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!
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