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| - One month! Why didn't I follow my one month rule? I usually wait a month after a restaurant opens up before going there for dinner, but I haven't been to Binkley's or Cafe Bink before. With all the great things I heard, I had to go to Bink's Midtown as soon as I could. I regretted it.
My girlfriend and I went on a Saturday night and waited to talk to the hostess. We waited a while, and I started to see what was happening up front. The guy ahead of me said.. "hey, what's going on? do we have a table or should i wait outside.. what do you want me to do?" they finally told him his table was ready.
My turn came up and I sat there for 5 minutes watching them take one page after another and clip them together. Why didn't they do this before hand? We were seated right next to the front door, but I would have rather been in the more inviting living room. At least I wasn't seated outside where it was freezing.
Our water came out promptly, but we waited 10 minutes before the server came. We ordered a carafe of wine and waited another 15 minutes before that came out.
Service aside, I was excited by the menu. We ordered the beets, leeks, risotto, mussels, parsnip soup, sweetbreads, beignets, squash, and brussel sprouts. The waiter's eyes went a little wide, and he grabbed the table next to us to make more room. Five minutes later the hostess came by and asked if we were expecting more people and why we didn't tell them? I felt offended that they thought I pulled over a table and didn't say anything to them. I explained the situation, they paused, and he walked away.
20 minutes later. yes, 20 minutes later. our food finally arrived. Of course, as they were putting the food on the table, they knocked over a glass of wine on to my girlfriend. She somehow ninja'ed her way from getting anything spilled on her. The worse of it all though, was she had to ask 2 different people to replace her glass of wine.
The food was some highs and lows. The foei gras donuts and mussels were okay. The leaks, beets, and risotto were great. We especially loved the cheeks in the leaks.
Overall though, I just wasn't happy with the place. The service was horrible, and the staff had no energy or personality. With all the waits we endured, I just can't recommend this place to anyone at all.
What's worse is I give the valet my ticket and watch him almost stall out my car 3 or 4 times while trying to back up.
My two cents. Stay away for a few months. Maybe then things will get better.
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