New Woodshed posting

[guntrain44]

I have read all the postings on what was my very special eatery. So let me tell our latest experience at the "WOODSHED" !! For the last 14 years, we have always gone to the woodshed as our special "New Years" dinner....14 years....we will "NEVER" go back again. They were very late in seating us, but that was OK, we had a great waitress, who tried so hard to make up for the failing of the rest of the staff.....20 minutes for our cocktail, 45 minutes for our french onion soup, (ohhh the kitchen forgot to tell our waitress that they had run out), and when it arrived, it hard very little onion, tasted like water, no flavor what so ever, and it was cold. Oh course the salad came out first as we waited, that was OK, now we sit there for 1 hour 15 minutes, our meal came out, the prime rib/seafood was cold, the garlic mashed potatoes tasted like they had been in the steam table for three days. I ordered a med. prime rib, it came out well done, the seafood was bland and looked horrible.

In fairness, I understand the breakup of the family last March, the owner decided to come out of the kitchen to work the floor as his ex-wife did. The waitress told him how unhappy we were, he did come over to the table, but he did not seem to hear what we told him, he took offense to our frank comments. He did give us a gift card, (which we left as a tip for the waitress as we have no plans to ever return. He needs to get back in the kitchen and supervise his food, but he is enjoying being a hero on the floor. His new wife, (his ex-wifes best friend as we were told) is no match for his former wife, thats for sure, how ever, that has no bearing on what this once great eatery was for 14 years....Sadly, we will search for another favorite place. Just saying !!

[Pineedles]

Was this a New Year's Eve dinner or New Year's day dinner? In the past 14 years, did you go there for other than your "special New Year's Dinner"?

[guntrain44]

Originally Posted by Pineedles

Was this a New Year's Eve dinner or New Year's day dinner? In the past 14 years, did you go there for other than your "special New Year's Dinner"?

Yes, we use to go 4 times a year, and yes, New Years Eve. Change happens, just not always for the best sometimes.

[Pineedles]

So sorry to hear. I was hoping from some of the comments in the other thread that they were doing better.

[guntrain44]

Thanks....we had hoped that our visit was going to the special evening, we heard from other regular guests that things had changed, but we have been loyal customers for years and we believed in the Woodshed, so we went anyways....and with an open mind.

Nothing will ever bring the many folks who have been disappointed back. Many friends were departing from the early seating and mentioned the food was not as good and they would not return again. Still...we kept an open mind because we loved the place....sadly the folks were correct in their assessment. Best of luck to the owners in the future...action on changes speak louder than promises !! Enough said....each need to try it for themselves....just not us !!

[NoBozo]

This is sad news for the Woodshed. It was our favorite. Coincidentally, One can't help but notice the Uptick in the Plus Ratings for the Wolfeboro Inn. What with the changes in the Woodshed managment of late.....You don't suppose the Wolfeboro Inn has a stealth NEW HIRE..That knows how to run a restaurant.. Just a thought. NB

[Pineedles]

Interesting theory NB. Cosmic balance and all that, huh?

[wifi]

To counter this, I went early December for my birthday. I sat at the bar and had my favorite Prime Rib. I was alone, there were a few other tables and people around, but certainly not a NYE event. Things were great, just as I remember from decades ago. Perhaps the current crew is not equipped for a busy night.... not sure, but I will go back for next years birthday

One side comment, meant for the owners, if they read this. Everyone has there preferences. I noticed, this year, spices were added to the Prime Rib, I prefer it just straight up, and I'll add my own.... I tasted rosemary.... I use rosemary when I cook other things, just leave flavoring to the customer.


All in all, I still give a thumbs up... Its remarkable that most every owner of the place has some matrimonial problems.... the rosemary? LOL.

[LongBay]

I have not been to the Woodshed in years and based on the reviews I have read this past year, I will take a pass. Lately, I have been passing on a lot of restaurants in the Lakes Region of NH. With a 9% food tax, I plan to spend my money from now on back home eating in Boston where the food tax rate is 6.25% and you have hundreds of restaurants to choose from.

