Vinino

[mean]

Poorly designed, they share the same kitchen as Mcfadden's

Eeeek, this sounds like a very bad idea given that both places seem rather large and prone to being packed during peak times. They'd better have a massive kitchen!

[FangKC]

Sounds like this "concept" will be the first to fail.

[PumpkinStalker]

Definitely not looking good.  Someone needs to go in there, rip the place apart and let them know that with all the skeptics around, they need to buck up and get their ass in gear.  You would think that being the pioneers of the district, they would realize how much is riding on their individual success!

[DaveKCMO]

Sounds like this "concept" will be the first to fail.

with such deep pockets, i'm sure it will get revamped at least once before they allow it to fail.

[FangKC]

Perhaps we need to send the URL for this thread to Blake Cordish.

[KCTigerFan]

I think they are well aware of the problems.  Staff changes have ocurred as well as other operational changes. 

Perhaps we need to send the URL for this thread to Blake Cordish.

[KC-wildcat]

Ate at Vinino tonight around seven.  Atmosphere was cool, nice crowd.  From appetizers, to salads, to main entrees, I thought the food was really good.  Wasn't the best Italian food I've had in my entire life, but I would definately recommend it.  Well worth it. 

Service, on the other hand, was shaky at best.  Perhaps our waitor was new, but his inexperience was almost unbearable.  He was a nice enough guy, but we ordered apps., dinner salads, and main entrees.  The table was empty for 20 minutes.  Then, everything we had ordered arrived at the same time.  There was hardly enough space on the table to fit it all.  It was really inconvenient and annoying.

Overall, however, I had a really good experience.  I will chalk up the food debacle to inexperience.  That can and should improve.  But, as far as the food and wine goes, it is definately worth checking out. 

[mean]

I wonder how long it will be before Maitre D starts calling the place "ViniNO THANKS"...

[ignatius]

Do restaurants train wait staff anymore?  It amazes me that places with over $20 entrees have staff that don't know the basics, like don't shove the entree on the table while salad is still being worked on.  Or some are too perky and chit chatty.  They simply just need to be present every once in a while, with a sense of timing, not be socialites.  May be harder to do when busy but if they learn the basics, everything else falls in place.

OTOH, wait staff will get the blame when the kitchen is not on top of it.

[PumpkinStalker]

What always pisses me off is when they wait staff sits down at the table with you to take your order.  I understand they're on their feet all day, and some restaurants may encourage it to get them to be "chatty and chummy" with you, but I prefer to have them stand there, take the order and leave.  Don't sit with me.

[justin8216]

When  resturaunt is new you should expect these kinds of issues because everyone is new from the cooks to the waiters. It will get better with time.

[kurtiebird]

we had a fine time there....their entire menu wasn't being served yet.

Does anyone know when they're going to have the full menu available? We went there, and while the food was enjoyable, were disappointed at the one-page menu.

[anniewarbucks]

When I ate there I started out with one menu and they switched the menu to the dinner one.

[Highlander]

When  resturaunt is new you should expect these kinds of issues because everyone is new from the cooks to the waiters. It will get better with time.

If it survives.

I do not know how these guys prepared their staffs, but restaurants I have worked at in the past had several mock runs where friends and family of the owner and staff were invited in for practice runs before opening the doors to the public.  Not everybody knows that a place (like tourists) is new and many more residents will be less forgiving than people in this forum so they really cannot afford to experiment with the public at large.  If nothing else, at least have an experienced manager who knows how to do damage control and a staff that gives a shit. 

In any event, the problems they are experiencing are a very good reason why most of the places in the P&L District need to be up and running well before the Big XII tourney rolls into town. 

[DaveKCMO]

vinino had a week (i think) of private functions before opening to the public 7 days a week on nov. 19.

it's now dec. 16.

i've said it before that vinino will survive, but at this rate they won't be getting much repeat business from those who normally go to wine bars or are foodies. proximity to the arena and a lack of obvious choices will keep crowds coming until they get their act together.

[Angel]

How strange.  When I was there the other night, now that I think about it, it looked as if the menu had been actually cut off in the middle.  It only had soups, salads & pizzas on it and I thought it was odd that there weren't any entrees.  I shudder to think of how awful the service would have been if there were actual entrees to be served.  They had a hard enough time getting us our drinks and appetizers.  We ordered pizzas for our entrees.

But I see from the menu on their website that they're supposed to have more than that.  I wonder what's up with that.

[Gretz]

Visited this place for the first time last night with my parents and grandparents last night after the Mannheim Steamroller concert (which was one of the most unintentionally hilarious displays I've ever seen in my life, btw) and it looks like they still have a ways to go on getting the service problems fixed.  We rolled in at 10:02--I checked my watch, expecting the worse-- and, though the place was very nearly dead empty with only one other occupied table in the bar area, we were not visited by our waitress until 10:16.  I observed her chatting up her other table and then stepping outside for a cigarette, which she smoked leisurely, chatting with co-workers while we sat waiting.  So after the 14 minute wait to be greated we gave our drink order.  Five minutes later she returns to inform us that the order "didn't take" in the system and that she needed us to remind her of our orders again.  Finally at 10:33 six of our seven drinks arrived, the other seven minutes later.  So it took 31 minutes for most of us, and 38 for one to get a GD drink at a deserted bar.  Fantastic.  Good thing we weren't hungry; can't imagine what that would have been like.   
      Ate beforehand at the Studio where we waited over an hour and a half to get our food, incidentally.  Place was packed.  Every other time I have been there were <10 people; guess they're having trouble adjusting to the feast or famine staffing/planning.  I have no problem cutting them some slack as they are locally owned and inexperienced, the atmosphere is better etc.

[AJoD]

It's really interesting reading these service comments.

My sister moved to town about a month ago, looking to pick up a quick job as a waiter.  She's really good.

I told her to go to Vinino, she talked with a couple people, one guy from Cordish and another who ran the restaurant.  They both liked her (they said), gave her the run-around, and eventually never called back.  She said the restaurant manager seemed like a real moron, too, though the Cordish guy was more on top of things.  Too bad.

[kucer]

after the Mannheim Steamroller concert (which was one of the most unintentionally hilarious displays I've ever seen in my life, btw)

Please share more! 

[WyCo]

We stopped into Vinino for a drink before the show.  Sat at the bar back by the "kitchen", what a cluster.  Wine list was pretty good and priced well though.  Hope they work stuff out, I really liked the place.