Monthly Archives: June 2013

Service Matters – Joes Crab Shack

If there is one thing that will definitely turn me off from returning to a restaurant, it is poor service. Food quality and presentation are very important, don’t get me wrong. But give me good food and bad service, chances are I won’t be back. I think some establishments have forgotten that treating your customers with respect and kindness goes a long way, and in my opinion, has a bigger influence on my choice if I’m going to be a one-time diner or if I’m willing to return again regardless of the quality of food. I’ve dined at many places that may not have had the best food. But the waitresses/waiters treated me like I was a valued customer, and for that alone I’ve returned.

The reason why I wanted to talk about this subject is based on a recent trip Alonda and I took to Cockeysville, MD to enjoy some seafood at Joe’s Crab Shack. All though we started this blog to give our reviews on our dining experiences, we had decided that we would only blog about restaurants that were not franchises, or how would you say “main stream” ie. the Red Lobsters, Applebee’s & of course Joe’s Crab Shacks. Our main focus was to draw attention to the smaller, not as well-known dining places that we love to try as Foodies. But this experience that we had at this particular Joe’s Crab Shack I felt I had to tell everyone about how horrible the service was. Now I’ll give it to Joe’s, I do like their food; I think for a “main stream” restaurant they are pretty good. They’re one of the only places that I actually think you get the same thing as you see in their tv commercials. And to me that’s saying a lot. I know many of us have seen a burger or dish on a tv ad and been like “OMG that looks so good I’ve got to try that place”, only to get there and think “this looks nothing at all like it did on tv”. Makes you feel like you’ve been duped doesn’t it? I know that’s how I feel. But anyway the service that we received while there was probably the worst I’ve ever experienced.

On arrival, we were seated by the host and given our menus and as they always tell you “Your server will be right with you”. Well our server never got that memo. Because we sat there with nothing but our picture menus for 20+ minutes (I use my stop watch on my phone to time how long it takes before the server first comes to our table). And during the time we sat patiently waiting, multiple employees waitresses & waiters walked by our table, but not one stopped where we were seated. And behind us at a empty table, a group of employees were just looking at us as they sat around eating and having a little pow-wow. So now I’m agitated and I have to get up and ask to speak to a manager. That in itself took 10 minutes for the manager to come out and see me.

I let her know what my complaint was as to waiting 20+ minutes with no service and she assured me that she would send a server right away to our table, and went to walk away from me as if that was resolving the issue. I had to let her know that if she wanted us to stay and eat at their restaurant that she would be the one taking care of our table that afternoon and not one of her servers who thought it appropriate to stand around amongst themselves and eat, talk and laugh while there was a busy restaurant happening all around them. The manager agreed and assured me that she would be the one to take care of us.

So I returned to our table to inform Alonda of the conversation I just had with management and that the manager agreed to be our server. Well to make a long story short, our orders were taken when she came to the table we ordered the steamed garlicky mussles as an appetizer and two Arctic Bay steampots, being as though we were sitting long enough to know what we wanted. The appetizer didn’t make it out to the table before the entrees did and the manager had the entrees sent back and she showed up minutes later with our mussles. Which by the way were very good. Then our steam pots came out and they were also very good. As I said before, all the food was good and I have no complaints about that at all.

The manager did make it up to us by deeply discounting our check for the waste of our time and hassle. But although I like going to Joe’s Crab Shack I don’t know if I will be going back to that particular location anytime soon. Because to me, service and respect for my time matters more than what a place is serving on the menu.
If a restaurant wants happy and repeat customers, remember our time is money too and no one wants to drive somewhere to be forgotten or ignored.
Food quality and taste are important but remember above all else and I think most importantly SERVICE MATTERS!!
-Sonny

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Great atmosphere…big prices…average food

