09/15/09

Amazing Food HORRIBLE Hostess!!

by EatingFood

So my family and I have gone to North Pond more than a few times, it's one of our celebration restaurants. Everything had been great up until maybe a year ago or so. My wife, mother and Wife's mother went there for a relatively early dinner.

The first problem started when there was no Valet taking cars. So i waited in the car for someone to come, only to get a call saying "The hostess says someone will be there in 5 minutes". Well five minutes passed by, ten, and eventually twenty minutes later i went looking for a parking space, which took a good 15 minutes, about 5 blocks away. So i get inside and the Hostess looks at me with a shit-eating grin "your party is right this way" Like i couldnt see them sitting at the bar 2 meters away. I exclaimed that she told me someone was on his way to get the car. Her response: "Oh we don't have a valet working today" Well what the hell is her problem. I had been there maybe twenty times before and no problems, the wait staff knew us and was always polite. Whoever this Hostess is RUINED a great little spot in the city. And she was the source of every unsatisfactory time I have gone there. Before she arrived it was my favorite place. Now that she's there, the atmosphere is ruined!

As long as this hostess works there I will never return!

• Pros: The Food is near unmatched in the city
• Cons: Snooty hostess, a very uptight feel

08/09/09

A Very Bad Start

by ymw

We made a reservation for 9 people and were told that we would have to have a set limited menu or be at two separate tables. We opted for the latter. When we arrived, the first of our group was seated and there was an empty table nearby. We asked if the rest of our group could be seated there so we could at least sit near each other. We were told they could not accomodate us on that. When the hostess was pressed on the point, she told us that if she sat us in nearby tables, we would be constantly "visiting" the other table and therbey blocking the aisles and making things diffucult for the waitstaff. She really said this! And in a very rude tone. It is important to note here that almost our entire group was over 60 so rampant table hopping was unlikely. In any event, our friends were given a table on the other side of the room. The table next to us stayed empy the entire evening. We had a good chuckle over the pettiness of the situation (which seemed to be a retaliatory move in reponse to our choice not to have limited menu). The food was lovely. Too bad the service did not rise to the same level.

• Pros: Good food
• Cons: Rude staff

10/06/08

Wine lovers pay a price

by friargee

An excellent special-occasion place. The setting is unique and the food very well done. The prices are higher than one might expect with $35 the average main course (that means the tax and tip alone on that $35 is $10). My major gripe however is the mark-ups on the wine. Bottles I have seen retail at $30 are $90. I know North Pond is not alone in this, but that much of a profit seems a bit greedy, especially if wine is an integral part of a meal. Come on guys -- don't destroy the goose that lays that golden egg.