H's text message to our other friends who didn't make it out to dinner
pretty much sums up our Cinco de Mayo night at Nacional 27.
pretty much sums up our Cinco de Mayo night at Nacional 27.
Giving into blissful indulgence of my Miami nostalgia this past week, I had organized a Cinco de Mayo fête with good friends at Nacional 27 in the River North neighborhood. Nacional 27 is known for their Nuevo Latino cuisine – but frankly, not much else – because service sucked and drinks were the opposite of a-flowin'.
One full hour came and went before our first round of drinks came. It was Cinco de Mayo. CINCO DE MAYO! Shouldn't alcohol be coming out of our ears? Here is a summary of the night's painfully. slow. events.
6:30pm: Dinner reservations allow my party of six to be seated promptly. Yay for this!
6:55pm: Server greets us finally and takes our drink order for one pitcher of margarita to start.
7:00pm: A man brings us salt-rimmed glasses of ice and limes for our margaritas. We're getting excited! Drinks MUST be on the way!
7:20pm: Where are the margs??
7:25pm: If I see one more table being brought drinks, I'm going to facepunch them. Then steal their pitchers.
7:30pm: The ice has melted, but finally, let the margs begin! Server doubled up on the pitcher as a peace offering. (It is important to note that it took one full hour for the first drinks to arrive. Ah, if only this were a book and I could look back at this hint of foreshadowing as a sign of the night to ensue.)
7:45pm: Server finally returns to take our food orders. She overlooks the fact that I probably want to order something to eat, just because I don't join in on the other five people's group order of the "Wine Down Wednesday" four-course, prix-fixe menu. It took four taps on her arm before she finally recognizes me. I order the Ceviche Sampling Platter.
8:30pm: First course is finally served. The "Wine Down Wednesday" deal offers a flight paired with each course, but we never did get our Guava Sangria. Oh, and how hard is it to get ice around here for our lukewarm margs??
9:00pm: This is going to be a looong night. If this were Hell's Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay would have kicked some kitchen and bar staff asses.
9:30pm: Second course (salad) is finally served. Server gives us a double pour of the red wine flight to make up for the missing sangria. Poor M looks like she's ready to faint from hunger. They'd better have been growing our veggies fresh in the backyard after waiting this long for a salad!
10:00pm: Third course (main entree) and pairing is finally served. Three and a half hours later. We had riveting conversations about the Qur'an, luxury cruises, rheumatology, an insurance salesman with a Down Syndrome kid, California. H tips over in his chair. The server really cheated us on this last pour. I think the food is so good but we can't really tell if this is true because by now we're so famished and drunk.
10:30pm: Server asks if we'd like to order the optional fourth course of dessert. HELL, NO. We'll be here until tomorrow. Quick, we'd better ask for the check now.
10:45pm: Let's blow this joint. Should I just walk back to my office down the street and sleep there tonight?
FINALLY.
All in all, despite Nacional's horrendous service and turnaround that even puts "Miami Latin/Caribbean time" to shame, the food was delish and the company was fab. That just about makes up for it all. I almost want to put Nacional in my Awesome Food category, but I just can't because the terrible service overshadowed it. And now, presenting my requisite food shots:
One full hour came and went before our first round of drinks came. It was Cinco de Mayo. CINCO DE MAYO! Shouldn't alcohol be coming out of our ears? Here is a summary of the night's painfully. slow. events.
6:30pm: Dinner reservations allow my party of six to be seated promptly. Yay for this!
6:55pm: Server greets us finally and takes our drink order for one pitcher of margarita to start.
7:00pm: A man brings us salt-rimmed glasses of ice and limes for our margaritas. We're getting excited! Drinks MUST be on the way!
7:20pm: Where are the margs??
7:25pm: If I see one more table being brought drinks, I'm going to facepunch them. Then steal their pitchers.
7:30pm: The ice has melted, but finally, let the margs begin! Server doubled up on the pitcher as a peace offering. (It is important to note that it took one full hour for the first drinks to arrive. Ah, if only this were a book and I could look back at this hint of foreshadowing as a sign of the night to ensue.)
7:45pm: Server finally returns to take our food orders. She overlooks the fact that I probably want to order something to eat, just because I don't join in on the other five people's group order of the "Wine Down Wednesday" four-course, prix-fixe menu. It took four taps on her arm before she finally recognizes me. I order the Ceviche Sampling Platter.
8:30pm: First course is finally served. The "Wine Down Wednesday" deal offers a flight paired with each course, but we never did get our Guava Sangria. Oh, and how hard is it to get ice around here for our lukewarm margs??
9:00pm: This is going to be a looong night. If this were Hell's Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay would have kicked some kitchen and bar staff asses.
9:30pm: Second course (salad) is finally served. Server gives us a double pour of the red wine flight to make up for the missing sangria. Poor M looks like she's ready to faint from hunger. They'd better have been growing our veggies fresh in the backyard after waiting this long for a salad!
10:00pm: Third course (main entree) and pairing is finally served. Three and a half hours later. We had riveting conversations about the Qur'an, luxury cruises, rheumatology, an insurance salesman with a Down Syndrome kid, California. H tips over in his chair. The server really cheated us on this last pour. I think the food is so good but we can't really tell if this is true because by now we're so famished and drunk.
10:30pm: Server asks if we'd like to order the optional fourth course of dessert. HELL, NO. We'll be here until tomorrow. Quick, we'd better ask for the check now.
10:45pm: Let's blow this joint. Should I just walk back to my office down the street and sleep there tonight?
FINALLY.
All in all, despite Nacional's horrendous service and turnaround that even puts "Miami Latin/Caribbean time" to shame, the food was delish and the company was fab. That just about makes up for it all. I almost want to put Nacional in my Awesome Food category, but I just can't because the terrible service overshadowed it. And now, presenting my requisite food shots:
(Left to right) A mariachi band serenaded us for all of 20 minutes when we first arrived, as if to validate the Cinco de Mayo party at a non-Mexican joint; our first course of Grilled Shrimp Adobado, Boniato and Plantain Croquetas, Smoked Chicken Empanadas, and Latin Slaw of Jicama and Organic Cabbage.
I don't know why I look like I'm six. And wearing shoulder pads. But one thing's for 'sho, and that's my main entree, a Ceviche Sampling Platter of Shrimp & Scallop, Hamachi 'Verde', Rainbow Coctel, Ahi Tuna & Watermelon, and Pacific Ocean Oyster Shooters.
The others had Grilled Seafood Paella, Chicken Mole Verde, and Gaucho Marinated BBQ Skirt Steak, with sides of Mashed Boniato and Grilled Vegetables.
The others had Grilled Seafood Paella, Chicken Mole Verde, and Gaucho Marinated BBQ Skirt Steak, with sides of Mashed Boniato and Grilled Vegetables.
This made me laugh so hard! Had so much fun last night, despite the ridiculousness! Can't wait to do it again :)
ReplyDeleteIt was so fab and made for a good story! What next?!
ReplyDelete