Julie M.'s Profile
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Ambiance does count, for me, and found it quite lovely. I really like the space.
Ginger Pear martini: two thumbs up. Well, one. Two thumbs up would mean I wasn't holding it, and we can't have that.
I (and 3 of the other 5 in our party) had the tasting menu, so as far as sushi goes I only had 3 pieces. But those were very nice pieces indeed. The other 7 (I think?) courses were incredibly tasty, well-portioned, well-planned, and overall well-executed.
Charlottesville, VA 22903
(434) 977-1700
Courtyard Charlottesville - University Medical…
Categories:
Hotels,
Venues & Event Spaces
I went with the same person as I did in my original visit, and we got essentially the same things as we ordered in our original visit (we actually even sat at the same table, through luck of the draw). We arrived at 5:15, knowing that it would get busy later in the evening and wanting to give the service a fair shot under normal circumstances.
It does seem like they have an entirely new waitstaff, complete with people who know how to circulate and work efficiently within their given range of duties. I know other reviewers have indicated here that those of us talking about service are idiots, but if I'm spending money, I want a dining experience and not just a plate of food placed on my table. I can cook. There's a reason I go out.
Anyway, we were exceptionally pleased with our service and our food. We left, quite full, around 7 -- and it was already standing room only at that time. When seated, we immediately had soup and water, and our order was taken soon thereafter. We ordered and received tea in a timely fashion. We even got two salad treats we weren't expecting, and then our first course of rolls. After rolls, more tea and a big ol' sashimi platter. I was happy to drop the cash and the 20%+ tip, but more than that I am sincerely happy that their staff is working in a more positive fashion both for the restaurant itself and its patrons. Good job!
1 Previous Review:
-
1/15/2010
I went here on a Thursday night at 7pm, knowing it was new and that it would likely have some service issues. It sure did. This is 4+ star food with 1 star service. I understand they had only been open for 3 weeks as of the time of my visit (and this review), and because of the quality of the food I will absolutely be back -- but with the hope that something about the service improves.
There appears to be one sushi chef, one kitchen worker (maybe two?), one server, and one busboy. I completely understand a skeleton crew until you figure out how much business you're going to have. I hope by now they realize that the quality of the food is such that a packed house (probably 50 people) at 7pm on a Thursday is likely to be the norm. The fact that the sushi chef will take some time to create the food (as he should), the servers MUST be more attentive to the folks waiting.
We were seated, got water and miso right away (good). 20 minutes later we were able to order. 20 minutes after the server refilled one of our water glasses, but his pitcher ran out and my friend didn't get a refill for another 20 minutes. I got one of my dishes (a sashimi platter) 20 minutes after that. We still had 4 rolls to come, and I wasn't going to eat if my friend didn't have her food. 20 minutes later 2 of her rolls came out. We eventually got a water refill, too. 1.5 hours into it, we got the tea we asked for -- unclear if it was tea, as it was very very very light and had no tea-like quality to it. We also finally got the remainder of our rolls.
Now, to be clear, the food was very good -- high quality fish, good presentation. There's a bit more emphasis on the cream cheese (I've never understood that in sushi rolls, but to each his own) than I care for, but no matter.
If we had known that it would take quite a long time to get our food, we would have ordered edamame, salad, or other appetizer items that did not require the sushi chef. I easily (and happily) would spend a hundred bucks on sashimi here, but not if I only have one shot at a drink refill or I have to wait 2 hours to get my meal.
PLEASE work out the server numbers and workflow. I WANT to give you my money. I really do.
Philadelphia, PA 19146
(215) 732-5006
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Categories:
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American (New)
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
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(215) 972-8742
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Categories:
Wine Bars,
Spanish
Neighborhoods: Rittenhouse Square, Penn Center
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(215) 922-2688
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Categories:
Dim Sum,
Asian Fusion
Neighborhood: Chinatown
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(215) 627-1955
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Category:
Diners
Neighborhood: Market East
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(267) 232-5600
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Category:
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Neighborhood: Market East
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 561-7500
Crowne Plaza Hotel Philadelphia Downtown
Categories:
Hotels,
Venues & Event Spaces
Neighborhoods: Rittenhouse Square, Penn Center
The wifi was always on, always strong, and FREE. I was sad that the do-it-yourself washer and dryer was broken the whole time I was there, but I could have paid for laundry services if it was really an issue (it wasn't). Cabs always available, knowledgeable and friendly staff...despite the things I listed above, everything was fine and I _would_ stay there again.
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- 15 Friends
- 49 Reviews
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Review votes:
41 Useful, 11 Funny, and 16 Cool
Charlottesville, VA
Yelping SinceMay 2008
Things I Lovethe internets, my friends, my cats
Find Me InAlderman Library, or somewhere in the DC metro area.
My HometownCharlottesville, VA
My Blog Or Website My First ConcertCyndi Lauper with The Bangles as openers
My Favorite MovieSome days The Bicycle Thief, some days The Fifth Element.
My Last Meal On EarthWaffle House. Duh.
Most Recent Discovery1/2 & 1/2 straight out of the container isn't as tasty as it was when I was four
Current Crushorange
For anyone visiting from the west coast, the Boylan Heights build-a-burger portion of the menu is incredibly similar (and by "incredibly" I mean "i'm not going to put them side by side and compare but I bet it's 97% similar or more, and would be surprised if they weren't some sort of corporate partner") to The Counter (http://www.thecounterb...). Sweet potato fries similarly as good.