A recent visit at the Tavern on the Hill has given me mixed feelings. Enjoying a date night with my girlfriend we went to visit to Tavern on the hill in Enola, Pennsylvania. Location of the restaurant is fairly easy to get to from Harrisburg took about 11 minutes from home. Approaching the restaurant I was first disappointed because of the lack of view you get of the river. Thought it would be a nice view, not at all how I pictured it, I remember reading advertisement online about the great view of the east shore at Tavern on the Hill. That wasn’t accurate at all.
When entering the restaurant it was very nice, it looked like a nice quailty resturant and had a nice layout it also gave you the feel you were about to experience something classy. In other words it looked pretty expensive walking in and I only hope that the food was worth what I was about to pay. Who doesn’t think that you always want to get your money’s worth right?
After waiting at the hostess station for a minute or so,we sit down and our waitress was Jessica she’s very professional,very knowledgeable,very friendly and very attentive to my girlfriend and I from the time that we sat down. We first ordered an appetizer which was the blackened shrimp and scallops with Ginger Thai Oriental sauce (Which we pick based on our waitress is suggestion). Happy to say that this was very good the scallops were perfectly cook the shrimp with perfectly cooked the sauce was so good you wish you had something to dip in the sauce after you were finished eating the scallops and shrimp. This was definitely something that I would get again and was happy that I went with the waitresses suggestion, it is one of the best appetizers I’ve tasted in a long time.
Well as we finished up our appetizer the waitress brought back a basket of bread for the table which I personally thought they could have kept it in the kitchen. It wasn’t warm they gave you too big rolls and like three slices of some crusty Italian bread that was cold and they give you some olive oil with some seasoning but you can’t really taste the seasoning it could be me or that it was really bad and not very good seasoning. Which I think that is the case here. And I feel if the restaurant gives you bad bread they can also give you bad meals. How hard is it serving good bread?? REALLY?
So Jessica comes and takes our order. My girlfriend orders the Crabcake dinner with a side of some roasted potatoes. I order the Veal Parmesan and baked Manicotti and I add a single crab cake to my order as well,I also got the roasted potatoes(I won’t waste no time on those potatoes they were horrible and really sucked!!). We both got the garden salad also aka the house salad that was being offered with the meal. I got my salad with ranch dressing and my girlfriend got a Greek vinaigrette dressing on hers. The salad was just lettuce and a bit of tomato and the salad dressing. And I do have to say for being very plain the homemade salad dressing made it really good actually. Thats a plus if you can make lettuce taste good with just one tomato and your salad dressing you’re doing something right!
As we were finishing up our salads our entrees came out, very good timing by the waitress and the kitchen staff. While we were eating a salad the waitress was still very attentive of us and checked on us frequently.
My Veal Parmesan was very tasty, not over seasoned but it did need a bit of salt. It was good, a nice blending of seasoning and the Parmesan cheese was well melted all over the breaded veal, there was plenty of cheese IMO and it looked good. But overall the Veal didn’t give me that Oooh whee moment I was hoping for honestly after eating the appetizer I thought the entree would be way better, I was wrong. The Veal was not as tender as I would had hoped it would b it was kinda hard to cut and just tasted OK. I can say that I’ve had better elsewhere. I also knew that it wasn’t that good because I let my girlfriend taste it and she didn’t ask for anymore, usually if she ask for more that means whatever I’ve ordered is pretty good, that didn’t happen here. The baked manicotti was very good the cheese blend with excellent I enjoyed that very much it actually help this veal a lot. Now I still had the crab cake that I added to my entree(for 9.99 it better be good) it was pretty good it wasn’t the best crabcake I ever had, it wasn’t the biggest, it didn’t have a lot of filling with it at all, it just didn’t have that taste you get from a crab cakes like at the Progress Grill or probably any places you can get crabcakes at in Baltimore or anywhere else really, if you just want some crabcakes don’t go to this place. Not saying they’re bad, just saying 9.99 to add to entree don’t give me a average crabcake, and for the prices here nothing you order should be average everything you experience should stand out in some way, by taste or by presentation.
So the only thing that this restaurant has going for it this night was a great waitress that recommended a great appetizer, the baked manicotti and the homemade salad dressing. The bread was not good and they shouldn’t put that mess on anyone’s table. The Veal Parmesan was not bad but for the price it could have been a lot better there was nothing special about it. And this is not the place to go for crab cakes.
For the price that you pay to go Tavern on the Hill can save your money and go to Carrabba’s and have a better meal at less of a hit to your wallet. Although the atmosphere at the restaurant was very classy and very nice, the food in my opinion didn’t live up to the hype. It was although a very good date night with my girlfriend and we had a very nice/fun time, the restaurant was quiet and it had class. And that’s worth something, but when your asking for high-end prices on the menu the customer should believe that they’re going to get what they’re paying for.
My final view on this restaurant is save your money if you want a nice dining experience and less money out pocket go to Carrabba’s better food, same atmosphere, and most importantly cheaper. But if you really want have that classy elegant experience Tavern on the Hill isn’t a bad choice, just know you may not feel that way once you leave. But you don’t have to take my word for it.
“Sonny” ♥♥♡ 2.5 out of 5

