Incredible food, insufficient and disappointing service. I do not know what Modern Love is aiming for, but given the price point of the dishes I expected our server to be way more refined. It began with the greeting- it wasn't super warm or welcoming, but we got our drinks in and were looking forward to reading the menu. 3 of 4 of us got cocktails, the 4th got a bottle of wine that we would all enjoy as a table. She ordered the Gonzalo Gonzalo Tempranillo 2013. The server brought the bottle to the table already opened, set the four glasses down and poured a full glass for the person who had ordered it. This obviously was weird, even in much more casual establishments, there is still wine service. After the server went away the person tasted their wine and didn't like it- only to realize that the bottle of wine that had been poured at the table was not the one that had been ordered. What was also interesting was that there was only half a cork stuck in the bottle- not even the bit that had been touched by the wine so that you could smell/observe if the bottle was corked. When the server came back to check on things we asked about the mix up. Did they still have the Gonzalo Gonzalo? No- the server proposed that we had old menus. So we ordered a French bottle instead. From my vantage point I could see that server took the bottle from the table and placed it back on the shelf to presumably be used for glass pours. I wonder if that's why it had been opened in the first place? So the server brings the new bottle of wine and opens it at the table (yay!), but she doesn't pour it to taste- she just leaves the bottle opened on the table and leaves the person to ask for a fresh glass so that we don't have to drink the remnants of the original bottle (which was truly awful tasting and most definitely corked).
I work in the industry hence the detail- this isn't about being nit-picky it's just like- dang I really felt uncared for.
So we get some appetizers to share and when they arrive the server asks if we'd like anything else- we want four more entrees, but we'd like them coursed out so we can take our time, please. The server returns once more to clear our plates- conveniently for them, the table next to us also has some plates to be cleared, so they take the plates from the other table, and then stacks them on our table to make one trip. Is that convenient? Sure! But dang that just doesn't leave a table feeling good, or like they are being attended to. This isn't lunch at bareburger.
The entrees arrive all at once (despite being kindly asked if they could be coursed out a bit). The food is freaking tasty, and we do keep positive vibes because of it, but at this point the service was so awkward and amateur that it became comical.
The last detail was the most surprising. After clearing our dinner plates, there are some crumbs and a few drips of sauces left from sharing a meal. The server comes to re-mark us for dessert- a process which involves black paper napkins and spoons and forks. They begin wiping the crumbs in front of each person and when it comes to the last person who has a little sauce in front of them- the server leaves the sauce and crumbs under the black napkin and then sets the clean silver on top.
I've worked in restaurants for a long time, from short-order to fine dining, and this was just not what I expected for such high quality food. It was disappointing. It makes me feel like I don't want to go back again and I'm bummed about that because the food was so yummy. read more