TNBear
Registered: 05/22/08
Posts: 771
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Reply with quote | #1 |
We had lunch here today and were even more impressed than usual. We eat here often, I don't post about it each time so as not to be considered a shill for the place, but today's lunch was even better than usual.
Mrs. Bear had the trout with a cornmeal crust sauteed and served over crawfish grits. It was just delicious. I had the scallops, which were dusted with finely chopped pecans, sauteed and served with a beet risotto. The scallops were perfectly cooked and the risotto had a few slightly bitter greens added to offset the sweetness of the beets. A wonderfully balanced dish.
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CDOJanet
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Registered: 05/20/08
Posts: 1,448
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TNBear
Registered: 05/22/08
Posts: 771
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Reply with quote | #3 |
Both dishes were specials of the day yesterday. The grits were delicious, as I said, they were nicely creamy yet thick enough not to spread all over the plate. The crawfish added a very pleasant dimension to what was already very good. 212 does grits often in different preparations, and they always add to the dish they are served with. The grits are sourced locally whenever possible, and usually stone ground. Well prepared grits are one of my absolute favorite sides.
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TildaBear
Registered: 06/25/08
Posts: 814
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Reply with quote | #4 |
All this talk of grits has me rooting around for a recipe w/ smoked gouda? Where the heck is it? I'll locate it and post it under the recipe tab.
But I'm like you Bear, consistancy is key in grits.
Hope everyone has had a wonderful holiday. We sure have and are feeling very grateful and content. 5 year old granddaughter wore me out  in a very wonderful way.
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Foodie2Shoes
Registered: 06/04/08
Posts: 1,068
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Reply with quote | #5 |
Had lunch here Thursday and had the most flip, smart-a**ed waiter. I asked a question about a menu item before ordering and he popped off a remark, then just kept going on and on. Did not really impress our guests from Denver and San Francisco with Southern hospitality. If I had been paying the tab he would NOT have gotten what our host tipped him. And on top of that, the item in question gave me heartburn all afternoon...
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TNBear
Registered: 05/22/08
Posts: 771
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Reply with quote | #6 |
I hate it you had a bad experience here Foodie. As some of you are aware I know people here and wish to see this establishment continue to do well. I suggest you might think about calling and asking for Jesse. He is the tall thin guy with the long ponytail who is a very long time employee and is host/maitre'd. I know you would not have mentioned the server's behavior unless it had been truly obnoxious, so I think that it should be brought to his attention so he can take some action.
Times are hard enough for higher end restaurants right now without some jerk running off customers.
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Foodie2Shoes
Registered: 06/04/08
Posts: 1,068
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Reply with quote | #7 |
Our host is a friend of Susan's (who was out of town) so I kind of hope she will mention it to her. I was quite embarrassed for this to be one of the 3 restaurant experiences our guests had in our beautiful city. The food is very good, with imaginative service pieces, decor and presentation. I might do as you suggest, but don't know who the server was.
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“Avoid any diet that discourages the use of hot fudge.” |
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CDOJanet
Moderator
Registered: 05/20/08
Posts: 1,448
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Foodie2Shoes
Registered: 06/04/08
Posts: 1,068
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Reply with quote | #9 |
I didn't pay the bill so I don't know his name. I did call and speak to Carter, another manager since Jesse was off today. He was very apologetic (and knew who I was talking about right away, even without a name.) He explained that their servers were trained to be knowledgeable and welcoming and he would speak to the person. He was embarrassed and offered to comp us a meal, but since our guests are gone - you only get one chance to make a first impression - that is pretty meaningless. He assured me that this was NOT their usual service and said for me to make sure to let them know when I came back so they could do everything possible to make sure my visit was pleasant, and that they would pay for the meal. I declined and said that I wanted the same superior service they usually give everyone and he understood.
I like their food and hope this person learns a lesson from my call, but there are too many other places to try for me to go back right away. For service training, places should send their employees to Alleia.
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“Avoid any diet that discourages the use of hot fudge.” |
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