[trfour]

Originally Posted by LongBay

I have not been to the Woodshed in years and based on the reviews I have read this past year, I will take a pass. Lately, I have been passing on a lot of restaurants in the Lakes Region of NH. With a 9% food tax, I plan to spend my money from now on back home eating in Boston where the food tax rate is 6.25% and you have hundreds of restaurants to choose from.

[/Quote] " Not many good places to dine in the Lakes Region"...

I 'wood totally disagree with you! Now and however, should your taste buds require an 3.25% savings on your food tax, you are always more than welcome to drive where ever you wish.

The Lakes Region of New Hampshire has always had some of the very finest eateries and Restaurants in our entire Country!!!!
Terry
________________________________

[secondcurve]

Originally Posted by LongBay

I have not been to the Woodshed in years and based on the reviews I have read this past year, I will take a pass. Lately, I have been passing on a lot of restaurants in the Lakes Region of NH. With a 9% food tax, I plan to spend my money from now on back home eating in Boston where the food tax rate is 6.25% and you have hundreds of restaurants to choose from.

Interesting approach but it must make for some awful unpleasant weekends in NH!

[Winnisquamguy]

Originally Posted by LongBay

Lately, I have been passing on a lot of restaurants in the Lakes Region of NH. With a 9% food tax, I plan to spend my money from now on back home eating in Boston where the food tax rate is 6.25% and you have hundreds of restaurants to choose from.

Where are you eating at McDonald's?

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by wifi

just leave flavoring to the customer.

Huh? They should serve everything extra-bland and then provide a tray of seasonings for the customer to apply?

Sorry, but I think you're in the minority on this one.

[XJLPS]

Originally Posted by wifi

To counter this, I went early December for my birthday. I sat at the bar and had my favorite Prime Rib. I was alone, there were a few other tables and people around, but certainly not a NYE event. Things were great, just as I remember from decades ago. Perhaps the current crew is not equipped for a busy night.... not sure, but I will go back for next years birthday

One side comment, meant for the owners, if they read this. Everyone has there preferences. I noticed, this year, spices were added to the Prime Rib, I prefer it just straight up, and I'll add my own.... I tasted rosemary.... I use rosemary when I cook other things, just leave flavoring to the customer.


All in all, I still give a thumbs up... Its remarkable that most every owner of the place has some matrimonial problems.... the rosemary? LOL.

Consider yourself lucky . We were there on a friday night with only about 15 cars in the parking lot and still waited over an hour for our meals not to mention the 20 minute wait for drinks , cold food over cooked and raw . They need to pull their heads out of their Ass or they are goining to be out of buisiness by next Fall.

[WakeboardMom]

Originally Posted by secondcurve

Interesting approach but it must make for some awful unpleasant weekends in NH!

I don't completely agree. With our hectic weekday schedules, once we get to the house at the lake, we don't like to leave. While we do enjoy an occasional night out, we try to do it when we can sneak up on a weeknight.

On a Saturday night, we like to have guests. We serve appetizers and martinis (that don't cost $9 each) on our lakefront patio, and dinner is enjoyed watching the sunset from dining room that overlooks the lake.

: ) To each his own, but to forego dining out on a Winnipesaukee weekend is far from unpleasant. ( :

Edit to say: As a mom of kids who worked as waitstaff at various establishments around the lake, I APPRECIATE those of you who frequent the restaurants and tip generously!!! ; )

[Pineedles]

$9.00 martinis? Wow, I'm coming over for cocktails. What kind of gin do you use? Or do you use Chateau Lafite Rothschild '61 for vermouth?

[WakeboardMom]

Originally Posted by Pineedles

$9.00 martinis? Wow, I'm coming over for cocktails. What kind of gin do you use? Or do you use Chateau Lafite Rothschild '61 for vermouth?

See examples below. And then, c'mon over...are you a good tipper?



http://www.durbinspub.com/food/spirits/martinis.html

[sa meredith]

Originally Posted by Pineedles

$9.00 martinis? Wow, I'm coming over for cocktails. What kind of gin do you use? Or do you use Chateau Lafite Rothschild '61 for vermouth?

A $9/10 martini is fairly common, IMO. Top shelf anyway. Just the way it is now. Order a Bombay, or a Tanqueray #10, and it's going to set you back 10 bucks easy. Even a Goose, staight up, is 9/10...

