Dine Out Vancouver - The Topic (2002-2007)

[kontemporary]

The other great deal I have seen is Savory Coast. They are opening up their entire menu for Dineout so you can choose from any of the starters, mains and desserts. They have some wonderful entrees' (and cheap parking underground with an elevator right up to the restaurant)

No idea what either still has available but they are both still taking reservations.

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Is that economically feasible for Savoury Coast?

I'd imagine everyone just ordering lobster..

[winegeek]

Probabay not, but I imagine that without their patio, they need any way possible to get people into all those seats.

[Dumpling Girl]

I couldn't resist the idea of being able to authentically try out a restaurant at a Dine Out prix fixe price, so I booked Savory Coast [sic] for next week after seeing this thread. I've been wanting to go there for a while anyway. Anyone else watch Gaslight Gourmet sometimes? Romy Prasad (I think) seems to do a lot of guest spots there, and is very charming on the show. I called late last night, Thurs, Jan 19, and I know that they still had several spots open on Sun, Jan 29. Possibly other days too. There was a 5:30 pm for Fri Jan 27th too. And, um, yah, I was thinking of having the half rack of lamb, or the Porterhouse for two (if it's available, and my dining companioin is in the mood for a big hung of meat, heh)...so I can't imagine they'd make any money on the food these two weeks if offering their entire menu. But it gets the people in, and buying booze at least. And very importantly, possibly up the stairs for the first time. Seriously, if I'm impressed (i.e. they don't futz it up), this place is close to where I live, and I'm sure I'll be back. Not only would I be more likely to think of them for a nice planned meal, I am already more likely to think of them for a spontaneous one. Until I checked them out for Dine Out, I had no idea that they would have pastas on their menu for only $12 - 16 dollars, and wouldn't even think of them if I was in the area and wanting something nice but simple like that for a snack. They have some pizzas too ($12 - 16). And I just never seem to climb stairs up to a place unless I'm actually going to that place, so I don't even know what the place really looks like, despite walking past hundreds of times. So I imagine the kind of promotion that gets people (locals) in the door the first time would be very good for them. I hope it works out for them.

Mmm, there's lots of exciting food in my immediate future. Parkside, Savory Coast, Yuji's (non DOV), AND Chinese New Year's eve dinner is within these two weeks too! Ug, I'm going out for a run now...

Edited January 20, 2006 by Dumpling Girl (log)

[nwyles]

And so it begins............................

A clever girl has circumvented the system of no large parties by booking four tables of four at the same time ( through Opentable.com )and then requesting that they all be seated together.

Do I give her an "A" for ingenuity and seat them all together or do I stick to my guns and seat them how I wish, scattered throughout the restaurant as to no slam one waiter with a party of 16 ?

[peppyre]

I'd simply say something along the lines of "Unfortunately, due to high volumes there is no way that 4 tables can be placed together, you sneaky bit....OK, that last bit may be a bit harsh, but I think that would work.

[BCinBC]

Don't give in, stick to your guns!

Actually you could seat them together with the disclaimer that they might not be able to order / get their courses all at the same time. BTW, if they do get 4 tables of 4 together, do you go the autograt route with their bill? Hrm, decisions decisions.

Ah hell I say stick to your guns!

[Ling]

I would seat them together and just tell them that because you have a "no large tables" policy, they might not be served at the same time, though the server(s) will do their best.

I'm pretty sure there will be some complaining if you seat them in separate areas of the restaurant...not that it's any fault on your behalf...

[JasmineL]

I'm having dinner at Parkside tonight.

*happy dance*

[Dumpling Girl]

I'm having dinner at Parkside tonight.

*happy dance*

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Damn, if I had read that in time, I would have looked around the room for you.

edited to add:

Okay, if anyone is at Savory Coast Friday, Jan 27, I'll be there 9:30 pm onwards. Say hi to girl with the camera flash (taking pics of food), if you see me!

Edited January 22, 2006 by Dumpling Girl (log)

[gingerfreak]

Just confirmed my spot for my friend's birthday dinner on Tuesday at Brix...yay! Lucky birthday girl is doing THREE DOV birthday dinners.

[prasantrin]

And so it begins............................

A clever girl has circumvented the system of no large parties by booking four tables of four at the same time ( through Opentable.com )and then requesting that they all be seated together.

