h
Popular Cities
Santa Maria Restaurant Guide
Cuisine
Nearby Cities
Dw's American Bistro
(2 ratings)
* BUSINESS CLOSED *
2646 Santa Maria Way, #106, Santa Maria, CA 93455
Italian Food & Culture History
Restaurant Description
DW's American Bistro offers a mix of American and Italian cuisine in a setting unique for Santa Maria. You will feel like you are in an urban setting while never leaving the Santa Maria Valley.
January 17, 2008 @ 1:55 PM
a diner from Central Coast, CA
What a wonderful place in Santa Maria! I went there on a date and enjoyed ever minute. The service was great, the bread is to die for, and the desserts amazing. I had the Chicken Piccata and my date had the Chicken Marsala. It was the best Chicken Piccata I had ever had. The decor is beautiful and yet has a casual feeling. The tables are a glass tile that reflects the light (very romantic). You have to try this place. They have a website at www.dwsbistro.com. That is how we found them. Get in there so they stay in business! We need this place.
October 21, 2007 @ 7:26 PM
a diner from San Diego CA
I really wanted D W's to be great, its not. Its new and young though, so there's still a chance it could be better. That's why I've written a very detailed critique for the owner (I'm also sharing it with you and everyone on my blog).
Friday 10/19/07 I ate your restaurant ( D.W.'s Bistro).
My party of three arrived at 8pm on a Friday night to an all but empty restaurant. There was one other table of four eating, but they were the only people inside. Outside, two staff members were putting up the patio furniture. They didn't greet us as we approached and we had to ask if the restaurant was closed. They said no, so we went in.
Empty restaurant. No hostess, no waitress, no one behind the bar. We stood there for three minutes (inside I groaned). Finally one of the girls that was outside came in to seat us.
Your staff needs to: (1)GREET PEOPLE RIGHT AWAY (its not as
if people are going anywhere else).
(2) GUESTS NEED TO BE SEATED
IMMEDIATELY (especially if there isn't
anyone else there...hello why do I
have to say this?)
The waitress took our drink order and someone gave us a very small, cold portion of a baguette that was pre-sliced.
Bread - should be hot and portioned for adults.
The waitress took our order -Very Friendly girl by the way (young dark hair-don't want to use names). Our soup and salad was served.
THE MINESTRONE SOUP WAS AN EMBARRASSMENT. It tasted like water -seriously. No flavor whats so ever. This means that it had either been severally overcooked, It was watered down to a ridiculous degree, or the cook needs to be fired, because it had no spice in it to begin with.
Our waitress arrived moments later with our food. Normally this would be good, except:
Your staff needs to let the guests eat one dish before offering to take it off the table and put another one down.
My sister did not even eat half of her DW's Chief Salad (which she liked by the way -except for the potato chips on the top.
Please don't serve chips on the salad anymore. That's just weird and gross)
Ok one more thing about the waitress. There were only three of us at the table (the only table in the place that was ordering). Each time she brought food, she couldn't remember who it was for. Hopefully she can learn some kind of memory trick soon.
Now for the rest of the food:
"BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI". UNDERCOOKED.
Note: Ravioli is not just a mashed vegetable de jur folded inside sheets of pasta. Your cook needs to be fired. The cream sauce was also bland. The waitress offered Parmesan cheese- it would have been a nice touch if she had hand grated it for us, instead of just setting a dish of it on the table. That's like someone asking us if we wanted freshly cracked pepper and then set a pepper mill on the table.
CHICKEN MARSALA WAS LUKE WARM AND TASTELESS. Actually all the food was luke warm. It would be nice if you used Hot Plates for the food. Now if one must top Chicken Marsala with cheese, a spicy cheese would be the best choice (Parmesan ,Gorgonzola, Roquefort, etc.) Don't just toss a slab of Mozzarella on the top, its not a pizza. A typical Marsala sauce involves reducing the wine almost to a syrup with onions or shallots, then adding mushrooms and herbs.You should fire the cook. COULD NOT TASTE THE MARSALA WINE AT ALL. Might as well have been cooked in veg broth. The mashed butternut squash (the same exact thing in the "ravioli" was bland). The steamed vegetables were good.
