Pigalle

Upscale French restaurant with a small but great wine selection and some real choice taps for beer that rotate out.
Dark atmosphere and small and cozy. Service has always be awesome here.

What was it that made my dinner at Pigalle so special? Was it the alcohol (I often find myself asking this)? Was it the company (it was certainly great to see my best college friends again)? Or was it just the fact that the food was incredible (and plentiful)? Whatever the answer may be (I’m sure it was some combination of the three), the fact that it was Restaurant Week only sweetened the deal (seriously, it was one of my top RW dinners ever).
Can you tell I like parentheses?

I can’t afford Pigalle. I’m well aware that I can’t afford Pigalle. And I would never have gone to Pigalle if not for a sweet Bloomspot deal of dinner for two at a price I could afford. I just didn’t need a separate menu to remind me.
After the apps, I was less than impressed. My Duck Liver Terrine was a tasty app with a portion so generous that I had to take more than half of it home, but honestly, the same stuff costs $ 5 at Trader Joe’s. And literal the translation for the Simple Arugula Salad is pile of leaves drenched in vinegar. So. Underwhelmed.
I’m not sure what I though of Pigalle’s Cassoulet. Served in a cast-​iron skillet, this cassoulet was every bit as hearty as you’d expect, but all the meat and the stew itself were pretty bland. And while the seemingly random assortment of meats made me feel like I was eating a huntsman’s catch in a log cabin in the woods, I can’t help but wonder if Pigalle just served me every piece of meat the kitchen had left over.
The Wild Mushroom Risotto was just plain delicious. It drove me absolutely wild. Highlight of my night. And many nights to come.
«Mini» Crème Brulee?! Seriously?! It actually looked like a very reasonable portion to me, and I couldn’t imagine wanting more, so I’m not sure why the name was there to remind me that my status didn’t warrant a full dessert.
And the Caramelized Pineapple was a joke. Come on, two slices of pineapple with burnt sugar on top is a pretty poor excuse for a course.
So thanks Pigalle, but no thanks. This menu was pretty bad as well as insulting. Seriously, I can barely even rate you considering only two of the items I tried were from your real menu.

There are much better French restaurants in Boston.
The roasted littleneck clams and bacon were delicious, but some of the fresh oysters had some pieces of sand and shell. The Pigalle’s cassoulet was heavy and dense without a ton of flavor. If I were a judge on Top Chef, I’d probably eliminate this chef.