Do I give her an "A" for ingenuity and seat them all together or do I stick to my guns and seat them how I wish, scattered throughout the restaurant as to no slam one waiter with a party of 16 ?

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It depends...

What time is their reservation? If it's the first seating of the evening, it's easier to seat 16 people, so it wouldn't be so much of a problem in terms of logistics. However, tables of 16, in my experience, tend to stay longer than smaller tables, so you run the risk of having them hog 4 tables for much longer than anticipated, especially since 16 people are very rarely all on time (thereby risking the loss of other customers, and additional tips for the waitstaff). If you do decide to accept her request, I would suggest letting her know there will be a limited seating period, and an autograt.

If the reservation is later (the last seating, for example), it might be very difficult to put together a table for 16. In this case, you could tell them if there are enough tables available at that time, you would be happy to seat them together, though it may not be possible, and if more than x number of people are seated together, there will be an autograt.

But if I were in your place, I would say no (unless I were desperate for business). She's being sneaky and manipulative. That right there tells me it's going to be a difficult and demanding table. Not worth it, in my opinion.

[nwyles]

She's being sneaky and manipulative. That right there tells me it's going to be a difficult and demanding table. Not worth it, in my opinion.

Done. I will scatter them to the four winds.

[fud]

We're going to C tonight I can't wait! Is it a good thing that I'm way more excited about eating at C tonight than voting?

[*Deborah*]

I'm at Brix tonight, will report on the $35 menu *drool*

[teamboom]

Tonight will be my first DOV at Chambar!!

I'm excited and nervous and most importantly, starving...

[tarteausucre]

I just had a question regarding DOV service expectations. I've had many DOV meals over the years and except for a couple of occasions, have received less than stellar service. The service is usually indifferent at best and occasionally condescendingly rude.

A few nights ago, I went to one particular restaurant where we were barely acknowledged and many mistakes were made - all of which detrimentally affected our dining experience. The food was solid and if I had received better service I would most definitely return. I felt like I had a huge "I only eat out on DOV nights" sign on my forehead which is an unfair characterisation on their part. The restaurant wasn't particularly busy.

I do realise that I was going on a DOV night and have to make allowances. My question is whether I have a right to demand "good" service when I go on a DOV night. Should I just say, "well, this type of service doesn't reflect their usual treatment of their restaurant patrons." All I'm asking is that the restaurant treat me in a friendly manner in a "we're rushed but we still value you as a patron sort of way." Is that too much to ask?

Edited January 24, 2006 by tarteausucre (log)

[gingerfreak]

I had a somewhat similar experience during Taste of Yaletown a while back...service wasn't actually bad, but was fairly scattered and we definitely felt that other tables dining from the regular menu were getting more attention. I had also been to the restaurant in question a few times before and had stellar service. That said...my friends were being, I thought, exceptionally picky and demanding and THEN fulfilled "dining deal" stereotypes by really cheaping out on the tip (what they wanted to leave was stingy - less than 15% - on the deal cost, let alone what the meal would have actually cost).

This is why I haven't been overly interested in DOV and why I'm only going (Brix! tonight!) because my friend made her birthday reservations.

It does seem to be a bit of a crapshoot - some people on this board have reported exceptional DOV service and then there was an experience like ElizR's at Bistro Pastis (would response have been the same if she were not a DOV customer?). I don't think it's too much to ask for respectful service; after all, you're cultivating potential customers, but on the other hand, too many in the service industry have no doubt seen the worst of cheap customers...

[makanmakan]

Cru for us tonight! we'll be the piggy table of 6!

Has anyone done a Cru DOV yet??

[Daddy-A]

It does seem to be a bit of a crapshoot - some people on this board have reported exceptional DOV service and then there was an experience like ElizR's at Bistro Pastis (would response have been the same if she were not a DOV customer?).  I don't think it's too much to ask for respectful service; after all, you're cultivating potential customers, but on the other hand, too many in the service industry have no doubt seen the worst of cheap customers...

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Link to the post describing ElizR's experience at Pastis (last paragraph) [CLICK]

ElizR's mishap was unfortunate, to be sure. But it had NOTHING to do with DOV, and as I see it, the restaurant was under no obligation whatsoever to comp anything to anyone. Would a comp have been a smart business practice? Perhaps. Far too often however I'm reading about how a dining experience wasn't up to snuff, and how someone was "owed" something. It seems these sentiments are amplified during DOV, and I'm completely baffled as to why.

