We Are Not Going Back There Again

 

      There is a restaurant that we like to go to in Door County.  It's an older one, decorated in an old English style. It reminds me of the fancy restaurant my parents took my siblings and I to eat once to learn manners at fancier restaurants. C and I used to dress up to eat there, in later years we have become more and more casual to the point where I wear a nice pair of jeans and a good sweater. (I've seen people eat there wearing shorts and T shirts.)

   We like to get a table by the window because most of them have a good view. We've been seated near the fireplace which is also good. 

   Mindful of the staffing difficulties that most restaurants in Door County are still experiencing, C made our reservation for an early time when the restaurant would be less crowded. We looked forward to our meal there with anticipation. We had not eaten there in a couple of years.

   We were seated shortly after we arrived at a seat near the back window. It didn't have much of a view, but it was quiet and next to a cute Halloween display. We say down and looked over the menu. Someone came over and filled our water glasses. The prices were much higher than we remembered, but everything is more expensive these days. We made our selections and waited for our server. It took awhile, but she finally came. She took our order and left. Another server left a basket of bread and butter on the table.

   We chatted and snacked on the bread while we waited. While the bread was very good, I knew to go easy on it. I didn't want to ruin my appetite for the baked whitefish I had ordered. A couple was seated at the table next to us. The female half of the couple had an interesting long cardigan sweater and wore a lot of makeup. I was hard pressed not to seem as if I was staring. 

   It seemed like quite a while before my salad arrived. The server did not have C's salad. I started to eat mine. I was halfway through when the server brought C's salad along with an appetizer for the table next to us. C offered me a sample of his dressing which is one that only that restaurant makes. It was interesting, sweet and salty made with bacon.

  We waited again. Someone cleared our salad plates. We looked at our phones, something we normally don't do when eating in nicer places. It looked like it was going to be a long wait. A server brought the table next to us their soup and salad course. We kept waiting.

   I'd almost finished my water. I didn't want to drink it all up as I wasn't sure when it would be refilled. I didn't see any servers in our section.  We ate more bread. C and I discussed football scores. We continued to wait. The server brought entrees to the table next to us.  This made me a little mad. We had been seated first and had not received ours yet. It wasn't fair. Then I realized that they ordered the Wellington. Chances are this was something that could be prepared in advance and only needed to be warmed before serving. I was still a little irate, but willing to wait longer if needed.

   C looked at his watch. We realised that we had been there an hour and a half and wondered if our order was lost. C was getting a little angry. He told me that we would wait 15 more minutes. If our order wasn't served by then we were going to leave. I was pretty nervous about that. I'd never walked out a restaurant after ordering before. I tried to calm him and tell him we could wait longer. C didn't want to wait any longer. We had ordered an hour ago. This was not acceptable to him. 

   Fifteen minutes late he got up. "We are leaving," he said firmly. I got up, grabbed my jacket and followed him out. We walked past the table next to us who had nearly finished eating their meal. C stopped to speak to the host and explained to him what had happened. The host explained that they were short staffed. C said he understood, but the wait was unacceptable. The host asked if we had ordered drinks. When C said no, he said good night and turned his back to us. We left.

   After we got into the car, C turned to me and said, "We are never going back there again." We did find another place to eat, not an easy feat as most restaurants were closed or packed at that hour.

   I was a little sad. We had many good times there. C was right though. The service was really bad. I wouldn't have minded waiting if our server had come to us and let us know that the kitchen was backed up.  If she would have apologised and offered us a free appetizer to eat while we waited, we would have stayed. I would have been happy if someone had filled our water glasses. None of that happened. For nearly an hour no one came to our table for any reason.  

   I hope things get better for restaurant owner. I hope they are able to hire more staff  or see that they need to limit how many people they serve so people get served in a more timely fashion. I'll never know. We aren't going back there again.