Today begins the week of our restaurant crawl. At the top of both our lists was Lolita. Even though we had experienced some rudeness there before we have both been dying to try it out. So, on the way home from Lima today – sans child – I called and got reservations. I spoke with a guy who joked with me that all of Cleveland wants reservations at 7:00 PM, but he was able to get me a 2-top at 7:15. We were so excited to finally try the famed food.
We arrived at 7:00 and watched as the hostess sat a twosome without reservations. As we waited for her to return I saw our names on the reservation list so when she got back I pointed to it and said “We are Davis for 7:15 – we’re early”. She looked at me for a second, looked at her seating book and then said “I just sat the Davis party”. I told her it was a common name – perhaps it was another reservation and she said no it was Davis for 7:15. I said perhaps they saw the reservation list sitting on the hostess stand and used our name and she scoffed that “they’re regulars – I know them”. She was very clearly implying that I was the one lying about my name. I told her we made reservations this afternoon, that I spoke with a guy. To this she responded that she was the only one who EVER answers the phone – I couldn’t have spoken with a guy. I pulled out my phone and showed her that I had indeed called – at 2:47 to be exact – and told her I did indeed speak with a guy, but I could not remember his name – “Brad? Scott, maybe?” I guessed. Who thinks to write down the name of the person who takes your reservations? She soundly reassured me that there was no one there named Brad or Scott.
At this point I asked if there was anything available fully thinking that she would see that an error had been made and would try to accommodate us. We were 15 minutes early - and I told her we were willing to wait. But she firmly told us that she had just given away the last open table on the patio and they were booked for the rest of the evening. She didn’t invite us to sit at the bar, or anything – basically told us ‘we don’t want you here’. So we left and I was fuming. What kind of place doesn’t honor reservations?!? So, she sat another couple at our table…I’m sure something could have been done to find a seat for us!
After we walked back to the car I wanted to get the hostess’s name so I called to get it – since she claimed to be the only one to ever answer the phones, you know. She said her name was Rachel; I asked if there was anything available tonight and she answered “there are some tables open on the patio if you want to sit outside, otherwise we are booked”. So, not more then a couple of minutes after we left there are magically tables open outside….hmmm. I’m done with trying to see for myself what all the talk is about Lolita….I have gotten nothing but abject rudeness from the hostesses there. It’s such a difference from Lola where they have bent over backwards to be gracious. It’s disappointing given how badly we wanted to check it out, but I’m not going to keep going back to a place that treats us so poorly.
