[Joe H]

A new era for Roberto Donna begins with a soft opening next Friday night of Bebo Trattoria. Showcasing a wood burning pizza oven immediately at the entrance Bebo will be, in Roberto's words, "the first real trattoria" that we have seen. Paninis, focaccia, house made pasta-virtually the same kitchen staff from Galileo.

I told Roberto that I had the best pizza of my life two weeks ago in Rimini. He knows that I've eaten my way through Naples, Rome, Brooklyn, New Haven, even Macomb street. Standing by his new oven, smiling and with a bit of pride, he said "You haven't had mine.

Yet.

[johnb]

Joe H, on Oct 5 2006, 05:56 PM, said:

A new era for Roberto Donna begins with a soft opening next Friday night of Bebo Trattoria. Showcasing a wood burning pizza oven immediately at the entrance Bebo will be, in Roberto's words, "the first real trattoria" that we have seen. Paninis, focaccia, house made pasta-virtually the same kitchen staff from Galileo.

I told Roberto that I had the best pizza of my life two weeks ago in Rimini. He knows that I've eaten my way through Naples, Rome, Brooklyn, New Haven, even Macomb street. Standing by his new oven, smiling and with a bit of pride, he said "You haven't had mine.

Yet.

It will be interesting to see what sort of pizza he comes up with. I tried his pizza at the lunch grill once and it was, ahem, interesting, but certainly not competitive. Of course, that wasn't a truly serious effort.

I'd be curious to know more about any issues which arose when he installed his wood burner, especially near the entrance which, IIRC about the old Oyamel space, doesn't provide obvious exhaust venting possibilities. Does he have a pile of "hickory" out back?

[Joe H]

John, I didn't really pay any attention to that. The thought that struck me was how good the bread was at Galileo-usually fantastic. That was baked in house. Roberto is also as obsessed with pizza as anyone on this board. I remember a discussion one night with him and Francesco Ricchi about pizza and they both spoke with incredible passion. The fact that he is now doing pizza is really intriguing!

And Francesco Ricchi doing an Italian seafood restaurant on Pennsylvania avenue is really intriguing to me, especially after my recent experience in Italy.

[Joe H]

Bebo will be opening soon. An "official" date for the soft opening has not been set yet. Below is one of the courses from a tentative menu that Roberto has drawn up. I'm posting it here as an example of the imaginative, innovative dishes that he'll be featuring which, to the best of my knowledge, D. C. (and much of America) have never seen before. I should note that I have no connection to the restaurant or Roberto in any way. But I am genuinely excited (actually stoked!) about what he is opening. This is, indeed, "the real deal." Not just the name trattoria stuck onto an Italian restaurant! And, it's HERE-not New York, South Philly or the North End.

"Lardo, salsiccia di Bra e carne cruda battuta al coltello con pinzimonio*
Home made cured lard, lightly sautéed veal sausage and chopped raw beef dressed
with extra virgin olive oil from Luguria with a pinzimonio of vegetables"

This post has been edited by Joe H: 13 October 2006 - 05:11 PM

[monavano]

So Bebo will not be opening next Wednesday?

[DanielK]

Joe H, on Oct 13 2006, 05:50 PM, said:

I should note that I have no connection to the restaurant or Roberto in any way.

Joe, that's a little unfair. You have no business connection, but you are a personal friend...

[Joe H]

Regardless of the friendship I have an incredible respect for his passion, knowledge and talent which he shares with all of us. In fact he IS one of us having posted many times on here and Chowhound. (He and I first met because he disagreed with one of several criticisms I had of Galileo.) Roberto is also as opinionated as any of us; Bebo is his opportunity to demonstrate a kind of restaurant that he believes is lacking in the D. C. area, if not elsewhere. If it succeeds and lives up to the expectation he has for it, again, he will have taken us to a new level as he first did in the '80's. If it doesn't? I believe there is no room, no possiblity for this to happen-especially with him in the kitchen every night. He passionately believes Washington is ready for this level of Italian cuisine. He also has a ferocious pride in what it SHOULD be and a determination that it WILL be. Almost his entire staff has followed him from Galileo/Laboratorio believing in him.

I'll also be among the first to rave...or the first to complain. He will also be among the first to tell me I am wrong....

This post has been edited by Joe H: 13 October 2006 - 08:56 PM

[DanielK]

I don't disagree with anything you wrote in the second post, Joe. I've had the pleasure of dining in the Lab twice with dinners you've put together, and both were among the best meals of my life.

