Bonefish Grill (Pineville)

Last Friday night we went to Bonefish Grill on Carmel and Pineville-Matthews Road. It's always been a favorite for us and on this particular night we had a good enough experience, I wanted to pass it along. We were seated right away without a reservation. We were there early, though it was only about 6:00, which for us is early to dine. Our server, Brad came over and asked if we'd been to Bonefish before and we told him we had been, many times. He spoke with us a while and we could tell he had a personality. We always enjoy having a server with some amount of personality but one that is still professional enough to know when to get back onto the subject of the menu, Brad was that guy. Bonefish is running a "Dinner for Two" for about $35 and it includes one appetizer, a salad each and an entrée. There are only a few choices but the selections are really good! Plus, they aren't scaled down portions of the meals either, these are full sized meals. We were actually going to just split an entrée but with such a great deal, we went ahead and got the dinner for two knowing we would have food to take home.

As usual, we had to explain my food allergies and give Brad my allergy card. We were impressed by how knowledgeable of the menu's ingredients he was, but he still went back with my card in hand to double check items and to show it to the chef. The Bang Bang shrimp's sauce was absolutely out of the question for me, it had some sort of chili pepper in it that burned Nathan's mouth. Brad had suggested we get the shrimp with the sauce on the side and brought me the Asian sauce, which turned out to be delicious. We both ordered the garden salads with vinaigrette and blue cheese crumbles dressing. It was so good, we practically licked our plates. We're both big fans of salads with pine nuts and these were generously sprinkled. For the entrees, I ordered the shrimp and scallops, Nathan got the chicken. I forgot the exact name of his dish but it was the only chicken offering on the "Dinner for 2" menu. It had a Marsala wine and gravy type of sauce on it and he loved it! I ordered the lemon butter for my sauce selection on the shrimp and scallops and there was just a hint of a smoky flavor, delicious!

Unfortunately, something set my allergies off. It was a mild reaction and as soon as I felt my tongue and lips begin to tingle and itch, I took two allergy tablets. I know Brad was as careful as he possibly could have been and I assume the kitchen was as well. Sometimes, an ingredient can slip by that perhaps the cooks don't know is in a particular sauce or dressing. Or, cross contamination can take place…someone's hand touches food with paprika, mustard or something else that will set my allergies off. If the grill hasn't been cleaned off well enough and my food is cooked on it, other seasonings that haven't burned and cooked off will have an effect on me.

Before it was time for dessert, the reaction had subsided and we didn't need to pack up and leave early. We took home a slice of key lime pie, which was good but it tasted more like it had been made with Roses lime juice than real key limes. I could be wrong but it wasn't the best I've ever had, however it was certainly worth eating. Nathan got the strawberry shortcake torte (it has another name I'm sure) and he liked it very much.

Brad was worth requesting for our next visit, he was on the ball, knowledgeable and personable, which is exactly what we want in a server.