I wasn’t quite enthused from my initial experience at Pigalle, so it took their new bar concept (a year plus old by now, so not as new as I thought) and a deal voucher to bring me back to this restaurant located just beyond what was once the Radisson Hotel and is now the Revere Hotel.
At 6pm on a Thursday evening, we found 1 or 2 parties in the dining room and our choice of seats along the bar. The 4 seats closest to the host stand were set with napkins and silverware. The 3 seats before the traditional bar area were more utilitairan — more likely intended for those who are there for a drink before transferring over to the dining room in order to continue their meal. Sort of in the middle of it all was an additional stand alone counter set with 4 more tall seats. Glasses filled with crispy bacon strips (meat bouquets, I called them) were set spaced about the bar.
The bar seats spacing was a bit tight… even if I were to have accepted their offer to take my coat, I think my exit to visit to the washroom would have still been rather difficult. They did, however, have hooks hiding beneath the counter, which I appreciated. Both bar and regular menu were available to us.
I was disappointed to see that the ROASTED SUGAR PUMPKIN ARANCINI $ 5 that had attracted me on their online menu (yes, it is still listed there even today) had been replaced, but I made do.
The CLAMS CASINO smoky bacon & panko-​12 and SHORTRIB ARANCINI-​5 arrived first as an appetizer course. Hot and tasty, they were all too quickly consumed. The clams were a bit burnt in spots, but not outrageously so; the whole clam underneath each blanket of flavorful crumbs was meaty and clean of sand. The 6 tiny balls of arancini were approximately ¾ inch in diameter, cute, crispy, and packed with meat within the thin rice casing. I enjoyed them both.
We had requested that the PIGALLE’S ANGUS BURGER* sharp cheddar, caramelized & fried onion, house made condiments-​14 be prepared medium-​rare. Since their kitchen tends to err towards rare, I gave him free reign to put the order in a manner that would hopefully land us a medium-​rare burger. Our burger ended up being quite pink and juicy and abounding with onions. This was the better of the two sandwich, even though the DUCK CONFIT GRILLED CHEESE frites & aïoli-​10 was my menu pick. Our crustless grilled cheese arrived blacked on one side (the side presented face up on the plate) and a nice golden brown color on the other. I’m not sure what they were thinking when they decided to go ahead and to serve it to us anyways. What they did have going for them though was that the burnt look did not extend to a burnt taste. Fries were mostly disappointingly limp, and sadly I prefer Heinz over their homemade ketchup. The CREAMED SPINACH-​5 was a bit skimpy in portion but felt surprisingly healthy, and was whole leaf, not chopped.
Since their panna cotta is not the melty sort, disappointment was averted and I ended up being quite happy with both the LEMON MERINGUE TART rosemary & almond tart, lemon curd, candied beets, brûléed meringue & fried mint-​9 and the CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY PROFITEROLES marshmallow sauce & diced fruit-​9.
Service from the bartender was good, and actual recommendations were given upon request. But for me, one of things that differentiate average service from excellent service which makes me feel like I’m being cared for is the treatment of my hot water. Twice I finished both the hot water in my tea pot and my tea cup, and twice I was left wanting more until I managed to catch his attention. I guess the universal for a sign of an empty pot waiting to be filled (the tilted or lifted tea pot cover) in nearby Chinatown means nothing at a French establishment…
The kitchen was a little slow for me. With the dining room hosting a maximum of 3 parties at a time during the night in question and the bar the same, it wasn’t likely to be a case of the kitchen being slammed. After our appetizers were gone (down to the scraping of the crisped panko crumbs off the skillet below the clams), I peeked at the mirror before me a number of times in hopes of spotting the arrival of our entrée course, particularly since I had asked the bartender to not wait for us to finish the apps before springing the sandwiches on us. Then it was 20 minutes for desserts to hit the table, neither of which required being freshly baked for us. From arrival to departure — 2.5 hours.
I know I redeemed a voucher that states «not valid for happy hour specials,» but a great way to make folks feel like second class citizens is to announce that an unordered dish is a gift from the kitchen to each of the pairs seated directly on either side of them.
Validation is available for parking at the Revere Hotel lot — $ 10 for up to 3 hours. However, once you surpass the 3 hour mark, validation deducts only $ 2 from the $ 22 for 3 – 12 hour rate.
Food — 4
Service — 3
Everything else rounds it down to 3

$ 1 oysters during happy hour!!!

Very pleasant experience in this restaurant — it has romantic, cozy décor, and parking is a breeze with a large parking lot complex adjacent to this restaurant (they validate parking). Had the chef’s tasting menu which we enjoyed. The duck dish was good, but for us the main standouts were the tuna martini dish and the beef tartare. Also enjoyed the optional cheese plate as well. A little service hiccup in the middle (a really long delay for one of our dishes), but this was quickly addressed by the staff and we ended our dinner on a good note.

The meal was well prepared and presented well, but there was so much tension between the staff and the customers. Just felt awful being there.
Edit…now realize the tension was do to bad publicity that will likely blow over.
The chef was way out of line as I understand it.