THE LASAGNA WAS NOT LASAGNA BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION
As far as I'm concerned,It's "the" test for any Italian cooking. You should fire the cook, because . Lasagna sauce is not a cheesy bright orange! It tasted like Chief Boy Ardee. The PASTA OVERCOOKED, the MEAT WAS TASTE LESS AND I COULD NOT DISCERN ANY VARIATION OF CHEESE (there should be at least three in lasagna).
The three of us did not want to brave anything you might call desert, so I don't have any comment on that. In General YOU NEED TO FIRE THE COOK. Spend the money and HIRE A CHIEF. You can't just put "a twist" on food (chips on a salad) and think people will like it.
Now a few thoughts about your restaurants physical structure:
Location- Great its quiet since the shopping center isn't full yet.
Decor- Overall very nice. I love the rich earth colored palate. The woods are perfect, the floor is fun and contemporary.
The lighting is nice. Think about removing any bare bulbs though, it detracts from the nicer smaller lights in blown glass fixtures.
Greenery-Awful Get rid of everything that's plastic. Plastic topiary is gross, plastic fruit on the walls is ugly, Plastic wreath and evergreen garland on the wall is totally out of place That might be acceptable in Nov or Dec. Instead consider lots of silver accessories for winter (they are more sophisticated and cover every holiday religion and creed). If you are on a tight budget and still want to use plant material for the season, consider dried leaves and branches Oh the oriental bamboo on the bar is out of place.
Bathrooms- Clean Thank God. Speaking of God, please take down those tacky religious quotes on the men's room walls. Also consider re-hanging the wallpaper. There are big seams and gaps.
Fabrics- White linen is perfect. Please steam the drapes behind the bar. Those seams where the material was folded are terrible (it looks like you just unpacked them and hung them up).
Personal note for yourself. Perhaps it was only someone working in the back, but I got the impression that you were there that night and took time to visit the other table in the restaurant (The only other table seated with four older adults behind us). It would be good for business relations if you take the time to visit with all of your guests. After all that is one of the hallmarks of a great restauranteur.
In closing, I hope you will take all my advice to heart. Your place has a lot of potential and I just want to be able to eat at a nice restaurant when I come back to Santa Maria for a visit.
Friday 10/19/07 I ate your restaurant ( D.W.'s Bistro).
My party of three arrived at 8pm on a Friday night to an all but empty restaurant. There was one other table of four eating, but they were the only people inside. Outside, two staff members were putting up the patio furniture. They didn't greet us as we approached and we had to ask if the restaurant was closed. They said no, so we went in.
Empty restaurant. No hostess, no waitress, no one behind the bar. We stood there for three minutes (inside I groaned). Finally one of the girls that was outside came in to seat us.
Your staff needs to: (1)GREET PEOPLE RIGHT AWAY (its not as
if people are going anywhere else).
(2) GUESTS NEED TO BE SEATED
IMMEDIATELY (especially if there isn't
anyone else there...hello why do I
have to say this?)
The waitress took our drink order and someone gave us a very small, cold portion of a baguette that was pre-sliced.
Bread - should be hot and portioned for adults.
The waitress took our order -Very Friendly girl by the way (young dark hair-don't want to use names). Our soup and salad was served.
THE MINESTRONE SOUP WAS AN EMBARRASSMENT. It tasted like water -seriously. No flavor whats so ever. This means that it had either been severally overcooked, It was watered down to a ridiculous degree, or the cook needs to be fired, because it had no spice in it to begin with.
Our waitress arrived moments later with our food. Normally this would be good, except:
Your staff needs to let the guests eat one dish before offering to take it off the table and put another one down.
My sister did not even eat half of her DW's Chief Salad (which she liked by the way -except for the potato chips on the top.
Please don't serve chips on the salad anymore. That's just weird and gross)
Ok one more thing about the waitress. There were only three of us at the table (the only table in the place that was ordering). Each time she brought food, she couldn't remember who it was for. Hopefully she can learn some kind of memory trick soon.
Now for the rest of the food:
"BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI". UNDERCOOKED.
Note: Ravioli is not just a mashed vegetable de jur folded inside sheets of pasta. Your cook needs to be fired. The cream sauce was also bland. The waitress offered Parmesan cheese- it would have been a nice touch if she had hand grated it for us, instead of just setting a dish of it on the table. That's like someone asking us if we wanted freshly cracked pepper and then set a pepper mill on the table.
