Kentucky Club (old Gabriella's)

[Richard at Remax]

I went in on a Tuesday night a few weeks ago and it was about half empty. We got there at 6:45. We did not have a reservation but were told we would have to wait til the next seating which was at 7:30. Once again half empty. The hostess seemed very annoyed we didn't have a reservation and promtly gave us a business card with the number on it. Still haven't gone back.

[cjohnson.405]

I met and spent a good amount of time with the owner just before they opened and he was an incredibly nice man.

This is a family operation with his wife and daughter in the kitchen. They put a great deal of thought and money into this place.


I suspect they are just completely overwhelmed.

I'm sorry Pete but I completely disagree with your sentiment. When I talked to the owner, I expressed that I understood that they were behind and that was fine. We were patient. But, when he was a brick wall and offered no alternative and then became hostile, I lost complete respect for him and his operation.

I had been looking forward to hosting the supper club at Gabriella's for months. But it became a personal embarrasment because of the owner's attitude.

Good food cannot overcome indifference and hostile service. He may have alot invested but his attitude is going to be the thing that brings it all down around him and that is a shame.

[ljbab728]

I'm sorry Pete but I completely disagree with your sentiment. When I talked to the owner, I expressed that I understood that they were behind and that was fine. We were patient. But, when he was a brick wall and offered no alternative and then became hostile, I lost complete respect for him and his operation.

I had been looking forward to hosting the supper club at Gabriella's for months. But it became a personal embarrasment because of the owner's attitude.

Good food cannot overcome indifference and hostile service. He may have alot invested but his attitude is going to be the thing that brings it all down around him and that is a shame.

You met him when he was under pressure and Pete didn't. People often present very different faces in that kind of situation.

[Username]

Krebs cooking isn't even close to Italian food, which is a fact. Krebs cooking is terrible, and that is my opinion only. Don't know about this place, but the owners playing up "Krebs connections" isn't a good sign for what I look for in a dining experience. What you guys are describing from the front of the house sounds exactly like Giacomo's in Mcalester, and to a lesser extent, The Isle of Capri. While I think Pete's is terrible food, they do run the front of the house restaurant efficiently.

If anyone is interested in Italian cooking, I suggest Googling some of The Minimalist's (Mark Bittman) New York Times recipes. Using Bittman as a jumping off point and a handful of ingredients, you can cook something more delicious than offered at most of the Oklahoma "Italian" restaurants. Any schmuck can cook something that tastes fine if they use pounds of beef and cheese, like a lasagna. Personally, I would prefer a dish with a pasta with olive oil, perhaps wine, a couple of vegetables, maybe garlic,, a couple of fresh herbs, and maybe either a seafood or dairy addition (not both, please).

[PennyQuilts]

You met him when he was under pressure and Pete didn't. People often present very different faces in that kind of situation.

Pressure comes with the job. I hope things turn around for him but to be honest, since he's been in the business a long time and has run a successful operation, I have to wonder what he was thinking and also whether it is worth my time to go all the way out there. Sorry this is happening because I am one of the people very excited that they came here. It is one thing to have a bad waiter or even a bad meal - those things happen. It is another to have this sort of response to the public.

[BBatesokc]

Krebs cooking isn't even close to Italian food, which is a fact. Krebs cooking is terrible, and that is my opinion only. Don't know about this place, but the owners playing up "Krebs connections" isn't a good sign for what I look for in a dining experience. What you guys are describing from the front of the house sounds exactly like Giacomo's in Mcalester, and to a lesser extent, The Isle of Capri. While I think Pete's is terrible food, they do run the front of the house restaurant efficiently.

If anyone is interested in Italian cooking, I suggest Googling some of The Minimalist's (Mark Bittman) New York Times recipes. Using Bittman as a jumping off point and a handful of ingredients, you can cook something more delicious than offered at most of the Oklahoma "Italian" restaurants. Any schmuck can cook something that tastes fine if they use pounds of beef and cheese, like a lasagna. Personally, I would prefer a dish with a pasta with olive oil, perhaps wine, a couple of vegetables, maybe garlic,, a couple of fresh herbs, and maybe either a seafood or dairy addition (not both, please).

Agree, I never understood the love affair with Krebs and have always thought Pete's was the worst of the bunch. I'd rather eat Chef-Boyardee than their bland red sauce smothered goo.

[WilliamTell]

I'm sorry Pete but I completely disagree with your sentiment. When I talked to the owner, I expressed that I understood that they were behind and that was fine. We were patient. But, when he was a brick wall and offered no alternative and then became hostile, I lost complete respect for him and his operation.