I just thought it wasn't entirely accurate when you said "...I have no connection to the restaurant or Roberto in any way..." Sure, you have nothing financially or personally at stake, but saying that you have no connection to a person that you are personally friends with is just not correct.

So, to paraphrase you, I'm the first to rave about your post, and the first to tell you that you're wrong.

[Biscuit Girl]

So.....is Bebo open yet? Tomorrow's my birthday and I'd really like to go there and celebrate?

[Joe H]

Biscuit Girl, on Oct 16 2006, 06:57 PM, said:

So.....is Bebo open yet? Tomorrow's my birthday and I'd really like to go there and celebrate?

I forwarded this to Roberto for his answer. I don't know-only he!!!! Of course if he is open....happy birthday!

[Joe H]

Roberto "formally" opens Bebo to the general public on Thursday @5:00PM.

This post has been edited by Joe H: 17 October 2006 - 09:10 AM

[Biscuit Girl]

Joe H, on Oct 17 2006, 10:04 AM, said:

Roberto "formally" opens Bebo to the general public on Thursday @5:00PM.

Thanks for checking on this Joe! I can't wait to eat there. Ever since I took a cooking class at Galileo this summer, I've wanted to go back for dinner. But with the closing for renovation, we never got around to it. But Bebo like it will be a welcome substitute.

[xcanuck]

A little more info here on the Galileo site.

I'm looking forward to the trek out there.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

I wonder if Bebo will have pizza available for carryout?

[RaisaB]

Joe, are they open to the not general public? I saw people in there as I left DCA last night.

[crackers]

Sounds like a good place for happy hour. Like maybe this Friday? From the website:

Quote

An extensive selection of small plates and wines by the glass will be offered in the 30 seat bar area; prices will range from $1.95 to $5.25 per small plate and wines by the glass will start at $5. . . . valet parking will be available.

[Stretch]

I just hope they don't model their service on their close Dutch namesake.

[DonRocks]

Please do not show up at Bebo until they officially open to the general public. All restaurants have soft openings, meals for family and friends, etc., and these occasions do not faciliate walk-ins.

Until specifically told otherwise by management, avoid Bebo for the next several days; it will still be there next week - we hope! :-)

[Jacques Gastreaux]

DonRocks, on Oct 17 2006, 11:38 AM, said:

Please do not show up at Bebo until they officially open to the general public. All restaurants have soft openings, meals for family and friends, etc., and these occasions do not faciliate walk-ins.

Until specifically told otherwise by management, avoid Bebo for the next several days; it will still be there next week - we hope! :-)

But what about Joe's assertion that it opens to the public on Thursday at 5? Surely a pizza to go wouldn't hurt 'em much.

[Joe H]

It is definite that it opens to the public on Thursday at 5:00PM. This is from Roberto. It will be their first "official" night of operation.

[Joe H]

Joe H, on Oct 13 2006, 05:50 PM, said:

Bebo will be opening soon. An "official" date for the soft opening has not been set yet. Below is one of the courses from a tentative menu that Roberto has drawn up. I'm posting it here as an example of the imaginative, innovative dishes that he'll be featuring which, to the best of my knowledge, D. C. (and much of America) have never seen before. I should note that I have no connection to the restaurant or Roberto in any way. But I am genuinely excited (actually stoked!) about what he is opening. This is, indeed, "the real deal." Not just the name trattoria stuck onto an Italian restaurant! And, it's HERE-not New York, South Philly or the North End.

"Lardo, salsiccia di Bra e carne cruda battuta al coltello con pinzimonio*
Home made cured lard, lightly sautéed veal sausage and chopped raw beef dressed
with extra virgin olive oil from Luguria with a pinzimonio of vegetables"

We went tonight for a "soft opening." With only a few minutes to type and no notes I just want to highlight three dishes: the "lardo" noted above, "crudo" and pasta fagiole. All three should not be missed by anyone going there. The "lardo" will be considered Roberto's new signature dish: it is imaginative and intensely delicious. The cured lard may be a bit misleading since there was just a two inch long paper thin strip of this complimenting intensely flavored, velvety finely diced raw beef which was flanked by a plump several inch long veal sausage in its casing. "Crudo" is a veal carpaccio that was unusual yet delicious. Perhaps the sleeper of the evening was a remarkable pasta fagiole that was better than any my wife and I have had in the Veneto where we have obsessively searched for the best pasta fagiole for years. Even though we must have sampled twelve to fifteen dishes I actually asked for a SECOND bowl of this. With a few snow flakes falling outside a bowl (or two) of this and a glass (or three) of amarone and all is right with the world!

[Mark Slater]

Bad form to talk about a restaurant not open yet.

