Orlando: Wyndham Grand Bonnet Creek Resort (March 2013)

My parents and I stayed at the Wyndham Grand Bonnet Creek Resort (BCR) for three nights in mid-March 2013, courtesy of a friend’s complimentary time-share. We stayed in the Orlando area for four nights total, spending the first night at a nearby Red Roof Inn (not recommended) until there was availability at BCR. We had two complimentary nights, and paid about $300 for the third night.

This property is lovely! It is expansive and attractive, and perhaps its biggest selling feature is its proximity to the Disney parks. In fact, it is so close that we cannot believe it is not technically ON the Disney property! The location is nearest to Hollywood Studios, with easy access to the other three major parks (no more than a 10-minute drive on Disney roads/property to the farthest park, which we believe is the Magic Kingdom). The hotel provides a shuttle to the parks several times a day; since March 2013, the cost is $5 per person round-trip (prior to that time, it was free). Because there were three of us, we decided to drive our own car to the parks everyday because the cost was nearly the same (it costs $14 per day to park at any Disney park), and we liked the convenience of being able to leave and return on our own time schedule.

The location seems remote and relaxing, surrounded by forest and wetlands. The complex consists of 6+ multi-story towers (housing 1-, 2-, and 3-bedroom condo units), and many of the towers have their own swimming pool, one of which has a pirate-ship feature (but not in a tacky way!). The property also houses a more traditional hotel building with its own pool. The towers and hotel are arranged around a small lake with a fountain spray in the center, with paved sidewalks connecting one to the other and leading around the lake. Adjacent to the lake side, some of the towers feature hot tubs/jacuzzis, grilling areas, children’s playgrounds, mini-golf, volleyball courts, game rooms, fitness centers, and lazy rivers. Guests can use any pool that they like; they are not restricted to using the one for their building. Some of the towers contain casual restaurants (Escudos, La Cantina, La Cocina Pizzeria, and a small Starbucks), and the hotel features another casual restaurant as well as an upscale dining venue, spa, and fitness center, and gift shop. There is another gift shop (El Mercado) in the main resort building that sells limited food items that you can cook in your condo. The swimming pool areas are officially open from 8:00 am to 12:00 midnight, although it seemed that you could continue using them if you were not loud and disruptive. No lifeguards are present.

We rented a 2-bedroom unit, which was spacious, serene, and nicely furnished. The unit had a combination kitchen/dining/living room area with a large flat-screen TV, dining table that sat 6 people, and a large breakfast bar/island with additional seating. The appliances were stainless steel, and the countertops appeared to be granite or some other high-end material. Plenty of cooking utensils, plates, and serveware are provided, so you can prepare and serve a full meal during your say. The sofa could function as a bed, providing sleeping space for another two guests. The unit had two separate bedrooms, the master bedroom having a luxurious en-suite bathroom (with separate soaking jacuzzi tub), and the guest room having its bath just adjacent. Hairdryers were provided in each bathroom, as well as plenty of towels and other linens, and basic toiletries like soap, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion. The unit supplied laundry detergent (one of the closets held a washer and dryer), dishwasher detergent, and some sample-size coffee packets. Daily or less-frequent maid service can be purchased for an additional fee (we did not inquire as to the price, although it seemed that timeshare owners can remit points for the service). The air-conditioning worked really well, and the lighting in the unit was good. We were in the Torre del Sol building (T6), in unit 6103, on the first floor, so we had a small patio adjacent to the “pirate” pool that held four chairs. You can smoke on the patio; the resort even provides ashtrays. Regular trash cans and recycling cans are provided, and you empty your own trash in the chutes on every floor of the buildings. Wi-Fi was complimentary with a password provided at check-in.

We were prepared to have some issues with parking, based on previous reviews that we read, but there always seemed to be space for us, even though the property seemed fairly full. Some of the buildings have small 2-story parking garages in front of them, and the hotel features a multi-level garage. We would not recommend using the bell services (like we did) - it would have been easier to just unload our luggage ourselves in front of our building than to unload it in the resort center and have it delivered using a golf cart.

