WNY Restaurant Week: The Bad and the Good

Maggie, Robin and I had reservations last night for WNY Restaurant Week at The 31 Club. Swanky. Porn Like Music playing on the website. The old Buddies on Johnson Park. Lobster Ravioli. Mmm. We were looking forward to it for days…

In preparation for our delicious dinner reservations at 7pm we celebrated by having Martinis at Scarlet. Silly us, we thought they had 2 for 1 at the bar on Thursday (they used to I swear!) But no, we would not be so lucky. A sign of our luck to follow.

Oops. Restaurant Week/The 31 Club ERROR NOT IN OUR FAVOUR.

The three of us were greeted by a hostess who informed us that we did not have the reservations we thought we had at 7 pm. You see, when our darling Maggie called to make the reservation she left a message on a voice mail that told her if there is a problem with your reservation WE WILL CALL YOU BACK.

Of course, no call back. Enter assuming.

As the hostess told us…she called everyone back (but Maggie apparently) and it was VERY busy because it was Restaurant Week. (REALLY? THIS IS BRAND NEW INFORMATION.) The phone rang and hostess answered.

Another lady came over to assist us and at least this person TRIED to look to see if she could accommodate the three ladies in the zebra humping wallpapered lobby who had a reservation for dinner and were now being turned away. We were told we could have a drink at the bar area while she looked.

So we stood by the bar instead, knowing we would never be accepted for a reservation that we made but apparently they didn’t.

Surprise! Hostess tells us there is nothing available for *WALK INS* (which we WERE NOT by the way) and there are “lots of good restaurants in Buffalo to try.”

Wow. Guess we were not welcome, eh? Snotty does not bode well with me.

The three of us ended up at PROSPERO instead. Where we were greeted with open arms and hugs and kisses on the cheek by the owner Rick (we might have been there at the bar drinking once or twice before) had a great time waiting at the bar for a table and enjoyed a delicious dinner surrounded by wine and good friends.

Our friends Christina and Chuck were there too. And guess what? Christina had a rude experience on the phone earlier that day with the hostess from Club 31 as well. Live and learn. Maybe we aren’t the right kind of people for them? I say, the loss is all theirs. Snotty gets ya nowhere in this town, some will win PROSPERO and some will lose…Club 31.

Life lessons learned during Restaurant Week.