[Pineedles]

Originally Posted by WakeboardMom

I don't completely agree. With our hectic weekday schedules, once we get to the house at the lake, we don't like to leave. While we do enjoy an occasional night out, we try to do it when we can sneak up on a weeknight.

On a Saturday night, we like to have guests. We serve appetizers and martinis (that don't cost $9 each) on our lakefront patio, and dinner is enjoyed watching the sunset from dining room that overlooks the lake.
: ) To each his own, but to forego dining out on a Winnipesaukee weekend is far from unpleasant. ( :

Edit to say: As a mom of kids who worked as waitstaff at various establishments around the lake, I APPRECIATE those of you who frequent the restaurants and tip generously!!! ; )

I missinterpreted your statement. I thought you were talking about at home you were serving the $9.00 martinis. I agree that commercial establishment's cost is up there.

[BoSox711]

I love the woodshed!!!!!!!!

[LongBay]

I have eaten at lots of places in the Lakes Region and Boston..so let's do a compare where would I rather dine...
O's or Smith and Wollensky...easy Smith and Wollensky
Canoe or Sal De La Terre ...easy again Sa De La Terre
Fratellos or Boston's North End ...another no brainer, Mamma Maria, Marco, Trattoria LL Panino are just a few of the many I enjoy in the North End
Common Man Food Chain or Legal Seafood Food Chain...Legal please
Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks...I'll take a grande
The Woodshed or Anothony's Pier 4...We will all miss Anothony's when it closes...I am not so sure about the Woodshed.

I have to admit, once in a great while I get the urge to make a dash to Mickey D's like Bill Clinton. But when I am up on the Lake, I will fire up the barbie or oven and enjoy my own cooking.

Living in Downtown Boston, all of the Boston Restaurants mentioned above are less than a 15 minute walk away for me. So, not only do I save on the tax, I save on gas and get to walk off that dessert I had at Caffe Vittoria

[trfour]

I was born and brought up in the Boston area, and MyFamily , In the Restaurant business long before you were among Us... Go figure...

And to re adjust my shoooooorts, humor us over here now.

The Boston area has many fine Restaurant's, certainly not my counter point of late.

Have you ever tried this here in the Lakes Region for the finest Italian food ever! here's a link; http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...1566#post71566

Please do not be discouraged, if you visit and want to learn more about Awesome food, come on up and enjoy more often!

Happy New Year!
Terry
_________________________________

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by LongBay

I have eaten at lots of places in the Lakes Region and Boston..so let's do a compare where would I rather dine...
O's or Smith and Wollensky...easy Smith and Wollensky
Canoe or Sal De La Terre ...easy again Sa De La Terre
Fratellos or Boston's North End ...another no brainer, Mamma Maria, Marco, Trattoria LL Panino are just a few of the many I enjoy in the North End
Common Man Food Chain or Legal Seafood Food Chain...Legal please
Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks...I'll take a grande
The Woodshed or Anothony's Pier 4...We will all miss Anothony's when it closes...I am not so sure about the Woodshed.

I have to admit, once in a great while I get the urge to make a dash to Mickey D's like Bill Clinton. But when I am up on the Lake, I will fire up the barbie or oven and enjoy my own cooking.

Living in Downtown Boston, all of the Boston Restaurants mentioned above are less than a 15 minute walk away for me. So, not only do I save on the tax, I save on gas and get to walk off that dessert I had at Caffe Vittoria

Why would you possibly want to subject yourself to such terrible food.
By all means stay home.

[Frdxplorer]

Originally Posted by WakeboardMom

I don't completely agree. With our hectic weekday schedules, once we get to the house at the lake, we don't like to leave. While we do enjoy an occasional night out, we try to do it when we can sneak up on a weeknight.

On a Saturday night, we like to have guests. We serve appetizers and martinis (that don't cost $9 each) on our lakefront patio, and dinner is enjoyed watching the sunset from dining room that overlooks the lake.

