High end service discussion

I've spent the last few days thinking about this in great detail and I'm curious as to some thoughts. Please don't take this as me ripping on any particular restaurant or anything like that, but this is more intended as a discussion of service in general at the high end to very high end in chicago vs. elsewhere. I really hope this doesn't ruffle any feathers.

As most of you know, I moved here from DC a few months ago and my fiancee and I tend to very regularly eat at high end restaurants. High end for us is anywhere the bill is over $100 per person at the end of the night. For example, Moto would be high end for us, but Otom would not. It's a very blurry line, but it's like pornography- I know it when I see it.

As of this point we've eaten either individually or together at the following restaurants that I would consider high end in Chicago:

Alinea, Moto, Ambria (no more), Everest, Nomi, Spring (though I almost consider Spring to be upper middle end), Tru, Shaw's (again upper middle end more than high end), Fulltons (upper middle not as much high), Gibson's, Gene and Georgetti, and I know there are a few others I'm not thinking of.

In all honesty, I'm beginning to get of the opinion that the level of service in Chicago just isn't up to the level of service I'm used to at similarly high end places in New York, DC, or San Fran. I'm finding a lot of somewhat untrained wait staff especially. For example, at Everest we had a waiter continuously interrupt conversation for no reason to get orders- waiting a moment or two until conversation was at a lull would have been just as fine and gotten our orders together just as quickly. At Nomi, my only complaint was service in that we never seemed to have our waiter around when we needed him- the same goes true for the terrace at Nomi. Shaw's our waiter just seemed to never be there or be on top of the game. Fullton's was the same. Gibson's was ok, but very rushed as was Gene and Georgetti (though the first time I was there and sat at the bar I had some of the best steakhouse service I've ever had in my life). Moto and Alinea and maybe Spring are the only ones out of these that strike me as having had really solid quality service.

Am I just making this up or is Chicago's high end service what I'm seeing as needing more polishing and training?

I could say that maybe you had relatively isolated bad service experiences and that could be true, but I have not had the repeated service problems at high-end places that you note.

But what I can say is that when I moved to Chicago 12 years ago from the Northeast (where I had previously lived my entire life), I was similarly frustrated with service here. I've since concluded that there are regional differences to service and Chicago tends to be slower and more casual than places on the East Coast. I have a job which requires regular travel, and now, I can't get used to the service anywhere else.

Give it a year, maybe less, and I guarantee you'll be going back to D.C. and thinking that their service needs work and doesn't measure up to Chicago.

jpschust,

I actiually just made the revterse move, so I should be in a better position to comment shortly

That said, I've done my fair share of East coast dining, and I'm aware of the differences you highlight. I agree, in some cases there isn't the same attention to detail. But I also agree with aschie30 in that many if not most of the differences are stylistic and intentional rather than simply subpar.

I'm not sure if you can pin it down as that kind of thing happening in Chicago, it could just be a purely personal variant from server to server.

Here in Las Vegas, where the service industry is what makes this town go 'round (besides the hookers and blow, of course), fine dining experiences are often accompanied by an incredibly high standard of service, with bits and pieces of individuality thrown in.

I recently had dinner at Osteria del Circo at Bellagio, and Marco Maccioni himself made it a point to assist me in my ordering, and soon we were surrounded by servers, runners, sommeliers (one a time, but a constant stream of them, nonetheless), all doing their individual jobs, some silently,
some not-so-silently. Making me comfortable and doing everything I asked, but not being obtrusive. And at that caliber of a restaurant, that's what I expect.

But then there was the experience I had at B&B Ristorante, where a server and his busser were clearing my table, and the busser bobbled a plate, dropped it, but then caught it. My server turns to us and says "You'll have to forgive so-and-so. It's his first day with his new hands." That was unnecessary.

gmonkey wrote:My server turns to us and says "You'll have to forgive so-and-so. It's his first day with his new hands." That was unnecessary.

I don't know what that says about me, but I actually found that funny.

aschie30 wrote:

gmonkey wrote:My server turns to us and says "You'll have to forgive so-and-so. It's his first day with his new hands." That was unnecessary.

I don't know what that says about me, but I actually found that funny.

I normally would have found that funny too, but it was the condescending tone in which the server said it that made me feel bad for the busser.

I don't go to the ultra-high end places that often anymore, but I would certainly say that at the next level down ("moderate" to "High-end" level places-such as Frontera, Japonaise, Custom House, etc,), I am seldom thrilled with the service. This is not about these specific places, but all the places I've frequented in this price range.
It has not been uncommon for me to run into forgotten orders, really bad course timing, being rushed, condescending comments, uninformed staff, up-selling tactics, and attitude when unsolicited suggestions from the server are not ordered.
An eating trip last year in N.Y.C. was, in contrast, delightful. I have no idea if this is due to chance or not, but I certainly would not attribute it to a different regional style. My experience is not an issue of casual style, but of horrible lack of training and/or caring.
Maybe it's just a case of chronic bad luck, or getting bitchier with age...

My position is that NY actors make better waiters, and Chicago waiters are better actors.
That would account for the quality differences in both food service and theatre.

mrbarolo wrote:My position is that NY actors make better waiters, and Chicago waiters are better actors.
That would account for the quality differences in both food service and theatre.

Bravo. I love it.