Food was very good, but our service experience was lacking. Open Table reservation was made for our anniversary celebration and we picked the night that they have live jazz. I also indicated that one diner had a gluten allergy.
Upon arrival, the two greeters seemed perplexed when I said we had a reservation. After some whispering and then looking around the restaurant, we were seated at a table in a back room. We didn't hear any jazz, and presumed that the musicians were on a break. Late in our meal, we asked about the jazz music. The server explained that the jazz music was outside only, and we should have asked for an outside table when we arrived. I was disappointed that an advance reservation was not automatically given a table that could hear the music. At the very least, it would have been useful to know the status of outside seating, rather than the whispering. Perhaps we could have chosen to wait, but that was not provided as an option.
The second black mark on the service was with the food and menu knowledge. The menu advertised a "jazz mussels" small plate special. I asked if that was gluten free, and the server confirmed that it was after consulting with somebody in the kitchen. We placed that order while deciding on our entrees. We also asked about an advertised selection of wine specials. It took the server about 5 minutes to return with a card that listed the specials. We immediately selected a bottle because we wanted to get started before our appetizer arrived. We also ordered our entrees at this time, which required another consultation with the kitchen regard
When the mussels were brought out by two young girls, the big bowl of mussels included two large hunks of bread stacked right on top of the mussels. We explained that we were told the dish was supposed to be gluten free, but that the bread contaminated it. I further stated that we couldn't just take the bread off because crumbs had already contaminated the rest of the dish. We said it would need to be remade, but that it would be OK to have the bread on the side.The young girls did not say a word to us. They looked at each other and took the bowl away. We could see them talking to another server.
After a few minutes, our server came back to apologize. She said she put in another order for us. I repeated to her that it would be OK to include the bread on the side. When the new mussels came out, there was no bread at all. My spouse would have liked to stop up some of the buttery sauce after I had taken my portion. I could have said something, but I was feeling guilty about looking like a complainer.
The final service faux pas came with the bill. The mussels were not the advertised price for the "jazzy" special. I remembered seeing mussels on the standard menu, with a small and large option. We were charged the large price ($19) vs the special ($15). Again, I didn't say anything because it did seem like a really generous bowl of mussels. I believe we were served the largest option, but it wasn't really what we had ordered. And I really didn't want to look like somebody that cannot be pleased.
For a restaurant at this price point, I was really disappointed with the level of service. Customer-facing personnel should be open and communicative, not whispering. And the servers should know the menu thoroughly, including any nightly specials. I didn't blame the server. She still received a generous tip. This is a training issue, which is management's responsibility.
Also, the menu should list all major ingredients. The mussels did not include bread or crostini in their...
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