CHICKEN MARSALA WAS LUKE WARM AND TASTELESS. Actually all the food was luke warm. It would be nice if you used Hot Plates for the food. Now if one must top Chicken Marsala with cheese, a spicy cheese would be the best choice (Parmesan ,Gorgonzola, Roquefort, etc.) Don't just toss a slab of Mozzarella on the top, its not a pizza. A typical Marsala sauce involves reducing the wine almost to a syrup with onions or shallots, then adding mushrooms and herbs.You should fire the cook. COULD NOT TASTE THE MARSALA WINE AT ALL. Might as well have been cooked in veg broth. The mashed butternut squash (the same exact thing in the "ravioli" was bland). The steamed vegetables were good.
THE LASAGNA WAS NOT LASAGNA BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION
As far as I'm concerned,It's "the" test for any Italian cooking. You should fire the cook, because . Lasagna sauce is not a cheesy bright orange! It tasted like Chief Boy Ardee. The PASTA OVERCOOKED, the MEAT WAS TASTE LESS AND I COULD NOT DISCERN ANY VARIATION OF CHEESE (there should be at least three in lasagna).
The three of us did not want to brave anything you might call desert, so I don't have any comment on that. In General YOU NEED TO FIRE THE COOK. Spend the money and HIRE A CHIEF. You can't just put "a twist" on food (chips on a salad) and think people will like it.
Now a few thoughts about your restaurants physical structure:
Location- Great its quiet since the shopping center isn't full yet.
Decor- Overall very nice. I love the rich earth colored palate. The woods are perfect, the floor is fun and contemporary.
The lighting is nice. Think about removing any bare bulbs though, it detracts from the nicer smaller lights in blown glass fixtures.
Greenery-Awful Get rid of everything that's plastic. Plastic topiary is gross, plastic fruit on the walls is ugly, Plastic wreath and evergreen garland on the wall is totally out of place That might be acceptable in Nov or Dec. Instead consider lots of silver accessories for winter (they are more sophisticated and cover every holiday religion and creed). If you are on a tight budget and still want to use plant material for the season, consider dried leaves and branches Oh the oriental bamboo on the bar is out of place.
Bathrooms- Clean Thank God. Speaking of God, please take down those tacky religious quotes on the men's room walls. Also consider re-hanging the wallpaper. There are big seams and gaps.
Fabrics- White linen is perfect. Please steam the drapes behind the bar. Those seams where the material was folded are terrible (it looks like you just unpacked them and hung them up).
Personal note for yourself. Perhaps it was only someone working in the back, but I got the impression that you were there that night and took time to visit the other table in the restaurant (The only other table seated with four older adults behind us). It would be good for business relations if you take the time to visit with all of your guests. After all that is one of the hallmarks of a great restauranteur.
In closing, I hope you will take all my advice to heart. Your place has a lot of potential and I just want to be able to eat at a nice restaurant when I come back to Santa Maria for a visit.
Avg Rating:
Number of Reviews: 2
January 17, 2008 @ 1:55 PM
a diner from Central Coast, CA
What a wonderful place in Santa Maria! I went there on a date and enjoyed ever minute. The service was great, the bread is to die for, and the desserts amazing. I had the Chicken Piccata and my date had the Chicken Marsala. It was the best Chicken Piccata I had ever had. The decor is beautiful and yet has a casual feeling. The tables are a glass tile that reflects the light (very romantic). You have to try this place. They have a website at www.dwsbistro.com. That is how we found them. Get in there so they stay in business! We need this place.
October 21, 2007 @ 7:26 PM
a diner from San Diego CA
I really wanted D W's to be great, its not. Its new and young though, so there's still a chance it could be better. That's why I've written a very detailed critique for the owner (I'm also sharing it with you and everyone on my blog).
Friday 10/19/07 I ate your restaurant ( D.W.'s Bistro).
My party of three arrived at 8pm on a Friday night to an all but empty restaurant. There was one other table of four eating, but they were the only people inside. Outside, two staff members were putting up the patio furniture. They didn't greet us as we approached and we had to ask if the restaurant was closed. They said no, so we went in.
