LTHForum.com

I and three pork-loving friends dined at Baccala last night. We wanted a rich meal fo piggy goodness. Thank God we had cocktails at the Violet Hour before and after because it made the awful meal at Baccala less central to the evening.

We arrived a little before 9pm and the place was about 25% filled. Lots of empty tables for a Friday night in Wicker Park.

I'll start with the wine first: After attempting to order the Barbera, the Primitivo, and a couple of other decent bottles, the waiter finally told us that the only reds he had were a merlot and a Dolcetto. The Dolcetto was not a good wine and we didn't want Merlot. He eventually offered us a bottle of Barolo (not on the list) that was passable and we drank it. He told us that they "had run out of most of the wines that night but (they) were getting a shipment in tomorrow". What? You ran out of almost every wine on your list on a Friday night with an almost empty restaurant? And you are getting a delivery on a Saturday? I doubt it. We would have ordered more wine but the choices were, well, lacking.

Next, the food: For starters, we tried to order one salad special, the squid appetizer, the ravioli special appetizer, the pork belly appetizer, and the baccala appetizer. They were out of squid on a Friday night. What we received was another table's small plates. When we pointed out the problem, they took the wrong food away and gave it to the correct table. Then our food came: the baccala was lukewarm and we were served a tomato salad we never ordered. Everything else tasted O.K., except the pork belly-it was outstanding. Then, we ordered 4 entrees that were less than impressive. I should have just ordered more pork belly. Desserts were bad: the zabaglione and strawberry dish was thin and runny and the chocolate "souffle" was dry.

Finally: the service. It was atrocious. Our server was disinterested and inattentive. Our orders were mixed up and some of the dishes arrived to the table lukewarm. But the best happened at the end of the evening. It was about 10:45 and we were trying to finish our desserts, such as they were, when the staff simply turned off the music and turned up the lighting to bright. I guess they wanted us to hurry up and leave. I felt like I was at a bar closing when the lights get turned up and the people are herded out the door. Granted, there were only two tables still dining (ours and another), but even still...
We left for the Violet Hour and I will never return to Baccala. The Violet Hour, however, may become a regular haunt.

I had a very nice meal there two weeks ago, but we did not do wine and it seems like it was that factor that started you out on the wrong foot. I sympathize; the very first service element of the meal often does set the tone. I'll therefore forgive the errant apostrophe in the title and won't Bob the Angry Flower you.

I think I know who at least one of you were, and let me say for the record I advised you to go to Bluebird over Baccala after just having eaten there.

Note though that your assessment of the dolcetto is wrong- the dolcetto is a dolcetto produced in a typical Piemonte dolcetto style and is perfectly good for what that wine is- it's not the end all and be all of wine, but a notch above a really fine table wine.

Thanks for the forgiving Santander. My hangover from one too many Violet Hour cocktails is my pathetic excuse. And as for my comments regarding dolcetto-they were interpreted too broadly. I appreciate a good bottle of dolcetto: fruit forward, not too heavy in the tannin department and a great complement to many dishes from the Piedmont region. My problem was with this particular vintner. Anyway, the whole experience was a disappointment.

Apologies- you were not the group I though It was really just a teasing comment anyways.

I agree... I've eaten there 3 times and while the first two were very impressive, the last (end of July) was not. My friend was working through his meal (something pork... think it was the belly) and noticed it was tough towards the bottom... he touched at and it was still partially frozen!

Another had to send back their main because it was lukewarm. Also we had similar issues with missing wines. It's a shame because up till then it was one of my favourite restaurants...