The analogy I like to use is Disneyland. One of the most popular times of year to go to DL is Spring Break ... and that is why I will never go during Spring Break. 60+ minute line-ups for Space Mountain are no way to spend a vacation. But if I were to go, would I be asking Mickey for a comped slice of Cheesecake-on-a-Stick ( GOOD!)? Yeah, sure buddy ...

A.

[Mooshmouse]

It does seem to be a bit of a crapshoot - some people on this board have reported exceptional DOV service and then there was an experience like ElizR's at Bistro Pastis (would response have been the same if she were not a DOV customer?).  I don't think it's too much to ask for respectful service; after all, you're cultivating potential customers, but on the other hand, too many in the service industry have no doubt seen the worst of cheap customers...

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Link to the post describing ElizR's experience at Pastis (last paragraph) [CLICK]

ElizR's mishap was unfortunate, to be sure. But it had NOTHING to do with DOV, and as I see it, the restaurant was under no obligation whatsoever to comp anything to anyone. Would a comp have been a smart business practice? Perhaps. Far too often however I'm reading about how a dining experience wasn't up to snuff, and how someone was "owed" something. It seems these sentiments are amplified during DOV, and I'm completely baffled as to why.

The analogy I like to use is Disneyland. One of the most popular times of year to go to DL is Spring Break ... and that is why I will never go during Spring Break. 60+ minute line-ups for Space Mountain are no way to spend a vacation. But if I were to go, would I be asking Mickey for a comped slice of Cheesecake-on-a-Stick ( GOOD!)? Yeah, sure buddy ...

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Here, hear, Arne. I was going to keep quiet about this, but this has degenerated far beyond the sublime to the ridiculous.

Let's be real, people. It was water that was spilled. An outfit-ruining glass of red wine? No. 150-degree scalding-hot third-degree-burn-inducing coffee? No. Water.

Four of us were discussing this issue over a DOV dinner last night. As one of my dining companions so aptly put it, "If circumstances during a restaurant meal degenerate to the point where I'm expecting to be comped, chances are that I've already got my jacket on and am ready to walk out the door."

To further agree with Arne's perspective, this is, after all, DOV. Goat rodeo central. As at Disneyland, there is no excuse for shoddy service. But concessions must be made on the part of both the fair-goer and the diner when knowingly visiting during times that beget beyond-peak volume. And, in ElizR's own words, service was far from shoddy. Here's a telling snippet from the original post:

Service was efficient, professional and friendly without being rushed, and there was no pressure to order any extras or wine (but we did)...

Overall, though, we enjoyed it immensely.

Touché.

[ElizR]

Cru for us tonight!  we'll be the piggy table of 6! 

Has anyone done a Cru DOV yet??

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I'm going tomorrow, so if you have time, please post some comments.

Thanks.

[winegeek]

It does seem to be a bit of a crapshoot - some people on this board have reported exceptional DOV service and then there was an experience like ElizR's at Bistro Pastis (would response have been the same if she were not a DOV customer?).  I don't think it's too much to ask for respectful service; after all, you're cultivating potential customers, but on the other hand, too many in the service industry have no doubt seen the worst of cheap customers...

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Link to the post describing ElizR's experience at Pastis (last paragraph) [CLICK]

ElizR's mishap was unfortunate, to be sure. But it had NOTHING to do with DOV, and as I see it, the restaurant was under no obligation whatsoever to comp anything to anyone. Would a comp have been a smart business practice? Perhaps. Far too often however I'm reading about how a dining experience wasn't up to snuff, and how someone was "owed" something. It seems these sentiments are amplified during DOV, and I'm completely baffled as to why.

The analogy I like to use is Disneyland. One of the most popular times of year to go to DL is Spring Break ... and that is why I will never go during Spring Break. 60+ minute line-ups for Space Mountain are no way to spend a vacation. But if I were to go, would I be asking Mickey for a comped slice of Cheesecake-on-a-Stick ( GOOD!)? Yeah, sure buddy ...

A.

