|
|
|
|
 Today
is Saturday, June 23rd 2007. I have not done a restaurant review in
a couple weeks due in part to some heavy time constraints and partially
due to poor performance by the last two restaurants I have visited.
As I do not give bad reviews on the boards, it is hard to go back to back
with bad service and still find something to write about. Tonight I
went to Buca Di Bepo at Carolina Place Mall in Pineville to see if
they could break this bad streak. I was not disappointed. I
did not call for a reservation as we were dining "on the fly". The
hostest took our names and our seating preference and informed us that
there would be about a 30 minute wait for a table but that we could go
into the bar for drinks while we wait. We decided to have a beer at
the bar to refresh us from the heat outside. As customers continued
to pour into the restaurant I began to despair that we would not get a
table before starvation took us. At about the 30 minute mark a most
remarkable thing happened. Our server at the bar, a young man named
Julien asked us how long we had been waiting. We said it had been
about 30 minutes and he immediately set off to enquire about the delay.
At the same time this was happening the host came in to take us to our
table. I was simply impressed that the bar server had the presence
of mind to not only note that we had been waiting for 30 minutes but also
took the initiative to look into the delay. Kudos to Julien, you far
surpass the shoddy, inattentive bar staffers that I have suffered
under in the last two weeks at some of the other local establishments.We ordered the Quatro, a sampling dish consisting of Manicotti, Stuffed Shells, Ravioli with bruscetta topping and Canneloni. I especially liked the manicotti. We also ordered the garlic cheese bread. Both were delicious. The portions were very generous, one order easily feeding both of us. The decor is very attractive and aids in conversation starters for those maybe on a first date or to pass the time for someone eating alone. The restaurants decor is very attractive, with more things to see than you can possibly absorb. I highly recommend this wonderful place for anyone looking for good Italian food. If you are needing seating for a large group, call ahead and ask for the Popes room, or if it is for a romantic dinner for two be sure to ask for the kitchen table.
|
|
|