We also anticipated receiving a hard-sell on the timeshare aspect of the property, but we did not. We received a voice message that we were invited to attend a free breakfast for guests, and we imagine that is when the pitch would have been made. It is possible that because we had redeemed a friend’s points for two nights of our stay that the company assumed that we already had ownership in the property.

We loved our stay at BCR and would gladly return again!

Orlando: Red Roof Kissimmee - Lake Buena Vista South (March 2013)

My parents and I stayed at the Red Roof Kissimmee - Lake Buena Vista South (on Kyng's Heath Road) for one night in mid-March 2013. Because we were a party of three adults, we were undecided between reserving two rooms (for approximately $50 per room), or reserving one 2-bedroom suite (for approximately $90). We ended up reserving the suite, thinking that it would give us more room to socialize in the living room area. We booked our room on-line, and we received TripRewards points for our stay.

Our room choice was a huge mistake! Despite telephoning the hotel and being told that there were two bedrooms, when we arrived, we found that there were NOT. Although our room had two areas, one of which was a sitting area with a sofabed; the other space was a room with two double beds. There were no sheets for the sofabed in either part of the room, although there was a blanket and a pillow. A trip to the front desk and a conversation with the night manager just before bedtime remedied the sheet situation, although I did have to accompany him to the laundry room and wait while he retrieved the sheets.

Our two-area room, although supposedly recently renovated, was in poor condition. There was no door between the two rooms (nor was there intended to be); if you travel to this hotel with a family, perhaps with small children who need to nap during the day, there is no way to close off the sleeping area from the living area. The bedroom area featured two double beds, a TV, small table and two chairs, and a small refrigerator and microwave (two separate pieces, but with the microwave on top of the fridge), whereas the living area featured a sofabed, coffee table, side table, and TV. It would have been more logical to set up the living area with the small table and chairs, refrigerator, and microwave (along with the sofa and coffee table) rather than putting the living items in the sleeping area. The TVs were not flat-screen, as was advertised in the on-line description that we read; they were still the old-fashioned huge cube variety. Each room had an iron/ironing board holder mounted to the wall; however, there was neither an iron nor an ironing board present in either holder. When I asked the day manager about it when I checked out, he said that guests can come down to request those items but that they are not in each room. I guess they expect guests to walk back to their hotel room (and up one flight of stairs, in our case) toting an ironing board! The fridge was larger than a dorm-size cube but still a small size.

The sink and vanity were outside of the room housing the toilet and bathtub. The metal faucets on the single (not double) sink were crumbling and disintegrating, with sharp edges that seemed both hazardous and unsanitary. The closed-off bathroom area (containing the bathtub/shower combo and toilet) was tiny. The floors were a laminate material made to look like hardwood; thankfully, no carpeting was present in the room. The mattresses were not comfortable, and the pillows were small and flat (with only two pillows per bed - no extras). There was a plastic ice bucket and plastic-wrapped disposable cups on the vanity, along with a wrapped bar of soap and two packets of combination shampoo/conditioner. No other toiletries are provided, and the soap and shampoo were low quality. The rooms did not even feature hair dryers! This Red Roof is really a bare-bones property, and surely you can find something better for a similar price. In retrospect, we would have gladly paid a bit more to have a better room.

The electronic key lock for the door to our room was not functioning, so we were given an old-fashioned metal key, which was not even attached to one of those hard-plastic diamond-shaped key chains. The desk agent told us that the batteries in the door unit needed to be replaced, but that the engineer had gone home for the day (it was only 2:00 pm when we checked in!), so we were stuck with the metal key for the night.

The pool area is probably the best feature of this hotel. The pool has an interesting shape, rather than just the standard rectangle that we expected from a hotel of this category. The pool area has a hot tub, although it was out of service when we visited and was surrounded by yellow caution tape. When I inquired to the night manager about how long the spa had been out of commission, he told me nearly 10 days, and that the hotel had a service contract with a local company to do maintenance, so the company was not rushing to fix it because the cost was included in the contract. There were not a great number of lounge chairs around the pool, which could be a problem if many people used the pool at the same time, although there was plenty of space to add additional chairs if the hotel has them stored somewhere. In the fenced-in pool area, there are a few tables with umbrellas and chairs. There appeared to be restrooms near the pool, as well as vending machines.