[crackers]

Mark Slater, on Oct 18 2006, 11:43 PM, said:

Bad form to talk about a restaurant not open yet.

I must respectfully disagree with you Mark. It may be bad form within the industry (I really would not know about that) and it is not an appropriate time to post a full review, but that does not mean that we should have an absolute gag order on early posts, unless the restaurant requests it, such as when Rays the Classics was going through its soft opening.

Some restaurants have encouraged people to post their early impressions. For instance, during its soft opening Sonoma actively and enthusiastically sought feedback from members of this board, both in person and on the board.

Quote

No restaurateur in their right mind would allow patrons "off the street" to come in and try menu items before they are ready for mass consumption if there wasn't a huge advantage of getting their impressions and feedback in exchange... (especially such a vocal and discerning group such as you all.)
We are please with the response so far and we are committed to getting it right. So, by all means post on this board (or others) but please don't make us wait to read online to get your feedback, we want it while it is still fresh!

[Pappy]

I was fortunate to attend with Joe last night. We agreed on almost every dish. Along with the highlights he mentioned, there were some lowlights that will go unmentioned until Roberto has time to work on them a little further. I will add that the pizza oven was not up and running yet, nor was he cranking out any of the risottos that the menu promised. The desserts were remarkable and would have been at home in any of the area's finest restaurants. While I'll admit to being pretty jaded on the matter, prices seemed low enough to attract casual diners.

It was hilarious to watch the staff. We were told that the entire kitchen staff and virtually the entire front-house staff moved over from Galileo. They seem very reluctant to let go of the "prime dining" mannerisms that is their custom. Dishes were served beautifully adorned. The silver, china and crystal, were a full step above what the menu prices would suggest. Wines were opened on a rolling cart with a linen napkin and an extra glass for sampling. Dishes were set down four at a time in unison. One waiter, noticing an empty glass, retrieved a small silver tray onto which he placed the empty glass after removing it gently from the table.

It's a cavernous place with awkward lighting in a less-than-popular location (the old Oyamel spot). I hope they can find at least a temporarily successful home there, as I believe he is one of the greatest cooking talents Washington has. Solid pizzas and an affordable wine list should go a long way in acheiving that goal.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Pappy, on Oct 19 2006, 09:17 AM, said:

I will add that the pizza oven was not up and running yet,

Bummer. I was going to try and sneak in for a carryout pizza on my way home from work this evening. Perhaps I will have to substitute a bowl of the pasta fagioli and a glass of wine instead.

Mark Slater, on Oct 18 2006, 11:43 PM, said:

Bad form to talk about a restaurant not open yet.

I disagree as well. I think Pappy's approach strikes an appropriate balance. Talk about what was good; reserving judgment on and giving the restaurant a chance to work on the stuff what was not.

[DLB]

What are the prices like?

[mdt]

DLB, on Oct 19 2006, 10:43 AM, said:

What are the prices like?

Check this link that was posted above.

[DLB]

I hope I do not get bashed for what I am about to write about this place, given that it was the opening night.

The food was excellent and better than anything that I ever ate at Galileo. It was Simple Italian food at gentle prices. Some of what we ate tonight follows:

House made Salami with fried bread and a green sauce-Excellent
Pasta E Fagioli- Very large portion and could have been a meal all by itself, and a great deal at $4.95. The beans were outstanding!
Cannelloni with pork rague- Excellent
Spaghetti Carbonara- Very good. (I will be having the leftovers for breakfast)

Vanilla Ice Cream with espresso
Meringue stuffed with mascarpone and hazel nut ice cream- Out of this world

I love the wine list here, lots of reasonable choices, and there are even recommendations on the list as to what goes best with each bottle. We had a very good 2000 Barbera for $24.

I was in shock when we got the bill, as it was only about $70 before tip for all the food we ate. It was also good to see the Roberto was in the kitchen tonight! Go now before they increase the prices!

[Biscuit Girl]

DLB, on Oct 19 2006, 09:41 PM, said:

Meringue stuffed with mascarpone and hazel nut ice cream- Out of this world

I gotta try that!

DLB, on Oct 19 2006, 09:41 PM, said:

I was in shock when we got the bill, as it was only about $70 before tip for all the food we ate. It was also good to see the Roberto was in the kitchen tonight! Go now before they increase the prices!

We're planning to go tomorrow for a belated birthday dinner, can't wait!

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Fettucini Bolognese, $10, a bargain. Wine by the glass, a nice selection mostly at $5-$7/glass. Should be a good HH tomorrow. Lots of stuff on the small plates menu.