Empty restaurant. No hostess, no waitress, no one behind the bar. We stood there for three minutes (inside I groaned). Finally one of the girls that was outside came in to seat us.
Your staff needs to: (1)GREET PEOPLE RIGHT AWAY (its not as
if people are going anywhere else).
(2) GUESTS NEED TO BE SEATED
IMMEDIATELY (especially if there isn't
anyone else there...hello why do I
have to say this?)
The waitress took our drink order and someone gave us a very small, cold portion of a baguette that was pre-sliced.
Bread - should be hot and portioned for adults.
The waitress took our order -Very Friendly girl by the way (young dark hair-don't want to use names). Our soup and salad was served.
THE MINESTRONE SOUP WAS AN EMBARRASSMENT. It tasted like water -seriously. No flavor whats so ever. This means that it had either been severally overcooked, It was watered down to a ridiculous degree, or the cook needs to be fired, because it had no spice in it to begin with.
Our waitress arrived moments later with our food. Normally this would be good, except:
Your staff needs to let the guests eat one dish before offering to take it off the table and put another one down.
My sister did not even eat half of her DW's Chief Salad (which she liked by the way -except for the potato chips on the top.
Please don't serve chips on the salad anymore. That's just weird and gross)
Ok one more thing about the waitress. There were only three of us at the table (the only table in the place that was ordering). Each time she brought food, she couldn't remember who it was for. Hopefully she can learn some kind of memory trick soon.
Now for the rest of the food:
"BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI". UNDERCOOKED.
Note: Ravioli is not just a mashed vegetable de jur folded inside sheets of pasta. Your cook needs to be fired. The cream sauce was also bland. The waitress offered Parmesan cheese- it would have been a nice touch if she had hand grated it for us, instead of just setting a dish of it on the table. That's like someone asking us if we wanted freshly cracked pepper and then set a pepper mill on the table.
CHICKEN MARSALA WAS LUKE WARM AND TASTELESS. Actually all the food was luke warm. It would be nice if you used Hot Plates for the food. Now if one must top Chicken Marsala with cheese, a spicy cheese would be the best choice (Parmesan ,Gorgonzola, Roquefort, etc.) Don't just toss a slab of Mozzarella on the top, its not a pizza. A typical Marsala sauce involves reducing the wine almost to a syrup with onions or shallots, then adding mushrooms and herbs.You should fire the cook. COULD NOT TASTE THE MARSALA WINE AT ALL. Might as well have been cooked in veg broth. The mashed butternut squash (the same exact thing in the "ravioli" was bland). The steamed vegetables were good.
THE LASAGNA WAS NOT LASAGNA BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION
As far as I'm concerned,It's "the" test for any Italian cooking. You should fire the cook, because . Lasagna sauce is not a cheesy bright orange! It tasted like Chief Boy Ardee. The PASTA OVERCOOKED, the MEAT WAS TASTE LESS AND I COULD NOT DISCERN ANY VARIATION OF CHEESE (there should be at least three in lasagna).
The three of us did not want to brave anything you might call desert, so I don't have any comment on that. In General YOU NEED TO FIRE THE COOK. Spend the money and HIRE A CHIEF. You can't just put "a twist" on food (chips on a salad) and think people will like it.
Now a few thoughts about your restaurants physical structure:
Location- Great its quiet since the shopping center isn't full yet.
Decor- Overall very nice. I love the rich earth colored palate. The woods are perfect, the floor is fun and contemporary.
The lighting is nice. Think about removing any bare bulbs though, it detracts from the nicer smaller lights in blown glass fixtures.
Greenery-Awful Get rid of everything that's plastic. Plastic topiary is gross, plastic fruit on the walls is ugly, Plastic wreath and evergreen garland on the wall is totally out of place That might be acceptable in Nov or Dec. Instead consider lots of silver accessories for winter (they are more sophisticated and cover every holiday religion and creed). If you are on a tight budget and still want to use plant material for the season, consider dried leaves and branches Oh the oriental bamboo on the bar is out of place.
Bathrooms- Clean Thank God. Speaking of God, please take down those tacky religious quotes on the men's room walls. Also consider re-hanging the wallpaper. There are big seams and gaps.