I checked out Pigalle during Restaurant Week, and of my four RW meals so far, it has been the only disappointment.
Ambiance: We sat outside since it was packed and incredibly loud inside, and were really pleased with the decision. It was sort of a cool night, so they turned on heaters to make everyone more comfortable. They worked great, and added an extra bit of charm to the outdoor seating area.
Service: After reading a lot of complaints from other reviewers about the service, I was expecting problems. However, we didn’t experience any issues with the service at all. In fact, I thought it was well above average. We were very obviously on a date; I was happy to see that the server was being extra-​careful to give us some space. He was attentive, but not intrusive. With the exception of our desserts (more on that later), everything came out at the perfect time.
In terms of the food, I have to say I was underwhelmed overall. The meal definitely peaked early. Our cocktails and appetizers were fantastic. After that, things started to slide downhill.
Positives on the food:
— Cream of corn soup: This was easily the best thing either of us had all night. It was poured tableside into a bowl with apples and bacon. The flavors of that soup were so pleasing and complex. First you get the sweetness. Then you get hit with the most wonderful, intense corn flavor. Every spoonful that I got with the bacon/​apple combo was heavenly. That soup was pretty much perfect. I can’t recommend it enough.
— French onion soup: The best word to describe this soup is definitely «homey.» My boyfriend thought it was perhaps too cheesy, but I didn’t think that was really a problem. It was meaty and warm and comforting.
— Truffle cheese fries: These were soooo deeply bomb. The fries were very thinly cut and super crispy. The cheese sauce was rich and creamy and truffley and amazing. I probably ate ¾ of the generous portion that we received. ORDER THEM.
Here comes the meh:
— Duck à l’orange: While I can appreciate that the duck was well-​cooked (crispy skin, tender meat), I thought the dish was undersauced. There just wasn’t enough orange to go around. It was sort of just like eating a moist piece of chicken.
— Pigalle’s cassoulet: I was expecting this to be fantastic, but it was just sort alright. Again, everything was well-​prepared, I just thought the flavors weren’t very impactful. It came with a very tasty housemade sausage, but my boyfriend found a small bone in it! Not good.
Andddd double-​meh:
— Lemon meringue tart: Our desserts came out fully 20 minutes after we finished our entrées, and I’m sure this tart was to blame. Something very obviously went awry with the meringue. It was completely deflated (see the attached pic). I’m honestly surprised that they served it. Beyond that, the tart just didn’t have the strong lemony flavor I was hoping for.
— Fallen chocolate cake: It was tasty, but I’ve had a lot of molten chocolate cakes in the last two weeks, and this one wasn’t particularly memorable. It came with a very good sorbet though.
I wouldn’t recommend Pigalle for a full dinner. Those entrées and desserts just weren’t that great. However, for drinks and apps to start the night, Pigalle is a solid choice.

I went here during Restaurant Week last night, and it ended up being one of the most memorable dining experiences I’ve had.
I had a 5:30 reservation (the only time they had), and although I arrive a few minutes beforehand, my dining companion was stuck in traffic and didn’t make it until 5:50. Still, I was seated and the staff was very gracious and attentive without rushing me into ordering anything. I did start with a Moscow Mule, which happened to be on the RW drink special menu. It was well-​made, refreshing, and a good value at $ 7.
Once my partner arrived, we were brought warm bread and butter at the perfect temperature — a sign of a good restaurant to me. He ordered a glass of Sauvignon Blanc (can’t remember the name or price), which I tried and we both agreed was good. The Pigalle RW dinner menu, as with all participating restaurants, offers three prix fixe courses for $ 33.12. Some of the options for the courses were more elaborate and had an additional charge, and they also offer side dishes for $ 5 extra, which is a good idea to boost sales.
To start, I chose the Salad of Snow Peas with crispy pancetta, shaved parmesan & white balsamic vinaigrette. The portion size was larger than I was expecting, especially for RW. It wasn’t a bad dish, I just didn’t love it — I’m not sure the parmesan went with everything else. I guess I would describe it as kind of strange and not really what I was expecting. My partner ordered the steak tartare ($ 4 extra), which came with house-​made chips and a soft-​boiled, flash-​fried egg. I only tried the chips, which were light and crispy, but he said the entire thing was delicious.
For the entrée, I ordered the Classic Sole Meuniere with roasted yukon gold potatoes and sauteed spinach. He ordered the Crispy Confit Half Duckling a L’Orange. I didn’t try his dish so I can’t comment (although he said it was perfect many times), but mine was really excellent. It didn’t come with the spinach as listed, but instead with a mixture of haricot verts and toasted almonds, which may sound like a weird combination but really made the dish. The fish was cooked perfectly and the caper sauce it was served with added a tangy bite. The potatoes were flavorful too but the toasted flavor and crunch of the almonds really brought everything together, and I’m not even a fan of almonds to begin with! I just couldn’t stop raving about this dish as I was enjoying it.
For dessert I chose the classic crème brûlée (my favorite dessert) and my partner ordered the orange profiteroles. Again I didn’t try his because he wouldn’t let me, he said they were that good! My crème brûlée came with house-​made cookies, which were served warm and were really good. The brulee itself was served in an espresso cup, which was cute but also meant that there was less sugar crust to enjoy. Still the custard was flavorful and prettymuch heaven on a plate. I really can’t complain about that.
I believe the bill came to $ 92 or so, which was well worth it for such a memorable meal. Our server Diego was professional and polite, and very attentive without being smothering. I did notice after our entrees were served the hostess kept checking on our table to see how close we were to being done — I understand it was busy because of RW but it did make me feel like she just wanted us to hurry up and leave. Normally I’d subtract a star but the food and service was so good I really can’t.
Some of the other restaurants I’ve been to during RW (ahem Ruth’s Chris) lower the quality of their offerings, but not at Pigalle. They put out their best efforts and it showed — I will definitely be back soon!

