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Subject: DC's most unfriendly restaurant to wine

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norm herring User is Offline

Grape Sorter
Posts:234

11/15/2007 11:53 AM
Those who follow the groups who frequent this board may have read about the DC Cru's attempt to dine at Wofgang Puck's new DC restaurant - Source. While the place is only about a month underway it has the strength of a significant admin team from other restaurants managed by Puck. The location is prime and the space elegant. More's the pity as the staff needs to polish it's act and reconsider it's corkage policy. The DC Cru regularly cruises through the DC restaurant sceen. The recent attempt to dine was frustrated by a rude sommelier, a preachy attitude about wine, and an explanation that Source was a West Coast Operation not East Coast- corkage was dictated by the corporation, the sommelier had no discretion, the restaurant was going to be busy on our night etc. We cancelled. I encourage you all to read the November DC Cru dinner thread rather than me to repeat my experience here. But, I find the $30 per bottle corkage to be a little on the high side here in DC and when it goes to $65 a bottle after three bottles it's absolutely hostile to groups like ours that have cellars and like to share them with friends when we meet as a group to dine out. No matter how good the food when staff looks down their nose at you the taste is bad.

Al HooKoo

Las Vegas, NV

Barrel Filler
Posts:1339

11/16/2007 6:28 PM
Out here in Las Vegas, I have found the Wolfgang Puck restaraunts to be on the friendly side when it comes to corkage. I know at Spago it is $15 and at Postrio it is $20. Most of the restaraunts in town charge $35. I've always had good experiences bringing my own wine to Wolfgang's places, but I guess if I'm DC I'll be avoiding them. thanks for the heads up.

norm herring User is Offline

Grape Sorter
Posts:234

11/17/2007 7:43 PM
A follow up-- The Source General Manager called me at home-- We had a nice conversation and he asked to let him know whe I came in the next time as he wants to make this right. I advised him the Cru was going to Brasserie BEck here in DC instead-- read about our great meal and wines below-- and when we arrived we found that he had also called Beck's and offered to provide two bottles of Champagne from Beck's menu for our off-line. I consider the offer a class act and appreciate his attempt to make this right. I'll let you know how the corkage future works out as I still think $65 after 3 bottles is ridiculous and will keep us out of Source as we can do so much better in other good restaurants here in DC.

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