| rev:text
| - 3/16/16
Decided to have dinner here with Mom since we were in the area. Ginger, the wife of Mario (the chef and owner of Vincitorios), and a host greeted us at the host's stand. Mom didn't want to eat outside, so we asked to be seated indoors. The only available table, as all the others were reserved (due to a 6 pm live show), was a four-top round table at the corner next to the restrooms. Aside from having to smell the room spray emanating from the restrooms every time someone entered or exited, the corner table would've been a nice area, as it was surrounded by walls decorated to look like windows with lace curtains. I wished we'd left and chosen another restaurant, but we stayed.
Our server, Crystal, came and asked if we wanted something to drink besides water. We settled with water, but I said I might order a glass of wine depending on what I choose to have for dinner. We finally got around to ordering (Mom wanted the Seafood Fradiavolo, and I was torn between the Stuffed pork chop and the Cannelloni. She said the pork chop was good, so I chose that, and she asked me again if I wanted to order some wine. Still looking, I said. I also asked if we could have some bread. Soon after she left, I decided I'd just skip wine and have dessert, so when she returned with the bread and our salads, I told her I'd skip the wine and opt for dessert, instead, so I asked her if I may look over the dessert menu. So far, she's all smiles, and everything is good. We're done with our salads, and Crystal takes our plates away, and soon after, our food arrives, and she returns shortly and asks if everything is OK. I asked if the homemade tiramisu contained powdered sugar in the filling. She said she'd find out. Before she left, though, we did complain that Mom's Fradiavolo looked very soupy. Mom wasn't happy. Crystal said that's how it's supposed to look, so Mom asked if she could have extra marinara to add to the dish and perhaps that will thicken it up. Crystal obliged, and I requested for more garlic bread. I wasn't happy with my stuffed pork chop's béchamel sauce, either, but I didn't complain. I opted to be positive about the tasty gnocchi. That is, the ones that weren't doused with the awful béchamel sauce and that actually had some browned butter and sage flavor on them. I contented myself with more garlic bread, and the thought of having tiramisu. I hoped Crystal would come back soon to tell me if the tiramisu was good to go (not containing powdered sugar), but she didn't. Neither did the extra garlic bread.
After awhile, I saw Crystal checking on two tables next to us, but she quickly left. A young man started attending to us, so I figured she'd passed us off to someone else. Mom wasn't happy about this, and neither was I. She didn't think Crystal had other tables, but I said that I saw her attending to two others. Mom used to wait tables decades ago, and her coworkers would say "What do you do?," "What do you say?," and "I don't see you talking much, yet you get large tips- how?" Mom knew to bring items to her customers before they would ask for them, and she didn't get too chummy, or hover around and be intrusive. It's why she's hard to impress when dining out, and why she thinks I overtip all the time. But back to tonight's meal. Since Crystal never came back with the extra bread, and Mom and I were both done with our meal (we didn't eat much), I'd asked the young man to find out if the tiramisu contained powdered sugar in the filling, and he said he'd ask. While he was gone, Crystal came back and she asked if we wanted our food to be boxed. We said yes, but not to include the soupy broth of the Fradiavolo, and I only wanted the meat and the pasta, no béchamel sauce. She leaves. Soon after, the young man comes back to tell me that the tiramisu isn't made with powdered sugar, so I ordered it, and as he leaves, Crystal arrives with the boxes, and she must've heard me order the dessert. She said, no, the tiramisu's filling contained powdered sugar, so I can't have it. I asked "But he just found out for me that it didn't." "Oh, he must've misunderstood." I took it as she didn't want us to occupy her table any longer by having dessert.
Mom was upset that I tipped 15%. I tip at least 20-25%, but I tip even more for friendly and helpful service that is absent of condescension. For years I'd spoken highly of Vincitorio's to Mom, and I was excited to take her tonight. I lamented that we had arrived too early (4:45p) and miss out on hearing a cool vocalist at 6, and Mom seemed interested when I mentioned that the singer arrived and was prepping her stage, which was hidden from our table. I'd hoped we'd get to return to enjoy the show, but Mom doesn't want to go back, and I most likely won't return.
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