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Pane e Vino Brunch /Recommended?

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Walked by this place (on Smith Street in Broolyn) last spring and it looked very welcoming.Thinking of trying it soon. Would you recommend it for brunch? Do they still have the $9.95 plus drink deal?

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  1. Um, no, definitely not. Brunch yesterday was by far the worst experience I have had at a place on Smith Street. Ever. The food was terrible (a VERY dry panino, no dressing on a wilted salad, no salt to speak of anywhere, french toast on a bed of lettuce (!), etc.) and the service was completely, completely inept. Our too-cool-for-school Euro-hipster waiter was completely clueless, and not in charming way. He was late taking orders, brought my very visible pregnant wife a mimosa after we specifically asked for orange juice and NOT a mimosa, brought wrong change with the bill (shortchanging me by five bucks), and disappeared, as did every staff member, when I was looking for some sort of dressing for the aforementioned dry salad. Everything combined together for a cosmically bad experience. Management either doesn't care or is equally clueless. I wouldn't wish this place upon anybody. Avoid at all costs.

    3 Replies
    1. re: AmityGuy1

      While my experience was not quite this bad, I have to agree, esp about the service. I went there for a bridal shower a few months ago...the food was lackluster and the service was laughable. Really laughable. The space was nice, and they had it set up nicely for the bride though.

      1. re: prunefeet

        strange--i've only been once but had a nice experience. the brunch was solid--nothing stellar, but about average. what actually stood out was the service. our waiter went out of his way to make sure we had everything we needed.

        maybe i had an isolated experience.

        1. re: waxyjax

          I concur. Service is really bad. They have a good monkfish dinner entree but when I had lunch there, it was the same as above. Really dry panini, wilted salad. Nothing to return to.

    2. I've never written about this place but, since someone else started it...

      About 9 months ago, we went twice in the space of a couple of weeks. We're slow learners. The first time, the place had gone thru some menu changes and several dishes clearly weren't thought out. Not bad; just some comical combinations that were far from workable. I remember wondering "what was the chef thinking"? At any rate, our very nice, very young waitress was very clueless on everything and, in fact (I know I can exaggerate, but I kid you not) we had to show her how to use a corkscrew. Not a tough one, the kind that has 2 handles and just screws into the cork. The 5 of us actually saw it as an entertaining evening and couldnt believe it would be the norm, so off we all went back to the place a couple of weeks later. No improvement on the food... edible at low prices. However, the several waitstaff were running around aimlessly without anyone supervising & didnt put orders in correctly. Two dishes never came out and one was wrong. And they didn't seem to have any way to correct it... the kitchen "staff" (no chef apparent) argued with them when they went back. Not very likely we'll be trying a third time.

      3 Replies
      1. re: Steve R

        I noticed a new restaurant with what I think is the same name on Lexington Ave around 63rd St. in Manhattan. Anybody know whether it's related to this loser or not.

        1. re: efdee

          It's a chain, i think it started in CA. There is on on Staten Island also.

          1. re: efdee

            I thought the story was the guy who owns it also owns Boom in Soho?