I had been looking forward to hosting the supper club at Gabriella's for months. But it became a personal embarrasment because of the owner's attitude.

Good food cannot overcome indifference and hostile service. He may have alot invested but his attitude is going to be the thing that brings it all down around him and that is a shame.

Obviously the table where they planned to sit your party of 12 at was being hogged for the majority of the night by another group of self important yuppies. You said it yourself, the large group just sat there for hours with little to no concern that an entire restaurant of people was operating around them.

Its not that they didnt have a table, its not that they forgot your reservation, its that the section of there restaurant devoted to large parties was being hogged. The owner was irritated with them, the waiter/waitress was irritated with the group by cutting down on customer flow, and on top of it (rightly so) you were also irritated because you wanted the table they were sitting at. After trying to wait out the group the owner tried to setup plan 'b' for your group and that wasnt to his satisfaction or yours either.

I've never understood why people get irritated when they go out with large groups and act surprised when they have to wait for a table or service. Its like going through the drive through with 5 different orders then getting irritated when one comes out wrong.

[Easy180]

Was wondering what most restaurants do when tables have paid and just sit around and jabber...They normally hint around and then say you gotta go?...Sure the owner didn't want to upset the folks at the large table but at some point you gotta man up

[Stew]

People can spin this all they want but bottom line Gabriella's dropped the ball on this one. There is simply no excuse for the way the OP was treated. It's just that simple.

[Questor]

Yeah. I'm setting here thinking about what Chef Gordon Ramsay would probably have to say to the restaurant owner on one of his Kitchen Nightmares shows for something like this, and I don't think it would be pleasant.

[BBatesokc]

yeah. I'm setting here thinking about what chef gordon ramsay would probably have to say to the restaurant owner on one of his kitchen nightmares shows for something like this, and i don't think it would be pleasant.

"donkey!"

[WilliamTell]

People can spin this all they want but bottom line Gabriella's dropped the ball on this one. There is simply no excuse for the way the OP was treated. It's just that simple.

Lettuce be cereal for a moment....

You know the OP and his wife cant possibly like all 10 of his guest, he needs to thin the herd on his dinner club entourage or start taking all of his dinner buddies to Sirloin Stockade, The Sizzler, or a church funeral banquet.

A GROUP OF 12!!!!!!!!!! COME ON!!!!!!!!!

[SoonerDave]

Lettuce be cereal for a moment....

You know the OP and his wife cant possibly like all 10 of his guest, he needs to thin the herd on his dinner club entourage or start taking all of his dinner buddies to Sirloin Stockade, The Sizzler, or a church funeral banquet.

A GROUP OF 12!!!!!!!!!! COME ON!!!!!!!!!

Then its very simple: The owner should never accept a reservation for such a group. Better to turn down a large group if you know you can't handle it rather than make the reservation, and have the result as disastrous as this one has been - and plopped on fairly popular message board for lots of folks to see...

I think the OP did the due diligence by making the reservation two weeks in advance. A walk-up group of 12? No way, lotsa luck; but 14 days in advance? Either the restaurant says, "Sorry, we're just ready to handle a group that large, or we already have a large group booked for that night," but you just don't blame the customer for your own inability to serve your own product IMHO.

Yeah. I'm setting here thinking about what Chef Gordon Ramsay would probably have to say to the restaurant owner on one of his Kitchen Nightmares shows for something like this, and I don't think it would be pleasant.

You BEAT ME TO a Ramsay reference Darn you, Questor . Ramsay would have had a stroke. The scenario described does sound all too familiar, eh?

I will agree that it sounds like they are presently unequipped to handle the volume of service they are experiencing, and need some better front-of-the-house management to get things in order. I hope they do.

[GaryOKC6]

My wife and I ate at Gabriella's for the first time this weekend and absolutely loved it. Everything was awesome. It may have been that we were only a group of 2 though. We are planning to go back with another couple next week and willsee how that goes.

[metro]

Yeah. I'm setting here thinking about what Chef Gordon Ramsay would probably have to say to the restaurant owner on one of his Kitchen Nightmares shows for something like this, and I don't think it would be pleasant.

I've been thinking the same thing, only it sounds like the food is good, but he needs to come and chop some egos and clean up the service.

[metro]

My wife and I ate at Gabriella's for the first time this weekend and absolutely loved it. Everything was awesome. It may have been that we were only a group of 2 though. We are planning to go back with another couple next week and willsee how that goes.

Can you be more thorough with your review please, this doesn't help us much.