City Tavern, The Lodge, and Red Rocks

I've got some catching up to do on my dining experiences, it's been a while! I'll start with my most recent and work my way backward. (I'm also breaking up each post into it's own review for distribution reasons.)
This past week, before seeing the new Harry Potter movie, Nathan and I went to City Tavern in Stonecrest shopping center. We've eaten there numerous times, they have a few items on my list that are safe for me to eat and it's convenient to the theater. This particular night was extraordinary and I need to acknowledge the amazing service and food we shared.
First, we lucked out with our server, Fred Swinney. He's new to town and yet, he was as comfortable as could be with giving us the specials, taking our order, and listening. When it comes to my food allergies, LISTENING is so important, and he was obviously engaged in what we were saying, not just trying to hurry us along so he could snatch the card with my information and run back to the kitchen like standard chain restaurant servers do. The special that night was a sea bass dish and it sounded amazing. Since we were going to a movie after our meal, and didn't want to go into a food coma, we wanted to just split an appetizer and entrée. So, we asked him to see if the sea bass was safe for me. I also asked him to put in an order for their sea bake appetizer as I've had it before and never had a problem. Fred came back a few moments later and said that the chef would adjust and modify the recipe for me so that I could enjoy the special! We were grateful because we don't expect restaurants to always be so accommodating. A moment later, the Chef/Manager Andy Seiple came out to our table to tell me that the sea bake appetizer has some of the ingredients that I'm allergic to in it. At first, I said that it must be such small quantities that I hadn't noticed before if I'd had small reactions like itching or sneezing. He said he'd rather not take a chance, and Nathan and I both agreed that since lately, my allergies have been getting more sensitive, we didn't need to risk it. Andy went down the list of appetizers and many of them had either the spices or Dijon mustard, so I asked if they had a simple shrimp cocktail. Again, Andy was very gracious and said he would make me one. He even made some fresh cocktail sauce that wasn't too spicy.
The food at City Tavern that night was delicious. We were pleasantly surprised by the sweet, citrus sauce on the sea bass, vegetables and spinach. It was a complementary blend of flavors. Our server, Fred turned out to be a very interesting guy when we stopped to chat with him. He's recently moved here from Greensboro to attend Sign Language school. I am hearing impaired, so this was particularly interesting to me. He also DJ's at clubs and has already made the rounds at Forum, Tutto Mondo, and other popular spots.
We've always recommended City Tavern as a good spot for a drink and a bite, but after the stellar service Chef Andy and Fred gave us the other night, we're even bigger fans now! Next time you're in, ask for Fred Swinney. He's a good server and new in town, let's make him feel welcome!

Now, for the bad experience I had at a place called, The Lodge. It's on Rea Road and Colony (where Rea actually turns into Colony), in the Harris Teeter shopping center. There's also a Mai Sushi, which I desperately wish now, we would have gone to instead. Nathan and I met up with a group of friends, that met at 6:00 in the evening, which is way too early for us. I'm still deep in my work at that hour and need time to clean up and get out the door. We got there about 7:00 and the group was still drinking and talking, there were dirty plates in front of some members of the group, multiple empty glasses in front of individual people, water cups that had never been touched had large water rings around them – the table was basically a mess. Nathan and I sat down at the corner of the table that was right at the entrance to where the servers passed in order to reach a wait station or to enter the kitchen. Our server as well as others walked by us many times, without acknowledging us. We were obviously trying to get attention by making eye contact, following someone's movements with our heads as they walked from one end of the room to another, etc. More than ten minutes of this went on until we finally, almost had to grab her and say, "hi! We just joined this group!" She said she'd get to us in a minute. She had menus in her hands but didn't give them to us and instead, walked all the way to the hostess stand at the front of the restaurant, deposited them there, then walked all the way back to our table, turned the corner and went behind the wall to the wait station. She went to other tables carrying one or two things at a time back and forth, still ignoring us until finally I caught her and asked for menus.
Eventually, she came back and we explained my food allergies, and pointed out one of the items I wanted to eat, she bolted off to the kitchen to see if it was safe. We could have saved her time if she would have LISTENED because we always give the server a few options to check out. "If appetizer A isn't safe, see if appetizer B is, if not check out C…order whichever one won't kill me. If none are safe, bring me a salad but first, check the dressing." Sure enough, she came back and the option wasn't safe for me. We gave her a couple more options to check on and she came back saying, "the spinach and artichoke dip should be safe." I said, "SHOULD BE?" She corrected herself and said, "well no, he (kitchen person) said it is ok for you to eat. So is the blue cheese dressing."
We ate and left and shortly after getting home, I started to feel the familiar itch of an allergic reaction. My eyes, mouth, lips, and throat all started to alert me that something I ate had not been safe. Either they didn't check the label closely enough, the word "SPICES" might have been on a label, or someone wasn't careful with cross contamination – but somehow, I ended up scratching my skin raw, I sat swollen lipped, asthma sneezing, runny nosed, itchy eyed, and miserable the rest of the night. Luckily, I didn't need a trip to the hospital.
We received the worst possible service (dirty glasses and dishes stayed on the table until finally, a server with some sense came over and helped us out by cleaning up for us), her attitude was such that we were interrupting her evening, plus someone in the kitchen did not take my life-threatening food allergies seriously. This is why I cannot stand places like The Lodge where the manager or cook won't come out and speak directly to me. I understand places get busy and I don't expect it every time but this place was not so busy that manager shouldn't have been doing their job and visiting tables as they're supposed to. The server should have let the manager or kitchen manager know about it so they could talk to me directly by making a table visit. Since I never saw a manager while we were there, I suppose that would have been impossible.