The lobby area is attractive, another of the better features of this hotel. There is a leather sofa and chairs, and some high-top tables and stools, although the purpose for these is not readily apparent, because the hotel does not offer any type of breakfast (neither complimentary nor a la carte), although it does provide complimentary coffee, as well as a microwave and a toaster for guests to use in the lobby. Behind the front desk, the hotel features a small pantry area where they sell drinks and snacks, and there are lots of informational brochures and booklets about the surrounding area. The desk features a TV playing a slideshow with photographs of the hotel rooms, and although the photos were definitely taken at the property, they show the rooms in the best possible light to attract potential guests and did not truly resemble the room we were assigned.

The hotel is located about 20 miles from the Orlando (MCO) international airport. The location of the hotel is great for visiting the Disney parks, which are 8 miles away. There are many shops, convenience stores, gas stations, and casual/fast food restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. The hotel has plenty of parking, in parking lots surrounding the building. This hotel accepts pets, and we saw many guests with dogs of all sizes - in fact, we seemed to be one of the few rooms without a pet in tow.

The staff was friendly, though, and clearly wanted the guests to have a pleasant stay. (Maybe even too friendly - the night manager saw me carrying a pack of cigarettes, and not only requested one, but also asked to use my lighter.)

With the great number of hotels and rooms in the surrounding area, we suggest that you look elsewhere to find something better for a similar price. 

New York City (Brooklyn) (March 2013)

My spouse and I visited Brooklyn for a 1-night stay in mid-March 2013. On Saturday, after we checked into the Indigo hotel, which is owned by IC Hotels chain (Holiday Inn), we walked around the Brooklyn Promenade, and eventually stopped for lunch at 7 Old Fulton. Our main reason for visiting Brooklyn was to dine at the Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare. After dinner, we stopped at the Brooklyn Terrace for drinks in their rooftop bar (inside, of course, because it was pretty chilly!). On Sunday, we had drinks at Dressler in Williamsburg, followed by lunch at Peter Luger Steakhouse.

Hotel:

• Indigo Link to my review

Restaurants:

• 7 Old Fulton Link to my review
• Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare Link to my review
• Brooklyn Terrace Link to my review
• Dressler Link to my review
• Peter Luger Steakhouse Link to my review

Activity: 

• Brooklyn Heights Promenade Link to my review

New York City: Dressler (March 2013)

My spouse and I had drinks at Dressler in March 2013 prior to dining for lunch nearby at Peter Luger
Steakhouse. We sat at the bar, and enjoyed a beer and a cucumber drink. Dressler is a pioneer in the Brooklyn dining scene that helped set the standard for dining in the borough. The elegant Dressler is a seasonal American restaurant, named for the title character of Steven Millhauser's Pulitzer-winning historical novel. Brooklyn artisans built Dressler with quirky iron chandeliers, light-box screens, and zinc bar.

New York City: Brooklyn Terrace (March 2013)

My spouse and I had cocktails at Brooklyn Terrace on a Saturday evening in early March 2013. This establishment is located on the top floor of the Sheraton and Aloft properties on Duffield Street. (We stayed across the street at the Indigo Hotel.) We stopped in at approximately 9:00 pm on a Saturday evening after dining nearby at Brooklyn Fare. A doorman was just outside the street entrance, and he directed us to walk down a hallway and wait at the end of the rope. He radioed up to the terrace to have someone accompany us in the elevator to the top.

The space is attractive, with lots of small groupings of low seats with small cocktail tables in the center of each group, many of whose tables held Reserved signs. The back area of the club was not open at the time that we arrived; however, we peeked around the rope and could tell that those tables were reserved as well. We saw at least two large-screen TVs on the walls, although clearly patrons come here for the live DJ. (We left before the action really began.)

Cocktails and appetizers are in the $12 to $15 range; beer and wine are also available. Although there is no cover charge, they institute a $3 per person mandatory coat check fee, which makes perfect sense in the winter (in lieu of a cover charge), but we wonder what they do in the summer months when no one has a coat to check? You definitely want to visit here in the warm weather - there is a huge outdoor terrace with cool, low-slung furniture and some papasan-type chairs, plus smoking is allowed outside, and you have great views of Brooklyn.