: ) To each his own, but to forego dining out on a Winnipesaukee weekend is far from unpleasant. ( :

Edit to say: As a mom of kids who worked as waitstaff at various establishments around the lake, I APPRECIATE those of you who frequent the restaurants and tip generously!!! ; )

I think you're on to something here, and it might be the reason for what I think is an overall decrease in restaurant quaility around the lakes region. I have been saying for some years that I think those with places up here tend to stay in... especially with the many new houses being built around the lake with gourmet kitchens. If you pay a lot of money to put in a kitchen capable of serving many guests, why bother with the crowds and mediocre food when you go out. Of course, places like the Inn that are very reliant on tourists only need to get people through the door once. They can probably live on toursists and not be as concerned with the "regulars"

[upthesaukee]

The Woodshed is about as far from my house as any other well known restaurant and well respected restaurant. That being said, it limited our number of visits, but we always enjoyed our visits there. However, because of the long drive, we have not been there in more than just a few years, and with postings of the inconsistencies in quality and service during this time, we decided that the journey may not be worth it.

We now tend to only go to those special places for special events, and even at that, we may choose to Do It Ourselves at home. When our daughter and granddaughter both wanted lobster and steamers for their birthdays (dates are three weeks apart), we choose a date in between both, got the lobsters and steamers at a great price, used the LP cooker, had salads, corn, and drinks for far less than it would have cost to go out. A little extra time and work, had the picnic table covered in newspaper, and an easy clean up made for a great day. We had the meal during the day, cleaned up, and headed out in the boat.

So Wakeboard Mom, I agree you may well be onto something, and unlike you, I live here year round. We love to go out to eat, but cost and in some cases, unfortunately, the quality of food and/or service limits the times we choose to go out to nice restaurants.

[Sunrise Point]

I agree with WB Mom and Ford Ex. when we are up at the lake, we tend to stay pretty close to home. My "gourmet" kitchen is a 1935 original camp kitchen with about 12 sq. feet of counterspace and a stove and sink. Somehow the food and drink always seems to taste great out on the porch (no credit to my cooking skills!).

We have a few favorites that we go back to again and again. They are not high-end or gourmet establishments by any means, but then we chose them because of the atmosphere, cleanliness and overall dining experience. Some personal favorites are:

Georges
Mames
Village Kitchen
Castle in the Clouds
Town Docks

There are literally dozens more that we are looking forward to trying based on what we read in the forum.

As far as the Woodshed is concerned, we went there a few times as a rare treat, and were pleased with the food and service. However,we have not been there in the last 2 years and now hesitate to go back based on what we have read here. Hopefully they will get their act together soon.

[LongBay]

Terry,

Thank you for the "Rossi" recommendation . I will have to give it a try some time soon.

Yes, there are some very nice places in the Lakes Region I will continue to dine at when I head up to the Lake Region on weekends. If you want a great breakfast or lunch, you should try Kitchen Cravings in Gilford. Everything is home made, very tasty, served in large portions, and the owners are local. If you don't see it on the menu chances are they can whip it up for you. Another restaurant I give a thumbs up on is T-bones. We always get great service. My wife and I like sitting in the lounge looking out onto the bay. The last time we were there a bald eagle was soaring overhead and looking down at his next good meal too.

I also have family members who own a restaurant, I am a great cook (so a lot of people tell me) and once worked in a restaurant to appreciate the good, the bad and the ugly.

[Lucky1]

Originally Posted by LongBay

I have eaten at lots of places in the Lakes Region and Boston..so let's do a compare where would I rather dine...
O's or Smith and Wollensky...easy Smith and Wollensky
Canoe or Sal De La Terre ...easy again Sa De La Terre
Fratellos or Boston's North End ...another no brainer, Mamma Maria, Marco, Trattoria LL Panino are just a few of the many I enjoy in the North End
Common Man Food Chain or Legal Seafood Food Chain...Legal please
Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks...I'll take a grande
The Woodshed or Anothony's Pier 4...We will all miss Anothony's when it closes...I am not so sure about the Woodshed.

I have to admit, once in a great while I get the urge to make a dash to Mickey D's like Bill Clinton. But when I am up on the Lake, I will fire up the barbie or oven and enjoy my own cooking.

