Thursday, October 07, 2004

Bella Notte: Why Did You Have To Change?

Yesterday was my birthday. Melissa took me to Bella Notte for dinner as a treat--she has been spoiling me for a week now (which I enjoy and appreciate!).

It has long been a mid-priced restraunt in that it combined a range of family priced quality meals, with a healthy choice of high-ticket gourmet dishes and desserts/wines. You could go there and experience a wide-range of people (classes)--enjoy good food, and soak up the healthy atmosphere.

Immediately we sensed something was different... the menus had been altered, the prices were jacked-up, and the family dishes (quality food bought for 4-6 people so that families could enjoy themselves from time-to-time) were missing. I asked the waitress and she said that the owner's son, a sushi chef (what the fuck is a sushi chef--do you cook sushi--don't you just cut it up? sushi cutter maybe, but sushi chef?), had decided he wanted to make the restraunt more upscale and decided to alter the menu.

I wasn't impressed--the atmosphere of the place was ruined. It was full of these old rich people (which I have no problem with in small doses) and the wild diversity of the customers had been ruined, there were no longer the mixture of classes, generations, and attitudes. It was all now just a place to be seen and flaunt your status--fucking sick (not that I have a problem with this--it is prevalent in our society and I understand its ego-stroking function for narcissitic individuals, its just that I had admired the diversity of the earlier incarnation).

Oh well... at least the night was rescued by the charm and beauty of Melissa!

No comments: