Sotto Voce: veni, vidi, vomui

What did you eat for dinner last night? Anything out of the ordinary?

A great restaurant review and perfectly conjugated Latin. This is why I love Park Slope.

The evening chefs are much better; if you like your food to taste like flour and salt. Maybe some pepper. Ug. Sorry to hear you got sick though! Then you have to taste their food twice.

Subject: Re: Sotto Voce: veni, vidi, vomui

ParkSloperite wrote: Just had my first brunch at sotto voce, and then spent the evening in the bathroom with food poisoning. Can we, as a community, light torches to the place? Just asking.

Never had a problem with their food. Most adults would send the food back if there was a problem so you might try that next time.

can never understand why people eat at that place, when there are places in park slope which actually serve GOOD food.

I gave up on this place years ago after both a bad brunch and dinner.

On the one hand, with Noro running rampant this time of year, I'd throw out the possibility that you got a bug - perhaps from the resto, granted - and not food poisoning. Just a possibility.

On the other hand, my one meal at Sotto was pretty miserable - seemed like the bathroom was venting into the restaurant, and while we were treated to bleach and wet paper towel smells, and not anything worse, this ambiance did little to enhance the pretty middling brunch served up. Never went back, and that's at least 5 years ago. Lose my appetite every time I walk past.

Of course, with the place packed every weekend, I'm sure they must do at least some things right, some of of the time, for some people.

I didn't actually puke, but I had a run in with the staff and owner of that restaurant last week....

Dinner started off fine although the waiter was a little weird. (He informed us that tuna is fish while telling us the specials). After we were finished eating, the waiter didn't come back to our table for a long time. A bus boy came by and asked my companion if she wanted her food wrapped up. She said yes. The bus boy then picked up the bread basket off the table and put it in her food. I practically shouted, "She wants to eat that!" And he responds, "I know." The waiter saw the whole thing. Saw our disgust. Did nothing. The busboy brought the wrapped food back to our table and we immediately asked for the check. No check. Waiter comes by and tries to give us dessert menus. We ask for the check again. No check. Eventually he reappears with two glasses of complimentary dessert wine. He almost made me forgive the whole thing except NO CHECK. We drink the wine. We wait. No check. We put on our jackets, put money on the table, stand up and practically have to shout across the restaurant for our check. He's standing idly by the bar and FINALLY gets our check. We quickly scan the bill and shove a credit card into his hand before he can leave the table so that we can finally leave.

So after all this, I write the owner an email to inform them of the nasty breadbasket. Here is his response:

"Dear Ms. C****
I am sorry that a misunderstanding has undermined you experience at Sotto Voce. Unfortunately, many busboys, although seemingly apt in the English language, do make mistakes understanding the language. We do prefer that our patrons direct their request to the waiters for this reason.

I discussed your situation with my staff, and I was informed that Murat (your waiter) did offer your companion a new and complete order to replace the leftovers from her meal. I'm sorry you did not take him up on his offer. We take customer satisfaction seriously and were willing to replace the meal, in its entirety, for your companion.
As a further courtesy, he brought you and your companion complimentary Moscato wines while your check was being tallied.
Although it may not seem busy, at times checks do get backed up at the register as people begin to leave at the same time.

Again, I apologize for the inconvenience and hope that you will reconsider and return in the future.

Regards,
Ahmed Hannachi"

My companion wrote an excellent response to which Ahmed has refused to reply.

"Hello,

I was the other diner last evening. To clarify, there was no offer for a new order. As a restaurant owner, sanitation should obviously be a top priority. A bread basket is never cleaned and is placed on countertop after countertop. The idea that anyone, especially someone that theoretically has been trained by your restaurant, would place a breadbasket on top of arugula that I have asked to get packed is reprehensible. If you feel that your busboys do not speak english then they should not be the one to ask if we are finished and if our plates should be cleared. Your waiter should (in which case I could make my request to your waiter) and then your waiter should direct the 'non-English speaking' busboy. In any case, this is no way my error.

While I did enjoy the complimentary Moscato (brought due to the delay in providing a previously asked for check) and have enjoyed the food at your restaurant in the past, your response defending your apparently untrustworthy (I repeat no offer of a new order was made) staff and your lack of sanitary standards will keep me away in the future.

Best regards,
D**** M****"

I am going to stay far away from Sotto Voce and the other two restaurants these inconsiderate people own. I only wish I didn't live near Sotto Voce.

Why would you eat food that looks and tastes that bad? And why would you think it would be rude or jerk-ish to send back bad food? No offense, but that's kind of weird.

Whats with the smear campaign? Did a waitress you date there dump you? I eat lousy meals all the time yet don't feel compelled to rush home and write internet novels about it.

Jacsprats wrote: ten pages of excruciatingly detailed pettiness

Wow, overreact much? If you only knew what happens in professional kitchens when you're not watching, you would never eat out again.

Also, in my opinion, it is so not cool to reproduce a private email in a public forum like this.

shacked26 wrote: My GF and i went to Sotto Voce about a year ago and it was the worst food we've had in the hood in the 4 years we've lived here. With so many amazing food options around it still baffles me that they're able to stay open. I have basically come to the conclusion that some people just like bad food.

Right, since the place is always crowded and has been around for years must mean all those people like bad food.

eggcream wrote: [quote=shacked26]My GF and i went to Sotto Voce about a year ago and it was the worst food we've had in the hood in the 4 years we've lived here. With so many amazing food options around it still baffles me that they're able to stay open. I have basically come to the conclusion that some people just like bad food.

Right, since the place is always crowded and has been around for years must mean all those people like bad food.

Exactly.

ParkSloperite wrote: Nothing out of the ordinary last night. I know this is rapid for food poisoning, but the severity of the illness combined with the unparalleled grossness of the food I foolishly consumed leaves my fairly certain.

How does that place stay in business, am I missing something? Do they hose down the place and import a new kitchen staff for dinner or something? I am kicking myself for not walking out the second I saw the devastating concoction they brought out. Looked like eggs benedict had died and been reincarnated as two suppurating boils. Tasted like boiled dishwater. Tried to add salt and the salt shaker had gotten wet and so nothing came out--not to mention my bloody mary tasted like dawn dishwashing fluid mixed with rotten eggs....ugh...Why do we stay and eat when we know the food is disgusting? I always fear making a scene, but this was truly a health hazard.....Sotto Voce is the worst restaurant I have eaten at in nyc. And I've lived here for over ten years.

Can I count on you for 5 stars or only 4.

Just kidding. Sorry for your illness. I hope you feel better and you NEVER eat anything that does not taste right again. We have all been there and all been sorry we did not send it back!

SlopeDuder wrote: Whats with the smear campaign? Did a waitress you date there dump you? I eat lousy meals all the time yet don't feel compelled to rush home and write internet novels about it.

You eat lousy meals all the time? How sad