Sablefish
Hugo's

Hugo's

88 Middle St, Portland, United States Of America, Cliff Island

Fish • Wine • Pasta • Coffee


"Hugo's is a really special place in Portland. Although the city is bursting with amazing restaurants, they still manage to be unique and cutting-edge. I will fully admit that I have had some dishes here that simply don't work for me but that is part of the fun of dining at a restaurant that is constantly trying to innovate. And the dishes that I didn't care for are clearly outweighed by the majority that I found wonderful over the course of my half dozen meals here. This is not to mention the absolute top-notch service you can expect at a real fine dining establishment like those sporting fancy Michelin stars. I always felt extremely welcomed and catered to whenever visiting them. A particular reason that Hugo's has a fond place in my heart is that they served me one of the handful of dishes I've had that not only was incredible but actually changed the way I thought about food and what it could be. Around five years ago I shared a large-format ribeye steak with five other people that changed my life. My stomach was already so miserably/joyfully full by the time it was served. The fact that this juicy, fatty, umami-filled piece of meat was good enough that I still managed to eat another half pound of food and love every bite speaks to just how awesome it was. As you can tell I'm passionate about a good steak and since then I've learned to make one (almost) as good as that but it was still enough to keep me coming back time and time again."

Ancora Waterfront Dining And Patio

Ancora Waterfront Dining And Patio

1600 Howe Street, Vancouver, V6Z, Canada, V6Z2N1, United States

Sushi • Seafood • Peruvian • Japanese


"I went by here on a Monday to make a reservation for 5 people for a bday celebration for the following Thursday. I specifically requested a certain table(better view of the water/more room) and asked for a 7:00pm reservation. They had two managers on duty...at the front both looking at that day and said they couldn't do 7:00 but they could do 7:30 for that table. I got a reminder call for my reservation on the Wednesday to confirm my reservation where at that time I confirmed that I had the same table requested and they said yes. On Thursday at 4:30 I dropped of a small balloon bouquet asking to please have them at that table for when we would be arriving in 3 hours. Again I was told no problem. We get there for 7:30 only to find my table was taken and the people there were in no rush to be leaving. I asked to speak to a manager and he said you'll have to take another table and offered me a table for four and could slide another chair in. I wanted an answer as to why they felt it was okay to give the table that was requested and said would be reserved for me, only to be given away? He simply said sorry without even an explanation, in addition the absence of my balloons and their whereabouts . I was in the service industry for over 10 years and have also been a manager, so I was baffled at the lack of professionalism as this was happening. In my past experience if someone wanted to sit at a certain table but it had an upcoming reservation we would let the group know they needed to be done by that time. We decided to wait to eat as I insisted we get moved asap to the table I reserved. We were moved almost an hour later. By the time we ordered and got our food the restaurant was emptying out they were tearing down the patio tables right in front of us and getting ready to close while we ate our dinner in the dark and had to ask for a candle. Worst experience ever and the worst management I've ever come across. Food was over priced and mediocre at best however our server was lovely but clearly embarrassed by the lack of leadership by her manager. I wish I read more reviews because I now see a lot about poor management. I called the next day to speak to a GM only to find out it was the same person that felt it was okay to give my table away. I never write reviews since I generally realize things can happen but again I had multiple communication with managers and staff setting this up and they clearing dropped the ball and pretty much ruined our dining experience. Don't waste your time as there are much better places in the area."