Thank you @Barca!
I wish the same for you and your family.
We had some more excellent takeout from Il Nido. They are getting ready to start outdoor dining next week and have adjusted their menu towards their upcoming dining in menu from their previous takeout menu. Details and pictures in the main WFD thread.
What's For Dinner #58 - the Uncertain Certain Summertime Edition -June 2020
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On a whim, I tried making a reservation at Il Nido last week and amazingly I got the exact day and time I wanted. Their set-up was very well done and after a few minutes I completely forgot I was sitting in a parking lot.
The food was absolutely spectacular. Iām no @paryzer so my photos donāt do the food justice but hopefully you get the idea.
Appetizers: Roasted Beet Salad with whipped ricotta, blood orange, fennel, pistachios and saba; Grilled Octopus with ceci salad and 'njuda pizzaioli; Crispy Duck Confit with charred onion, balsamic shiitake, arugala. agretti, and percorino.
Our Entrees: Rigatoni with artichoke ragu, burrata, and basil; Veal Chop with Roman gnocchi, mushroom ragu, and broccoli rabe; Grilled Rare Tuna with chickpea polenta, truffled mushrooms, and spring pea shoots.
Service started off very well but we did have a couple of glitches. After our apps were cleared we waited about 1/2 hour for our entrees. The waiter stopped by to tell us theyād be out in just a couple of minutes. More than a couple of minutes later he again came by to let us know it would be another few minutes as he forgot to tell the chef to fire our entrees.
We were all careful to save room for dessert and spent a couple of minutes deciding. We could have taken a half hour as that is how long it took before someone came by for our order. By that time we were annoyed enough to leave.
I know there is a lot of crazy stuff going on now. Iāve been in the restaurant business and I get that shit happens but maybe it would be nice to offer some more bread? Or a comped app? Or a second apology when serving? Nope. Will this experience stop me from coming back? Iād absolutely go back tomorrow as the food was wonderful though Mr Bean can hold a grudge so it may take him a little longer. It was clear there were some favored diners and we werenāt them.
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Iām so sorry that you had such a bad service experience. I wonder if they were short of servers. We had David as our server and he was excellent. Was John the manager there? If yes, you should have said something to him. The food looked fabulous though.
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The service did not start off badly. In fact it was quite qood. It just sort of fell apart. I was facing in the opposite direction but Mr Bean was watching. He said it was clear that several tables received doting service, were brought wine from inside, had the maitre dā hovering over them, etc. That sort of thing. It wasnāt like the service was intentionally bad just that we were an after-thought.
There was one waiter, donāt know his name, and two runners for I think 8 tables outside. I think a manager may have been there but donāt know.
Usually bad service highly colors my sense of food quality and Iāll knit-pick every aspect. The food remained delicious which doesnāt usually happen.
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Tell Mr. Bean that you have a standby to join you at any time. 
That said, Iām drooling from the photos (that octopus was one of the best dishes Iāve had in a long time), but Iām bummed the meal didnāt end well. I love a restaurant that knows its regulars, but thereās a point at which that can go overboard, imo. Sidebar: I say that having chef/owner friends, so I know what itās like to get the āspecial SPECIAL treatmentā - I used to hate it but couldnāt seem to stop them.
Right now when people are so cautious about eating out(side), I think every restaurant should be treating every customer the same way. Get us there, give us great food and a great experience, and weāll likely go back sooner vs. laterāand maybe even bring a few more people because we felt safe being there.
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I am like your husband. Bad service irks me more than bad food. Either way, I tend to stay away a long time after an experience like that. Sometimes forever!
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Iāve been around for a while making notes of recommended restaurants. I thank Mr. Paryzer for his suggesting Il Nido. Iāve ordered out from Il Nido many times and the food has always been excellent. I look forward to eating there inside or outside. But after reading Ms. Beanās experience I wonder. This is a top dollar establishment and you pay big bucks not only for the food but also for the service. The differentiating between the haves and have nots can cause me to have indigestion even if the food doesnāt. In this era of intense competition amongst restaurants, this ācaste systemā( for lack of a better word) doesnāt cut it. Mr. Bean is 100% correct. You expect it at McDonalds and NOT at il Nido.
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Thatās a great way to jump out of the gate, @cuddles115! Glad youāve decided to start posting.
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@CurlzNJ - I totally agree that it is rare for a restaurant to not treat āregularsā a little differently than others. Iāve been in the business and had my regulars. I know I treated them differently but I hopefully never did it in a way that negatively impacted the other patrons.
@angela Bad service irks me too but the impact on my enjoyment of the food depends upon when in the meal the service lapses occur. If service is bad from the get go, no food will be good. If later in the meal the great food can do a lot to mitigate bad service.
@cuddles115 Please donāt let my experience stop you from going. Weāve been there before and the service was great. Others have had great service as well. This very well may have been an off moment. I do plan on going back at some point, just not sure how quickly.
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Itās a very delicate balance. You have to make the regulars feel special, but not at the expense of of a paying customer. Sometimes you just have to tell the regular customer " Iām sorry, but I cannot give you special treatment now".
And sometimes you do something nice for the unknown and paying customer and they become a regular.
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And if you and @MsBean need a third wheel, Iām available!!! Sorry it ended on an off note!
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I agree with all that has been said above. In these trying times, I make an effort to support all restaurants doing take out or al fresco dining. They need our support and patronage. I looked forward to the il Nido experience from the cuisine to the service. I love to play craps in Atlantic City but not at il Nido.
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Iām ready!
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So I want to thank many of you for recommendations on IL Nido in Marlboro.
Between the pandemic & me suffering from pancreatitis & Cancer I havenāt been out & about much lately.
Tonight I took 9 very picky & well traveled guests here & boy do I look good.
From the appetizers to the main courses to the amazing service everyone kept telling me how smart I am.
You guys are my secret weapon & although I donāt have much to report lately I appreciate this group.
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Glad to hear you enjoyed it. Iāve not been there yet myself, but Iām yet to hear anyone have a bad experience there.
Hoping 2021 is full of better health for you as well!
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Glad you enjoyed it, more importantly God bless you and wishes of recovery and good health my friend.
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Thanks
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Iāll echo the sentimentsā¦yay for a good meal with good friends, and a bigger YAY for good health going forward.
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