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Blue Moon Diner – Baltimore, MD June 9, 2013

After another strong recommendation from my cousin, Jonathan and I, along with my cousin and his girlfriend, dropped in at the Blue Moon Diner in the super-cool Fells Point area of Baltimore for breakfast. This diner has been featured on The Food Channel’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” because their Cap’n Crunch French Toast is such a unique dish and its a hit. My cousin lives in the Baltimore area so he’s quite familiar with plenty good restaurants and their feature dishes. He wanted us to try this diner and taste the french toast, so we did.

I’m told that usually, the wait to get in this diner is very long. But on this particular morning, it wasn’t quite as bad as it could have been. The set up is very quaint…very small and modest, but with eclectic flair. Its no larger than the first floor living room area of a small row home.

I walked in to put my name on the list to reserve a table for four. I was allowed to write my own name on the list, which was a notebook sitting on a counter, not far from food prep. I was quoted a wait time of 45 minutes. It was a nice day outside so the four of us waited outside on benches on the side of the building, along with a few other folks – most of whom were also first-timers at the establishment and visiting out of curiosity due to its growing popularity after having been featured on the show.

We waited for about 55 minutes before a host/waiter came outside and called my name from the list. We were directed inside and pointed toward a small table with 4 seats. (There are no booths. This establishment is not set up that way.) The waiter was very friendly, down to earth, and cheerful, and was the no-notepad type. I like a waiter who can take an order, conversation-style, not write it down, but still get it right.

Anyway, Jonathan and my cousin’s girlfriend ordered the Cap’n Crunch French Toast with turkey sausage.. I ordered a short stack of pancakes, with sausage and two eggs over medium. My cousin ordered what was called the Garden Style Eggs.

While we waited for our food I watched as others received their dishes. Two things caught my eye. And I LOVE bread, so the two things that caught my eye were the home made biscuits and cinnamon rolls… They almost made me drool… I was this close to ordering a biscuit just so I could have it for later. But I didnt. lol

Also, my cousin’s girlfriend and I both needed to take our turns to wash our hands at the bathroom so we went in together. I found that there is only one bathroom… As in, one closet-sized room with a toilet and sink. A co-ed powder room… I guess sometimes folks have trouble with their aim if you get my drift, so I could smell a slight odor of pee. lol

When our food arrived I took notice that the portions were plentiful and the presentation of the dishes was neat and done with thought. I tasted Jonathan’s Cap’n Crunch French Toast and I must agree that it is absolutely delicious! What a unique combination of french toast, sweet cereal, fresh fruit and cream. 🙂 The whole little ensemble went together so well. Kudos to the Blue Moon Diner for stepping outside the box with this.

Also, my pancakes were huge! LOL! They were good but they were heavy. I ate as much as I could before I was full and needed to walk it off. I couldnt finish my two eggs or my sausage.