Next good review is of Red Rocks on Fairview and Providence road, in the Strawberry Hill shopping center. We've always had a good meal there but one night we had outstanding service from (it's been a while forgive me!) I think her name is Anne Marie? The Sous Chef, Jessie Cash came out and spoke to us, and really listened. He adapted a meal to accommodate my allergies, and told me that anytime I ever come in, just let them know and they'll make something special for me. For that reason alone, I highly recommend Red Rocks. If they're that service-oriented and willing to go the extra mile like that for a pain-in-the-neck guest like me, imagine how great they're going to treat an easygoing guest! The food is always great, we've never had a bad or mediocre meal there, their wine selection is solid and the bartenders know how to make a great, dirty vodka martini. If I actually used a rating system, I'd give five out of five to Red Rocks!

An Excellent Night at City Tavern Stonecrest!

This past week, before seeing the new Harry Potter movie, Nathan and I went to City Tavern in Stonecrest shopping center. We've eaten there numerous times, they have a few items on my list that are safe for me to eat and it's convenient to the theater. This particular night was extraordinary and I need to acknowledge the amazing service and food we shared.
First, we lucked out with our server, Fred Swinney. He's new to town and yet, he was as comfortable as could be with giving us the specials, taking our order, and listening. When it comes to my food allergies, LISTENING is so important, and he was obviously engaged in what we were saying, not just trying to hurry us along so he could snatch the card with my information and run back to the kitchen like standard chain restaurant servers do. The special that night was a sea bass dish and it sounded amazing. Since we were going to a movie after our meal, and didn't want to go into a food coma, we wanted to just split an appetizer and entrée. So, we asked him to see if the sea bass was safe for me. I also asked him to put in an order for their sea bake appetizer as I've had it before and never had a problem. Fred came back a few moments later and said that the chef would adjust and modify the recipe for me so that I could enjoy the special! We were grateful because we don't expect restaurants to always be so accommodating. A moment later, the Chef/Manager Andy Seiple came out to our table to tell me that the sea bake appetizer has some of the ingredients that I'm allergic to in it. At first, I said that it must be such small quantities that I hadn't noticed before if I'd had small reactions like itching or sneezing. He said he'd rather not take a chance, and Nathan and I both agreed that since lately, my allergies have been getting more sensitive, we didn't need to risk it. Andy went down the list of appetizers and many of them had either the spices or Dijon mustard, so I asked if they had a simple shrimp cocktail. Again, Andy was very gracious and said he would make me one. He even made some fresh cocktail sauce that wasn't too spicy.
The food at City Tavern that night was delicious. We were pleasantly surprised by the sweet, citrus sauce on the sea bass, vegetables and spinach. It was a complementary blend of flavors. Our server, Fred turned out to be a very interesting guy when we stopped to chat with him. He's recently moved here from Greensboro to attend Sign Language school. I am hearing impaired, so this was particularly interesting to me. He also DJ's at clubs and has already made the rounds at Forum, Tutto Mondo, and other popular spots.
We've always recommended City Tavern as a good spot for a drink and a bite, but after the stellar service Chef Andy and Fred gave us the other night, we're even bigger fans now! Next time you're in, ask for Fred Swinney. He's a good server and new in town, let's make him feel welcome!

