Chalkboard

07/25/09

Birthday Bust - Too much hype for nothing special.

by Love4Yoga at Citysearch

The Chalkboard attracted me with the thought of drinking wine in a relaxed, comfy environment while eating fresh food prized to be local and organic.

I have to say I was terribly disappointed for several reasons:

1) The waiter was unable to recommend a dry red wine from the list. He stated he preferred sweet & fruity reds and we were left to fend for ourselves. For having such a large wine list, it would be nice if the staff would guide the consumer a bit better.

2) We ended up with a bottle of wine we didn't like. I realize I could have sent it back but we had already tried two other wines we didn't like that the waiter recommended.

3) The salads and entrees we tried were tasteless. With the claim of fresh, local & organic ingredients I was expecting more flavor and pizazz. Nothing was too special or exciting.

4) The waiter was lethargic, not attentive or helpful. In fact, while he was explaining an entree to us someone came into the restaurant. He stopped mid sentence and walked away to attend to the person who just walked in without saying anything to us. He could have at least said 'excuse me for a moment'. Not impressive or respectful.

5) It was my birthday - the person who took our reservation stated they noted it in the book to ensure a extra special dining experience. The waiter didn't say or do anything special.

6) The overall experience was disappointing. All the facets of the experience that had me excited turned about to be a bust. No tasty wine recommendation, boring local organic food and a unhelpful waiter. So much for trying out a seemingly comfy restaurant on my birthday... I couldn't wait to leave!

• Pros: Cute decor, local & organic ingredients
• Cons: Mediocre service - disappointing, tasteless food