[Puchina]

I ate there last night as well and we had a wonderful meal. The sommelier was our server and recommended lovely wines to go with our meal.
We started out with a soft polenta with a formaggio morbido (soft cheese) and pancetta (7.95) that was to die for. The polenta was nicely seasoned, the cheese was good, and the pancetta was perfectly fried. One of my dining companions had the veal crudo (carpaccio) (8.95), which at first came out with parmesan on it even though we told the server he was lactose intolerant, this was quickly remedied and he had a new cheese-less plate within 5 minutes.
I had the spaghetti carbonara (11.00) which was delicious but huge. I took about 2/3 home. My boyfriend had the risotto of the day (13.00) without even asking what it was. It was prepared with shrimp and saffron, and was very good- perfect texture, nice balance of flavors. Our friend had linguine alle vongole (13.00). I ma not normally a clam-lover but this was the best I've had in a long time; it was served with about 10-12 clams. For dessert we had a scodella di vaniglia (5.00). It was a vanilla pudding with a lightly caramelized top, topped with fresh berries and vanilla ice cream. This was the highlight of the night. Even though I was stuffed I ate the whole thing by myself and for five bucks it's quite a bargain. My second favorite dish was the polenta.
I live right above the restaurant and mostly being there made me a tiny bit sad. At first I was very excited to have this restaurant come in, even though I loved having Oyamel right there. The problem is that I feel that they changed too little, so there were constant reminders of Oyamel. The bread is served in the same cones the tortilla chips used to come in and they didn't re-upholster anything. I know that they did that to open sooner and I appreciate that, but I'll still miss Oyamel a little.

[CrescentFresh]

Puchina, on Oct 20 2006, 10:02 AM, said:

I live right above the restaurant and mostly being there made me a tiny bit sad. At first I was very excited to have this restaurant come in, even though I loved having Oyamel right there. The problem is that I feel that they changed too little, so there were constant reminders of Oyamel. The bread is served in the same cones the tortilla chips used to come in and they didn't re-upholster anything. I know that they did that to open sooner and I appreciate that, but I'll still miss Oyamel a little.

The rest rooms aren't still "Day of the Dead" though, are they?

[Puchina]

CrescentFresh, on Oct 20 2006, 11:36 AM, said:

The rest rooms aren't still "Day of the Dead" though, are they?

The funny thing is I have never been in the bathroom there, even though we used to go to Oyamel every other week. I wish I'd known, I love Day of the Dead decorations
I'll have to check out the bathrooms next time.
One weird thing about the decor was that they hung a gazillion Italian flags outside which made me worry that there would be checkered tablecloths and candles in bottles of wine inside. I hope that it's a temporary thing.

[mdt]

Puchina, on Oct 20 2006, 01:00 PM, said:

One weird thing about the decor was that they hung a gazillion Italian flags outside which made me worry that there would be checkered tablecloths and candles in bottles of wine inside.

Why would that be bad? Seems to be that might be along the lines of Donna's sense of humor.

[goldenticket]

This little write-up in the "Daily Candy" certainly makes Bebo's bar menu sound appealing from a $$ point of view!

Quote

To avoid highway robbery, head to Arlington for Bebo Trattoria, the latest from Roberto Donna (of the famed Galileo), where bar menu prices start at just $1.95. (That’s right, less than two bucks.)

Once you get past the infomercial-sounding price tag, you’ll realize they’re serving the real deal. Small plates (bruschetta) start at the aforementioned $1.95, antipasti (fried mozzarella with anchovy sauce) at $4. Entrees (paccheri with slow-cooked tomatoes and pork rib ragu) cost an even ten-note. And for a measly $5, you can choose a glass from a selection of wine.

Housed in the old Oyamel space (musical restaurants, anyone?), Bebo is comfortable and welcoming, with a wood burning oven for the baked pizza and panini you loved at Galileo.

But cheap doesn’t mean cheap. Bebo serves the same fresh, seasonal ingredients as Galileo — with a more casual and accessible vibe.

[CrescentFresh]

I was one of the dozen or so checking out Bebo last night. We all sat at the sizeable bar, spreading out from one corner along two sides. Yes, the place looks almost exactly like Oyamel did. A few of the colorful Oyamel flourishes were removed, including the Day of the Dead decoration in the rest room. And they moved the host stand. Outside of that, it all looked the same.

About a dozen glasses each of red and white wine available by the glass. I kept to the reds, which ranged from $5 up to about $15. Perfectly quaffable Montepulciano, Chianti and some Barberas. Nothing stood out as particularly special.

