Tag Archives: service

The Olive Garden-Wenatchee, Wa.

We played hooky for a couple of days and decided to dine at the Olive Garden in . Wenatchee, Wa.

http://www.olivegarden.com/Menu/Specials/ 

I have to tell you I’ve not been impressed with this chain in Canada, due to the fact, all but once, did our table get served at the same time. Usually one person won’t get their meal until everyone else is all but finished theirs.

Exception: Everything about this restaurant was fabulous. Our server, Calen, was superb. His smile would upgrade any order. Case in point: I order a glass of Pinot Grigio. He asked me if I wanted the regular or larger size. Before I looked up, I said regular. I looked up and his smile was really something. My husband says “go for it” and I did. I’ll have the 9 0z. glass please.

We then were served our salad. Icy cold plates (the only way to serve a salad- from now on). Also bread sticks hot from the oven, served with a side of ranch sauce. YUMMY, YUMMY, YUMMY.

Don ordered the Capellini di Mare – a dish he has previously loved. Well…..this was even better. Piping hot, served on a piping hot plate . It was a serving of shrimp, clams and mussels sauteed in white wine, garlic and a zesty  sauce. This was served over capellini and topped with fresh basil. His comment throughout was: look at all the seafood…no skimping here.

I, on the otherhand, ordered the chicken and shrimp carbonara with bucatini pasta in a parmesan cheese sauce, pancetta bacon and roasted peppers, baked in the oven and topped with seasoned breadcrumbs. OMG, was this tasty. We had to leave some, on purpose, so we could “sample” the Lemon cream cake. HAH! We ate the whole darn thing and enjoyed their wonderful coffee.

We did actually take home our little packages and ate them for our supper later.

Calen had a “helper/assistant” who was just a delight. These staff members are two people who give over and beyond what you normally would expect. By the way, the restaurant was packed full.

Service: 1++

Food: 1++
Price: xx

When we got home, we told our neighbor where we ate and she said her two friends were there yesterday. They drive out to E. Wenatchee (from Oliver) for dinner and then drive back home the same day. They love it so much.

As I said…it is great, Calen is super and we will go back again.

 

 

 

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Vic’s Steak House-Victoria, B.C.

Being away on a family reunion inVictoria, we all chose to go to this restaurant for breakfast. Seemed like a simple feat being a long weekend. I grant you there isn’t a restaurant that can willingly take on 30 people at once BUT in our defense, they were so unprepared, the could not even take on 6 people. When we arrived, one table of 7 arrived and after waiting a few minutes, were seated. The next 7 (group I was in) had to wait while the Hostess was trying to tell us they were full. They were almost empty at this time.

This lady needs to soften her answers to questions being asked and not be in attack mode all the time. We waited forever for someone to even come and take our order for coffee,tea, juice etc. Now the order for breakfast was to be taken and then the wait began. As far as we could figure out they were short on kitchen staff and servers and for this, Management is totally at fault, not the girls, although they did take a lot of flack from customers wanting to eat. The balance of our group were totally turned away (probably 10-15) and as others entered the restaurant, they were ignored and after standing there for more than 5 minutes, left. This happened several times.

What a shame. My husband and I have stayed at the Harbour Towers Hotels many times over the years and this was one bad experience. I hope management can clear up any misgivings on long weekends. People do travel and people do eat. Oh, by the way, after commenting on such a long wait for food. We were told “Oh, we are okay for dinners but we are very slow in the morning. Just what I wanted to hear.Sorry on this one, 2 thumbs down both for service and attitude.

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