We did not stay long; we really just wanted to have a quick nightcap before returning to our hotel. We appreciated that no one made us feel out of place or uncomfortable, even though we showed up in a suit jacket and business dress that we wore to dinner, and even though we clearly were not part of their usual young, clubbing crowd. From what we could see, Brooklyn Terrace looks like a great nighttime spot!

New York City: 7 Old Fulton (March 2013)

My spouse and I dined at 7 Old Fulton for Saturday lunch in early March 2013. We found this restaurant, located at the base of the Brooklyn Bridge (in DUMBO), after walking around Downtown Brooklyn and Brooklyn Heights for about an hour, finishing our walk on the Brooklyn Heights Promenade next to the river. This restaurant seems to get a lot of foot traffic from commuters disembarking/boarding the ferry to Manhattan.

The property has a large wooden bar in the front, and about 10 tables of varying sizes toward the rear. The decor is sort of Italian-themed, with several faux wine cellar doors (velvet curtains and wrought iron gates) and a faux fireplace (topped with colonial decor like a print of George Washington and plates showing Williamsburg buildings). The doors to the restrooms were a bit odd - they seemed to be doors to a hotel room, with a key card lock/entry, although they were open and no card was necessary to access them. It seems that there might be sidewalk seating in the spring and summer months, and their website indicates that they have a summer garden (perhaps outside the back of the building, or maybe that is the sidewalk seating that we saw?).

The staff seemed to really care about their food and their service; at times, the service was even a little TOO good, with someone hovering to refill our water glasses when they dropped to 3/4 full.

The menu is unique, with combinations of ingredients different than most Italian restaurants. For example, we shared an appetizer of homemade lamb and beef sausages, with each thin link presented on an endive leaf, accompanied by kiwi and bleu cheese. One of us had an entree of thinly-sliced lamb topped with crispy figs. Prices were reasonable, and portion sizes were appropriate for lunch.

This restaurant did not serve the best food that we have ever eaten, but it was an enjoyable lunch, and we applaud the restaurant for its unique menu items. The sausage appetizer is a dish that we will remember.

New York City: Indigo Brooklyn (March 2013)

My spouse and I stayed at the Indigo Brooklyn for one night in early March 2013. Our purpose in staying in Brooklyn was to dine at a nearby restaurant (Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare). We reserved our room about 30 days in advance, and found that the cancellable rates for this hotel were on par with the non-cancellable rates at the two Starwood properties across the street (Sheraton and Aloft). (We had no intention of cancelling, except perhaps because of inclement weather that might prevent us from reaching the city.) In the week prior to our stay, the rates raised about $25 per night, so it was beneficial to us to book ahead.

This hotel does not have its own parking lot; however, both self-parking ($30) and valet parking ($39) are available from Vic's Parking, which is on the street parallel to Duffield (it may be called Albee Square). We had difficulty finding an open spot to temporarily park our car while we unloaded, even though there was a yellow line in front of the curb for the loading zone. It seemed much easier to valet park/unload at the Sheraton and Aloft across the street; those properties (being side-by-side) allot much more space for cars to pull in. No valet attendant is staffed on-site at the Indigo; the desk attendant calls someone to come over from the nearby parking lot, which is probably why the loading zone was filled when we tried to pull in.

There is a deli/market that sells drinks (alcoholic and non) and snacks at the corner of Duffield and Willoughby (away from the Fulton Street Mall), as well as a tiny market across Duffield Street that sells a few items. Planet Fitness is located right next door to the hotel, although the Indigo has its own small fitness center (about five machines). The Indigo will eventually have its own restaurant on the street level, with access from both the sidewalk and inside near the lobby. The restaurant (a brew pub) looks ready to open, but was not yet operating when we stayed there.

