by doug | January 18th, 2009 @ 10:49 pm
I waited two days to blog about this experience because I wanted to approach the subject from a fair, clear-minded perspective. I think I should start off, too, with an explanation of my wife’s and my dining habits. The views I am going to express in this article are necessarily skewed by monetary issues, and I normally would not discuss money or our collective financial position here in a public manner (in fact, I would normally consider that to be petty and classless). We are food people. I have no problem dropping $200 for a good dining experience. But I would hate for it to seem, because of that fact, that we were well-off financially or, worse, are just throwing our money around. We are smack in the middle of the middle-class. I’ll spend hundreds on a meal, but the light in our kitchen hasn’t worked in a year and a half. We can discuss whether that is crazy or not at some other time. For now, I just wanted to preface this rant with that little vignette.
Friday night I thought I’d surprise my wife by making some last minute reservations at a local fine dining establishment. To be totally honest, I called Hot & Hot Fish Club first, but they did not have any tables available at reasonable times. So, I figured, let’s go somewhere we haven’t been in a while. Our first experience at Veranda on Highland did not impress, but we had been there twice since then for Sunday brunch, which was delightful. It was on the strength of those brunch excursions that I decided it was high time to give Veranda a second chance. What follows is a list of grievances from our Friday night dinner.
- They indicated when I called that they had a table available at 7:30. Normally if tables at these establishments are not in the main dining room the person taking the reservation would indicate that fact. Not so at the Veranda, apparently. Our table was at the bar. I probably would have been fine with a bar table if they’d done me the courtesy of informing me that that was the case. There were also plenty of dining room seats free. Not a good start to the evening.
- Nobody took our overcoats. All the rooms in that building and they don’t have a cloakroom?
- Our waiter. His name was Mike. And he sucked. He had no knowledge of the wines on the wine list, and was no help in selecting our Cabernet blend. (We went with a Coppola 2006 Claret, which was decent for the price.) He also let us twiddle our thumbs for fifteen minutes after we sat down while he jawed with waitresses, tended bar, and basically dicked around.
- The starters. First, let me say that, at fine restaurants, it should be assumed that diners will be having a starter prior to the main course. If this was Outback Steak House it would be different, but if I’m wearing a jacket and ordering a bottle of wine for the table, I don’t want you to ask me “would either of you be interested in an appetizer?” That’s what I’m fucking here for.
- Those starters – a shrimp remoulade for me and fried oysters for her – arrived BEFORE the wine!!!! Seriously? Were they pre-made? I want to know that my food is being prepped with care. A reasonably long wait for each course is perfectly fine. Waiting for wine, however, is unacceptable. Go to wherever the wine is stored, get bottle, return to table, open bottle, pour, leave. Bad form. Bad, bad service.
- The odd, sometimes too fast, sometimes way too slow, pace continued throughout the night. At no time did I feel like our patronage was appreciated.
The remainder of the meal was fine. The main courses – ribeye steak for my wife, veal for me – were pretty darn tasty, as was the dessert. But by that time the damage was done. And it really is all about the money. I paid $200.55 for that dinner. If I’d been paying $80, my perspective would be much different. But this place carries itself as if it were in the same league as Birmingham’s elite restaurants. One of those restaurants, the aforementioned Hot & Hot, is right across the street. Frank Stitt’s Bottega is only a parking lot away. Highlands Bar & Grill is a short walk down the hill. With all of these choices, why would anyone pay that kind of money for service that is downright crappy by comparison?
It is a shame, too, because Veranda is a beautiful restaurant. The historic building and Victorian-era decor make it one of the most picturesque dining locations in the city. Someone should really open a good restaurant there.
…
I’d hate to end this post on such a sour note. If you, reader, are considering going out for some culinary delights, allow me to offer the following “top ten” list of restaurants in Birmingham (as determined by me and me alone; some casual, some upscale affairs; subject to change depending on my mood, the weather, whether or not I got a Christmas bonus, etc.).
10. Magic City Diner II (Fairfield) – This is a personal favorite that deserves to be on this list on the strength of their peach cobbler alone. A down-home cooking buffet in downtown Fairfield, I discovered this gem on a school board audit last year. In fact, I am going back to that system on Tuesday. It might be time for some soul food.
9. Bettola – I very rarely feel the hankering for pizza (my wife, on the other hand…), but when I do this is what I want. Perfectly selected wines go with the gourmet pizzas and other Italian dishes.
8. Chez Lulu – A casual French bistro in English village. A favorite for light, tasty creations. Highlights are the daily special soups and tarts and the baked goods from the Continental Bakery next door.
7. Ocean – When they brought out the oyster list, I was hooked. As good as their seafood is (and the scallops are incredible), the filet mignon is the best in town.
6. Taj India – The highest-ranked casual restaurant on my list, and for good reason. We go here at least once a week. The staff and owners know what we are going to order before we even sit down. This may be sitting at number six, but some nights it is Taj or nothing. I crave it. I dream about it.
5. Little Savannah – Southern cooking. What home-cooked meals would taste like if your mother was a master chef. And I can walk there from work!
4. Cafe Dupont – Probably the truest alternative to Veranda. Cajun/Creole-inspired cuisine smack in the middle of downtown Birmingham. I had fried oysters and okra there that would make you slap your grandmamma.
3. daniel george – Exquisite dining and outstanding service in quaint Mountain Brook Village.
2. Hot & Hot Fish Club – This one resided at the top of this list until my second experience at number one. And they may change places again the next time we go there. The food is all locally grown and produced, and it is incredible. I’d like to try sitting at the chef’s counter on my next trip, where we can see our meals being cooked and assembled. Lively and eclectic, but never annoying. The staff is attentive and experienced.
1. Highlands Bar & Grill – Top notch in every respect. Knowledgeable waiters. Gigantic wine list. Cozy, French-countryside inspired atmosphere. The best, most lovingly prepared food in the city. And when I call they treat little old me like Captain Moneybags.
