The Grey Plume

I can hardly think of words to use that would match the experience my wife and I had at the Grey Plume. In short, it was perfect. From the hostess to the wait staff to Chef Chapman bringing out my wife's order everything was as it should have been and better than I expected. I could tell without doubt that the entire staff truly cares. The food was excellent, that is all I'll say about that, not enough time to go on and on about it. I work for a living and I was very pleased with the bill. I've had lesser experiences elsewhere with a larger dinner bill. I have 20 years restaurant experience (out of it for the last 15 years) and have been to many very nice restaurants but I've not had a better experience anywhere. You need to make a reservation and go ASAP. Update - Feb 18, 2018 TL;DR - Let me know about the kitchen staff tip ahead of time, don't spring it on when dropping the bill. Two nights ago my wife and I went for the third time in so many years. The food was fine, the atmosphere is the same which is great and all and there were no problems with the service or the facility. The reason I'm editing my review is because I can't make a second/different one. My problem with my last visit is the amount of $$ they tacked on to our bill for the cooking staff and the people behind the scenes and we could also tip on top of that and that amount would go to the server. There was a survey form along with the bill that explained it all. It was a good amount of $$. The survey said that we could request it be removed but I was not about to do that and look like a chump so I bit the bullet, paid it as well as a good amount extra for the server. The bill turned out to be quite a bit more than I anticipated or wanted. Now mind you, you don't go to The Grey Plume to save money and I can afford it. My point is that I was not expecting it, I would have appreciated it if we were handed this explanation note before dinner, that would have made it a lot easier. Springing it on me when dropping the bill was awkward and I did not appreciate it one bit. I really don't see myself going back again, okay maybe, because the food there is so dang good and we like to support local businesses. I might simply ask if they are still doing that when I make our next reservation. FYI, I'm dropping my rating from 5 stars to 3 just so you know my initial review gave them a 5.
3 7 years ago (18-02-2018)

Always a terrific experience! We have eaten at fine restaurants across the country and the Grey Plume is consistently our favorite (and great it is blocks from our home). Tonight we had the Elk Tasting and the Pork Tasting starting with carrot soup and ending with hot chocolate which was all amazing.
5 7 years ago (21-04-2018)

The experience was excellent. The food and the service were great. Every course was very high quality. The servers were clearly very well trained to a consistent high level of service and they all seemed to be enjoying their jobs. It was a great date night for my wife and me. Here are a several bits of information that might help you understand the restaurant more. First, they focus heavily on sustainability and local sourcing, which I don't mind but which can come off as a little preachy at first. The staff clearly believes in the company mission and it perhaps makes them more passionate about working there. Second, they definitely talk up their own products and try to up sell you to more courses. Since the food was excellent, I again did not mind, but we did have to say no a couple of times. Third, although this is rated a $$ in the overall reviews it is definitely a $$$ restaurant. Entrées were $20-35 and appetizers and desserts were $10-25. Expect to pay $80+ for a night out as a couple. Now I walked away thinking it was worth it, but hopefully this helps you plan accordingly.
5 7 years ago (08-02-2018)

My husband and I were so excited to eat at The Grey Plume. We have heard nothing but great things about the food and the incredible chef. When we walked in, we immediately loved the feel of this place, the decor, the ambiance, the bar set-up, etc. We like to sit at the bar and there were two spots available for us, we sat down and ordered a couple of drinks prior to ordering. Our meal was absolutely fabulous. I started with the seasonal vegetable salad and had the homemade mushroom tortellini with short rib as my entree and my husband ordered the whole roasted trout. The food did live up to its standards. It was amazing. We love supporting local restaurants and after walking in, we thought this would be one of our new spots..............until the bill arrived. Prior to reviewing the bill, our bartender told us that they automatically add a 20% gratuity and that is split with the kitchen staff and if we wanted to add more, it would be appreciated. It was extremely awkward and it ruined our whole experience at The Grey Plume. We did not add to the tip amount. It was a complete turn off. We are not cheap people and we knew the Grey Plume was pricey. We have been to pricier restaurants all over the country and have never experienced anything like this, unless we were sitting with more than 6 or 8 people and that is understandable. Both my husband and I have worked in the food and beverage industry and 9 times out of 10 we tip well over 20% for great service. We would have tipped well over 20% last night, had this not been added to our bill. A restaurant like The Grey Plume isn’t going to attract the kind of clientele that doesn’t tip well, so they should take this off all together. Throughout the evening my husband and I kept talking about how we would come back, but the whole awkward added gratuity experience ruined it for us. We will not be back unless they change their gratuity policy.
3 7 years ago (08-04-2018)

Great dining experience! The service and food were second to none! Everything was delicious, but the carrot soup was the best!
5 7 years ago (29-05-2018)