For all it’s worth, I dined with friends who were convinced the restaurant’s name was pronounced «Pig-​golly.» Perhaps it was fitting that the best part of my visit was the good old American hamburger.
Arrived on a Friday evening for a birthday celebration, and ordered from the $ 25 prix fixe menu — four bluepoint oysters (vs a corn soup), a badass burger (vs a tuna nicoise), completed with a crème brûlée dinner. Fortunately, Friday was a buck-​a-​shuck day; unfortunately, the oysters weren’t that good, with shell pieces littering the ultimately blandly flavored bivalves. To make matters worse, they were drowning in an ice bath, and offered with an altogether unsatisfactory mignonette sauce. Although I’m ashamed to say it, you’re better off at McCormick and Schmick’s on Tuesday night.
However, the Pigalle angus burger completely redeemed dinner. A massive globe of what seemed recently chopped steak topped with melted cheese and lightly fried onions, this was the gourmet burger that the tree huggers at NOPA (San Francisco) dreamed of. At medium rare, it was possible to taste the coarse/​excellent chopped steak elements that made up the huge chunk of meat. Oddly, it was served with homemade ketchup, mustard, and mayo, all of which were superfluous and not all that good.
Crème brûlée was great, but seriously, it’s hard to screw up crème brûlée.
For the more culinarily and fiscally adventurous, I was able to steal a bite of the risotto — a delicious medley of tart, savory, and French magic held promise for future visits, when I acquire the funds to order off the adult menu.
Hidden gem: The Embrasser Cousine — the snooty, hyper-​flavored version of the Arnold Palmer is a real non-​alcoholic winner, and certainly worth a try.

Tucked away in Bay Village, Pigalle has been a firm French-​inspired institution in Boston’s restaurant scene for over a decade. Late last year though, the owners decided to do some revamping and despite having never had a chance to see the restaurant’s previous incarnation, I can safely say that the new digs really work.
There’s much versatility to be found here in the form of live music on Monday nights, theater pre-​fixe menus and $ 1 oysters all Friday night. My friends and I came with the intention to knock back some Blue Points and left thoroughly satisfied with some serious sleeper hits. What am I referring to? Pigalle’s Angus Burger. One bite into it and I was blown away. Hard. Seared to a perfect medium rare, the enormously juicy patty took over the entirety of my senses one heavenly moment after another. The meat’s seasoning possessed resoundingly savory flavors that were further accentuated with light sweetness and crispy texture from the duo of caramelized and fried onions. Unlike many other burgers where the toppings oftentimes butt heads with the meat, everything from the sharp cheddar to the house made condiments knew its role and worked solely to elevate the protein without getting in its way. To top it all off, the burger and tasty accompanying fries were a mere $ 12. I don’t have to say it, but I will anyway: the quality-​to-​cost ratio was through the roof and into the stars.
Behind the bar, veteran mixologist Michael Florence tore it up with some unique and delicious concoctions including the Rue de Vie and Olé’ Elijah’s Quandry. Both were fantastic bourbon-​based drinks and I especially enjoyed the deepening of Elijah Craig 12 year in the latter with herbal notes from Green Chartreuse and just enough citrus on the finish from some lemon bitters. Michael’s take on a classic Old Fashioned using some Four Roses Small Batch was a resounding success as well, focusing on the bourbon’s more floral undertones and actually bypassing the muddled cherry and orange. Beyond the mixcraft (don’t you just love coining new terms?), he did a wonderful job taking care of my group with regular check-​ins and a gracious offer to break down our lengthy check for each person.
When I come across an appropriately special occasion, I’ll most assuredly try fare from the regular dinner menu. Until then, the combination of excellent cocktails, amazing burger and outstanding service will keep me coming back again and again.

We had a travelzoo voucher so we could splurge on whatever we wanted. Would I come back without a voucher? At these prices I would probably rather go to one of Boston’s other best restaurants. Regardless of price, Pigalle has great food. Ingredients in each dish were excellent on their own and complemented each other to make a dish complete. A stand out for me was the foie gras with escargot over brioche. We also loved the special of the day which was an asparagus soup with a tiny piece of lobster. While appetizers were excellent, entrees were just good and that’s not quite enough at these prices (they should be excellent or the best).
Even though we had a voucher the service was good. Our server and the host were friendly, polite and professional. The restaurant is very upscale and makes for a very nice date place.
The location was very difficult to find parking nearby. We were forced to park in the garage next door. Validation at the restaurant was a breeze, which was nice.
We would come back with another similar voucher, but don’t think the prices for the food warrant another visit without one.