Fabrics- White linen is perfect. Please steam the drapes behind the bar. Those seams where the material was folded are terrible (it looks like you just unpacked them and hung them up).
Personal note for yourself. Perhaps it was only someone working in the back, but I got the impression that you were there that night and took time to visit the other table in the restaurant (The only other table seated with four older adults behind us). It would be good for business relations if you take the time to visit with all of your guests. After all that is one of the hallmarks of a great restauranteur.
In closing, I hope you will take all my advice to heart. Your place has a lot of potential and I just want to be able to eat at a nice restaurant when I come back to Santa Maria for a visit.
Friday 10/19/07 I ate your restaurant ( D.W.'s Bistro).
My party of three arrived at 8pm on a Friday night to an all but empty restaurant. There was one other table of four eating, but they were the only people inside. Outside, two staff members were putting up the patio furniture. They didn't greet us as we approached and we had to ask if the restaurant was closed. They said no, so we went in.
Empty restaurant. No hostess, no waitress, no one behind the bar. We stood there for three minutes (inside I groaned). Finally one of the girls that was outside came in to seat us.
Your staff needs to: (1)GREET PEOPLE RIGHT AWAY (its not as
if people are going anywhere else).
(2) GUESTS NEED TO BE SEATED
IMMEDIATELY (especially if there isn't
anyone else there...hello why do I
have to say this?)
The waitress took our drink order and someone gave us a very small, cold portion of a baguette that was pre-sliced.
Bread - should be hot and portioned for adults.
The waitress took our order -Very Friendly girl by the way (young dark hair-don't want to use names). Our soup and salad was served.
THE MINESTRONE SOUP WAS AN EMBARRASSMENT. It tasted like water -seriously. No flavor whats so ever. This means that it had either been severally overcooked, It was watered down to a ridiculous degree, or the cook needs to be fired, because it had no spice in it to begin with.
Our waitress arrived moments later with our food. Normally this would be good, except:
Your staff needs to let the guests eat one dish before offering to take it off the table and put another one down.
My sister did not even eat half of her DW's Chief Salad (which she liked by the way -except for the potato chips on the top.
Please don't serve chips on the salad anymore. That's just weird and gross)
Ok one more thing about the waitress. There were only three of us at the table (the only table in the place that was ordering). Each time she brought food, she couldn't remember who it was for. Hopefully she can learn some kind of memory trick soon.
Now for the rest of the food:
"BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI". UNDERCOOKED.
Note: Ravioli is not just a mashed vegetable de jur folded inside sheets of pasta. Your cook needs to be fired. The cream sauce was also bland. The waitress offered Parmesan cheese- it would have been a nice touch if she had hand grated it for us, instead of just setting a dish of it on the table. That's like someone asking us if we wanted freshly cracked pepper and then set a pepper mill on the table.
CHICKEN MARSALA WAS LUKE WARM AND TASTELESS. Actually all the food was luke warm. It would be nice if you used Hot Plates for the food. Now if one must top Chicken Marsala with cheese, a spicy cheese would be the best choice (Parmesan ,Gorgonzola, Roquefort, etc.) Don't just toss a slab of Mozzarella on the top, its not a pizza. A typical Marsala sauce involves reducing the wine almost to a syrup with onions or shallots, then adding mushrooms and herbs.You should fire the cook. COULD NOT TASTE THE MARSALA WINE AT ALL. Might as well have been cooked in veg broth. The mashed butternut squash (the same exact thing in the "ravioli" was bland). The steamed vegetables were good.
THE LASAGNA WAS NOT LASAGNA BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION
As far as I'm concerned,It's "the" test for any Italian cooking. You should fire the cook, because . Lasagna sauce is not a cheesy bright orange! It tasted like Chief Boy Ardee. The PASTA OVERCOOKED, the MEAT WAS TASTE LESS AND I COULD NOT DISCERN ANY VARIATION OF CHEESE (there should be at least three in lasagna).
The three of us did not want to brave anything you might call desert, so I don't have any comment on that. In General YOU NEED TO FIRE THE COOK. Spend the money and HIRE A CHIEF. You can't just put "a twist" on food (chips on a salad) and think people will like it.
Now a few thoughts about your restaurants physical structure:
Location- Great its quiet since the shopping center isn't full yet.
