Galene — Restaurant in Town of Livonia

[Edited to remove a repeated paragraph, and clarify that this was a Sunday evening over a three-day weekend.]

The food was awesome, from the bread plate (when I finally got it), through the fancified mac and cheese and the tinned sardines.

The bread plate came with a hush puppy, pumpernickel, and an airy white bread (sourdough?), accompanied with a white whipped flavored butter, and an orangish flavored butter. Both butters where awesome, and the breads were super-tasty. A great way to start the meal.

I ordered the mac and cheese starter, which, as promised, combined a bunch of flavors that are not typical in mom's version. It was served on a very wide plate, hardly a half inch deep, so that it was almost all delicious crust. It was a clever way to serve it, and a clever set of ingredients. Top notch!

I'd seen tinned seafood elsewhere, and regretted not getting it, so I was delighted to try some fancy sardines in tomato sauce. The accompanying bread and chips and pickled lemon were not really necessary, but were appreciated.

The interior of the place was beautiful, with comfortable wood tables and soaring ceilings. It really felt comfortable. And the bar wasn't very loud, despite most every seat being taken.

Alas, the service was a dumpster fire.

I'd called in advance (7:05pm), to make sure that the kitchen was still open and they'd seat me (I've been burned before). They asked me what I wanted (gnocchi!) to determine whether I should be put inside or outside (which has a limited menu). They told me to come on down, no problem. The person on the phone seemed deeply disinterested, though, which should've been a warning.

They didn't mention that the parking lot was full and folks were parking on the grass. And that they were booked 'til 7:45pm. Or that gnocchi was no longer on the menu.

I wound up at a high-top in the bar, but couldn't get any attention. It took forever to get menus, the bread plate, or water. In fact, I had my beer (from a nice selection on draft!) before I could get anybody to fill the water glass that the busser eventually plopped onto the table. I was fighting to get any attention at all -- to be fair, the bartender was continuously busy, but perhaps they shouldn't have expected her to serve those high-tops?

If you get a dining room reservation, you might do better, although it wasn't clear that the staff was totally on top of things. There were no paper towels in the restroom, and I saw at least one party have issues with their bill.

Maybe this was from being slammed on a Sunday night before a holiday. I hope so. (In a private communication, the owner suggested that the hostess was new, which might explain my issues on the phone -- if you're learning the ropes, you might not think to volunteer that the restaurant is full.)

Everything but the service was awesome, good enough that I might risk this place again on a weeknight if I were...

I recently had an unfortunate experience with Galene while trying to book a rehearsal dinner for my wedding in October. I initially reached out to them at the beginning of November to inquire about reserving space for this special occasion. To my surprise, they informed me that they do not accept bookings more than 3-4 months in advance. I understand policies like this exist, so I asked for clarification on when I could make a reservation.

Due to the busy nature of wedding planning, it took me a couple of months to circle back to this task. I reached out again, eager to secure a booking so I could send out invitations on time and alleviate any last-minute stress. I offered to place a deposit to reserve the space, hoping this would demonstrate my commitment.

Unfortunately, my attempts to communicate with the restaurant were met with silence, requiring me to follow up multiple times for each email I sent. After much back and forth, they finally informed me that they do not accommodate parties of my size, which is information I could have used back in November. This was not only frustrating but unprofessional, has left me scrambling to find an alternative venue in an area with limited options.

The lack of clear communication and the dismissive attitude during our interactions were disappointing, especially during such an important and stressful time as wedding planning. It would have been far more considerate and professional for the restaurant to inform me of their limitations from the start. This experience has left me with a negative impression of Galene, and I hope they can improve their communication process for...

I struggle to write this review as I had such high expectations going into Galene as a first time patron. The service was fantastic as well as the atmosphere. For a starter I ordered the steamed red shrimp to be told they were out of it after we had ordered and had to go with the coconut shrimp. We were told the specials . 3/4 of us ordered the carbonara. But after the fact to be told they had enough for 2. I took the loss and ordered the other special. Which was a ziti with pork n beef sauce. Unfortunately, my pasta was so over done it was a glutinous glob to eat. I never say or send things back but I did. They were accommodating when I just asked for a a bread plate instead . I struggle to write this review because I want to be honest about my experience. I essentially spent $300 dollars tonight to have a salad,bottle of wine and bread as my husband had a flawless meal with oysters . He gets flawless meals cooked by me daily for free at home too. Im a good sport normally. I needed a date night where i got dressed up and got some pampering. I did get this with the service and atmosphere but my dinner didnt meet the mark. I have to say the owner agreed my entrée wasn't good and gave an explanation. Luke was so very kind in his understanding . I'm sad I didn't get the experience the 3 other people had. I don't know, this review is tough to post because it wasn't a terrible experience i think im I'm jealous of the other 3 or I just suck at ordering food when I go out. Merry 🎄...