Um, how do I eat this?

[rose_metal_nz]

I didn't complain to anyone about this btw Yes, I know, I should've, but I was on holiday!
So me & the BF took the holiday we'd been planning all year (despite me losing my job, everything was booked & mostly all paid for, so we decided to go thru with it), and while we were out we decided to splash out on a restaurant dinner. There was a bistro just down from our hotel, and I asked my friend who lives local about it, and she gave it glowing reviews.
The food was... OK, I guess. It took ages to arrive, despite it not being very busy (about 2 other small tables in use), and the fact that they said they couldn't remove the mushrooms from the risotto (presumably meaning it's precooked?) but OK. It was pretty bland to my tasting, but OK.
Then I ordered dessert. Big mistake. I forget what the name of the dish was, but it was listed on the menu as 'vanilla icecream, frangelico & espresso'.
Well, the waitress brings the plate out and... It's a bowl with a few scoops of vanilla icecream, a shot glass of frangelico, and a espresso shot in a espresso cup. I'm like o.O ?? The waitress took off before I could ask her how I was supposed to 'construct' my damn dessert . My BF pointed out I did get exactly what the menu said
Anyway, so I tried pouring half of each shot over the icecream, and ... bleurghhhh. I love all the individual flavours, but this was just GROSS. I poured the rest over - and it was worse I really hated it. I tried to force myself to eat it cauz, well, $14 dessert!!!! But I felt really ripped off. Nobody came to check on us or anything, and the whole experience was really unsatisfactory; especially considering it was expensive!!!
I wish I could have got the guts up to say something, but I just wanted to get out of there.

[Bright_Star]

Well, for a $14 dessert I would have gotten the attention of a manager in a hurry! I would have raised a big stink till I got satisfaction. Waitress should have checked on how things were going.

[bainsidhe]

This is one reason I love it when menus have pictures. A description may sound just lovely...until I see it.

[PepperElf]

the frangelico and the icecream i can understand together. but hot coffee/espresso on it... meh. sounds like they gave you a disaster

[KatherineB]

That dessert is called an Affogato and what you received sounds perfectly correct, although there is usually Biscotti on the side. They are generally (in Australia, at least) very expensive, and yes, you can either have all three separately or mix the drinks over the ice cream and have them that way.

Unfortunately if Rose had called over a waitress, the best she would have received would have been a 'Are you stupid?' look, and a manager would almost certainly not have given a refund when you got exactly what you ordered.

[PepperElf]

That dessert is called an Affogato and what you received sounds perfectly correct, although there is usually Biscotti on the side. They are generally (in Australia, at least) very expensive, and yes, you can either have all three separately or mix the drinks over the ice cream and have them that way.

Unfortunately if Rose had called over a waitress, the best she would have received would have been a 'Are you stupid?' look, and a manager would almost certainly not have given a refund when you got exactly what you ordered.

well, i somewhat dislike the "are you stupid" look myself. cos hey just cos you get what you ordered doesn't mean you're not sure how it's suppose to be eaten.

a polite sever should at least be able to explain how it's put together.

and one can always contact the establishment's HQ to suggest that the menu be altered to include that the ingredients are served separately.


I mean technically if I order a chocolate chip walnut cookie they could give me a sugar cookie, a cup of chips, and a cup of walnuts by that reasoning - or a chocolate chip cookie & a cup of walnuts etc.. Or if I ordered a sweet tea, they could give me water, a tea bag, and some sugar in separate containers.

i don't think either would go over ver well however.

[Merriweather]

I'd have been at a loss, too.

I hate restaurants that feel only those familiar with the latest trends or "into fine dining" should bother to sit in their establishment, and love to mention unusual ingredients or dishes without any explanation. It may be technically true that if you "get what you order" you can't really complain, but they could make it easier for you to know what it is you're ordering. How hard would it have been for the menu to read "a bowl of vanilla ice cream with a shot of espresso and a shot of Frangelico on the side" under the title? At least then a person would know to ask "how is that usually eaten?".

And since the person explaining the dessert on this thread mentioned it usually comes with biscotti (maybe for "dipping"?), perhaps they forgot that part, and you didn't get what you ordered after all (another reason for clear descriptions on menus).

[PepperElf]

I'd have been at a loss, too.

I hate restaurants that feel only those familiar with the latest trends or "into fine dining" should bother to sit in their establishment, and love to mention unusual ingredients or dishes without any explanation. It may be technically true that if you "get what you order" you can't really complain, but they could make it easier for you to know what it is you're ordering. How hard would it have been for the menu to read "a bowl of vanilla ice cream with a shot of espresso and a shot of Frangelico on the side" under the title? At least then a person would know to ask "how is that usually eaten?".

And since the person explaining the dessert on this thread mentioned it usually comes with biscotti (maybe for "dipping"?), perhaps they forgot that part, and you didn't get what you ordered after all (another reason for clear descriptions on menus).

that's pretty much what i'm thinking - a description of what it is.

granted my cookie example was a bit off since cookies aren't normally eaten like that but... personally i've never heard of the dessert Rose ordered before so i wouldn't automatically know it's eaten "like that" either.

so pretty much i'm just at "it would be nicer if they had a description of how it's served". and in a case like this "you got what you ordered" may be accurate but since it's not a common dish - at least not here - so... there's no reason why she can't be disappointed or dislike that she didn't get what she expected, even if she technically got exactly what she ordered.



Or, for a better example than my cookie one: Provimi Beef. Where LillFilly ordered it, not knowing that "provimi" is a brand of veal. technically she also got what she wanted but definitely NOT what she expected.