Living in Downtown Boston, all of the Boston Restaurants mentioned above are less than a 15 minute walk away for me. So, not only do I save on the tax, I save on gas and get to walk off that dessert I had at Caffe Vittoria

In Downtown Boston, I don't see the mountains, or hear the loons and the air is not as fresh to breathe. Downtown Boston is great for a lot of things especially things like medical care and maybe some shopping or a ride on a swan boat. In summer though, I need the magic of our wonderful lake and I love several of our restaurants on the lake AND the wonderful dinners at the homes of friends. I have lobster roll lunches so will miss Sam and Rosie's but Canoe has good lobster rolls if any of you are looking for a replacement. There is room for both lake restaurants and Boston restaurants and lucky are we all that enjoy such wonderful places!

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by Lucky1

In Downtown Boston, I don't see the mountains, or hear the loons and the air is not as fresh to breathe. Downtown Boston is great for a lot of things especially things like medical care and maybe some shopping or a ride on a swan boat. In summer though, I need the magic of our wonderful lake and I love several of our restaurants on the lake AND the wonderful dinners at the homes of friends. I have lobster roll lunches so will miss Sam and Rosie's but Canoe has good lobster rolls if any of you are looking for a replacement. There is room for both lake restaurants and Boston restaurants and lucky are we all that enjoy such wonderful places!

Before I lived here it was about getting away. Leaving the crowded, crime filled, smog filled, over priced run down, cities behind. Those same overpriced eating establishments wouldn’t survive up here because there are not enough full time residents who could afford them. So you really can’t compare the two with any accuracy.
About the same as us buying property further north to take our vacations and spend our holidays away from the crowds who flock here to get away from the crowded cities.
I can take my wife out to a steak dinner that would rival O’s any day and pay about half what it would cost at O’s. But the dining area is about 12x12 and there is usually a wait so you go back to your car and watch for someone to come out then return to be seated.
The homeowners run the place and their old living room is the dining area.
They don’t dress fancy or even have a lot to choose from, but what they do have is as good or better then any place I’ve eaten in the Boston area or the lakes region.
Big Wood Steakhouse in Jackman Maine.

[WakeboardMom]

Originally Posted by upthesaukee

The Woodshed is about as far from my house as any other well known restaurant and well respected restaurant. That being said, it limited our number of visits, but we always enjoyed our visits there. However, because of the long drive, we have not been there in more than just a few years, and with postings of the inconsistencies in quality and service during this time, we decided that the journey may not be worth it.

We now tend to only go to those special places for special events, and even at that, we may choose to Do It Ourselves at home. When our daughter and granddaughter both wanted lobster and steamers for their birthdays (dates are three weeks apart), we choose a date in between both, got the lobsters and steamers at a great price, used the LP cooker, had salads, corn, and drinks for far less than it would have cost to go out. A little extra time and work, had the picnic table covered in newspaper, and an easy clean up made for a great day. We had the meal during the day, cleaned up, and headed out in the boat.

So Wakeboard Mom, I agree you may well be onto something, and unlike you, I live here year round. We love to go out to eat, but cost and in some cases, unfortunately, the quality of food and/or service limits the times we choose to go out to nice restaurants.

I live here year 'round as well, just don't sleep here 7 nights a week. On the way to Moultonborough tonight we may stop at Giuseppe's or the Bob House. On NYE we dined at Lago's (a bit disappointing) and watched the fireworks in Meredith Bay. My daughter, who is on break from Keene State, worked a few shifts at her restaurant last week.

Summer weekend evenings are best spent at home. ; )

(LOL...at home for dinner...and the occasional Saturday night at the Paradise after dinner! ; )

[Cristen]

Originally Posted by guntrain44

I have read all the postings on what was my very special eatery. So let me tell our latest experience at the "WOODSHED" !! For the last 14 years, we have always gone to the woodshed as our special "New Years" dinner....14 years....we will "NEVER" go back again. They were very late in seating us, but that was OK, we had a great waitress, who tried so hard to make up for the failing of the rest of the staff.....20 minutes for our cocktail, 45 minutes for our french onion soup, (ohhh the kitchen forgot to tell our waitress that they had run out), and when it arrived, it hard very little onion, tasted like water, no flavor what so ever, and it was cold. Oh course the salad came out first as we waited, that was OK, now we sit there for 1 hour 15 minutes, our meal came out, the prime rib/seafood was cold, the garlic mashed potatoes tasted like they had been in the steam table for three days. I ordered a med. prime rib, it came out well done, the seafood was bland and looked horrible.

