Where to start with this place...
Terrible service, terrible menu planning, awful food. Completely over-hyped and over-priced.
This is the only time I've ever asked for the check after only an appetizer, rather than throwing more money away and eating mediocre food the rest of the night. We really, really wanted to like this place. The menu showed promise. But then when we showed up we were seated at a communal table (even though several two-tops were available, but maybe this is just how they do things?) and ignored for ten minutes.
After those ten minutes (seated under bright white LED lights and pining after the dimmer, more warmly-lit empty two-tops on the other side of the dining room), our waiter came over as my husband was mid-sentence and interrupted asking what we'd like to drink (a forgivable offense, generally, but I thought it was worth mentioning here because the offenses just kept coming). He was very helpful in assisting my husband pick out a red wine, and our drinks came quickly. When they were dropped off, however (by our waiter and not a food runner), we were not asked if we'd like to order any food yet. He simply left. We waited fifteen more minutes to order an appetizer, and that is where the real fun began.
I've worked in food service, and my husband has been a cook and pastry chef for over ten years. We know when things are the kitchen's fault, or the waiter's fault, or whether it's just a busy night, etc. We are actually pretty forgiving, because we've been on the other side of the table. So when I told the waiter that I cannot have cheese or cream (butter for whatever reason is fine - I don't know why my stomach responds the way it does, I guess it's some science...), and asked for assistance choosing an appetizer, I expected that he have some familiarity with the menu. In every place I've worked, I've learned the menu backwards and forwards, ready for the inevitable food allergies, preferences, etc. This waiter answered "I don't know" to most of my questions, and said he'd ask the chef. Okay, that's fine. He came back ten minutes later with a recommendation, and we ordered the potato cake. Ten minutes after that, he came *back* to our table saying "I'm so sorry, I've just learned there is actually cheese in the potato cake". No worries, it happens sometimes, and I'm glad they caught it. I asked "what IS safe?" He went through the menu again and recommended the meatballs. We weren't thrilled about paying $14 for meatballs, but were getting frustrated and hungry at this point, so we ordered them. Ten minutes after THAT, the hostess came over with a menu and said "actually, there is cheese in the meatballs." At this point, I felt extremely embarrassed and didn't want to be a bother, and considered paying our check and leaving. However, our hostess was very nice and more knowledgeable about the menu than our waiter had been, and she recommended the cauliflower and an entree she was pretty sure had no cheese or cream (but said she'd check). At this point, by the way, the husband and I had tried to order our entrees several times, but were always interrupted or ignored as our waiter hurried away.
We were not interested in the cauliflower, but seeing as this was our THIRD attempt at ordering something already cleared by the waitstaff, we figured we might as well go with it and shelled out $14 for one of the most disappointing dishes we'd ever paid money for. The cauliflower was tiny, oily, and the fried capers were soggy. It was unevenly seasoned (some bites tasted like oily nothing, and others incredibly salty), and lukewarm.
It was at this point that I told my husband that we should request the check the next time the waiter came around, and he agreed. I looked up the hours for Hearsay on my phone and luckily we made it there just in time to have a really great little dinner for much less money. The waiter came back over ten minutes after he'd put down the appetizer and asked if we'd like to order an entree (what strange timing? As a server, I'd have asked when we first ordered the app, and then again when I put the app down, if they hadn't already made a decision). No one ever came back to tell us whether the entree I wanted had cheese or cream.
When the check came, for two glasses of wine and a tiny portion of soggy lukewarm cauliflower : $45.
We tipped, left, and shook off the awful feeling of having thrown money away on such an annoying and disappointing experience over cocktails and dinner (hot, with good service and a menu varied enough that anyone can eat there!) at Hearsay.
Don't waste your money.
Oh! And one more thing - when I made the reservation, I made note that it was a special occasion and that I'd like to have a champagne toast (I wanted to order it ahead of time because I knew my husband would say "oh no, don't make a fuss over me" if I ordered in person - we were celebrating his finishing his thesis). Of course, the champagne never arrived. read more