Today's luncheon dining experience was a disappointment. There were three in our party. When we arrived at the restaurant at the early lunch hour, we became the fourth occupied table. After placing our orders and being served our salads and soup, we waited quite some time afterward for our platters to arrive. One could tell by the appearance of the salads that they had been previously refrigerated and were not freshly made. The crab bisque was quite tasty. I also ordered the Gemelli -- pasta with sauteed shrimp, asparagus, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and peas in a garlic wine sauce, also tasty. However, the soup and platters were served warm, not hot. There were only three medium shrimp atop the pasta. I could not eat the asparagus as it was on the raw side rather than being cooked to al dente. Nor could I eat the artichokes since they included the fibrous parts of the pedals. Our water glasses were kept full, but we were not asked if we cared for more bread and butter, or if we would like to have coffee and/or dessert. Our waiter seemed to be busy tending to a few other tables occupied with people who came in after we had already arrived and placed our orders. When the waiter brought our check I asked him if he was working the tables alone. He stated that graduates from two area colleges were coming in for lunch today, and they were busier than usual, although the dining room was not crowded. If the establishment knew in advance they would be expecting a larger crowd for lunch, they should have planned accordingly with adequate wait staff. I have dined here previously on two occasions, both lunch and dinner, and this was my first disappointment.
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