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     If you're reading this blog you have your own wine stories about service in restaurants. A few days ago, Frank Bruni - critic for the NYT - wrote a one star review of the revamped Russian Tea Room (fond memories of having lunch there with my agent in its original incarnation, when it was the penultimate of the literary scene).

First, the review was a bit early. But what I found intriguing is this excerpt from that review.

"And what a problem. Although we had ordered a 1998 French Burgundy for $84, we got a 2001. We flagged the discrepancy, and for the next 15 minutes, as we ate our appetizers and thirsted for pinot noir, both the wine and sommelier were on the lam. When he showed up, he presented us with a similar 1998 — the listed one was unavailable — for $20 more. He paused, seemingly waiting for us to agree to spend that.

Then, in the manner of a car salesman, he said: “I’ll make you a deal. We’ll call it an even $90.”

Could he throw in cruise control? A leather interior?

He later dropped the price to $84, the right end to a wrong situation that typified the restaurant’s clumsiness."

     Now I have to say that it's great PR for a restaurant to use this situation to generously tell the patron he or she will have a subsitution of a higher priced wine at the same price as the one ordered. This happened a few months ago at Chanterelle in NYC, when the maitre d' gave us a bottle around ten dollars more for the same price. He even copied the wine menu so we can study it in advance next time we came in.

    It's said that if a patron is dissatisfied with a restaurant he or she will tell eight people. If satisfied, no one will hear a word, yet if that patron is pleased above expectation they'll become a fan.

     A more recent visit to Chanterelle, in which we splurged on a pricey Bordeaux, revealed some secrets: restaurants, especially smaller restaurants, aren't set up to store wine. They need to buy and sell on a regular basis, with no excess inventory. Increasingly, this is why wines sell out so fast so a patron is forced to order a different, usually more expensive wine.

     It happened today at Danny Meyer's Modern. We were in the mood for a bright, spicy Shiraz and choose one from Australia's Barossa Valley. They were sold out, and suggested one $20 more.

     Clearly, restaurants can go broke if they are forced to substitue sold-out wines with more expensive wines on the list. What do you think? Please use the comment feature to let me know.

     Oh, and here's some feedback from Bruni's review:

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