There is a small terrace off the fitness center, and another terrace on the 19th floor of the hotel. The 19th floor terrace is minimally landscaped and has two small tables, each with four chairs surrounding it (made of that all-weather wicker material), and smoking and drinking are permitted. (A sign states that the terrace is not open between the hours of 9:00 pm and 7:00 am.) Rooms on the third floor have their own balcony, and one 2-bedroom suite on the 18th floor has a large skylight (which you can see from the 19th floor terrace). The second floor (besides housing the fitness center) has a small lounge with a computer for guest use, as well as a bar for guests. A meeting room and treatment room (for a massage, we assume) are also on the second floor. Had we realized that there was a small bar, we might have had a drink there before going to dinner. In the lobby is a refrigerator holding cold drinks and a few meals such as sandwiches and salads - a refreshing change from the usual packaged frozen dinners that most hotels sell in their pantries. (There is a large microwave on the bar in the second-floor lounge for guest use.) 
We had room 401; according to the evacuation map on the back of our door (and we assume most floors followed the same layout), rooms ending in 01 and 08 are the largest on the floor. (It appears that the hotel has eight rooms per floor, except for the 19th floor, which only has two rooms.) Our room and bathroom were a great size, but again, according to the map on the door, most other rooms on the floor looked a lot smaller. We had a handicapped room, which sometimes has its own issues - modified shower head, roll-in shower, and so on. We had a mini-refrigerator and safe in our room, as well as a Keurig coffee maker. Disappointingly, despite the size of our room, there was no lounge chair and ottoman; the only place to sit to watch TV other than on the bed was on the modern-looking (and not-so-comfortable) desk chair. We realize that most rooms on most floors do not have the space to permit a lounge chair, but our room was surprisingly spacious and would have benefitted from it. The ceilings are covered with a wallpaper mural of a chandelier, which is a cheeky touch. Ceilings are high, and floors are covered with a Pergo-like wood flooring; bathrooms were tiled with slate-looking floors. Decent toiletries were provided (shampoo, conditioner, lotion), and there were plenty of fluffy towels, toilet paper, and tissues on hand in case you ran out. We had some trouble with both water pressure and water temperature, particularly in the bathroom sink.

We enjoyed our stay at the Indigo, and should we find ourselves in Brooklyn again, we would consider staying here, although we might instead try the Sheraton or the Aloft across the street.

New York City: Peter Luger (March 2013)

My spouse and I dined at Peter Luger for Sunday lunch in early March 2013. We made the reservation via telephone (they do not accept on-line reservations) about 30 days in advance. We waited on hold for about 10 minutes before someone answered the phone, despite listening to a message replay over and over about how they valued our business, and despite the fact that we called on a weekday mid-morning, long before lunchtime.

Our reservation was for 12:45 pm, which is opening time on a Sunday. Parking is complimentary in a vacant lot on the next block (and across the street) from the restaurant; however, the lot was locked and unmanned until just prior to the doors opening at 12:45 pm. They do not offer valet parking, but you can stop your car in front of the restaurant and unload guests, if necessary. (We found free parking on the street, because it was Sunday.) We (along with about 20 other diners) were made to wait on the sidewalk until precisely 12:45 pm, when we were admitted to the bar area. Each group lined up to give their name to the man with the clipboard, then we were made to wait another 15 minutes (all of us) in the bar area until they were ready to start seating people.

The dining rooms have a beer-hall feel, with wooden floors, tables, and chairs; coat hooks adjacent to each table around the perimeter hold your belongings. (We are not sure where the tables in the center of the room hang their coats.) Despite the half-hour wait, we finished our meal in just over an hour, all for the grand total of $200 (including tip, but with only one beer and no other alcohol or wine). The menu is rather limited; we expected to see various cuts of steak listed, but saw only “sirloin” and “steak for two/three/four”; we are not sure whether we ate rib eye or Porterhouse or something else. (There was no filet mignon on the menu.)

Disappointingly, the steak for two (at $99.95) was NOT the best steak we have ever eaten; when it arrived at our table, the steak was already cut in sections (reminiscent of a London broil). The waiter tipped the plate so that the fat drippings would pour to one end of the platter, but after he served each of us a few slices, he spooned the liquid fat on top of those slices. The German potatoes that we ordered as a side were dry and crumbled. We enjoyed the thickly-cut bacon slices that we added to our tomato and onion salad topped with their house made steak sauce/dressing.

