From a post at Chowhound, a report of a dinner at Smith Street eatery Savoia gone very wrong after the power goes out:
Half way through dinner the electricity goes out. It comes on a couple of times and then goes out for good. The staff continues operations as normal and doesn't acknowledge any problems although food stops coming out of kitchen and restaurant gets really warm because of the wood burning oven and lack of AC. So, the experience becomes less and less comfortable and my party decides to leave the restaurant...we've already eaten most of the meal. I ask the head of the restaurant for a check and he just says, "no".
He then says they don't have electricity and I should just sit until the electricity comes on and he can write up the check in the computer. I tell him to write me a hand written check and I'll pay in cash. He says "no" and sort of gets in my face and tells me to sit down. At this point, everyone in the restaurant is seeing this and starts compaining that they haven't got check, food etc. The guy just tells people "no food" without explanation or solution...sort of aggressive-style.Concludes the poster, "I don't really think I'll be going back to Savoia."People are just sitting in the restaurant. One woman is really pregnant and complains that she needs food. So, I just start estimating a check to leave some cash and get out of there. Head waiter grabs the piece of paper and finally writes me a check for $75.50. We leave $75 (we forgot the $.50) in cash and get out. Head guy tracks us down on sidewalk and demands $.50. We say we have a dollar and if he can give us $.50 we'll give it to him (he can't open cash door for register). He finally gives us $.50 out of his pocket and he give a dollar.
I have never had a weirder experience anywhere. I literally thought the guy was going to punch me for demanding that I be let out of the restaurant.
· Hilarious Experience at Savoia in Carroll Gardens [Chowhound]