Service at Oliver and Bonacini
In short? Simply amazing! It is rare that I have a double and consecutive post about a restaurant (and a chain restaurant at that), but our lunch experience at Oliver and Bonacini Cafe and Grill (Waterloo) today tops my charts.
Oliver & Bonacini Cafe and Grill
Conestoga Mall
550 King Street North
Waterloo, ON
519.772.0783
O&B's website
If service is a way to create buzz, it sure worked!
When I called to book a lunch reservation for our FTC Christmas lunch (self-formed Food Tasting Club at work), the gal remembered who I was after I said my name (which brings me to think that even if a restaurant used a CRM database to look up your name, it can certainly add a personalized touch).
Parking is somewhat of a nightmare at Conestoga Mall at the front entrance, and as mentioned before, having no access from the mall means that one only has a few rows of parking to choose from if you prefer a close spot. Anyway, on our way to our original table, one of the FTC members piped up and asked if we could sit closer to the kitchen because he wanted to see the bustling kitchen while we enjoyed our meal. And because of that remark, we ended up getting a personalized tour of the kitchen at the end of our lunch!
Our first server (the one who pronounces all the dishes in its proper Italian form) recognized me from two evenings ago, which amazed me (perhaps it was my BlackBerry smartphone sitting on the table, in the same fashion as before). Turns out, this is his 6th year at O&B and he's just on loan to Waterloo - we would normally find him at the Bayview Village location in Toronto.
Upon paying, I found out that the menu prices include tax. That is a pleasant surprise! One of our foodies ordered a lobster bisque to start, and maybe it was because the rest of us didn't order an appetizer, but it seemed like there were at least 5 servers asking if he was finished with his soup when he paused (for long periods of time) or when he didn't mean to push the bowl away. Is there such a thing as "too much" service? We called it "cruise ship" service (we were talking about cruises and it was quite comical after the third time). Plus, upon returning your credit card, they try to address you by name.
I did try the Al Parma pizzetta and I must admit, it reminded me of pizza in Italy. Crust wasn't too crunchy/hard or thick, and it had a thin layer of sauce, but plenty of prosciutto. The seared yellow fin tuna salad (background of above photo) looks really good (and many pieces too), but for $21.95, it'd definitely be a splurge for me.
Touring the kitchen was certainly a highlight: Kevin, our server, pointed out the sous chef, head chef (Steve), and O&B executive chef (Markus). The executive chef is in charge of all O&Bs, but I guess he's ensuring O&B Waterloo has a smooth start. The kitchen is pretty large in size: with areas for the pizza (with its fire-oven), salads, and sandwich making, the prep section along with oven for fresh baked bread (coming soon - right now they're using ACE artisan bread, which is a great choice), and the dishes area. The server tells that each cup of coffee is made with fresh ground beans and brewed by the coffee maker, which is worth more than his car (hrm, what car?). The side wall is lined with walk-in fridges and fridges).
To top all of this off, Peter Oliver (the Oliver in O&B) was walking around the restaurant chatting with the patrons. At this rate, Wildcraft better watch out: it sure has some competition close by because these guys get it.
Now, here's to hoping that we can book the team Christmas lunch here...