From: [an eater]
Date: Thursday, May 10, 2007
To: eater complaints dept.
Subject: Rushed at Otto
______
Hmm...
I too was at Otto on Sat night May 5th. I was with a party of 18 - a dinner party that had been planned over 2 months in advance with the restaurant manager. My friend, who planned this dinner party (multiple courses with wine for each course) as a surprise for her husband, paid a couple of grand for this dinner.
We were seated promptly at 6pm, with a reminder that they needed the table at 8pm for other diners. We thought that was a rude comment, and chose to ignore it. At around 7pm the hostess reminded my friend that they needed the table at 8pm but 'that any wine we had not finished they would bring up front & we could finish it there'.
At around 7:30 they started to bring out the gelato, and the hostess came AGAIN to remind us that they needed the table at 8pm. At around 7:45 they brought the final bill. At 7:50 they finally served the espresso & coffee we all ordered. My friend was served her cappucino at 5 till 8. The hostess brought her the cappucino, and AGAIN reminded her that they needed the table at 8. My friend responded 'I understand, but if you wanted us out at 8 you should have served us in a manner in which we could be done. I will take my time finishing my coffee'
To pay over $2000 with tax & pre-figured 20% tip for dinner for 18, and be treated in such a manner & be rushed out is disgraceful. This totally ruined the evening for her, and aggravated those of us sitting close enough to hear it. The manager could have cared less.
I have eaten there multiple times, and have never had that happen. And I will, now, never eat there again. So NOT the way to treat good customers or someone who just spent that kind of money. Tisk tisk....
Re: Rushing at Otto
Why are you publishing complaints about Otto? Its obvious to anyone that the place is a tourist trap, and the last story you posted can be paraphrased as "Dumb person wastes their money and has a shitty experience." I understand that Batali owns it, and I do like their gelato (will be having some later on today I think), but why is it a shock that they do that to you there? The commercial nature of the place isn't really hidden. Whats next, Bobby Flay not nearly as good a chef as Keller? Thats not really that much less obvious of a story if you think about it. Food network chef not up to hype, etc
The story would be better if it was about Gordon Ramsay (where people are at least shelling out real money & it has ambitions of being a serious restaurant) where this issue first came up in the Bruin Blog. The shitty meal I had at Babbo would be a better story too, but I don't really care that much.
