Fino: I want to love it.

I recently visited Fino on a perfect April Saturday evening... the not-humid-yet breeze was blowing and we had just visited the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center to take pictures of the amazing blooms all this wonderful rain had produced. Of course I was in the mood for some yummy dinner and drinks; not to mention I had a trusty $25 Restaurant.com gift certificate that I had purchased for only $2. That's right. Two dollars.

We arrived just before sunset and were seated on the patio... a larger table than I would have preferred for two, but nonetheless we snagged the last outdoor spot. I was relishing in the fact that we were out to dinner on a Saturday evening, something we rarely get to enjoy. Happy as can be, we ordered our drinks. Although an avid white wine drinker, I decided on the cocktail special of the evening: The Garden Party: Paula's Texas Lemon with strained Poteet Strawberries and fresh basil, muddled and strained, shaken with Gin...Presented beautifully in a martini glass with a fresh basil leave floating on top like a toy sail boat in the bathtub...Even at $14, it was delicious!

Our small plates arrived: Fried Goat Cheese with Red Onion Jam and Honey. (my choice) One word: Heaven! and Fried Calamari (his choice) One word: Mediocre. We gobbled them up as we decided to share an entree, the Market Fish, which was Halibut that evening... very light and refreshing. They even went the trouble of splitting it for us so we could each have our own delicate sample. Understated yet sophisticated. I was impressed.

Until I tried to order my second drink. Up to this point our server had been attentive yet elusive. A great combination, if you ask me. She's there when you need her but doesn't want to talk your ear off about how she's from Nebraska and can't believe how hot it is already. Coming from working within the restaurant industry a while, I've experienced my share of the good, the bad, and the talkative, if you know what I mean.

I enjoyed my Garden Party Cocktail; however my recent love affair with Sparkling Wine would lead me to a request that would apparently offend the bartender. I thought it would be over-the-top amazing if I could substitute the gin in my cocktail for the Prosecco they had on their 'By The Glass' menu. I knew it wasn't such a far fetched request, however here is the lackluster response I received:
Waitress: "Ummm... the bartender doesn't really like to change his recipes."
Me: "Really???"

Momentarily, I thought she was joking. I paused, immediately requested that she check with him, and then the overall disappointment flooded in:
Waitress: "Ya... he said he can't shake the prosecco in the shaker tin, so we can't do it."
My Boyfriend (who coincidentally bartended for 15 years): "You can't just muddle everything and top it with the Prosecco? You really don't have to shake it."

Still no relief. It came down to me ordering a $12 glass of Prosecco and topping it with the last little sip of the pink strawberry-basil bliss I had just enjoyed. So there! That wasn't that hard, was it? I mean, if the roles were reversed, I would have told that damn bartender to get over himself and think about what you're doing... saying no to a customer. And what am I doing now?? Blogging about how disappointing it was.

They're lucky they have that quaint patio or I might not want to come back. Fino: I want to love it...
http://www.astiaustin.com/fino/