Blog Owner & Resident Comment on Cafe V

Within the past 3 days, there have been 2 commentaries that we have received about our financed restaurant that we would like to share with you.

Residents Speak Out

on Cafe V

The first comes from Ron Johnson who writes the Sun City Anthem blog, Today's Anthem View.  Ron attended the Valentine's Day dinner catered by that establishment.

States Mr. Johnson in his publication:

Valentine’s Dinner for Two at Café V

On this special Valentine’s dining occasion on the 14th, expectations were high. After all, residents had been led to believe that the restaurant’s management and service problems were long behind them. Sadly, those problems were all too evident on this occasion.

There were two dinner seatings, one at 4 and the other at 7:30. Our party of four dined at the 7:30 seating. There were two offerings per couple, one at $50 and the other at $60. The offerings included wine, a shared appetizer, salad bar (which included soup), a choice of entries and sides, and a shared dessert. 

We were seated next to the window in the lower dining area. The waiter was quick to introduce himself and said he would return shortly to take our order, which he did. Everything was going smoothly and we were pleased.

And then we waited, and waited. While we waited, neither the wine nor the appetizers arrived, nor, for that matter, the salad plates, which were needed before one could go to the salad bar. 

Then, 45 minutes after being seated, the first sign of food arrived with, incredibly, the delivery of our main entre. 

 A sense of disbelief set in as we took in what was happening. We were not alone as the dinners at nearby tables were overheard complaining as well. What should have been a well-organized dining experience turned into a dining disaster.

Half way through the entre, the salad plates finally arrived, but by that time few had any appetite for a salad. Still, there was no wine or appetizers in sight until later. 

Salad was another matter. I, with salad plate in hand, and a gathering crowd standing around the salad bar soon discovered the salad bar had been depleted—no one had restocked the salad bar and the assortment of ingredient containers were empty. 

Some commented the soup was gone too. Even if you wanted soup, no one had restocked the soup bowls.   

The main entre was lukewarm and the baked potato, which should have been piping hot, struggled to melt the butter. 

The prime rib was OK but our cuts compared poorly to those that Café V served on Wednesday’s prime rib nights. Saving the night were those who were pleased with their salmon (succulent) and delicious mashed potatoes and gravy.

While the advertisement for the Valentine’s dinner led one to believe that the appetizers were individual, you did not learn that the appetizers would be shared until you were seated and read the menu. 

While most people understand what a shrimp cocktail should look like, Café V’s shrimp cocktail consisted of 2½ shrimp per person and two blobs of cocktail sauce.  

The only saving feature of this dining experience for me was the delightful company under extraordinary circumstances and the delicious apple crumb/ice cream dessert.

P.S.

For those seated in the lower dining area, patrons should understand that barely adequate lighting is apparently management’s preference, as we were told. The drop-down lights were tuned way down, in contrast to the brightly lit lights along the upper corridor. 

For unexplained reasons, the restaurant’s operator has been unwilling or unable to replace the burnt out bulbs in most of the spot ceiling lights over the tables, leaving those tables in virtual darkness. 

   

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Anthem Opinions Comment

Sorry Ron, it's not often you pay $60 for a good slice of crumb cake and a scoop of ice cream ...but someone other than the resident's dues have to pay for their rent once in a while. 

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The second comment comes from Valerie Lapin, our "Tips" lady who decided to visit Cafe V for the prime rib special on Wednesday, February 18th.

States Ms. Lapin:

Today I went to Café V for their advertised prime rib at lunch time.  There was only one other table where people were seated. 

I ordered the prime rib pink, not red. 

Twice it was brought to me well done and I got up to leave. 

The 2 servers said that if I waited 15 minutes I would be able to get the meat prepared the way I ordered it originally, and they told me to go ahead and get a salad while I was waiting. 

While I waited I was talking to the servers and telling them why I don’t dine in this restaurant, and that I felt sorry for them because if they rely on tips they were not making much money because not many people came to eat there. 

I discussed other issues that I have had with the restaurant. 

One of the owners came out and said that he heard that I was dissatisfied. 

I told him about my previous 3 experiences with my dinners that were disappointing and that I only wanted the prime rib today and was also disappointed once again. 

I also told him that I had written a letter to them after my unsatisfying previous experiences and never got any kind of a response nor acknowledgement. 

I also told him that I live behind the tennis courts and every night we count the number of cars of people that dine there. 

His response was “don’t you have anything better to do but count cars”?
 

My reply was that when I’m out in my back yard it’s very easy to see how many cars are in the parking lot. 

He was rude and defensive. 

I also heard that Valentine’s Day was a disaster and hardly anyone showed up. 

I’d like to know why SCA is beating a dead horse. 

It is obvious that this is not the restaurant that residents want nor do they want to subsidize poor business acumen. 

The owners of the restaurant blame the residents for their failure to thrive – what they need to look at is the fact that what they have to offer isn’t what people want, and the quality is questionable. 

Can we take them off on our income tax as a charity if we have to pay to keep them solvent?

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Anthem Opinions Comment

Gee Valerie, good question about taking them as a charitable contribution.

With all the "positive" comments about the food quality, we wonder if a homeless shelter would accept the leftovers ?

At least counting the cars in the parking lot won't give you indigestion. 

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Got a comment about a dining experience at Cafe V ? 

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Anthem Opinions Administration