The Lodge ~ Bad Service AND They Poisoned Me!

I need to share the bad experience I had at a place called, The Lodge. It's on Rea Road and Colony (where Rea actually turns into Colony), in the Harris Teeter shopping center. There's also a Mai Sushi, which I desperately wish now, we would have gone to instead. Nathan and I met up with a Twitter group, which met at 6:00 in the evening, which is way too early for us. I'm still deep in my work at that hour and need time to clean up and get out the door. We got there about 7:00 and the group was still drinking and talking, there were dirty plates in front of some members of the group, multiple empty glasses in front of individual people, water cups that had never been touched had large water rings around them – the table was basically a mess. Nathan and I sat down at the corner of the table that was right at the entrance to where the servers passed in order to reach a wait station or to enter the kitchen. Our server as well as others walked by us many times, without acknowledging us. We were obviously trying to get attention by making eye contact, following someone's movements with our heads as they walked from one end of the room to another, etc. More than ten minutes of this went on until we finally, almost had to grab her and say, "hi! We just joined this group!" She said she'd get to us in a minute. She had menus in her hands but didn't give them to us and instead, walked all the way to the hostess stand at the front of the restaurant, deposited them there, then walked all the way back to our table, turned the corner and went behind the wall to the wait station. She went to other tables carrying one or two things at a time back and forth, still ignoring us until finally I caught her and asked for menus.
Eventually, she came back and we explained my food allergies, and pointed out one of the items I wanted to eat, she bolted off to the kitchen to see if it was safe. We could have saved her time if she would have LISTENED because we always give the server a few options to check out. "If appetizer A isn't safe, see if appetizer B is, if not check out C…order whichever one won't kill me. If none are safe, bring me a salad but first, check the dressing." Sure enough, she came back and the option wasn't safe for me. We gave her a couple more options to check on and she came back saying, "the spinach and artichoke dip should be safe." I said, "SHOULD BE?" She corrected herself and said, "well no, he (kitchen person) said it is ok for you to eat. So is the blue cheese dressing."
We ate and left and shortly after getting home, I started to feel the familiar itch of an allergic reaction. My eyes, mouth, lips, and throat all started to alert me that something I ate had not been safe. Either they didn't check the label closely enough, the word "SPICES" might have been on a label, or someone wasn't careful with cross contamination – but somehow, I ended up scratching my skin raw, I sat swollen lipped, asthma sneezing, runny nosed, itchy eyed, and miserable the rest of the night. Luckily, I didn't need a trip to the hospital.
We received the worst possible service (dirty glasses and dishes stayed on the table until finally, a server with some sense came over and helped us out by cleaning up for us), her attitude was such that we were interrupting her evening, plus someone in the kitchen did not take my life-threatening food allergies seriously. This is why I cannot stand places like The Lodge where the manager or cook won't come out and speak directly to me. I understand places get busy and I don't expect it every time but this place was not so busy that manager shouldn't have been doing their job and visiting tables as they're supposed to. The server should have let the manager or kitchen manager know about it so they could talk to me directly by making a table visit. Since I never saw a manager while we were there, I suppose that would have been impossible.

Red Rocks ~ A Great Place to Dine!

This good review is well over due, it's of Red Rocks on Fairview and Providence road, in the Strawberry Hill shopping center. We've always had a good meal there but one night we had outstanding service from (it's been a while forgive me!) I think her name is Anne Marie? The Sous Chef, Jessie Cash came out and spoke to us, and really listened. He adapted a meal to accommodate my allergies, and told me that anytime I ever come in, just let them know and they'll make something special for me. For that reason alone, I highly recommend Red Rocks. If they're that service-oriented and willing to go the extra mile like that for a pain-in-the-neck guest like me, imagine how great they're going to treat an easygoing guest! The food is always great, we've never had a bad or mediocre meal there, their wine selection is solid and the bartenders know how to make a great, dirty vodka martini. If I actually used a rating system, I'd give five out of five to Red Rocks!