[Bellaboo]

They could have 'moved' the large group out by giving them the bill in a fair amount of time. When they started to extend a reasonable time, that's when the wait staff should have made their move....they can only blame themselves.

[Pete]

Trying to move people out of a restaurant is tricky business.

Sure as you try to do that, you get someone posting: "I'm never going back! We had a large group and were enjoying ourselves and then were rushed out the door. All they care about is turning over tables!"

[OKCTalker]

I've never understood why people get irritated when they go out with large groups and act surprised when they have to wait for a table or service.

Because the diner has met his part of the bargain - he made a reservation, arrived on time, and brought a dozen people. When the restaurant can't seat them when promised, then they've not met their part of the bargain. Getting inconsiderate, boorish diners to give up their table when others are waiting is all-in-a-day's-work for restaurant owners and managers. One way: "Excuse me, but we have other diners waiting for your table. Can I buy you an after-dinner drink in the bar?"

[Ginkasa]

Trying to move people out of a restaurant is tricky business.

Sure as you try to do that, you get someone posting: "I'm never going back! We had a large group and were enjoying ourselves and then were rushed out the door. All they care about is turning over tables!"

I understand the owner's position and I think its commendable of you to try and defend him. However, this man is in the customer service business. Its his job to make his customers happy. There will, of course, be times, whether through human error or acts of God, that threaten to ruin his customers experience. The one large group not leaving, in cj's story, is one of those times. It may not be the owner's fault. However, its his reaction and handling of the situation that is going to determine whether his customers, both the first group and cj's group, see the experience as positive or negative.

I'm not in the restaurant business itself, so I can only guess what actions might be appropriate in this situation. Several of the suggestions put forth so far seem acceptable to me. However, I think cj's largest concern was the owner's reaction to his complaint. From cj's post, it seems to me that if the owner had just acted with a little more grace and humility the situation, while not ideal, would not have been the deal-breaker it turned out to be.

While I haven't been to Gabriella's myself, I do hope it pulls itself together. The reviews on the food seem to be good and there have been enough posters with good experience that the operation as a whole is obviously not broken. It seems to me the owner himself needs to further embrace customer service, or hire someone who can better handle that facet of the business.

[PennyQuilts]

Was wondering what most restaurants do when tables have paid and just sit around and jabber...They normally hint around and then say you gotta go?...Sure the owner didn't want to upset the folks at the large table but at some point you gotta man up

I'm wondering why they would reserve a large table and expect the ones served before to move on. You get that many people in there, I wouldn't think you'd be able to count on them to clear out in under three hours.

[PennyQuilts]

Lettuce be cereal for a moment....

You know the OP and his wife cant possibly like all 10 of his guest, he needs to thin the herd on his dinner club entourage or start taking all of his dinner buddies to Sirloin Stockade, The Sizzler, or a church funeral banquet.

A GROUP OF 12!!!!!!!!!! COME ON!!!!!!!!!

He had a reservation, though. The restaurant could have declined to accept a reservation for that size. Once they did, seems like they would have an obligation to honor it.

[OKCTalker]

Making a reservation isn't signing a rental agreement. Finish the meal and give up the table.

[mikesimpsons82]

He had a reservation, though. The restaurant could have declined to accept a reservation for that size. Once they did, seems like they would have an obligation to honor it.

Exactly. It reminds me of that Seinfeld episode where Jerry had a reservation for a rental car. Moral of the story, if you don't plan on honoring the reservation, what's the point of taking them in the first place? I would never go to a place that takes reservations then doesn't honor it. What a complete joke.

[soonerguru]

The one thing that I remember distinctly about my visit was that we were told, "It will be an hour and a half before we can seat you." At the time, I was incredulous, as there were only about 8 people waiting in front of us and there were at least six or seven empty tables.

I asked about the open tables and one of the waiters casually came up to me and said, "Look. If you sit in one of the empty tables, you'll get served." I immediately took the cue and we seated ourselves by the window in the south dining room, completely bypassing the host station. Within moments, we were being served. Total wait: five minutes. It was hilarious, and like I said above, our food was excellent and we were particularly pleased with the pizza and beer menu. One of the things our waiter told us that night was that they didn't have enough dishes and silverware to serve everyone, so they were not seating tables until they could wash dishes. This was a wrinkle I assumed (perhaps wrongly) that they would easily iron out.

One wonders if there were empty tables the night the original poster visited with his party. Could they not have accommodated them?

Does Gabriella's have adequate dishware to handle the crowds it's getting? Does Gabriella's have staffing issues?