I used to frequent Abboccato any time I traveled to the city with my partner. After contacting our favorite server before our most recent visit - he informed us he was no longer employed at Abboccato - nonetheless, my partner and I gave it a try.
We could not help but compare our last visit with our visit this Friday:
In the beginning things were okay - it took nearly 10 minutes to get the drinks we ordered and about another 15 to get around to having our order taken - first let down. We were on a time limit and rather than rush our waiter we went straight for entrees. I figured I would try something new, despite being warned before by our normal server, I ordered the Sweetbreads; it was incredibly salty, overcooked and simply put, not worth it's dollar. My partner ordered the Grilled Baby lamb chops at medium rare temperature; it came to the table nearly well-done and over-all bland. Combined with a poor pairing and terrible preparation, that's the second let down. Our last server gave us the impression to trust our waiter - a mistake I will be sure not to make again.
In closing, we were offered the common diner phrase of 'anything else?' - if we were offered espresso or cappuccino we more than likely would have obliged. The biggest insult of the night which is against fine-dining protocol, whether you've worked this field or not, was having the server remove our paid check before we even left without saying a word.
That is my last visit to Abboccato, and I will be sure to deter my friends from visiting. Your new staff has a lot of kinks - you all made a careless mistake in firing those previously employed.
Pros: Ambience & Decor Are Gorgeous
Cons: Poor service; lack of knowledge and poor management
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