You decide to spend your Sunday breakfast at Retro Cafe on Brunswick Street. You find a park right outside. Win a point.
Your coffee takes quite a while to arrive. Lose a point.
Your coffee tastes good. Win a point.
Your coffee is only a smidgen above lukewarm. Lose a point.
Your waiter seems friendly. Win a point.
Your waiter doesn't write anything down. Lose a point.
You explain that you are vegan, and immediately your waiter launches into a never-ending circular sentence while not looking at you and says that's perfectly fine but you should know that heaps of stuff is not like gluten free. Lose a point.
You tell her you are not gluten free. She looks a little confused. Lose a point.
She can tell you straight off that the mushrooms are soaked in butter before they are cooked. Win a point.
She goes to check if the hash browns are egg and dairy free and returns with a notepad. The hash browns are ok and she writes your order down, and everything seems cool. Win a point.
You wait and wait and wait. You finish your coffee and read the whole paper. Lose a point.
You ask another waiter if your breakfasts are on their way. Lose a point.
The second waiter takes a long time, but she does eventually bring your breakfast. Win a point.
With two poached eggs on top. Lose a point.
The first waiter returns, apologises, and says that the least they can do is not charge you for your coffees. Win a point.
She asks if you'd like new coffees. Win a point.
She says "Now both your coffees are regular milk, right?". Lose a point.
Your breakfast is actually pretty good. Homemade baked beans with cannellini beans and a light, fresh tomato sauce, hot and crispy hash browns, lots of fresh tasty spinach, a generous serve of avocado and seasoned tomatoes on (slightly under-toasted) muffins. You enjoy it. A lot. Win a point.
You forget to take photos because you're really darn hungry. Lose a point.
Your second coffees never arrive. Lose a point.
Lately I feel like may of my eatering out experiences have been marred by poor service, poor food or just general ickiness. Is anyone else getting the same?
Your coffee takes quite a while to arrive. Lose a point.
Your coffee tastes good. Win a point.
Your coffee is only a smidgen above lukewarm. Lose a point.
Your waiter seems friendly. Win a point.
Your waiter doesn't write anything down. Lose a point.
You explain that you are vegan, and immediately your waiter launches into a never-ending circular sentence while not looking at you and says that's perfectly fine but you should know that heaps of stuff is not like gluten free. Lose a point.
You tell her you are not gluten free. She looks a little confused. Lose a point.
She can tell you straight off that the mushrooms are soaked in butter before they are cooked. Win a point.
She goes to check if the hash browns are egg and dairy free and returns with a notepad. The hash browns are ok and she writes your order down, and everything seems cool. Win a point.
You wait and wait and wait. You finish your coffee and read the whole paper. Lose a point.
You ask another waiter if your breakfasts are on their way. Lose a point.
The second waiter takes a long time, but she does eventually bring your breakfast. Win a point.
With two poached eggs on top. Lose a point.
The first waiter returns, apologises, and says that the least they can do is not charge you for your coffees. Win a point.
She asks if you'd like new coffees. Win a point.
She says "Now both your coffees are regular milk, right?". Lose a point.
Your breakfast is actually pretty good. Homemade baked beans with cannellini beans and a light, fresh tomato sauce, hot and crispy hash browns, lots of fresh tasty spinach, a generous serve of avocado and seasoned tomatoes on (slightly under-toasted) muffins. You enjoy it. A lot. Win a point.
You forget to take photos because you're really darn hungry. Lose a point.
Your second coffees never arrive. Lose a point.
Lately I feel like may of my eatering out experiences have been marred by poor service, poor food or just general ickiness. Is anyone else getting the same?
5 comments:
Sounds like the usual Retro service to me! A friend recently told me a similar story. After my own poor experiences it's been put on my 'only if everything else is closed and I'm desperate' list.
I have been getting increasingly annoyed with eating out. My partner is constantly being given cheese when he specifically asks for dairy free food & I am just finding a lot of average found around. I also rarely get even an apology when people try to force animal products on me. I don't understand why everything thinks it is so hard - I am no chef & I can make tasty vegan food at home.
Hi Rachel,
I agree with you too. Lately the service at restaurants has declined. Waiters haven't been as friendly and have messed up my order a couple of times. I'm Hua, the director of Wellsphere's HealthBlogger Network, a network of over 2,000 of the best health writers on the web (including doctors, nurses, healthy living professionals, and expert patients). I think your blog would be a great addition to the Network, and I'd like to invite you to learn more about it and apply to join at http://www.wellsphere.com/health-blogger. Once approved by our Chief Medical Officer, your posts will be republished on Wellsphere where they will be available to over 5 million monthly visitors who come to the site looking for health information and support. There’s no cost and no extra work for you! The HealthBlogger page (http://www.wellsphere.com/health-blogger) provides details about participation, but if you have any questions please feel free to email me at hua@wellsphere.com.
Best,
Hua
I've been to Retro twice and the service was so appalling there will never be a third time.
LOL your posts make me laugh. People just dont get it do they.
Rose
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