Niche

12/11/08

Skip it - great food, wretched service

by illinigirl at Citysearch

We recently moved to the western burbs from the city. We wanted to give a restaurant out here a try, so we tried Niche - local, seasonal ingredients. We were very disappointed in our experience. The food was good (especially the Tuna entree - perfectly prepared, wonderful sauce) but our service was very poor.

1. The host was confused and flustered by a whopping 3 parties waiting to be seated.

2. When we stepped up to the bar at almost 8pm, the bar was covered by invoices and employee paychecks.

3. We were celebrating a birthday which I said when making the reservation and the reservationist confirmed when she called back. No one ever mentioned it at the restaurant.

4. Our server did not approach our table for at least 10 minutes. Thankfully, there was delicious bread to snack on while we waited. Then, he never mentioned that there were specials (despite hearing them being offered to other tables). He was helpful in selecting a wine, but a little awkward. After he poured the first glass, we poured all the rest because he was nowhere to be found. He never offered dessert - instead he brought the check. When we asked for a cheese plate (so that we could finish our wine), he brought it, set it on the table and walked away - no description at all. After clearing our plates, it took 15 minutes for the check to come and another 15 for him to bring back the receipt.

5. Food - Our "palate cleanser" came after our entrees. Also, we ordered pork and tuna. The server never asked how we wanted them prepared.

Despite the obvious talent of the chef, the service (from host to server to bartender) was extremely poor. If I had been dining at Olive Garden, I would have expected this kind of service for the price. But if you're going to drop $300 for dinner, I highly recommend you go somewhere else.

• Pros: Very good food
• Cons: Service, too expensive for what you get

10/20/07

Fine Dining Defined

by jjsmalls at Citysearch

An excellent dining experience. Salad, entree and desert were fantastic (best I have ahd in some time). Service was to notch. Yes, it is pricey, but the quality of food and service is certainly what you expect and more for the price. We were half hour early for our reservation yet we were still seated immediately (on a friday night).

• Pros: ambiance, waitstaff knowledge of menu, excellent assistance with wine selection, dining experience
• Cons: not for families or large paties

09/15/07

Pedestrian and Pricey

by pgurnig at Citysearch

Some positives, more negatives, not worth the price. Three of us ate here tonight. Between the three of us, with one glass of wine in all, the bill was slightly over $200 including tip. We each had appetizer, entree and dessert.

Negatives: greasy calamari with saffron sauce. The portion was generous, but was the only generous portion. The sauce was only ok and I've had much better calamari at less upscale restaurants that was better prepared. All of our entrees were mediocre at best and not particularly generous. The entrees are around $30-35 each. I don't necessarily expect large sizes, but do expect quality given the price. Despite the smaller portion sizes, one of our guests didn't finish his salmon entree.

The wine pour we received on our one glass of wine was also not generous.

Positives: one guest had the scallop mousse. This was tasty and elegant. The cheese tray another guest had was also good, but obviously the cheese is selected, not prepared. The bread (also not made there) was the best part of the meal. They'll keep the bread coming which is nice. The dessert I had was excellent (chocolate torte) and the staff kept my iced tea and water glasses full. The wait staff is attentive without being overbearing.

Overall, our experience was not stellar. If we had paid about half of what we did, we probably would still not be impressed. It's not that we mind paying for good food, but do expect the food to live up to the price.