Decor- Overall very nice. I love the rich earth colored palate. The woods are perfect, the floor is fun and contemporary.
The lighting is nice. Think about removing any bare bulbs though, it detracts from the nicer smaller lights in blown glass fixtures.
Greenery-Awful Get rid of everything that's plastic. Plastic topiary is gross, plastic fruit on the walls is ugly, Plastic wreath and evergreen garland on the wall is totally out of place That might be acceptable in Nov or Dec. Instead consider lots of silver accessories for winter (they are more sophisticated and cover every holiday religion and creed). If you are on a tight budget and still want to use plant material for the season, consider dried leaves and branches Oh the oriental bamboo on the bar is out of place.
Bathrooms- Clean Thank God. Speaking of God, please take down those tacky religious quotes on the men's room walls. Also consider re-hanging the wallpaper. There are big seams and gaps.
Fabrics- White linen is perfect. Please steam the drapes behind the bar. Those seams where the material was folded are terrible (it looks like you just unpacked them and hung them up).
Personal note for yourself. Perhaps it was only someone working in the back, but I got the impression that you were there that night and took time to visit the other table in the restaurant (The only other table seated with four older adults behind us). It would be good for business relations if you take the time to visit with all of your guests. After all that is one of the hallmarks of a great restauranteur.
In closing, I hope you will take all my advice to heart. Your place has a lot of potential and I just want to be able to eat at a nice restaurant when I come back to Santa Maria for a visit.
Dw's American Bistro Map
Recent Dw's American Bistro Reviews
January 17, 2008 @ 1:55 PM
a diner from Central Coast, CA
What a wonderful place in Santa Maria! I went there on a date and enjoyed ever minute. The service was great, the bread is to die for, and the desserts amazing. I had the Chicken Piccata and my date had the Chicken Marsala. It was the best Chicken Piccata I had ever had. The decor is beautiful and yet has a casual feeling. The tables are a glass tile that reflects the light (very romantic). You have to try this place. They have a website at www.dwsbistro.com. That is how we found them. Get in there so they stay in business! We need this place.
October 21, 2007 @ 7:26 PM
a diner from San Diego CA
I really wanted D W's to be great, its not. Its new and young though, so there's still a chance it could be better. That's why I've written a very detailed critique for the owner (I'm also sharing it with you and everyone on my blog).
Friday 10/19/07 I ate your restaurant ( D.W.'s Bistro).
My party of three arrived at 8pm on a Friday night to an all but empty restaurant. There was one other table of four eating, but they were the only people inside. Outside, two staff members were putting up the patio furniture. They didn't greet us as we approached and we had to ask if the restaurant was closed. They said no, so we went in.
Empty restaurant. No hostess, no waitress, no one behind the bar. We stood there for three minutes (inside I groaned). Finally one of the girls that was outside came in to seat us.
Your staff needs to: (1)GREET PEOPLE RIGHT AWAY (its not as
if people are going anywhere else).
(2) GUESTS NEED TO BE SEATED
IMMEDIATELY (especially if there isn't
anyone else there...hello why do I
have to say this?)
The waitress took our drink order and someone gave us a very small, cold portion of a baguette that was pre-sliced.
Bread - should be hot and portioned for adults.
The waitress took our order -Very Friendly girl by the way (young dark hair-don't want to use names). Our soup and salad was served.
THE MINESTRONE SOUP WAS AN EMBARRASSMENT. It tasted like water -seriously. No flavor whats so ever. This means that it had either been severally overcooked, It was watered down to a ridiculous degree, or the cook needs to be fired, because it had no spice in it to begin with.
Our waitress arrived moments later with our food. Normally this would be good, except:
Your staff needs to let the guests eat one dish before offering to take it off the table and put another one down.
My sister did not even eat half of her DW's Chief Salad (which she liked by the way -except for the potato chips on the top.
Please don't serve chips on the salad anymore. That's just weird and gross)
Ok one more thing about the waitress. There were only three of us at the table (the only table in the place that was ordering). Each time she brought food, she couldn't remember who it was for. Hopefully she can learn some kind of memory trick soon.
Now for the rest of the food:
"BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI". UNDERCOOKED.
