Amelia's American Bistro-Simsbury

[chrism23]

One of my hopes is that restaurant owners and managers read Chowhound and take heed of consumer comments. I know this happens on the New York board, and I know that it has happened here, in a previous thread I got into a positive dialogue with an owner.

I hope it happens here. Amelia's has really good bistro food. I have had two really good meals there. But your service is horrible. Tonight, we sat for 10 minutes before a waiter came, ordered wine, and waited another 15 minutes before the wine and bread came, waited another 15 minutes before the first course came, and 25 minutes before the main course arrived.

Please. Your food is good. But the timing is unacceptable. I will go back there one more time, and if its not any quicker you are off my list.

While on the subject, an I hope I have your attention, your wine list needs some work. You need to have more variety and quality in the $25-30 range. For a bistroish place that's not too hard to do. A minor quibble. But please, please expedite your service. I want to come back but will not sit and fume again. Thanks.

[chowmensch]

I love this place! The duck entree with three (I think) different preparations is to die for. Everything I've had there has been excellent. Maybe we've been lucky but service hasn't been a problem for us. I will pay attention to service and pacing on my next visit, however, and report back.

[MacshashRIP]

didn't have this experience, but I haven't been in awhile and the 3 times I went it wasn't very busy. I loved this place. Had one of the best Ceaser salads I've ever had here. Went for dinner and for lunch and both were fabulous. Hopefully this was a bad night or disgruntled employee or something.

[chrism23]

In all fairness, I was there once before, when it wasn't busy and things went well. This was a Friday night and it was busy. In thinking more about it though, I get more irked with the pacing. It was more like 15 minutes before a waiter appeared, we ordered wine and bread, another 15 minutes, before either appeared, so its 30 minutes of sitting without even bread to nibble on. My wife, who never complains, went to the desk to ask the front person to expedite. The bread and wine showed up. We ordered. We shared a soup, again in fairness, a delicious seafood chowder that was like a bouillabaise. But, it took 30 minutes to arrive, after we ordered. How long does it take to ladle out a bowl of soup. Then, after the soup was cleared, it took another 30 minutes for the main courses to arrive. Nothing complicated either, a very good Nicoise salad with scallops instead of the traditional tuna. I had fish and chips, which wasn't that good. The fish, cod, was baked instead of fried as usual, the fish was slightly dried out. I dared not order dessert, fearing it would be another half hour. So from the time we sat down, until we left, ordering nothing complicated, about well over 2 hours had elapsed. I redid this because I wanted to be accurate. I don't like to idly post negative comments. That's why I wish owners would read Chowhound. The slow production is costing him money. A better run house could have turned the table over twice in that period of time.

[Tinkerbelldee]

We had some similar issues on our only visit.
Service was extremely slow. Party of 4, bottle of wine was ordered for 2 and then 2 cocktails. 10 minutes kater the wine comes and is opened, another 5 or so for the 2 cocktails.
One diner ordered something, I think mac and cheese, with lobster. Plate came with 2 small pieces of lobster, when explained the the server she looked confused and walked away, no words at all, just walked away. When she returned, she handed him a plate with some lobster pieces on it and asked if that would work.
2nd bottle of wine ordered, we had just had the last bottle, needed to switch wine gear mid meal.
Chicken wellington was a dry disappointment but 2 other people at our table truly enjoyed their meals.
Empty plates sat on the table for almost 15 minutes before they were cleared.
Dessert was top notch

It is a shame that it is so spotty on both food and service. We have not been back and suspect we will not.