"When we arrived, we tried to make a reservation but couldn't get through by phone. Fortunately, there was no problem getting a table as it was surprisingly quiet for a Friday night. We ordered four venison dishes and two duck dishes, which soon arrived. Unfortunately, all of the venison meals were cold, including the mashed potatoes. We spoke to our waitress about this, and she assured us she would take care of it.
The dishes came back, and as we dug in again, we found they were still lukewarm. The venison itself was tougher than I remembered from my previous visit. I mentioned this to our waitress, and in response, we received some complimentary French fries, which the kids loved and were hot—unlike the mashed potatoes.
To her credit, the waitress apologized again and mentioned that to make up for the cold venison and mash, she had arranged free desserts for all of us, which was a nice touch. The desserts were delightful; the ice cream profiteroles were a hit with both the kids and the adults.
The meal would have easily earned five stars if the main courses had been hot. It’s disappointing because I truly enjoy the location and the home-cooked quality of the food. I hope my experience was just a fluke, but with the current challenges facing restaurants, it's essential to be consistently at your best. Everyone is feeling the pinch these days, and a negative experience could prevent us from returning."