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Arne,

I'm a bit perplexed by your DL analogy. If I went to DL during Spring Break, I would expect the same level of service that they provide (excellent) on a regular basis. While I obviously would not expect them to do something about the long lines (duh), If they were at fault for something they did, or had control over, I guarantee that they would do something to rectifly the situation.

I can assure you that if that if ElizR's situation at Pastis had happened at Joe,s the LEAST that would have been done for her would have been a comped meal. It was the restaurants obligation to her after something happened that they were at fault for. It's also about going above and beyond a guests expectations.

Concerning the level of service during DOV; Most restaurants are not used to doing the insane levels of volume that they see during DOV, so they and their staff are not working under their normal conditions. Unfortunately, this is a bad excuse. If you need to, put more staff on (bad for labour, which already takes a bit of a beating). Restaurants that are busy on a regular basis are probably more able to provide the same level of service during DOV that they provide all year long.

As a server, and MOD, I actually really enjoy DOV. The majority of my fellow servers at Joe' feel the same way. There is a great buzz in the room akin to the summer months. For the most part, the guests are really happy that they are getting a great deal and it shows. There are some groups that are more challenging that others ("6 hot waters with honey and lemon please"), but there are challenges every night, all year long. I like the fact that on a Monday night in January we are serving 400 guests as opposed to 250 -300. That is income for 4-6 more servers!

I like to work under the assumption that the guests that I'm about to serve are all big-wigs from EGullet .

[canucklehead]

I guess it is a personal preference on my part - but I am not a fan of being comp'ed for restaurant issues.

ElizaR seemed like she was okay with the level of service - but the table support broke and there was a water incident. I don't think that this was the fault of the server.

At this point - the diner has to ask themselves - is this going to ruin my evening? If not - well then carry on. If it seems like something has happened that is really going to be impactful and ruin a night out - well then as a grown up, the diner make that call and perhaps end the evening early and go somewhere else. If I was that unhappy, no amount of comping is going to fix it.

The fact that Joe Forte's is willing to do it for minor missteps is great - but if I felt like the meal experience was so worthless as to not want to pay - well then, it is too late. Allowing for a comp on big issues is tacit approval of a substandard dining experience. In a way - it feels like you are letting the restaurant off easy.

At the end of the day - it is just a meal and everyone is human. We should all just try to go out and have fun and enjoy ourselves - including laughing at some of the hiccups that invariably happen.

[Daddy-A]

I'm a bit perplexed by your DL analogy.  If I went to DL during Spring Break, I would expect the same level of service that they provide (excellent) on a regular basis.  While I obviously would not expect them to do something about the long lines (duh), If they were at fault for something they did, or had control over, I guarantee that they would do something to rectifly the situation.

My fault for not being clear. My analogy had more to do with how busy things would be, than with the level of service. I agree 100% ... DOV (or Spring Break at DL) is no excuse for poor service. But personally, I'm not surprised when the level of service dips a little in either case.

I can assure you that if that if ElizR's situation at Pastis had happened at Joe's the LEAST that would have been done for her would have been a comped meal. It was the restaurants obligation to her after something happened that they were at fault for. It's also about going above and beyond a guests expectations.

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this. I see no obligation. I see it as a smart business practice, and yes, were I the one in ElizR's chair, I would have liked a little something for my discomfort. I just wouldn't have expected it. Shit happens.

Sounds like she should have gone to Joe's

A.

[gingerfreak]

I think the Bistro Pastis "experience" was maybe a bad example on my part, in response to the original question of service level during DOV. (it is turning out to be way bigger than it should be...). I didn't mean that people should EXPECT to be comped when something small goes wrong, but on the other hand, when a restaurant takes the initiative to address even minor missteps, that goes a long way in the eyes of a guest, and could go a really long way in cultivating a loyal customer. Something minor like this wouldn't really put me off all that much, but if the restaurant were proactive in dealing with it, I'd be quite impressed.

I agree...diners who expect the moon are just as annoying as really bad service . Too many people go in expecting way too much, and as winegeek pointed out, a lot of servers aren't used to the DOV craziness.

But back to the original question of service levels during DOV: 2-tier service is a possibility, and as I said before, I'm heartened to see so many restaurants (at least as reviewed here) who continue to provide during DOV their customary exceptional service. Those are the ones who are likely to gain some repeat clientele