Alder & Ash -- Beautiful Food, Disappointing Service…read more
I visited Alder & Ash on Saturday, October 24, for its $65 three-course Seattle Restaurant Week dinner. I arrived early, sat in the lounge, then moved to the main dining room. The restaurant is beautiful, but despite some excellent food, the service made me feel rushed and overlooked as a solo diner.
ATMOSPHERE
The lounge has comfortable seating, warm lighting, and an attractive bar. The dining room is equally impressive, with elegant lighting, tasteful décor, and inviting tables. I brought a book, hoping for a leisurely evening. As the lounge filled, conversations grew loud; later, the dining room's background music was turned up considerably. I didn't read a single page.
FOOD
Herb and Salt Fries ($10): Served hot and crispy, with attractive presentation, but the flavor was ordinary. I tasted the salt, not the herbs. Frankly, I prefer Wendy's fries. At $10, I expected more.
Classic Caesar Salad: Fresh, crisp lettuce and a generous amount of Parmigiano Reggiano, with just the right overall flavor. The croutons were crispy but lacked the advertised herb taste. I would have liked freshly ground black pepper to balance the cheese, but unlike neighboring tables, mine had no pepper grinder.
Oven Roasted Salmon: Beautifully presented and seasoned, with a nicely browned crust. Unfortunately, the fish beneath it was somewhat mushy. The herb salad, however, was exceptional: refreshing, beautifully textured, and full of flavor. The herbs spoke both loudly and delicately, wonderfully complementing the salmon. The yogurt-dill sauce offered a delicious contrast. Yet too many strong flavors competed for attention. The farro's flavor disappeared under the sauce, while the braised greens contributed texture without much discernible taste. Excellent components, not always a balanced whole.
Sorbet: Simple, attractive presentation and a crisp, clean taste with a smooth, refreshing finish. A lovely end to the meal.
SERVICE -- THE BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT
My server rarely stopped to give my table her full attention. Most exchanges happened as she passed by on her way to another guest. The lounge attendant was pleasant once she realized I was seated, so this wasn't a universal problem with the staff. However, the dining room service was a very different experience. Her check-in about my Caesar salad came approximately one minute before I finished it--far too late to make asking for the missing pepper worthwhile.
More troubling, while I was eating my entrée, she reached across my place setting and started taking my plate as she asked whether I was finished, before I had even put down my utensils. That felt intrusive and rushed.
The dessert menu said "Ice Cream and Sorbet," which reasonably suggests both. Yet the server explained that guests must choose ice cream OR sorbet. The Restaurant Week listing elsewhere used "or," making the printed menu confusing. The clarification itself was fine; her manner seemed put off by my question. She wasn't overtly rude, but she didn't feel especially welcoming. She became noticeably more polite at the end, but by then the experience had already been affected.
Above all, I felt like a third wheel. I cannot know whether my server disliked having a one-person table, but that's the impression her behavior gave me. Dining alone should not mean receiving less attention. The dinner also felt hurried compared with my previous Saturday outing; I was nearly done with three courses in roughly 75 minutes. Efficient service is good. Feeling pushed through a meal isn't.
PRICE AND VALUE
The Restaurant Week dinner cost $65, plus $10 fries and a $4 soda: $79 before fees. With a $3.16 surcharge and $8.67 tax, my bill was $90.83. I left a $16 cash tip, bringing my total to $106.83. I don't expect perfection for that price, but I do expect attentive, courteous service and time to enjoy my dinner.
MANAGEMENT RESPONSE
After paying, I spoke with Kendall, the manager. She was polite, professional, and receptive. She accepted my criticism and thanked me for providing it. I explained I wasn't seeking a free meal, discount, or compensation; I wanted to encourage the restaurant to strive for excellence. Kendall acknowledged the issues and expressed a desire for an opportunity in the future to address and correct them. I appreciated her response, even though it doesn't erase the experience.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Alder & Ash has real potential. Its setting is lovely, and I genuinely enjoyed the Caesar salad, the salmon's seasoning, the exceptional herb salad, and the sorbet. But the overall dining experience was diminished by inconsistent and hurried service.
Good food deserves equally good service. Unfortunately, on this visit, Alder & Ash delivered one without the other.