skepticalgourmet

Anyone know if a single diner gets VIP treatment at Per Se - this used to be the case at French Laundry.

Yes - this relates to a point I made earlier. This is not a restaurant for a group outing or business dinner. Its for foodies who want to participate in a particular type of experience. For the foodies who know the chef/owner, and are getting special "chef menus", this of course only increases the experience. But for the rest of us, well it might not be the same thing. I wonder if we had to wait so long for some of our courses because some Super VIP table was getting their 7th or 8th dish? I don't know, but I do know that this sort of multi-course dining is extremely demanding on the kitchen and waitstaff to maintain proprer timing and service. Our waiter certainly wasn't around much. All the requests had to go to other people, translate in some far off reaches of the restaurant, and then the waiter would come back to the table to confirm the request. What a hassle.

Regarding the use of my term "foodies" in the post above, nothing derogatory is meant by it. I am referring to people who seriously enjoy food, like myself. This restaurant caters I think to this group - its an experience that demands attention and investment by the customer. Take for example the physical layout of the entry. A fairly narrow hall leads to the front desk, which sits like a guard station monitoring access as if to the temple within. Its an entirely uncomfortable spot to wait if you arrive early prior to your companions. There is a small bench under a semi-frosted window that allows glimpses of the kitchen within (and of the customer arrivals by the kitchen). While this may be entertaining, fascinating or just amusing to a foodie, I would think many diners would prefer a comfortable chair. Or for instance, after sitting down we were asked if we would start with a glass of champagne. Now in restrospect, after eating the food I understand that of course such a restaurant would want patrons to start with champagne as its one of the best ways to cleanse the palate, spark the appetite etc. However, as no context was provided it seemed very odd. My reaction was, why not ask if anyone wants a cocktail? Of course, the reason is the restaurant only serves wine, which was never explained, presumably because the diner is supposed to know that such a temple of food would not serve a beverage that did not perfectly compliment the courses. Instead, it seemed like the waiter was trying to foist some pricey champagne on us. Before even having an opportunity to ask a question, however, we were on to the discussion of the various types of bottled water available...lets see, so I can get 4 different types of water but not a martini - definitely a foodie restaurant. to tanabutler - "sour grapes" is not a particularly apt metaphor but was an attempt to use something appropriate to a discussion board about food.

In response to several of the posts above: mikeczyz - I agree that expediting numerous courses to multiple tables is very tough on the staff. I have worked in the industry as well and can very much appreciate the challenge. samgiovese - I agree that any serious reviewer should visit a restaurant several times (mid week, weekend, lunch, dinner etc.) to form a comprehensive viewpoint. But this goes both ways, clearly many posters here were quick to share their positive experiences after just one visit. tanabutler - My opinion is just that - my views and perspectives based on my experiences. If you disagree with me, thats fine, but you should not cast aspersions as to my motives. To doubt my intentions just because I did not have the same experience of other posters is sour grapes in my view. In fact, I was so surprised at my experience that I looked online for some reviews of this restaurant to see if the professional reviewers had similar comments, and through a Google search found this site (and this thread). Given the glowing reviews by other posters, I thought it would be fair and relevant to add my own experience. As for my moniker "skepticalgourmet", I can only say that most accurately reflected the mood I was in after dining at Manresa. painting - I did indeed receive poor service - I would say worse than I received at lunch today at Chevy's. Anytime a customer is looking repeatedly around to try to flag the waitstaff down at a high end restaurant there are serious problems afoot. I can share specifics but I don't know that there would be a point.

A recent dinner at Manresa reminded me how important good service is to the complete dining experience. While the food ranged from okay to extraordinary, the service was lousy. Just getting a glass of water seemed like an ordeal. The structure of the menu (2, 3 or 4 courses picked by the customer at a fixed price) allows each customer to tailor a meal to their own preferences - but it seems to present inordinate difficulties in the sequencing and timing of the courses. It seemed that the waitstaff is so burdened delivering all the various little courses to customers that they cannot attend to the basics. I would recommend this restaurant for foodies who are willing to invest the effort to enjoy the chef's creations, but not for a relaxing experience or for a business meal.