Another thank you to the other DR members for sending their plates down my way and letting me share in some tastes. I didn't take a menu with me and didn't write down the particulars of a dish, so I can't recite too many ingredients or preparations for you. But here's what I remember. I very much enjoyed the carbonara, but how couldn't you? Egg, pig and pasta? Yeah, it's good. I also really dug the cool eggplant small plate, a kind of cool, molded caponata salad dripping with olive oil. And there was a homemade salami with fried bread strips that came out looking similar to churros, with a green sauce. The fried calamari was incredibly tender, both rings and tentacles cooked perfectly, but the flavorless batter on it did no justice to the fish and it needed a healthy dose of salt. I'd much prefer to see a grilled squid dish, particularly if they could get it as tender.

Less pleasing to my palate was a lasagna pasta that was far too soupy. A big bowl of wrong. I did not try the desserts going around.

I live very close to Bebo and can see myself going there with a level of frequency. Perhaps even more than I went to Oyamel, where I was turned off more by the service rather than the food, which I thought got better as time went by. (I really can't wait to see what the new Oyamel will be like). But now, 24 hours later, what sticks in my mind about Bebo is really unsettling. It was on my mind when I left last night and it's still my main memory.

They were busy, as you might expect. In fact, I got one of the last barstools available when I showed up around 730 or so. An hour later there were many standees and the dining room floor looked pretty full, too. It's no surprise that while all of the restaurant equipment was handed over from Oyamel, and that the folks coming in were from Galileo (although there are some new hires), it's going to take some time to get the system down right. New computers, new floor plan, new speedracks, new you-name-it. When your register runs out of tape, it's going to take a little longer to replace it, let alone have an immediate understanding of where that new roll is located. Oh, and you want to pay by American Express? No. They weren't hooked up for it yet. All of these things can potentially cause delays, frustration, errors, etc. Completely understandable.

Our server at the bar last night was not only slammed with patrons, but also all of these other things that can make it difficult working on opening week for a new restaurant. You most definitely could tell she was frustrated with the situation. But for as much as she was busy and frustrated about things not working smoothly, she was calm, pleasant, respectful, and truly appreciative of our understanding that people are learning the ropes in a new place. She was most definitely grace under fire. And when she did need to let out steam and try to point out to other employees what some of the immediate problems and issues were, she took off to the side of the bar that has no customers, keeping everything as far away from guests as possible.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same thing about the man who I am presuming is the GM. (If anyone knows....thinning hair slicked back and glasses with thick, round, black rims. I didn't ask who he was or what his position was, but he gave that "GM" feel as he cruised the dining room). The disgusting display this guy made directly in front of some of us was sickening and it leaves me with a completely foul feeling. He chose to reprimand our server right there with us. Not overly loud, mind you, but clearly and plainly for us to see. He kept berating her telling her she's going to need to calm down when, all the while, she was nothing less than pleasant, cheerful and efficient with everybody we saw.

It was embarrassing, not only for her, but for me. This is happening right in front of me and I'm sitting at the bar having to look right at it. The best I can do is look to my right and stare at the girl next to me eating her entree. Or I look at the ceiling and count tiles. I try closing my eyes. Or staring real deep into my wine glass. About 60 seconds after it was done and he left, he actually returned to give her a little more. Telling her that if she can't calm down she should probably leave.

What this guy managed to do was not only further frustrate an employee who was trying her best, but he embarrassed and angered his own customers. Any restaurant professional worth a fucking lick would NEVER put a customer in such a position as this SOB did to me and (I don't want to speak for them) the folks sitting around me. At least when our server needed to express her frustration, she had the good sense to get as far from customers as possible. This guy had no such courtesy. It was just a revolting performance that he put on that served no purpose other than to make a bad situation worse. And it is a shame that this is the memory that sticks with me from Bebo.

[porcupine]

CrescentFresh, on Oct 21 2006, 07:29 PM, said:

Any restaurant professional worth a fucking lick would NEVER put a customer in such a position as this SOB did to me and (I don't want to speak for them) the folks sitting around me.

For Chrissakes, man, will you tell somebody - like Chef Donna - about this? Instead of just writing about it here? Please?

[CrescentFresh]

porcupine, on Oct 21 2006, 08:18 PM, said:

For Chrissakes, man, will you tell somebody - like Chef Donna - about this? Instead of just writing about it here? Please?

I don't know the chef, nor do I make it a habit to summon a chef when I'm in a restaurant. I would ask for a manager without hesitation. But my impression was that this guy was the manager. I had no interest in speaking with him last night. Perhaps if he's there on my next visit I'll give him a piece of my mind.

