Riverside Restaurant & Bar

Above: Sahil and myself devouring at the Spring 2009 Fourth Semester Banquet.

KENNY G IS THE

EPITOME OF MUSAK.

I'm a service-nazi at restaurants back in the States. So much to the point where I almost wanted to pull off the trick set on one sitcom...

WAITRESS: "Good morning, I'm ______, and I'll be your server for today."

PATRON: "Oh, hi. I'd like to tell you, I have $10 in my hands today, and I'll lay it out on the table, and if you do a good job, you can have it. However, if you don't do well, I'll deduct a specific amount from the $10 tip for every error you make."

I'm picky... if I don't get good service from a place where I expect service, I might as well end up getting my food from a fast-food restaurant down the street. Well, it's cheaper and I won't feel satisfied (even with good food) if I'm expected to pay a tip for lackluster service. Don't get me wrong... I'm not a dollar-tipper (no matter how good the service, I pay a dollar... I know people like that). I reward quite well for good service. For instance, one time when heading down the interstate to my alma mater, we walked into a Wendy's, and there was a guy at the register who was literally abounding with good energy. He threw out a few good jokes and gave us a good time as we put our order in for Frosties and Jr. Bacon Cheeseburgers. After noticing that speed of service wasn't affected, we decided to hand him a large tip (I think larger than 20% of that meal's value). I'll admit, working at a fast food joint might be tough... BUT, its even tougher to give out good service under the pressure of Dave Thomas & his managerial brigade.

In Dominica, its hard to find ample, satisfactory table service restaurants. There's a lot of counter-service food-court like restaurants (i.e. our shacks), a slowly growing amount of fast-food name brands (i.e. KFC, Subway, and Rituals), and loads of Chinese run operations (good on food, but service, other than being good with speed, isn't much more than that). However, nothing like the good old sit-down American flare. That was until Riverside Restaurant & Bar was open last Wednesday in Picard, Dominica.

You really don't understand.

My friends Jo (Miss Chicken Dinner) and Sahil hit up the joint this past Saturday (and yes, again today, with our missing in action friend Zenny). However, the first time that Sahil, Jo and myself went, the moment we walked into the "orange gates" and right into a reservation table, all three of our jaws felt right at home with the floor.

It was literally a welcome miracle.

We walked in, saw exquisite, fancy furniture, along with universal table settings and center pieces for all the tables, the most professional we've seen in Dominica. And yes, the name of the restaurant tells the truth... its a riverside view that looks quite elegant from riverbank. What sealed the deal was what was coming out of the outdoor speakers... they were playing my favorite Kenny G LP, Breathless. Instead of hearing the car on the street blasting its Soca or Reggae for ambient music, it was the right musak for the dining experience: soothing, but provided enough distraction to provide privacy for everyone's table.

We had to shake our heads to believe it was true.

The service was exceptional (although there was a bug at the end with the lack of the card machine, but because they just opened, it was forgiveable). It felt good to say the words, "Table for three, please." They refilled our water quite, quite frequently (which is usually unheard of around here), and we had four or five people come to our table to check on how we were doing.

We really wished we had this restaurant much earlier in our Ross careers.

Ah yes, I haven't talked about the food yet. So far, I've had the New York Sirloin Steak, Sushi Combo, and Fried Calamari for an appetizer. Each one of these things were quite on par with United States quality food, the steak being juicy and cooked evenly to order, the sushi was as good as it can get in Dominica (pretty well prepared), and the calamari was definitely crunchy and breaded lightly for taste. I have been averaging about $120 EC (~$45 US, with a drink) for my meals, including the 10% service charge (which by American standards is cutting themselves short for the service quality provided). It sounds expensive, but for getting this experience away from home was definitely worth it (they also have some more everyday items available, such as a Spaghetti marinara for $25 EC, almost $10 US).

It really made me miss home more...

I applaud Riverside for setting up that American-like ambience with what they have here in Dominica. The service and the quality of food are definitely up there. Although the pricing prevents the restaurant from being an everyday affair, it is definitely highly recommended for a post-exam night or birthday night out. If there isn't a review yet for this restaurant... let this be the first good review, and hopefully not the last.