Note: Ravioli is not just a mashed vegetable de jur folded inside sheets of pasta. Your cook needs to be fired. The cream sauce was also bland. The waitress offered Parmesan cheese- it would have been a nice touch if she had hand grated it for us, instead of just setting a dish of it on the table. That's like someone asking us if we wanted freshly cracked pepper and then set a pepper mill on the table.
CHICKEN MARSALA WAS LUKE WARM AND TASTELESS. Actually all the food was luke warm. It would be nice if you used Hot Plates for the food. Now if one must top Chicken Marsala with cheese, a spicy cheese would be the best choice (Parmesan ,Gorgonzola, Roquefort, etc.) Don't just toss a slab of Mozzarella on the top, its not a pizza. A typical Marsala sauce involves reducing the wine almost to a syrup with onions or shallots, then adding mushrooms and herbs.You should fire the cook. COULD NOT TASTE THE MARSALA WINE AT ALL. Might as well have been cooked in veg broth. The mashed butternut squash (the same exact thing in the "ravioli" was bland). The steamed vegetables were good.
THE LASAGNA WAS NOT LASAGNA BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION
As far as I'm concerned,It's "the" test for any Italian cooking. You should fire the cook, because . Lasagna sauce is not a cheesy bright orange! It tasted like Chief Boy Ardee. The PASTA OVERCOOKED, the MEAT WAS TASTE LESS AND I COULD NOT DISCERN ANY VARIATION OF CHEESE (there should be at least three in lasagna).
The three of us did not want to brave anything you might call desert, so I don't have any comment on that. In General YOU NEED TO FIRE THE COOK. Spend the money and HIRE A CHIEF. You can't just put "a twist" on food (chips on a salad) and think people will like it.
Now a few thoughts about your restaurants physical structure:
Location- Great its quiet since the shopping center isn't full yet.
Decor- Overall very nice. I love the rich earth colored palate. The woods are perfect, the floor is fun and contemporary.
The lighting is nice. Think about removing any bare bulbs though, it detracts from the nicer smaller lights in blown glass fixtures.
Greenery-Awful Get rid of everything that's plastic. Plastic topiary is gross, plastic fruit on the walls is ugly, Plastic wreath and evergreen garland on the wall is totally out of place That might be acceptable in Nov or Dec. Instead consider lots of silver accessories for winter (they are more sophisticated and cover every holiday religion and creed). If you are on a tight budget and still want to use plant material for the season, consider dried leaves and branches Oh the oriental bamboo on the bar is out of place.
Bathrooms- Clean Thank God. Speaking of God, please take down those tacky religious quotes on the men's room walls. Also consider re-hanging the wallpaper. There are big seams and gaps.
Fabrics- White linen is perfect. Please steam the drapes behind the bar. Those seams where the material was folded are terrible (it looks like you just unpacked them and hung them up).
Personal note for yourself. Perhaps it was only someone working in the back, but I got the impression that you were there that night and took time to visit the other table in the restaurant (The only other table seated with four older adults behind us). It would be good for business relations if you take the time to visit with all of your guests. After all that is one of the hallmarks of a great restauranteur.
In closing, I hope you will take all my advice to heart. Your place has a lot of potential and I just want to be able to eat at a nice restaurant when I come back to Santa Maria for a visit.
Friday 10/19/07 I ate your restaurant ( D.W.'s Bistro).
My party of three arrived at 8pm on a Friday night to an all but empty restaurant. There was one other table of four eating, but they were the only people inside. Outside, two staff members were putting up the patio furniture. They didn't greet us as we approached and we had to ask if the restaurant was closed. They said no, so we went in.
Empty restaurant. No hostess, no waitress, no one behind the bar. We stood there for three minutes (inside I groaned). Finally one of the girls that was outside came in to seat us.
Your staff needs to: (1)GREET PEOPLE RIGHT AWAY (its not as
if people are going anywhere else).
(2) GUESTS NEED TO BE SEATED
IMMEDIATELY (especially if there isn't
anyone else there...hello why do I
have to say this?)
The waitress took our drink order and someone gave us a very small, cold portion of a baguette that was pre-sliced.
Bread - should be hot and portioned for adults.
The waitress took our order -Very Friendly girl by the way (young dark hair-don't want to use names). Our soup and salad was served.