This is a great restaurant for celebrating a special occasion.
The service and food are impeccable. And of special note, was the maitre’d who served our wine. He was very knowledgeable and made the experience that much more amazing.
Honestly, we probably would not have tried this place if we didn’t have a Groupon. That being said, I am glad we came because it really was a wonderful experience.
We did not order and appetizers or starting salads. However, the chef sent to our table was a tasting plate of a single tortellini. It was a nice start to our meal — I definitely used my bread to soak up the rest of the sauce.
For entrees, my bf ordered the pan seared sole. It was cooked to perfection. It game with a side of gnocchi and wilted greens (swiss chard, perhaps?). I ordered the coq au vin. It was served wrapped in bacon and came with a delightful potato purée surrounded by a crisp potato. We both cleaned out plates.
For dessert we shared the crème brûlée. It disappeared quickly.
Granted, it was an expensive meal. Even with the Groupon.

I love this place, the service here is great and waiter was very accomodating and friendly.
I ordered the Foie Gras for my first course and it was so delicious. I had been craving foie gras for the longest time and was well worth it. I had a little taste of my boyfriend’s French Onion soup which had in it some braised beef short rib, i wish i could have had more! :)
For our entrees, he had the Coq Au Vin. The chicken couldn’t be more moist. Very tasty and delicious. I had the Slow braised Pork Trotter which was stuffed with the garlic sausage. It was perfect!
Of course i could never not order a side of pommes frites… i love my fries. :)

Had a lovely dinner here before a show at the Wang Center and they were able to get us in and out quickly. Also my fiancé wasn’t as hungry as I was so they just let her order what she wanted, they didn’t force her into a tasting menu too like other fancy restaurants I have been too. This place looks like it is very expensive and I’m sure it can be, but we got out for under $ 80. I went with their 3 course tasting menu which included:
Duck Mousse w/​Potato Chips — If you like Foie Gras then you’ll like this, I reccomend taking a look at the photo I took.
White Bean w/​Duck confit & Sausage — This was excellent, the beans were very flavorful, the duck conft was perfect. I could have done without the sausage, it seemed out of place.
Crème Brulee — It was some of the best brulee I’ve ever had.

In a very unassuming spot on Charles Street, Pigalle brought me back to my wonderful memories of living in Paris. This Francophile was very pleased to sit down to a fantastical meal with my boyfriend, best friend and her husband.
BUTTER. Undoubtedly the key to any wonderful French meal, Pigalle has the proper finesse and repertoire of French cuisine that would make any lover of all things French very happy. Forgive me for not remembering the exact name of the all the dishes we enjoyed at our table, but I had the pan-​seared sole (buttery, light, yet still intensely rich) and a cold lobster, corn and cucumber appetizer, another member of our party had the grilled calamari. Other entrees included the crispy duck (a Pigalle specialty), and grilled swordfish. Definitely leave room for desert, between fallen chocolate cake, crème brulée and a deconstructed banana split (which is the right balance between adult sexiness and childhood memories… which sounds awfully weird, and yet is the only way to describe it). Add in an indescribably wonderful bottle of French red wine and great conversation — it was perfect.
Pigalle is definitely expensive, but it didn’t can it’s reputation of being on of Boston’s most romantic spots for nothing. The staff is personable and helpful, the wait staff just the right amount of attentive and charming and the ambiance was perfect for a wonderful couple’s dinner.
Pigalle…il faut qu’on se voit encore une fois…

Went here on a Thursday night because my friend had a Groupon. So this is not a review of the RW. but what it actually is like during the week. Parking is not available on the street but you can get a validation to park at the Radisson for $ 10 for 3 hours. It’s near the Theater district. it’s not really nice inside but it is dark. It reminds me of No 9 Park. the décor that is.
This place is not really French. dissapointingly. The prices are quite high though. The review really reflects the food which was mediocre. and the service which was bordering horrible. The waiter was rude. I think he was dissapointed we didn’t order alcohol. he never explained the menu specials or told us what was out (my friend wanted to order something and they were out). and he seemed annoyed we used a Groupon. Apparently you can not order the theater special if you are using a Groupon. ouch! The theater special is a 3 course meal for a set price.
Nothing on the menu seemed that good. We tried several things. Duck mousse was just okay. creamed brussel sprouts was too buttery. the sole was okay but the gnocchi was just huge. and the french fries with cheese was not crispy but instead mushy. I did hear the crème brûlée was excellent. But if that’s the only redeeming thing in a restaurant. it just isn’t that good.

