I cannot recommend this place sue to a shameful lack of hospitality and incredibly poor treatment…read moreof first time customers.
The only silver lining is that Nikola, the owner, eventually stepped in, but it was too little, too late. I'll explain.
We were excited to try this neighborhood spot we had walked past endless times. We had an occasion to celebrate after a hectic month and made reservations to enjoy a leisurely, unrushed meal - quite a few courses, a couple bottles of wine.
We arrived just after 7:30. We ordered some cocktails and enjoyed the complimentary cornbread. We then ordered a a few appetizers and a bottle of wine. As we finished the appetizers, we went to put in an order for a couple of salads. At this point, the server told use the kitchen was closing in 6 minutes at 8:30. Their listed closing time is 10 PM.
I expressed my dismay, and was told we didn't have to leave immediately. I guess our pastas, main courses, and desserts would just sit under heat lamps while they shut the place down around us? Again, we had only a five minute warning.
All I got in turn from the staff was firm, unapologetic pushback that this was normal, because they were slow for Halloween. As for whose call it was, one of the partners was in from up the street just ten minutes before, so I'd imagine it was his call.
We paid for our apps, cocktails, and wine, and got ready to leave. This was when another owner, Nikola stopped in. He offered to take us up to his other place in Lincoln Square to take care of us. We rolled with it, to try to salvage some semblance of the evening out.
On half mile drive there, he apologized profusely and acknowledged that this was poor hospitality. When we arrived at the sister restaurant, he comped us a bottle of wine. We saw the gentleman who closed down the other place and he was somewhat flippant with a "Hey, sorry!"
The sister restaurant, Ardor by Chance, was nice, but not exactly the environment we had originally planned for. Yet another guy who said he was an owner came over and apologized for the carrying on of a big table of friends of the business.
We ordered dinner, which was fine. (Although I have to admit that $55 for two super slim lamb chops, a couple of baby potatoes, and a pair of asparagus spears was puzzling. I had to stop for snacks at CVS on the way home.)
I want to make it clear that having Nikola acknowledge, apologize repeatedly, and attempt to make it right says a lot about his character. He seems like a really good person, and I wish him luck with his ventures.
But this evening was a debacle for us. We spent nearly $300 (and yes, we tipped appropriately at both spots, adjusting up to account for the comped bottle as well) for an unsatisfying, chaotic dinner in two different locations.
No sitting and catching up to unwind after a long month. No romantic date in a "cozy bistro," but instead crashing what felt like a company Halloween party up the street. We rarely plan nights out like this, with time and money being pretty tight these days. This experience was memorable, but for all the wrong reasons.
We will not be back. I believe that Nikola truly understood that this was not acceptable and that his apologies were sincere, but with the excuses from the staff and at least two other partners running around, including one that seems to have made the questionable call, I can't trust this place not to pull some hijinks again. There are too many other spots in the neighborhood (and city) that consistently get hospitality right.