The service was sloppy and gruff (as previously reported by other diners/reviews). When our waiter served us our steak, the fat dripped onto the stained and scarred wood (tablecloth-less) table as if it were a regular occurrence and completely normal; the only thing that could have been worse with the atmosphere and service would have been using a paper napkin and plastic cutlery. The bread basket was fairly tasty, with three different kinds of rolls (two of each kind). When we asked to take home our leftovers, they were dumped into two plastic bags (at least they put the steak and the potatoes into separate bags), which was kind of gross! (In trying to salvage the great deal of money that we spend on our meal, we thought that we could at least salvage the potatoes by covering them with eggs and serving them along with a side of leftover steak and a roll for a late-night snack.)

The restaurant accepts cash, debit cards, personal checks, and the Peter Luger credit card (who would want to eat there so often that they would apply for a card?). We are glad that we can cross Peter Luger off our "places that we want to eat" list, but we felt that it was overpriced for the quality and atmosphere. We cannot understand what all the fuss is about!

New York City: Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare (March 2013)

My spouse and I dined at the Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare for dinner in early March 2013. We had tried for about one year to get a reservation, calling every Monday at 10:30 am for a reservation six weeks later. Generally, for the first hour or hour-and-a half that we attempted to call, we would just receive a busy signal, but when someone finally answered the phone (usually around 12:00 noon), the spaces were always filled. We always asked for our names to be placed on the waiting list, but space never opened up. (Note: When someone does answer, be prepared to be transferred around a few times. To us, it seemed like the phone was being answered by someone in the grocery store, then put on hold, then picked up by someone else who saw the blinking light, then transferred again until we finally reached the reservationist.) Then one day we got lucky and secured our spot - who knows why that time was different than all our other tries? We guess that our persistence finally paid off!

After you make your reservation, you will receive an e-mail confirmation explaining more about the process. Two weeks before your dining experience, you will receive an e-mail asking you to reply to the e-mail to confirm your spot, then they charge your credit card for the amount of the dinner plus tax and mandatory 20% gratuity. Even though you have already been charged, they call to verbally confirm a few days before you dine; we are not really sure why, because we do not think they would refund your money if you cancelled at that late date. But perhaps they can resell your seats, thereby making twice the original amount for your particular seats. You will receive a handwritten bill for your drinks after dinner, on which you will tip for your beverages only; they did not seem to directly pander for an additional tip over the 20% that you are pre-billed.

The website says that formal business attire is required, but when the reservationist called to confirm our reservation, we asked if a tie was necessary, and we were told that the dress code was business casual (which to us means long-sleeve collared shirt and dress pants for men, but no tie or jacket). Fortunately, he wore a jacket, as did every single other male diner there; some even wore suits with ties. We would have felt completely out of place without the jacket!

Three seatings occur at the restaurant: half of the chef’s counter (approximately 8 or 10 seats, depending on the size of the parties) is seated at 6:30 pm, then the other 8 or 10 seats [there are 18 total] are seated at 7:45 pm. We had reservations at the earliest seating (6:30 pm). We were the last of our seating to arrive, even though we were 5 minutes early; we were assigned two seats in the middle of the counter where it curved. We thought our seats allowed more room than some of the others, although the two seats at the inner end of the counter certainly have the best view of the food plating and preparation. The “hostess”, who was also the apparent “sommelier”, took our coats and directed us to the “manager” who pointed out our seats. It was funny how the “manager” consulted her little book to find our what seats had been assigned to us; obviously it was the two open seats in the middle! We were unable to immediately order drinks, because there were only two wine lists for the entire restaurant! Seriously, with an average of four parties (of two people each) ever seated at one time, and they do not even have four wine lists? (Wine lists are a scarcity at $225 per person, plus tax and 20% gratuity?) When a wine list was finally available, the “sommelier” gave us a few minutes to read it, then came over and asked to discuss the “menu” with us. When my spouse joked “There is a menu?”, she became snippy and said that there was no menu, that we would be served a tasting, most of which was fish, and so on. Of course, we knew that there was no menu! She was the one who used that word, when she probably meant “the wine list”. At this time, Brooklyn Fare serves only wine, no beer, and only one soft drink (a tart fruit-flavored soda), along with two non-alcoholic sparkling wines. (Also note that they do not serve any kind of coffee, cappuccino, or espresso with dessert.) 

