Sandi's September Trip Report #11 Studios + Mama's + AKL@ night
- From: Sandi Femino <femino@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2007 12:52:51 -0400
Sandi's September Trip Report #11 Studios + Mama's + AKL@ night
Tuesday 9/18
Spent some time in the room and on the balcony today before heading late
back to studios, DD's favorite park.
We watched Beauty and the Beast and LOVED Four for a Dollar.
Another ride through on GMR and over to Mama Melrose's for our 3 pm ADR,
and our only bad service the entire 12 days.
Our server was a middle-aged woman who seemed to have an attitude from
the time she (just barely) greeted us. Maybe she was just having a bad
day, but everything went downhill from there. Now I am not looking for
the server to have a big conversation with me or develop a life-long
friendship. A greeting, taking my food order and refilling my drink is
really all I want, but we couldn't even get that.
We were seated along the low wall that overlooks the open the kitchen.
Our server asked if we wanted drinks and I ordered a Bellini and DD a
glass of wine and when those were served we ordered our apps then which
we intended to share: the soup of the day and the bread with spreads.
The soup came immediately, but not the bread. After finishing the soup,
our server asked for our entre order. I told her we hadn't gotten the
other app, but she said it would be right out. (How long does it take to
serve bread anyway? It was now 15-20 mins.)
She insisted on taking our entre orders and I kick myself for not
refusing to order. Of course the bread did NOT come right out. Another
10-12 mins and she brought it, and then 10-12 mins later our entrees,
brought by a kitchen staff member. Our entrees had clearly been sitting
under a heat lamp, evidenced by the dried up sauce on my eggplant and
plate and on DD's flatbread.
My eggplant was like shoe leather and DD's flatbread was dried out.
GRRRRR. Again, I probably should have sent it back but I am not a
complainer, and unfortunately, our server was nowhere to be found
anyway. Now based on where we were seated we would have clearly seen
her if she were anywhere in the dining room.
I had ordered a lemonade with my meal, but after getting a 1/3 of the
way through our entrees, she was STILL nowhere to be found. I was
thirsty? dried out eggplant will do that?so I flagged down another
server and asked if she could possibly find our server or bring me a
lemonade. She brought the drink and STILL no sign of our server. I
wanted a bit of salt and pepper, but none of either on the table and NO
server to ask, so I begged them from the table next to us. DD was
muddling through part of her pizza, but not happily; She needed a refill
by now too.
Now about _ way through our entrees, (and all we were going to eat of
them) and our server finally appears, and with several entres in her
hands and asks on the fly if we need anything, but doesn't stop to hear
our response!
I was fuming! Another 10 mins and she finally comes back. We order
our desserts to go since we just want to GET OUT OF HERE and forget the
whole experience. Her attitude had now dissolved into rather surly.
(When DH and I had dinner here in Dec. there was a glitch in service
too. I had ordered a salad that was never brought, and then she wanted
to serve it to me for dessert and seemed surprised that I didn't want it
then and made a point about offering to take it off the bill. What else
should be done if the food was never served? I considered that minor,
enjoyed the food so we went back. Lesson learned.)
I don't think we will eat here again. I know they are busy, but we were
not asking for anything other than very basic service: Food delivered
in a timely manner, drinks refilled and someone to get salt and pepper.
I asked to speak to a manager, the first time I have ever done so in a
restaurant, and told her our experience. She asked what she could do,
but I told her the meal was ruined and there was nothing to be done now,
but she might want to speak to the server re. her service and her
attitude. Ironically, while I was speaking to the mgr. our server was
hovering well within earshot, the most we had seen of her during the
whole dining experience!
We decided to go back and spend some time at AKL and the pool.
We took short naps and went to the pool, walked out on the lobby
overlook and had a late snack at Mara.
At 9 pm went out to the pool overlook to try out the night vision
goggles, where I saw a couple giraffes down on the ground.
Still enjoy the view of animals from our balcony more.
--
Sandi
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