Tucked away on a nice little street in the theatre district is a delightful place that caters to all of one’s senses. They really do try to treat you like a friend. The night we went the table we had reserved was not available so we were fine enjoying a few drinks and laughs at the bar. Royal was our host and he was great about updating us on our table. He felt so bad the he made a round of his signature drink just for us. Those kind of touches are what make places special. Plus there selection of adult beverages is not huge but it’s varied.
The crispy pork and arugula appetizer was a good size, simple and very flavorful. Easily shared by more than 3 people. Our server was well versed and had a personality which lead to an ease when ordering. I liked that for a high end establishment the people never felt stuffy and uptight. You could see there was a pride in the air and it translated throughout the whole night. The cassoulet was well cooked. It’s flavors were balanced and distinct when the different meats came into play with the soft beans down in the base. Everything was perfectly soft which made the bites go downs easy. Just like the perfectly sweet panna cotta with strawberries three ways. We still haven’t figured out the 3^rd way yet. Nether the less it was extremely good.
It was a good night friends and food. Cannot ask for much more.

Pigalle was a place we loved, five years ago. Now, Pigalle falls short in everything. I guess that’s why they issue Groupons now.
Let’s start– we arrived in front of two other couples for an 8:30 reservation. I noticed three open tables for two, and hoped that we could ask for the one in the corner when we were sat. We were brought to our tables first of the three couples, to the worst one wedged between two other tables. I asked for the one in the corner and the hostess indicated someone had asked for it. Funny though– because we had been waiting there when the other couple she said had asked for it arrived, and they surely did not. So, I conceded and asked for the second worst table, and we sat there.
I guess we were the youngest of the three couples, but does that really mean that we should get the ‘kid’s table?’ I thought when I got my first real job and bought a condo in the city we graduated from the kid’s table. Not at Pigalle, though.
So fine, we sat at our table, and someone asked us what we’d like to drink. I did not order a wine yet, but he ordered a Sam Smith Winter– some random beer he was excited about. We saw the bartender open his beer, and set it on the bar to wait about eight minutes for the server to pick it up. Then she poured it like it was juice, resulting in half a glass of head, and a flat beer. Is this the first time Pigalle has ever served beer? Sure, we like a beer glass half full and waiting an additional five minutes for it to settle and be drinkable, at room temperature. He tried to be nice and suggest to the girl next time to tilt the glass to avoid this. but she seemed unfazed. So word of advice, do not order beer here.
Then, I ordered my wine, and they card me. Awkward, but okay. Thankfully the two big drips of red wine when the server poured the wine from the carafe to my glass missed me by a ¼ inch and landed on the table cloth. Or else I would have been mad– I had my new jeans on.
Time goes by while we watch others around us enjoy some fresh bread. Our appetizer comes, and we ask for bread then. I guess Pigalle cannot anticipate we would want to be treated like everyone else, and we can just ask when we need things (same goes for our water glasses).
We had the cheese truffle flies to start– good appetizer, but we had to eat them off our bread plates since we were never provided appetizer plates. After we ate about half of the fries, the server offered us plates. Thanks anyways– we are almost done.
Meals– Beef Bourguignon and I had the Pumpkin Tortellini. Both were just okay. The tortellini did not have a ton of flavor, and the carrots took away from the dish (just a cheap filler it seemed!). Beef came with rice, that arrived five minutes into the meal. Way to plan ahead, Pigalle.
At some point during our dinner, the hostess decided we were a couple worth paying attention to. Maybe they heard us talking about work, and realized we could afford this meal more than once a year. In any case, all of a sudden our empty waters were getting filled. Too late.
Then, we passed on the dessert, and the hostess came over to apologize for the ‘table mixup’ and gave us cookies. Too late, we wanted bread to start our meal off right, not cookies after we were full of the subpar food.
Maybe expecting good service that is proactive in making sure we are happy with a nice dinner, rather than reacting when we seem upset and trying to smooth things over with cookies, is too much to ask. Maybe it’s me. Or maybe it’s because I was sitting at the kid’s table. But I do know for sure I won’t be back.