Last Friday, we were pretty excited to sit down for dinner at a restaurant. Our last meal out was March 6; it's been nothing but home cooking and curbside take-out for 8 weeks. Unfortunately, it was not a great experience and I'm going to break it down from start to finish.
Entry: We did not wear masks and gloves to enter the restaurant. JB had to grab the door with his bare hand but luckily, hand sanitizer was available at the hostess stand. +1 point for LP
Table: We were offered indoor or outdoor seating but the patio actually looked a little too crowded...not great spacing. We were seated in an inner room with appropriately spaced tables. All of the diners around us numbered 4 or less per table. -5 pt for the patio, +10 pts for inside dining
Server: Diego wore a full mask and gloves for the entire service. He was engaging and polite (seemed new) and while not the most informed about the menu, was very enthusiastic. +10 pts
Drinks: House margarita was underwhelming. I had the Sparkling Paloma and while delicious, it was the tiniest drink I've ever ordered!! -25 pts for cocktails 😉
Food: Excellent. Each of our meals was delicious...Hugo's Plate, Suizas Enchiladas and Brisket Enchiladas were each consumed and declared tasty. If I were knit-picking, I might comment that my enchiladas were a little under-warm, but I was still pleased with the dish. Also, the mandatory chips are perfectly thin, and both salsa flavors were superb. +35 pts for food
Atmosphere: next to our dining room was a private table. A group of 10 young men came in and were seated together after they all exchanged hugs with what appeared to be the unmasked restaurant manager. -15 pts for ignoring group size guidelines
Departure: as tables were cleared around us, we did NOT witness any additional cleansing of the surfaces. Wiping a table down with a bar cloth is not going to cut it in our new environment. -15 pts for covid-19 precautions
Final tally for our dining experience: -4pts. Not bad, but not great. Service, atmosphere and cleanliness were always factors in a dining experience but today, more than ever, these details can really detract from great food.
I want to state that I am not living in a place of fear; obviously, we were anxious to get out and support places of business that are trying to come back. But I feel that restaurants, airlines, and hotels are going to have to work extra hard to earn our trust and to feel confident that they are doing everything they can to keep us safe. It's funny but don't you think some of these sanitation procedures should have been the norm, long before a worldwide pandemic? It's going to take some time but I really feel we'll get there soon, to a place where even our most vulnerable can come out of their homes to enjoy a normal life. We're not there yet, but I am optimistic for our future.
It's JB's birthday this Saturday and I'm taking him out to dinner again, this time to one of our local favorites. Look for that review next week!