best dining out experience

Must preface: DH and I hardly complain about food served!

We were planning on going to a movie last night, but the dreaded words: "I'll be late babe" came at 530. That meant he had another consult, at least, and wouldn't be home for dinner and a movie. I pouted, and then took a deep sleep nap until 630. He called, was on his way home! Hoping to make an 815 at easton, when we live in nw c-bus. hmmm.

We get to easton: no parking. 815 comes and goes. We decide to stay for dinner (yes, we're the couple that eats regularily after 730, when DH rolls home after 14+ hrs at work, several days in a row). anyways. He wants cheesecake factory, i want california pizza kitchen. i win (us first borns, highly competitive, and keep track of wins.....eh)

We get to CPK, are greeted IMMEDIATELY by two SMILING hostesses. They start brining us to a table, but we get excited when we see a "bar" and can sit and watch the pizzas made! We request to sit there, and head to our seats. Barely sitting down, we're offered beverages....and let me tell you: our glasses were never more than 1/3 empty and we even got ice refills!

We order an appetizer: garlic cheese foccacia with "checca" (think brushetta like "salsa" but ummm waaaaaay better!) It comes in like 2.5 by a guy who calls us "friends." We order our meals: me a neopolitan style pepperoni, him some fettuccini thing and a salad. the salad comes by the same friend.

We watch pizzas being made, amazed that the 3 workers know all the recipes and have a good system down. Then, we hear Roger (the head chef-like guy) say to the pepperoni pizza holding worker, that goes with 'some fettuccini thing' so put it in the oven to keep warm.

10-12 min passes. roger has since left his prep area to help the stuggling pasta guy.

my pizza is still sitting in the 'warming' area.

about 10 min passes, the pizza is brought to us; all we say is: can we get a new one, it's been sitting for a while. their response: not a problem (with a SMILE)

DH's pasta comes out. And a few min later, my fresh pizza arrives.

delicious.

3 servers come to check on our food. not annoyingly, very friendly. and they all apologize.

a mgr lady comes, she talks for a min to see how we're doing etc...then says, i've COMP'D your MEALS! (ummm, what?! ALL we wanted was a fresh pizza!)

Yup, comp'd 25$ worth of entree!

We order dessert (cuz I was a sucker for the "you decided what dessert you're gonna share?" line).

Red. Velvet. Cake.

our friend brought it too us.

don't worry, they got a $15 tip because in my mind, our 'trouble' did NOT amount to comp'd meals.

we will be going back again. hey, they're our friends, right?

[sorry kinda long, i just wanted to give you the full experience!] hehe.

ooh, about the movie....we're going to the matinee today!