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| - Set up a VinVillage event at this place, sight unseen, which I hosted last night. After the glowing descriptions on their website, some of the reviews here, and knowing they are located at CityNorth, I expected much better!
Walking in, I did not get the feeling of "upscale" restaurant. Sports on 2 TVs blaring out over the bar and into the open dining room did nothing for the atmosphere. They had a long table pulled together for our group in the center of the room, but I grabbed a seat at the bar since I was the first to arrive. Took a few minutes, but the bartender eventually gave me a wine list/menu, answered my questions, and proceeded to get my drink. They had a good selection of wines, and some you don't normally find on wine lists at every other place in town.
A few others came in and we moved to the table, no problem transferring tabs. Seemed to take a long time between everyone (about 15 of us, though we initially expected 20) receiving their drinks and the time the first apps came out. Granted, they were complimentary (the deal I worked out for my group), and they were quite yummy - especially the spicy tuna on tempura eggplant - so once we started eating, we forgot about the wait. The pate was very rich and served with soft slices of raisin bread. Some were immediately addicted to the bacon-wrapped dates.
Everyone ordered a burger of one type or another, some opting for the pre-selected toppings, other customizing and adding sweet potato fries. We confirmed that everyone was on separate checks. My burger came out not quite as rare as I would have liked, but what do you expect when the patty is only 1/2" thick? I am not a big beef fan, anyway. Sauces were good, especially the pungent garlic parm, as were the fries.
But then, we waited for the checks...and waited...and waited. Seems the staff didn't begin trying to sort out who had what until at least HALF AN HOUR AFTER everyone had finished eating and plates had been cleared! And none clearly knew how to use the POS system. Those who had cash eventually tired of waiting and just left it on the table. Those of us with credit cards were not so lucky...and several bills had to be re-rung, as they did not include the right items.
I had wanted to go back to try the salted caramel milkshake, but it will be a long time before I return.
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