Redd Wood (and the dying art of customer service)
food = yummy
drinks = exquisite
But that’s not what this is about! This is about the fact that my husband and I were raving about the service the entire time, felt like royalty, and are officially for-lifers.
So we’ve been to Redd Wood before, actually - almost a year ago exactly. So I imagine our status as repeat customers is relevant, but this has officially become our actual “this is where we go to celebrate our anniversary ever year” spot (instead of just a coincidence). The reason we went back was because the food and drinks were really good, so let’s be clear that is very important. But the quality of service we got literally became the conversation topic between us... which is saying something.
My husband and I both work in jobs that are tangentially related to customer service, one way or another. We spend our hours talking to a wide variety of people who, in the context of the work itself, are superior to us. We're not particularly fancy people, but we are used to the airs of those that are. So I know enough to know that spilling pasta sauce on my shirt was a faux pas, but I also know enough to know that the waiter bringing me a stain-remover pen, completely of his own volition, is exquisite service.
The kitchen apologized for a coursing error by giving us free dessert, even after they'd already given us free champagne to celebrate our anniversary. They did the fancy restaurant thing where you ask for a box and they take your food away to box it up for you, rather than just bringing you a box.
All of those things add up to a really good experience, and that really good experience means that I've told multiple friends about the restaurant, recommended it as a celebration spot, and am writing this post (that admittedly, no one will read, but you know). That's service.