[Joe H]

The GM is from New York and not part of the previous Galileo group. There are also several at Bebo who were formerly part of the management at Galileo. I am not certain of their relationship to the new general manager who, I believe, does not have a background with Roberto. For myself, Bebo has a waiter who was formerly the sommelier at Locanda Locatelli which is one of London's best restaurants. He is the same age as Emmanuel at Maestro with a similar background. He is also a wonderful ambassador and passionately believes in Roberto and his food. My wife and I have thought that he would be a better representative for the group. I have no idea what his qualifications are but he has presence and brings a great deal of pleasure to everyone he is around.

I hope that he has a future in Roberto's organization. He could be a real asset.

We had dinner at the bar tonight. The restaurant was packed! The pizza oven is scheduled to be connected on Monday and should be operating sometime next week.

After my experience at Comet I look forward to a good pizza in the D. C. area...

[Biscuit Girl]

QUOTE(porcupine @ Oct 21 2006, 08:18 PM) *
For Chrissakes, man, will you tell somebody - like Chef Donna - about this? Instead of just writing about it here? Please?

porcupine, on Oct 21 2006, 08:18 PM, said:

For Chrissakes, man, will you tell somebody - like Chef Donna - about this? Instead of just writing about it here? Please?

I would at least call or e-mail Bebo and talk to someone about this especially if it was the same server at the bar that we had. She was wonderful even with all the frustrations of the evening. We told her that we were in no hurry whenever she appologized for the slow food service or when the bar was getting slammed. Throughout our meal, she was always courteous and friendly to the customers. I even commented to my husband on the way out that when we come back we should sit at the bar again if she's working.

[CrescentFresh]

Biscuit Girl, on Oct 22 2006, 12:41 AM, said:

I would at least call or e-mail Bebo and talk to someone about this especially if it was the same server at the bar that we had. She was wonderful even with all the frustrations of the evening. We told her that we were in no hurry whenever she appologized for the slow food service or when the bar was getting slammed. Throughout our meal, she was always courteous and friendly to the customers. I even commented to my husband on the way out that when we come back we should sit at the bar again if she's working.

Stephanie?

[Joe H]

We had Stephanie last night also. (We were still hungry after Comet and went to Bebo and sat at the bar.) She is a wonderful asset for the restaurant. Whatever her minor flaws she is the rare employee that any owner would be grateful to have and rarely finds. We, too, will sit at the bar in the future in large part because of her.

[porcupine]

CrescentFresh, on Oct 21 2006, 09:18 PM, said:

I don't know the chef, nor do I make it a habit to summon a chef when I'm in a restaurant. I would ask for a manager without hesitation. But my impression was that this guy was the manager. I had no interest in speaking with him last night. Perhaps if he's there on my next visit I'll give him a piece of my mind.

Well, exactly: if the manager's the problem, then you have to take it a step higher - in this case, to Donna. Perhaps writing a letter rather than interrupting him during service?

[treznor]

Myself, PJASchultz, and two others went last night... the food was excellent, but the service was comical. Granted, we all understood that it was only the third night of service, but man... She's writing (right now I believe) her thoughts on the service, so I'll leave that to her and stick to the food.

For apps:
Lardo plate - Awesome combination of cured fat, sausage (veal I believe?), and tartare (veal again maybe?). It was interesting to see the pure fat of the cured fat, next to the fairly fatty sausage, next to the fairly lean tartare. The tartare was one of the first that I actually liked, but that may be because it might not have exactly been tartare. It was certainly basically raw chopped meat, but it tasted different used to what I'm used to trying (including the one time at Galileo that I tried tartare). It was very good though, with a citrusy kick, so I'm fine with whatever it should be called.

Others in our group had the polenta with pancetta, pasta fagiolli, and the wedding soup. Other than the runner mixing up the name on a couple of items (getting the soups backwards and calling the polenta pancetta instead, which we had forgotten was on top of the polenta), making for a bit of a mixup, all the apps seemed to go very well. PJASchultz I think was the least overwhelmed with her selection, but I didn't try any.

Mains:
Risotto of the day (shrimp with saffron) - Very creamy but leaving the texture of the risotto. The shrimp were chopped so you get a bit of the flavor in almost every bit.

Others had the linguini with clams, and the canneloni with ham and sausage.

We had really wanted dessert, but at that point we'd been there for around 2 hours (after waiting to be sat for only around 10 minutes) and were trying to make it to a movie that was starting in about 40 minutes so figured we didn't have time.

[PJASchultz]

I hate that his has to be my first real post on DR. Treznor is posting his thoughts on the food, which was pretty good, and I will post about the rest of the experience.

