We had more great weather this week. What better way to enjoy the weather than to find another patio! What better way to enjoy the weather and the patio than with a good drink and what better way to enjoy the weather, the patio and the drink than to be 51 stories above the city!
I returned to Panorama this week and was pleased to find it was not closed for a private party this time. Panorama has been on my list of restaurants to go to for possibly 6 years. Prior plans to go there with friends always fell through. Over the years I had heard people say, "You go there for the view, not the food", so I lowered my expectations. My first observation about the place was that when you are lining up for the elevator you need to remember the LIFO rule, last one in the elevator is the first one out. If you happen to be the first one in the elevator, just hope that the others in the elevator with you are nice enough to let you be seated first.
I got to Panorama just as they opened at 5PM. When I arrived on the 51st floor the only people there were the staff and the people I rode up with in the elevator. There are two patios, one facing the North and one facing the South. Of course we all wanted to face the South towards downtown. When I was being seated the hostess placed me against the building instead of closer to the view. Since only one of the eight rail side seats were taken, I requested the better seat. The rail side seats consisted of 6 tables for four and two wicker tables and chairs for two. I was sure it would be fine. I was sadly mistaken. She said she couldn't seat me at them as she expected it to get busy. I didn't argue and took my seat.
I examined the menu and decided on the butternut squash ravioli.
A group of girls showed up shortly after I placed my order. They stayed for a few minutes, took some pictures then left. I looked carefully at the city below trying to pick out the various buildings I've become familiar with. It was nice and quiet there. Occasionally I could hear an ambulance or the distant sound of some construction work. The cars on the Gardener looked like ants in the distance.
Two guys showed up and were seated in the wicker seats across from me at about the same time that my food arrived. As I dug into my ravioli with frizzled leeks I heard the waiter come back to their table three times to take one guys drink order. Turns out that they were out of the first beer he order and only had a half glass left in the keg for the second beer he ordered. Before letting the guy try to order a third time the waiter informed him of the other two beers they were out of.
By the time I had finished my ravioli, which wasn't anything too special compared to other squash raviolis I've had, the other patrons that had been in the elevator with me had finished their round of drinks, settled their bills and left. Some other tables had also been seated during this time, including a group of two at a table meant for four. I watched the hostess get a slightly annoyed looked each time she tried to seat someone and they asked to sit somewhere else. As for it getting busy, there were never more than 5 of the 15 or so tables on the South facing patio in use while I was there and all 5 tables were clumped together. The tables inside were empty and the North facing patio had one table in use.
I think the hostess really needs to adjust her expectations of the guests of the restaurant or go back and get some more training on how to be an effective hostess. People are coming to see the view. If I'm the first one there then I should be given a seat closest to the view and you don't clump people up together on a long patio. There is no excuse for that. Thankfully I didn't have to look through people for very long.
I would consider going back for a drink sometime. If it was the same hostess or another hostess that acted the same way, I would insist on sitting where I wanted and I would take a long time sipping my one drink and enjoying the view. It's definitely a spot to take friends visiting the city, if only to take some pictures.
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