Everything is a cost benefit analysis. Sometimes its time versus money. Other times its quality versus convenience. But in any give and take, you must determine where your priorities lie, and proceed accordingly.
This is a cautionary tale.
As all theater-goers know, the meal is tricky business. Do you eat an early dinner before the show, or hold out til after the performance? Do you go somewhere around the corner, or hit a perennial favorite along the way?
Prior to a recent outing at the Kennedy Center, Le Cuillère and I opted to try the theater's RoofTop Terrace restaurant. For a 7:30 curtain call it seemed to be a good option: we could ensure arrival at the theater in plenty of time and since we didn't have to travel between two locations, we didn't have to eat at 5:00. The menu looked good. What could possibly go wrong??
The evening started out well; we each ordered a martini with Hendrick's while perusing the menu. The server asked our curtain time to ensure we'd make the show. The drinks arrived, a little on the toxically strong side, but I do accept that the martini is a fickle beast. We place our orders: Le Cuillère selecting the artisan cheese and the seared scallops while I opted for the french onion soup and olive oil poached sturgeon.
The appetizers arrived on time and without incident. The soup was well done, piping hot and heavy on the onions. The cheese, though billed as artisan, was less so; Le Cuillere likened it to calling a kindergarten student's art project - while mom might be glowingly proud, it was definitely a beginner effort. Our plates were cleared and then we proceeded to wait nearly 45 minutes for our entrees to manifest themselves. Tables who arrived after we were seated were already eating. Finally, the plates arrived. My sturgeon was perfectly poached. Poaching in olive oil is not easy; to get the texture right the oil must be hot enough to cook the fish but not hot enough to fry it. Its a delicate balance, but when done right renders a moist and succulent fish without a trace of grease. Accompanied by Beet-Potato Puree and Braised Savoy Cabbage it was a lovely and well executed dish. Le Cuillère was not so lucky. His scallops arrived bone cold and rubbery. The delay in receiving the dishes left no time for the server to bring a new dish.
Now this can easily be a one off experience. However the table of women seated next to us indicated that it was a typical occurrence. One woman had ordered the scallops (which also arrived cold) while the other ordered the sturgeon but was served the salmon. They told me they had been coming there for years, and always experienced problems. Rather stunned I asked why then they continued to eat there. Convenience was the reply.
The server sent over the manager who apologized and offered to comp the food portion of the meal. When the check came however, this had not been done. When the manager came back, she apologized and waived the fee for the meal.
While I greatly appreciated the gesture, at the end of the day I would prefer to pay for quality food and service rather than undermine the evening with a less than satisfactory experience. I can tell you for my part, I won't be going back. There are too many other much better options, even if they require a bit of inconvenience. Life is too short to be anything less than happy with your food.
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