Last night, treznor and I went to Bebo with a couple friends. We were excited to try it out, and were looking for a nice restaurant that was casual enough that we didn't have to go home and change our clothes after a long afternoon. Bebo definitely seemed to fit the bill on that one.

We walked in at about 7:45pm and the hostess offered a 30-minute wait. So we made our way to the bar to enjoy some drinks. Our two friends were first in line at the bar to order, and were paying for their drinks as the hostess came up and told us our table was ready. Perfect! I almost felt bad for my friends that they went through the trouble of ordering a drink at the bar, only to be immediately sat at a table. Oh well, afterall a fast table is always a delight.

We sat down, and received our menus and the GM? who sat us walked away. We started perusing the menu again (which we had already been looking at while at the bar) and we were taking a closer look at the wine list. One of the food runners sat down a basket of bread for us to enjoy while we decided on our entrees. We asked ourselves if there was supposed to be some oil with this bread (Bread was very dry and crusty) and if we would ever get some. We noticed throughout the night that other tables had gotten oil, but no one ever came to our table.

The server stopped by a few minutes later and we told him we were ready to order. We put in appetizers, entrees, and treznor and I ordered a bottle of wine (our friends still had their drinks from the bar).

Tick tock.... about 10 more minutes go by after that and we still have not received water service, or our bottle of wine. Considering I am 2 pieces of bread in, I am really looking for some water. Our service comes by in another 5 minutes or so and asks if we have received our appetizers, and then apologizes for the delay. (Weird, we thought, since it had really only been a short time since we put in the order). Instead we ask for some water and our wine.

Another 5-10 minutes pass, and by now I am dying of thirst. So i stood up to go to the bar for a glass of water. (Our server has been totally absent this whole experience). While I am gone my tablemates had grabbed the server to ask for some water). I sat down with my glass from the bar and shortly thereafter the food runner came with our appetizer. Still no server, still no wine. The food runner who brought our appetizer seemed to be calling the dishes by inappropriate/incorrect names and he reversed the names on the two bowls of soups our friend ordered. So he sat down the dishes one at a time as we were left trying to determine what they were and whose they were. (Any good service should know which seat at the table ordered which dish, as now I felt completely embarassed that I really didn't know what I ordered because the dishes had Italian names and I didn't know how to recognize something like the "lardo" dish. Poor form on their part, I say.) It also appeared that our guests who ordered soup did not receive spoons. The server walked by shortly after we received the appetizers and told us as he walked by that he would bring back spoons. Tick tock ticko tock. No spoons yet. Our server has now walked past our table, back and forth, at least a half dozen times. We finally grab him and say "can we have spoons?" He says 'yes, coming right up' and then disappears for another length of time. Eventually a food runner brings us two spoons. We also notcie throughout the night, that this spoon problem seems to be occurring elsewhere.

By the time we are about finished with the appetizer, the girl with a water pitcher finally came over. However, we were STILL waiting for the server to come by and find out where our wine was. We sit for about another 10-15 minutes (at this point, we had been at our table for about an hour. 15 minutes and still had no wine, minimal water, and our waiter had not visited the table since he first took orders (aside from grabbing him as he ran by).

Well, treznor and I had decided that enough was enough, and that at this point we didn't want our bottle of wine because it was too late in the meal to enjoy a full bottle. Not wanting to wait another hour for our server, he decided to get up and go to the bar to get us each a glass of wine. While he was gone, the entrees arrived.

My friends and I had decided it was only appropriate to wait for him to sit down before we started eating. In the process of waiting, the server for the booth behind us walked by and noticed that we had our food but weren't eating, so he (albeit not his job to serve us) stopped and looked around, trying to determine why we weren't eating. "I will get you an extra side plate for your clams, ma'am." Hmm, very thoughtful. Clam-girl's boyfriend says "Hey, if you by chance see the girl with the water, could you please send her our way?" We had not received any more water since the first round, and our firends who ordered their drinks at the bar, had now finished those drinks and their first round of water. So, we had entrees and no beverages. The server says 'Oh not a problem, I will bring it myself' and he immediately returns with the water pitcher. At this point, we are wondering if it is possible to leave our tip at the table next to us for this guy, who has now been more attentive than our own server.

Treznor comes back with the wine, and on the way has to walk by our server. He says "You can cancel our bottle of wine, I just got some from the bar." The server followed him back to the table, looking pretty clueless, and then says "Ok, I will cancel that wine." Yeah, you think? It is of note to also mention that treznor ordered a side dish, that never showed. We decided it wasn't worth mentioning since it would probably take an hour to arrive.

