review: olive and lemon leaves me sour

Olive & Lemon
Recommendation: Sector Underperform.
Target: 0 - 1 times a year.

While the risottos were lovely and the fennel and walnut salad a treat, the abrupt and uneven service at Olive & Lemon makes this restaurant a dud.

Upon entry, the waitress let us know that she'd need the table back and that we would have a two hour limit. Although we had friends who were late for the RSVP, we let her know that we'd be starting without them. She then repeated four more times that she needed the table within two hours. (We finished the meal in 90 minutes; in addition to the risottos and salad, I had a polenta and mushroom appetizer that was ordinary and failed to please.)

We were a large table (11) and I think that made our waitress uncomfortable. However, why book a reservation if you're going to make the party feel unwelcome and, worse, ungrateful. Could we split the check to make it more manageable? No. How about splitting the bill amongst a few credit cards. Hesitation. The waitress told us it would take a while. (Thank God for a younger server who handled our desserts: she was a delight.)

Looking around, I think I understood the other problem. We were in our 20's, while everyone else in the restaurant were hitting their golden years. Perhaps, we didn't fit in: we weren't part of the older faux-hemian, Annex-y clientele management is clearly aiming for. Alas, nearby 93 Harbord, Messis, and Tati had no such problems serving a younger crowd.

So, farewell, Olive & Lemon. On a street where there are so many other options, it's obvious you'd like me to find others.