Last updated: October 15, 2019

In the Weeds

I had to convince Jon to send back his steak. He’d ordered a medium-rare ribeye, and when the steak came out, it was medium-well at best. I saw his deflated look as he cut into the $42 cut of meat, but he was determined not to send it back lest the steak go to waste.

Perhaps this is one of the problems with Charlotte’s restaurant scene lacking consistency. We’re a polite Southern town, bless our hearts, and we’d rather chew our way through an overcooked steak than tell our server there was a problem. But Jon’s clear misery at the loss of his medium-rare steak — and the price tag on the dish — made me flag down a server.

Up until this point, we’d enjoyed a delicious pizza, crunchy-crusted and topped with house-made sausage, mushrooms, and onions. Our server was chatty and warm, and we were having a delightful time on the patio along Third Street. Our entrées hit the table, and Jon’s steak looked fantastic, with a beef fat and foie gras butter spreading across the top of the steak as it melted.

My seafood pasta, too, was stunning, with bucatini made black with squid ink and piled high with scallops, clams, and pancetta. The dish was equally tasty, indulgent and well salted, despite the pancetta making over-salting an easy mistake.

I offered Jon some of my dish as we looked for a server to flag down, which didn’t take long. After voicing his steak was overcooked, Jon’s offending steak was promptly returned to the kitchen with sincere apologies and no excuses. A few moments later, the manager brought out a Caesar salad for Jon to eat while I finished my seafood pasta, apologizing again.

By the time a new steak was brought to the table, I had nearly finished my pasta. But the steak was textbook medium-rare, and everything Jon had hoped for — tender, flavorful, and extra juicy thanks to that butter.

For the rest of our meal, the manager was the one to wait on our table, ensuring there were no other snafus. From the kitchen to the service staff, everything was done to ensure our meal ended on a satisfied note, including comping both Jon’s steak and my pasta, because, as the manager said, we shouldn’t have to eat in shifts.

It’s rare to write a positive review based on a mistake — we’ve had other experiences at Angeline’s where things went smoothly, and dinner was enjoyable. But it’s how a restaurant handles itself when something goes wrong that shows how professional they are — and Angeline’s proved their staff is up there with the best. —Kristen Wile