We enjoyed our food - the dishes were all good - but at this point I am so disgusted with the service and the experience that I am actually trying really hard not to like the food. We are just about done and the server comes by to ask if we would like anything else, perhaps dessert, and treznor cuts him off to say "Please just bring the bill." He returns with the bill, and says something about "I did not charge for the bottle of wine, since that was my fault." We all look at each other and think .... 'Umm, how about you didn't charge for the bottle of wine since you NEVER BROUGHT IT TO US'. The bill was for everything that we had consumed, and was fairly cheap (impressive for tasty food).

I had been waiting the whole dinner for anyone remotely resembling a GM to stop by and say "How is everything here?' Seeing as how they have been open only two days (as our server kept reminding us, as if it is an excuse for truly abyssmal service), I thought it only appropriate for a manager to quick check on the tables, to see if there were problems that they would need to correct. But alas, just as our server had been absent, so was the manager or anyone else.

We signed our check and ran out of there as fast as we could. We ran right into Cold Stone next door to enjoy dessert. (The tiramisu looked like it would have been delicious, but at that point we just wanted to leave as soon as possible, before our CASUAL dining experience hit the 3-hour mark.)

Moral of the story here: Food was good, and definitely amazing for its price-point. But the service was so absolutely atrocious I am left not wanting to go back. I understand that a new restaurant has some flaws and "quirks" to work out, but this was more than quirks. And, considering that most of the staff is transplanted from Galileo, you would think that they would have some better sense of decorum. If there are communication problems involving who should fill the water glasses, or bring utensils to the table, that is understandable, but I would appreciate our server taking the 10 seconds to say "I am very sorry about that, ma'am' and I would have smiled and nodded. And, getting all of our beverage service from the bar, while having a table and a server in the restaurant, is totally unacceptable.

We may go back in a few months, or possibly sit at the bar and see if it is any better. But this is a perfect example of a situation where I say 'Your food was good, but everything else was so bad, I don't want to go back. And in this kind of city where there is SO much more out there, where I can find just as enjoyable of a meal, with much better service, I see no need to return to Bebo.'

[treznor]

I have to agree with most of PJASchultz's write-up... I'm much more forgiving than her typically when it comes to service problems, as I thoroughly understand that many of the problems you see aren't directly attributable to the server. However, there's a difference between slow service and horrible service... We were set for slow service, we were quite expecting it based on the fact that the restaurant had just opened. Frankly that should be a way for them to sell a few extra drinks or something :-) However, we couldn't get the drinks that we originally ordered, much less a few extra...

ETA: Still want to point out... the food truly was very tasty and really hit the spot, and at a good price point.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

Folks, this is a brand new restaurant that has been open only three days. While I realize that some subscribe to the view that if they are charging full price on day one, they better have their A-game in place, I am not in that group. Expecting flawless service by day 3 is expecting too much. A month from now, if they are still making the same mistakes as pointed out above, then comment is fair play. But my suggestion is that the two previous posts be read in this light.

The good news is that the kitchen does not appear to be making nearly as many mistakes as the front of the house is.

[alan7147]

Jacques Gastreaux, on Oct 22 2006, 02:14 PM, said:

Folks, this is a brand new restaurant that has been open only three days. While I realize that some subscribe to the view that if they are charging full price on day one, they better have their A-game in place, I am not in that group. Expecting flawless service by day 3 is expecting too much. A month from now, if they are still making the same mistakes as pointed out above, then comment is fair play. But my suggestion is that the two previous posts be read in this light.

The good news is that the kitchen does not appear to be making nearly as many mistakes as the front of the house is.

Flawless is one thing and expecting semi-competent is another. This server sounded like he had no place at an Applebees yet alone Bebo

[PJASchultz]

Jacques Gastreaux, on Oct 22 2006, 02:14 PM, said:

Expecting flawless service by day 3 is expecting too much.

I knew I'd get this response ... I'm not expecting flawless, just good. Or, as I said, even a brief apology from the server, or some acknowledgement from the manager, that shows they are interested in fixing whatever problems may arise. I am upset because I did not see even that much.

I am interested in hearing other people's experiences with service and wait staff, especially in the bar area.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

PJASchultz, on Oct 22 2006, 03:24 PM, said:

I am interested in hearing other people's experiences with service and wait staff, especially in the bar area.

I've dined at the bar twice since they opened. While I would not characterize the service as even good, it was about what I expected from a brand new restaurant, with a bunch of new employees, trying to deal with a crowd obviously larger than they anticipated or were prepared to deal with. For that reason I have refrained from commenting on it.