The food was amazingly delicious and presented beautifully in just the right serveware. Of the approximately 25 courses that we ate that evening, 20 were fish courses, most of which were crudo/raw shellfish (they are pretty transparent about the proteins on their website, so everyone is aware ahead of time). We had about three cooked fish courses, and only one meat course (lamb), along with a cheese course, a palate cleanser, and two desserts. Unlike other restaurants that serve a tasting menu, they do not send you home with a list of what you have eaten. The guest is really at a huge disadvantage, because they forbid photography and note-taking, so you must rely on your own memory. Even though we tried to recreate the menu soon after we left the restaurant, we could really only recall the main ingredient, not all the interesting accent components.

The atmosphere in the dining room was calm for the first hour of our dinner, until the 7:45 pm guests began to arrive; then we began to feel a little rushed and slightly ignored. There is also a 10:00 pm seating, but the 7:45 pm guests have probably nearly departed by the time they arrive, because the restaurant advises dedicating about 2 hours for your dining experience. We had an issue with the restroom at about the 8:00 pm mark - there is just one restroom, and as anyone who has done a tasting knows, you must time your “break” to fit between the courses, because no one waits for you. But there were three ladies in line to use the restroom, which ended up with two of them missing the delivery and explanation of their next course. Another issue that we had was that the “manager” who stands in the center of the serving counter and presents each dish was not loud enough when she mentioned the components of each course. As we said previously, there is no written menu, neither before, during, or after your dining experience, so if she does not call out the ingredients loud and proud, there is no way for the diners to hear every word and fully comprehend what they are eating.

We were shocked that several courses reused our silverware, although just the fork; our combination knife/spoon utensils were removed, but the dirty fork was taken off the plate and placed back on the leather placemat! This is something that we expect at a low-end chain restaurants (like Applebees), but we do not expect it to happen at a 3-star Michelin restaurant charging $225 per head! They purposely removed one of the utensils but reused the other - it just makes no sense! And as far as the service aspect goes, it was good, but not on the level of Per Se, Daniel, or Le Bernardin. The chef, Cesar Ramirez, was cooking on the night that we were there, which is not always the case with high-end restaurants like this, so we appreciated being able to watch him create. He walked around to each couple after the dinner and asked if everything was okay, and everyone simply said yes. It was nice of him to make personal contact, but he did not seem genuine in wanting to hear any comments; the task seemed like something he felt obligated to do, not necessarily that he enjoyed.

When we finished dinner, as we were waiting for our coats to be delivered, space was at a premium, so when we received our first coat, one of us attempted to step into the (winter) entry vestibule while the other of us waited for our other coat, but we found that the door to the restaurant was locked! The hostess/sommelier said that she would unlock it, but that we should be glad that it was locked, “for good reason". What on earth could that reason have been? It seems that a locked door to a restaurant with patrons inside is a fire code/safety violation; in fact, the door to a retail establishment generally posts a sign that reads that the door is to remain open/unlocked during business hours.

We feel privileged to have dined at Brooklyn Fare - the food was truly amazing! However, we wish that the service was just as flawless. We are glad that we got to experience this restaurant; it was a memorable meal that we will not soon forget!

 

 

New York City: Brooklyn Heights Promenade (March 2013)

The Brooklyn Heights Promenade (also called the Esplanade) is a 1,826-foot-long platform and pedestrian walkway cantilevered over the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (Interstate 278) in Brooklyn Heights. With views of Lower Manhattan's skyline and the New York Harbor, it came about as the unplanned byproduct of competing proposals for the highway’s route that were resolved in the midst of World War II. Actual construction came after the war. As a structure constructed over a roadway, the Promenade is owned by the NYCDOT and is not considered a park; however, NYC Parks maintains the entire Promenade. The Promenade runs between the Brooklyn Bridge and the ramp north of Atlantic Avenue. The walkway itself is curtailed at both ends. Due to the area's topography, the Promenade is four stories; from top to bottom, they are the walkway, eastbound I-278, westbound I-278, and Furman Street. It has appeared in the movies Annie Hall and Moonstruck, among others. This pedestrian walkway offers spectacular views of Downtown Manhattan, the East River and the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s a favorite destination for joggers, walkers, and rollerbladers, but it also offers a quiet atmosphere for those who prefer to just sit, chat, and enjoy the view. The Promenade is lined with grand town houses and mansions, and is part of Brooklyn’s first Historic Preservation District.