About a month ago my friend and I had a lovely experience at Bar 1 followed by dinner at the Cooking School, so we decided to go back for happy hour. This time -- yikes. I got there a few minutes before my friend and sat at the bar. The place was a little busy. Not crazy busy, about a third full. I sat literally 2 feet across the bar from one of the bartenders for 5 minutes while he made an elaborate drink for someone in the dining room, and I was actually impressed by the care he was putting into it, and trying to be understanding that he didn't even make eye contact or nod in my direction. He did manage to have time to chat with another staff member, though. When he was finished making the drink, he walked away from the bar to sit with a different staff member and have a conversation. Meanwhile, other bartenders and wait staff walked all around me, none seeming especially busy, and none of them looking even remotely in my direction. Finally, after another patron walked up to the bar and asked for a drink, I piggybacked on the attention she got (to be fair, I had warned her, and she was a bit more insistent than I was) and asked for a glass of wine, telling the bartender (a different one) that I'd be taking it over to one of the seating areas. My friend arrived and we sat there and chatted for 20 minutes or so. No one ever came to take her order, or even glance in our direction. Finally we decided to go elsewhere and I walked over to the bar to settle my bill, explaining why we were leaving. "Take it," said the bartender without apology, handing me the go cup to take my unfinished wine. Which, I did. That wine, plus our previous great experience, is why I am giving them two stars vice one. I can fully understand the perpetual understaffing problem we have in this town, but that did not appear to be the case here. This is a tough town to succeed in and bars and restaurants need locals to make it. Get your staff straightened out, Bar 1, or go out of business. read more