Post I didn’t release (written in December)
Who would have thought, that I would actually enjoy a restaurant in Time Square. I've often wondered where all the cute boys go, the boys that I’ve seen milling about Times Square, the cute corn fed ones from Arkansas, or Nebraska apparently they go to Bubba Gump Shrimp for dinner. Or pre-theater.
Two nights before my Bubba Gump dining experience, I enjoyed a black truffle tasting menu at The Modern, spent over three hundred dollars on food; that's per person and got the saddest service in the world. I was expecting for the chef to greet us, for an extra desert at least, to be treated with courtesy, well let’s just say; something, anything, slightly special. I would have settled on not waiting half an hour for our food. Yet it took twenty minutes for our appetizers, thirty five for our desert (we started counting and looking at our watches after ten minutes had passed). I asked for the Sommeliers assistance with wine. He never showed up. I didn’t order three bottles of water; they just showed up and appeared on the check. At the beginning of our dining experience, the waiter came to our table, assumed that it was “a special occasion” and brought over Champaign. We started blankly at him for a moment, then stated a flat “no”. Despite the offer, my friend requested a Cosmo; we both assume it was a courtesy drink offer, yet it showed up on the check and not the Champaign.
After sitting in the same place for three and a half hours, we were raging bitches. We started noticing small details, such as lack of diversity in the staff. All the waiters were in essence Americans and all the support staff wasn’t (at least that night) i.e. the Captains spoke good English, the support staff didn’t. We finally left The Modern skipping down the street, gleefully stating. “We’re free. We’re free.” I mentioned all my service concerns to the management the next day and they just didn’t care. So whatever. I’m not going back and probably will never spend that much money on food again. Yet eating with silver was fun; ever so senseless though. The food was unbelievable and the only saving grace of the experience.
Bubba Gump is a friendly place. In the silver clad restaurant, no one smiled; as they approached our table the service staff was visibly and emotionally weary. I didn't feel at home or feel like we could have fun, as people floated by in sadness. My friend and I just watched puzzled waiting for our next course. Yet Bubba Gump Shrimp was so different. I sat at the bar to actually write this post. The people were funny even in their overwhelmed work environment, they actually poked fun about how tough their day had been. It was quite cool. They made good recommendations about the food and drink too. Even though I went alone. I would go back in a heartbeat with a friend or a date, just because it’s a fun place to people watch and interact with the staff. While my dining experience in The Modern’s Fine Dining Room, was simply; as a friend mentioned later, a place where miserable people serve miserable people.
I’m basically posting this story to remind everyone: a great date can be had anywhere and has nothing to do with price.
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