i went to a really nice event put on by slow food phoenix here. the menu was limited that night, so i wanted to come back and try more things. the grounds are so lovely, so my husband and i came back one week later for our 8 year wedding anniversary.
it was a tuesday night and we walked into the main dining room where the bartender and two servers were busily chatting behind the bar. we stood there for a minute not knowing if we were intruding or used the wrong entrance. so i leisurely walked to the back patio and was met by one of the servers (who was previously ignoring us) about a minute later. she then decided to seat us. to our luck, she also was our server.
She forgot a portion of our order, was totally distracted and didn't really pay any attention to us. we had to flag her down to order more drinks. we ordered a cheese plate and some drinks. the cheese was great and the wine was a good value at $3 for a 3 oz. pour. we also ordered some fried polenta which was far too greasy and mostly flavorless. instead of flagging her down again to order entrees, we decided to try out another restaurant for actual dinner. it was really disappointing because i fully support what they are doing - using local ingredients and offering a seasonal menu, it's just that we had a bad experience. i'm not sure i'm willing to try again considering the prices and this experience. i know our server may have just been having an off night - but that's really what can make or break a good meal.