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| - The emperor has no clothes! Look, I get what they're trying to do. I applaud the effort to try something new in Pittsburgh. I understand the concept of the chef incubator. But their claim that you don't need reservations and can easily find a table was not the case on Saturday night. We struggled to find a table for two amid a cacophonous throng. We found ourselves taking off items of apparel just to save a table. The first thing you have to do is find your table. Take off your jacket to save your table, and then step up to the bar to order drinks. You have fight for a place at the bar. You fight for a place at the restaurants. You are spoken to a bit brusquely at the restaurant because they are inundated by orders. This would normally be an activity that would be only witnessed by your server in a traditional restaurant. Then you make your way back to your seat and shoo away people wondering if your table is available. Once your food comes , you wander aimlessly around looking for a clean Fork. The station where in the cutlery and napkins reside is devoid of clean utensils. You can't find a fork. You give up and go to the restaurant and ask someone at the restaurant at which you ordered to find you a fork. Five minutes later, they courteously come with a fork. Sound like a relaxing evening?
I sat there and watched women in high heels and evening dress bussing their own tables. To be fair, our food was excellent. We ordered the roasted chicken and the prawns carbonara. I had a lentil salad which was delectable. I have absolutely no argument with the quality of the food. I give the food 4 out of 5 Stars. It was inventive and tasty. It was served in a timely fashion. The beleaguered line cook even brought it out to my table. This brings up another topic. In my past trips to the smallman Galley when purchasing food, there has been a opportunity to tip. It was my belief when I tipped my server that I was tipping for service. Generally, at the Smallman Galley, I am walking up to the register and placing my order. I pay for my order. I go back to my seat. When my order is ready, I get up, get my silverware, and bring the plate back to the table. I am assuming that the payment for the food covers the salary of the employees who work there and that there is no need for tipping.
So, in closing, to be fair, you will get an excellent meal. You'll get a very decent drink. But you will pay pretty much what you will pay at a high-end restaurant. For two people with drinks and main course with side, salad, and appetizer we paid about $135 for our evening at Smallman Galley. But I wonder how long it's going to take the throngs of people jamming into the restaurant to figure out that that is what they could pay for an evening out at a nice restaurant and not have to bus their own tables, fight for a spot ordering., look for a fork, fight for a spot at the bar to order a drink, etcetera. Saturday, after a tough work week, should not be a slog and a fight at your favorite restaurant.
But all of this is not to say that Smallman Galley does not have its merits. I think the execution just needs some work. If they had servers and Runners and tableside ordering with iPads or other electronic devices, the system would work much better. You wouldn't have to fight for a spot at a restaurant. You wouldn't have to bus your own tables. You wouldn't have to fight for a fork. And the tip that you leave would be truly Justified. This is a good idea. The execution though is horrible and needs work if this business model is to continue. And by the way, don't believe that a seat is a foregone conclusion at this restaurant on a busy night. 4 stars for the food, 0 stars for the experience of dining out to equal an average of 2 Stars.
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