Birch & Vine -- recent review
 

Just tried it for the first time (it's in Tuftonboro). Hostess and server were both very friendly and the decor was attractive. We shared a wedge salad, my husband had a surf & turf special, and I had scampi. Salad was excellent. Husband's entree was pretty good but he asked for med-rare and the steak was well-done. The scampi was loaded with garlic but seemed to have absolutely no salt in it. I think they'd even used unsalted butter! I had to ask for salt, dumped on an enormous amount (and I don't like extremely salty food!), but it still didn't have enough flavor so I borrowed a shaker of Parmesan from another table. I had noticed that the woman at that table was dumping tons of Parm on HER scampi, so obviously it wasn't just me. Couple this with the fact that the food and drinks took a very long time to arrive... and I don't think we'll be going back here. Too bad; we want to support new endeavors like this, but...

This is too bad that you didn't express your dissatisfaction directly to the owner or the Restaurant Manager in order to give them the opportunity to either correct their error or "comp" you on the expense.

Things happen and Restaurant Managers need to know of their errors so that subsequent visits are far more satisfactory.

At this point you can only hope they read the Winnipesaukee Forum to learn about your unhappiness. With that said I would put it down on paper and mail them a letter so they can learn about it and correct their errors.

Here's to happy eating experiences!

Agree
 

TheTimeTraveler, I agree.

A new venture can't correct items not up to expectations unless they hear about it upfront. Rather than ask for salt, let the server know why you want the salt and what could maybe be improved.

I have always felt that restaurants deserve at least one second chance before I would write them off.

Even if you simply stopped by for a quick visit, speak with a manager and in a calm manner, let them know what didn't meet your expectations. Hopefully, you will get an explanation and an invitation to return.

It's too easy in today's social media world to make complaints without giving the restaurant a chance to improve.

Dave

Very different experiences than OP's
 

We ate at Birch & Vine twice near the end of summer last year and again this past Wednesday night. The first time was on our own because we like to “vet” restaurants before going with visitors from out of town. All three times were excellent in every respect.

Too many dishes for me to remember but none were the apparently lacking ones that OP had. Off the top of my head, standouts were stuffed haddock, mussels & frites, calamari, crispy brussels sprouts, summer kale salad, and chicken nuggets for 7 yr old granddaughter.

That said, while I agree that a disappointed diner should definitely tell the mananager anything he thought was wrong with his meal, I have no problem with people sharing negative opinions on Facebook. Guaranteed that when we return to Birch & Vine if I feel like scampi I'll mention the salt problem.

We went a couple of times last year, both times there was something a bit funky about the service. Though I may be a bit biased to the negative by their change from my beloved Pine Cone.

Nevertheless--their shrimp burger is excellent and unique. It's one of the most noteworthy things I ate last Summer. So I have a secret evil plan to persuade Mrs Scot to return :)

OP said, “I had to ask for salt, dumped on an enormous amount”

There wasn’t salt and pepper on the table? Where was your server that you had to “borrow” parmesan from another table?



*Sorry I forget how to quote from another post*

Couldn't agree with this more. As a new business owner in the area within the same service field, I know my Crew will make mistakes. We're not perfect, nor will we ever be. However, how we handle the mistakes or unsatisfied customers is how we build our reputation. It's unrealistic to think you'll be able to please every person that walks through the door but it's very hard to understand what to improve on if you do not know it's a problem until a review is written, let alone a review anonymously posted online behind an alias.

It can be intimidating to provide feedback to a business/restaurant knowing they might take offense, get defensive, etc. The reality is, as a business owner/manager I want to know about the bad experiences just as much as the good experiences. It's how we improve.

Swimmer - I don't think anyone is discounting your experience at B&V but I'm with TTT - it's worth while to give them a heads up. It's tough to fix issues that you don't directly know about. Cheers :)

Always told my crew that a complaint was an opportunity. Handle it badly and you’ve lost them for good…and they tell their friends. Handle it well and you can have a a loyal customer..
A meal going back to the kitchen has top priority to fix or replace it and delivered with a sincere apology. Well worth it to comp a meal or a whole party rather than have them leave unsatisfied

Was in business for 35 years, now retired. The one thing I learned is, you cannot please everyone. Hopefully the good experiences out way the bad and the good customers spread the word.
We are human beings, we make mistakes. It's how you handle those mistakes that determines failure or success.
The best thing about retirement is the stress release of trying to please everyone else!

Birch & Vine--recent review
 

In most any businesses, but particularly in the food service business, "reputation" is the most important asset you have, and "reputation is spelled "E X C E L L E N T S E R V I C E".

bring back the Pinecone.

The Birch and Vine's ratings show otherwise?

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Just a thought...
 

Salt is something easily added to food but once there impossible to remove. Perhaps they had been given feedback that they used too much and over compensated? Personally, I prefer little to no salt. We have dined there several times and each time was a very positive experience. The staff and Patty (I think) the owner were always very nice. My biggest disappointment from them was that I had an amazing seafood pasta dish on my first visit that, apparently,
was a special and when I went back to try it again it was not on the menu!