In fairness, I understand the breakup of the family last March, the owner decided to come out of the kitchen to work the floor as his ex-wife did. The waitress told him how unhappy we were, he did come over to the table, but he did not seem to hear what we told him, he took offense to our frank comments. He did give us a gift card, (which we left as a tip for the waitress as we have no plans to ever return. He needs to get back in the kitchen and supervise his food, but he is enjoying being a hero on the floor. His new wife, (his ex-wifes best friend as we were told) is no match for his former wife, thats for sure, how ever, that has no bearing on what this once great eatery was for 14 years....Sadly, we will search for another favorite place. Just saying !!

I am a regular at the Woodshed and want to say that Kirk, Paige and the rest of their staff are doing a great job. They are very friendly and listen to suggestions from their customers.

If you didn't have a good experience there, and posted some constructive feedback... fine. You ripped them apart in a a very rude manner. Also, the comments about their personal situation... totally uncalled for and mean spirited.

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by Cristen

I am a regular at the Woodshed and want to say that Kirk, Paige and the rest of their staff are doing a great job. They are very friendly and listen to suggestions from their customers.

If you didn't have a good experience there, and posted some constructive feedback... fine. You ripped them apart in a a very rude manner. Also, the comments about their personal situation... totally uncalled for and mean spirited.

When you run a business you are in the spotlight, when you are in the food business your even more in the spotlight. That is just a fact of life.
Having not eaten there in years but having read all the comments I believe you are wrong. Not one mention about the personal life was in any was disrespectful. Ok maybe one was borderline!
While not many of the comments were positive, many of the negative comments came from people who had previously had good experiences with the Woodshed which right there should tell you something.
I think you would do more good for the owners if you enlightened them to the comments and they did something to turn their business around instead of staying with a sinking ship insisting they are doing a good job.
Given that in years past you would be hard pressed to have very many outright negative reports about dining experiences at the Woodshed, there IS something wrong and until it is fixed nothing will change.
I hope the owners do fix it because the longer it takes the harder it is to bring the people back in.

[VitaBene]

I frequent the Woodshed. I am probably there once a week for dinner and a good glass of wine at the bar. I have always had positive experiences there.

I have spoken with Paige and Kirk regarding the postings on this forum. They are aware of the negative comments amnd are working to rectify any issues that they have. I did recommend to them that they not respond here (I think we know how that usually turns out- think about the LP threads).

Here are some positive things that the Woodshed has done over the past few months:
1) Established a pub menu that includes sandwiches and other reasonably priced fare.

2) Instituted a frequent diner program where they credit you $10 for each visit. after three visits, they put $30 on your card (a Woodshed gift card).

3) Offer half price glasses of wine and cocktails on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

From what I understand the Woodshed will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays through the winter.

I love food and good wine. I certainly would not frequent a place that did not offer both! Kirk, Paige, Alysha, Asa, Danielle, etc. are great and always make us feel welcome.

[BlackCatIslander]

As a long time patron and fan of the Woodshed, the number of negative comments are somewhat disconcerting. I do want to see all of the restaurants in the lakes region do well. It is easy to find something to criticize in almost any restaurant but unless it intrudes upon the dining experiance I will generally overlook it. I enjoy eating at places from McDonald's to some of Thomas Keller's restaurants and everything in between. Let's enjoy all of the restaurants that we can choose from in the region.

[CGI3]

Don't bother going there this weekend, there closed until Wed. 1/11/12 . Sign posted on door states they are open wed-sun 4:30-10 pm...I'll have to wait another week for some of that awsome Italian food..

[Little Bear]

I had a spectacular boneless duck last night at Lyon's Den. Hadn't been there in quite a while - just never think to go there. Now that William Tell is closed I had to think of somewhere new, so it was Lyon's Den. Excellent food, excellent service and priced about the same as William Tell. Give it a try.

[Pineedles]

Originally Posted by Little Bear

I had a spectacular boneless duck last night at Lyon's Den. Hadn't been there in quite a while - just never think to go there. Now that William Tell is closed I had to think of somewhere new, so it was Lyon's Den. Excellent food, excellent service and priced about the same as William Tell. Give it a try.

