Snooty restaurants??

Since this was brought up in a recent post, what would the regulars on this site consider "snooty" or uptight retaurants? Is it simply a "vibe" or is there more to it than that??

Just thinking........

I would only classify a restaurant as 'snooty' if I got the impression that, for whatever reason, I wasn't welcome there. Different restaurants have different standards of dress, but being snooty only becomes an issue to me if they handle breaches of those standards with a lack of grace or an undercurrent of disdain.

However, as dining in the last several years has become an increasingly casual affair, I doubt this problem is as prevalent as it once was.

The only recent experience I've had along those lines was at The Bodega at Felice on Friday. I was headed over there to hear a friend play in a small jazz ensemble during the trolley hop, and I invited my girlfriend and her mother to come along. Wonderful atmosphere and great music initially. Then my girlfriend's mom and I decided to try out something at the wine bar.

I tasted a couple and went with my favorite, then she asked if they had anything sweet. Now she's not a big wine drinker at all, so I was really happy that she was willing to give something a try. But it all went downhill when the fellow working at the bar replied with a terse "If you want something sweet, you'd better go next door and get a Coca Cola." He may as well have added a "little girl" on the end, in my opinion. Needless to say, the wine tasted a whole lot more bitter to me after that. Not a very good impression on visitors, for sure.

I definitely think it's more of a feeling than it is anything else. As mentioned above its how they treat you when you ask for something that they don't considered normal, or don't like the way you are dressed or something along that line. I know restaurants in town that are considered very classy yet I do not think they are snooty at all because they still treat you like a person. I also know other local restaurants that try to be classy but instead come off as being snooty.

I think a lot of cases it's also a personal thing, a restaurant one person think is snooty a mother may not.

I would just like to add that if you are worried about a place being snooty then eat in the bar area. This is what I do most of the time when I'm going to the nicer places in Louisville. The service and atmosphere always seem more laid back and to my liking in the bar.

"If you want something sweet, you'd better go next door and get a Coca Cola."

What kind of wine bar doesnt have port?

[Robin Garr]

What kind of wine bar doesnt have port?

An all-Spanish wine bar, for one. But they ought to have a sweet Sherry, a Pedro Ximenez or Oloroso or something ...

(Not trying to excuse the bartender here. That sounds close to a firing offense, if he worked for me.)

The only restaurant I've found "snooty" is Vincenzo's.

When we've gone with friends who know the owner, our service is phenomenal, the food is wonderful, the whole experience is exceptional.

When we've gone ourselves, we tend to get seated in Siberia, our waiter is so busy with the neighboring tables (whose occupants kissed the owner hello) that a busboy ended up waiting on us (he tried hard, but there's a reason he's still a busboy), dessert came out totally frozen solid (cheesecake), and we either were waiting forever for the next course or two courses came out simultaneously (waited for dessert - which came out frozen - but salads were half-eaten when main dishes came out).

We no longer go there.

[Robin Garr]

Sad but apparently true. Vincenzo 'discovered" me when I was the critic for The Louisville Times, and I've never since been able to have anything but "valued regular customer" treatment there. Last time, I sent in a surrogate reviewer - who went with another friend, making up a party of two younger women - and they got service much like you describe. It's the only column I ever wrote that LEO declined to publish, but it's on LouisvilleHotBytes:
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/has-v ... ost-a-step

The only restaurant I've found "snooty" is Vincenzo's.

When we've gone with friends who know the owner, our service is phenomenal, the food is wonderful, the whole experience is exceptional.

The only recent experience I've had along those lines was at The Bodega at Felice on Friday.

Joseph, while I can't speak to the way that YOU were spoken to, I wanted to clarify a few points:
I am a frequent patron of the Bodega at Felice AND the Felice winery. The Bodega is the Italian deli/cafe in back of Felice winery and serves several wines- a few of which are sweet and they have a port. Felice winery does not offer a true sweet wine. So, both places sell wines and there are several options. Each facility is owned and operated independently. You happened to be at the bar in the winery and likely spoke to the wine maker, who makes primarily dry Italian style wines.
Just wanted you to know there is more than one business on site and many options at either.

The only restaurant I've found "snooty" is Vincenzo's.

We also feel this is probably the snootiest restaurant in town! No matter what the situation is it seems like they tried to make you feel like you're not good enough to be there. We had a couple of experience is very similar to yours with the wait staff being less than stellar. We also don't go there anymore.

The only recent experience I've had along those lines was at The Bodega at Felice on Friday. I was headed over there to hear a friend play in a small jazz ensemble during the trolley hop, and I invited my girlfriend and her mother to come along. Wonderful atmosphere and great music initially. Then my girlfriend's mom and I decided to try out something at the wine bar.

I tasted a couple and went with my favorite, then she asked if they had anything sweet. Now she's not a big wine drinker at all, so I was really happy that she was willing to give something a try. But it all went downhill when the fellow working at the bar replied with a terse "If you want something sweet, you'd better go next door and get a Coca Cola." He may as well have added a "little girl" on the end, in my opinion. Needless to say, the wine tasted a whole lot more bitter to me after that. Not a very good impression on visitors, for sure.

This makes me sooo upset! I used to manage the floor at Melillo's, who was previously in that spot. I could almost guarantee that you were, like Lisa said, at Felice Winery and not The Bodega at Felice. Please know that Bob and Joey, the owners of The Bodega would NEVER speak to anyone like that. They are kind and nice and sooooo acommodating! Bob is a frequent poster here, so I'm sure he'll have an opinion on this one as well. You can reach him at 569.4100.

Customer service is sooo important....amazes me how unfriendly people can be. I guess I just take things like that with a grain of salt and thank my lucky stars I'm not a miserable enough person to make others feel the way you felt....


Ashley

I'm surprised more women have not chimed in. I took my daughters and mother to Limestone for a celebration. The waiter asked me if it was our first time, and I said yes. I it was for mw, my mother frequents the place) He proceeded to start this talk about who the owners/chefs were, blah blah. Listen buddy, I have known the history for some time, okay? I just rolled with it. The entire time I felt this condescending attitude. The food was good, though my entree was quite bland. I'm sure he was shocked when I left a 22% tip. I prefer not to have "the speech" unless I ask. Impress me with your food and service. I haven't been back there, btw.

I concur Vincenzo's has to be the "snootiest' I've been to here. We went for our anniversary years ago. Host sat us and as we were perusing the menus a gentlemen approached our table and asked if we were expecting others. We said no, just the two of us. He then proceeds to tell my husband to move over one chair and actually moves his menu, water, etc. for him. Saying "you never sit with your back to the door". I laughed and then realized he was serious. I said "we sat where your host sat us". To my husbands credit he remained silent. Gotta say, it was all downhill from there and we haven't been back.............wierd!

I've never had what I consider "snooty" service in Louisville. I'm usually well-dressed ( over dressed? ), but I think it's just that Louisville is alot more relaxed about dining. Eaten lunch at Vincenzos a number of times, dinner once or twice and personally never found it "snooty", just formal.

Now, New York and Paris - THERE I've had snooty service. Including the Parisian waiter at a bistro, when asked for a glass of house white wine: "House White wine? We have no white wine- I am the House and do not drink white wine!!". ( we drank red)

Deb