THE MINESTRONE SOUP WAS AN EMBARRASSMENT. It tasted like water -seriously. No flavor whats so ever. This means that it had either been severally overcooked, It was watered down to a ridiculous degree, or the cook needs to be fired, because it had no spice in it to begin with.
Our waitress arrived moments later with our food. Normally this would be good, except:
Your staff needs to let the guests eat one dish before offering to take it off the table and put another one down.
My sister did not even eat half of her DW's Chief Salad (which she liked by the way -except for the potato chips on the top.
Please don't serve chips on the salad anymore. That's just weird and gross)
Ok one more thing about the waitress. There were only three of us at the table (the only table in the place that was ordering). Each time she brought food, she couldn't remember who it was for. Hopefully she can learn some kind of memory trick soon.
Now for the rest of the food:
"BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI". UNDERCOOKED.
Note: Ravioli is not just a mashed vegetable de jur folded inside sheets of pasta. Your cook needs to be fired. The cream sauce was also bland. The waitress offered Parmesan cheese- it would have been a nice touch if she had hand grated it for us, instead of just setting a dish of it on the table. That's like someone asking us if we wanted freshly cracked pepper and then set a pepper mill on the table.
CHICKEN MARSALA WAS LUKE WARM AND TASTELESS. Actually all the food was luke warm. It would be nice if you used Hot Plates for the food. Now if one must top Chicken Marsala with cheese, a spicy cheese would be the best choice (Parmesan ,Gorgonzola, Roquefort, etc.) Don't just toss a slab of Mozzarella on the top, its not a pizza. A typical Marsala sauce involves reducing the wine almost to a syrup with onions or shallots, then adding mushrooms and herbs.You should fire the cook. COULD NOT TASTE THE MARSALA WINE AT ALL. Might as well have been cooked in veg broth. The mashed butternut squash (the same exact thing in the "ravioli" was bland). The steamed vegetables were good.
THE LASAGNA WAS NOT LASAGNA BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION
As far as I'm concerned,It's "the" test for any Italian cooking. You should fire the cook, because . Lasagna sauce is not a cheesy bright orange! It tasted like Chief Boy Ardee. The PASTA OVERCOOKED, the MEAT WAS TASTE LESS AND I COULD NOT DISCERN ANY VARIATION OF CHEESE (there should be at least three in lasagna).
The three of us did not want to brave anything you might call desert, so I don't have any comment on that. In General YOU NEED TO FIRE THE COOK. Spend the money and HIRE A CHIEF. You can't just put "a twist" on food (chips on a salad) and think people will like it.
Now a few thoughts about your restaurants physical structure:
Location- Great its quiet since the shopping center isn't full yet.
Decor- Overall very nice. I love the rich earth colored palate. The woods are perfect, the floor is fun and contemporary.
The lighting is nice. Think about removing any bare bulbs though, it detracts from the nicer smaller lights in blown glass fixtures.
Greenery-Awful Get rid of everything that's plastic. Plastic topiary is gross, plastic fruit on the walls is ugly, Plastic wreath and evergreen garland on the wall is totally out of place That might be acceptable in Nov or Dec. Instead consider lots of silver accessories for winter (they are more sophisticated and cover every holiday religion and creed). If you are on a tight budget and still want to use plant material for the season, consider dried leaves and branches Oh the oriental bamboo on the bar is out of place.
Bathrooms- Clean Thank God. Speaking of God, please take down those tacky religious quotes on the men's room walls. Also consider re-hanging the wallpaper. There are big seams and gaps.
Fabrics- White linen is perfect. Please steam the drapes behind the bar. Those seams where the material was folded are terrible (it looks like you just unpacked them and hung them up).
Personal note for yourself. Perhaps it was only someone working in the back, but I got the impression that you were there that night and took time to visit the other table in the restaurant (The only other table seated with four older adults behind us). It would be good for business relations if you take the time to visit with all of your guests. After all that is one of the hallmarks of a great restauranteur.
In closing, I hope you will take all my advice to heart. Your place has a lot of potential and I just want to be able to eat at a nice restaurant when I come back to Santa Maria for a visit.
More in Santa Maria
Explore all restaurants in Santa Maria, CA
- 2 reviews
- 1 review
- 1 review
