Blu-

[doodlebug]

Last Saturday evening my wife and I along with 2 friends had dinner at Blu, one of the upscale fine dining restaurants in Montclair. We had an early reservation and dropped the women off and went off to find a parking spot. After about 10 min we entered the Church Street Garage, parked and started to walk to the restaurant. My friend forgot the parking ticket in the car and went back for it. I went on ahead. That, according to Blu was our second mistake.

I got to Blu about 3 min before our 4th diner. My wife and friend greeted me, saying they were refused to be seated at our table because the party was not all there and had to wait in the crowded front looking upon several empty tables.

The hostess, thinking that we were now all there seated us. She turned away, did a double take, then processed to SCOLD us. "How dare we sit before the 4th person was there". That is not their policy. I thought she would physically try to remove us from the table. My wife said that maybe we should go elsewhere than be treated this way and the hostess replied that maybe we should do just that. She also commented that if we were allowed to sit she could lose her job. Maybe that would be the first step in improving the restaurant's service.

Our 4th diner appeared and the night was saved by our server, a friendly, understanding, helpful and attentive woman. The food was superb. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the dinner.

But the experience was marred and almost ruined by one of the rudest hostesses I have come across working in restaurants. If the seating rule is dictated by the chef/owner maybe that should change. Our standing and waiting or sitting and waiting would not have altered our time at the table so turning tables isn't a justification. Perhaps just imposing a silly, arbitrary rule is thought

worthwhile. It will be a while before this is forgotten by us and we think about returning to Blu.

This was our 4th or 5th time dining there but may be our last.

[Daniel Rogov]

If that had happened to me in my role of restaurant critic, you can well believe that would have been the opening paragraph of my review. If it had happened to me entirely in the role of a private customer, I would send a quite civil but detailed letter (I'm a major believer in registered mail - return receipt required) to the restaurant management. If the response was satisfactory, I'd give the place another try on the hope that the problem has been eliminated If the response was not satisfactory, that would be a restaurant I would not visit again.

Edited February 2, 2008 by Daniel Rogov (log)

[Curlz]

Wow. Assuming that all that took place is as you're telling it here, I do hope that the chef/owner hears about this--from you! I've never had that kind of experience at Blu, and can't imagine that Zod would give that attitude his blessing. Let's hope it's merely an issue with this particular hostess.

[chezcherie]

so, the hostess couldn"t count to three? apparently, since she seated you, and knew it was a party of four....yowza. and then she scolded you? wowza.

[jo-mel]

The hostess may have had standing seating orders that she was required to follow, but there is a little thing like "common sense". And there is also attitude.

I hope this incident is reported.