What does this have to do with The Woodshed?

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by Pineedles

What does this have to do with The Woodshed?

I just went back and reread most of the posts. Many do hint at other alternatives to the Woodshed. Although all are mixed in with other comments, little bears comment wasn’t out of line.
Especially since some have compared the Woodshed to Boston dining.

[Pineedles]

Originally Posted by Belmont Resident

I just went back and reread most of the posts. Many do hint at other alternatives to the Woodshed. Although all are mixed in with other comments, little bears comment wasn’t out of line.
Especially since some have compared the Woodshed to Boston dining.

Thanks for the clarification Belmont Resident, I didn't see the post as out of line but thought perhaps LB meant to post their comment in another thread.

[NBR]

While I haven't been there in quite a while (distance) I have never had a bad meal at the Woodshed. In MHO New Years Eve equals high price,over crowded poor service.

[Bracey]

Originally Posted by Cristen

I am a regular at the Woodshed and want to say that Kirk, Paige and the rest of their staff are doing a great job. They are very friendly and listen to suggestions from their customers.

If you didn't have a good experience there, and posted some constructive feedback... fine. You ripped them apart in a a very rude manner. Also, the comments about their personal situation... totally uncalled for and mean spirited.

Not only that but most of the food criticism seemed to do with the food being cold, or sitting under the heat light for too long. Would seem to be a waitstaff issue more than a chefs issue. And the OP took care of that, by leaving a tip of the "complementary gift card" (which the waitress doesn't need to eat at the restaurant) instead of a real monetary gratuity. You seemed to feel the waitstaff did a good job, but not worth a real tip? CHEEEEEP. I still cannot understand what the owners personal lives has to do with your meal. Could there be a different agenda?

I have not had a bad experience at the Woodshed. But then, I don't go out to restaurants on NYE. Because if there is any night you'll find disappointment, that will be the one. And since they probably sat 400 or so that night, to lose one party, is a pretty good batting average. And while they acknowledged your criticism, and tried to make good, it didn't satisfy you. Was there anything they could do to make you happy? Doesn't sound like it. Other than flaming the restaurant, and the owners personal life to the world.

[SIKSUKR]

I see a picture of a lock showing up soon in the lower left corner.

[Shore Driver]

GREAT NEWS Woodshed lovers - they are now participating in Restaurant.com gift certificates (woohoo!). Today you can get a $25 gift cert for Woodshed for $2. Use code DINNER.

[dpg]

Originally Posted by brk-lnt

Huh? They should serve everything extra-bland and then provide a tray of seasonings for the customer to apply?

Sorry, but I think you're in the minority on this one.

Yes they should at least do this with salt. Salt's a killer (literally) and when I hit up a quick burger joint for lunch I don't want to taste a little bit of the french fries OVER the coating of salt. I'm not saying cook with nothing but most of us can live with a lot less salt in our diets.

[Belmont Resident]

Soooo good, but sooo bad for you. We switched to sea salt years ago because it is suppose to be better for you.
I've noticed more and more eating establishments are going that route also.

[Newbiesaukee]

A little off topic, but Sea Salt as "more healthy" is basically a scam. Sea salt is sodium chloride, same as regular salt. Different salts may have a few extra chemicals, but healthwise the difference is trivial. Costwise it is not. If you are cooking you can use less sea salt per volume because the grind is larger than table salt. That is, a teaspoon of sea salt has more sodium than a teaspoon of regular salt. By weight, there is the same amount of sodium in sea salt as in regular salt and that is the only important thing as a health issue.

[jkjoshuatree]

Sea salt and table salt have the same basic nutritional value, despite the fact that sea salt is often marketed as a more natural and healthy alternative. The real differences between sea salt and table salt are in their taste, texture and processing, not their chemical makeup.

Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Mayo Clinic

[Pineedles]

Doesn't salt like Morton's and other "table salt" contain iodine, which is a dietary need?

[SIKSUKR]

Any salt IS sea salt,its just either taken right out of the sea or where the sea left it after it dried up.

[dpg]

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

Any salt IS sea salt,its just either taken right out of the sea or where the sea left it after it dried up.

Your absolutely correct no salt is better than the other. Many people believe that about sea salt, not true. And yes, we are off topic.