Over all, we enjoyed our experience here. Of 5 stars, I’ll give this spot a 4. Only because, parking was iffy, seating inside the building was pretty tight due to how small it is, and the bathroom. I’d like to visit again, though. 🙂

– Alonda.

http://bluemoonbaltimore.com/the-food/

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G&M – Baltimore, MD June 8, 2013

We visited this spot after a strong suggestion and good reviews from a relative of mine..my cousin… We had originally planned to visit Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, on Pier 5 at Inner Harbor but we switched plans at the last minute to go to G&M instead. I’m glad we made the switch, as the food was excellent! Mind you, we were forewarned by my cousin that the portions delivered at this family-owned, seafood-centered restaurant are plentiful. So much that most people rarely finish all of their food in one sitting. I kept that thought in mind. But I also kept in mind that when I go places and order crab cakes (which I’m a HUGE fan of, by the way), I usually receive small portions. So I sort of took this advice in regard to the crab cakes with a grain of salt.

When we arrived at the restaurant, we parked in the rear and were allowed to enter through the rear door, which took us through the bar and around to the front. We were seated right away with no waiting at all. The dining area was clean and well-lit. Not too dim, not too bright. And the tables were set properly. There was a “floating host”, who went around with a pitcher of iced water to fill or refill glasses. He arrived at our table and proceeded to reach for and fill our glasses with water. Personally, I’m big on manners. I would have liked it if the floating host would have given us eye contact and greeted us, rather than just going ahead to fill glasses of water for what may have appeared to him to be invisible people. But hey, that’s just me.

Anyway, when we were seated by the main hostess, our menus were placed at the table along with us. We reviewed the menus and immediately took notice that the menu was packed with choices under every category. My boyfriend is indecisive at times, so it took him a while to figure out what he wanted. But I was set on crab cakes…they’re what I had in mind and that’s the first thing that jumped out at me when I opened the menu. After we had reviewed the menu for a while, our regular waiter showed up and asked what we would like to order. My boyfriend Jonathan noticed this time that our waiter didn’t say “my name is….”. But I did at least hear him greet us. I found his name, “Philip” on his name tag. 🙂 I ordered the two-crab cake platter, a side salad and a baked potato. Jonathan ordered what was called the Chicken Chesapeake (which is two pieces of broiled chicken breast, topped with crab meat and Hollandaise sauce), a side salad and mashed potatoes with gravy.

So our orders were in…during our wait, I noticed several of the wait staff traveling back and forth with huge trays of plates for different tables. I thought to myself, my cousin was right. The portions are huge… We received our appetizer. The crab dip, as recommended by the waiter. It was pretty tasty. Very cheesy, but tasty nonetheless. LOTS of lump crab in it. I couldnt finish my half of it though because I wanted to save room for my entree. 🙂 Then our salads came. Mine came with a Greek dressing. I usually really like Greek dressing, but I felt like this one was a bit on the watery side. Too much red wine vinegar. But I ate it. Jonathan ate and seemed to enjoy his salad. Then comes the entrees. I thought I heard the gates of heaven open when my crab cakes were placed in front of me; they were super-sized! They were the size of grapefruits, cut in half and they were excellent! VERY tasty, no filler. However, as good as my baked potato could have been, it would have been delicious had it cooked a little longer. It wasn’t quite done. Jonathan received an equally large portion of crab meat with his Chicken Chesapeake. However, the Hollandaise sauce tasted like it may have had just a little too much mustard in it. But he enjoyed what he ordered. There was no way either of us were going to be able to finish our meals in one sitting. We indeed had to eat a good 1/3 of it, then pack up the rest for later.

Out of five stars, I’ll give this place a 4.5. I have to dock them for the inpersonable water floater, my so-so salad dressing, slightly under-cooked baked potato, and Jonathan’s too-much-mustard Hollandaise sauce.. In the end though, we will certainly return.

-Alonda

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