· Black Thursday Recap: Reservation Roulette [~ELA~]