| Name: |
Firefighter
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| Subject: |
Springhouse Restaurant
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Date:
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6/21/2009 4:00:51 PM
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After hearing all the restaurant comments, we had a very disappointing experience at the Springhouse Restaurant.
We arrived and instead of saying "two for dinner?" they said what can we do for you. When I said we came for dinner they asked for our reservation. When I said we didn't have one they said they might be able to find a table for us, please wait. In the empty dining doom, they sat us at a very narrow table and acted like they did us a favor. Even when we left there were at least three empty tables.
When the dinner arrived I had to find the waiter to bring us some bread. He brought us bread with the center missing (hard crust rings without bread) and NO butter. We finally got the hostess to bring us bread and butter.
My wife's fish had so much salt on it her hands swelled and I had three pieces of pork. Two were fine and the third was all fat and stringie. Hardly any vegetables with our meals.
We had two entrees and two drinks. We paid almost $90 which, we expected, but we had hoped for a good experience. I asked why we had two taxes on the meal and was told that one of the taxes was a Russell Lands tax.
From now on we shall return to Christopher's.
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| Name: |
Talullahhound
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| Subject: |
Springhouse Restaurant
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Date:
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6/21/2009 4:14:17 PM
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That's disappointing.
They may have had reservations on the other tables. Some restaurants make it a point to "turn" their tables every 2 hours, but some restaurants figure that if you have a table, it's yours for the night.
That's really weird about the salty fish. I think I would have sent it back. Maybe they got too heavy handed with the "finishing" salt. It takes a deft hand to get finishing salt just right.
Guys, when you have a problem with a dish ask to see the manager and send the dish back. Not only should they return the offending dish to the kitchen, but they should also take your plate back to keep it warm. If they don't offer to do this, tell them that is what you want done. Christophers and Springhouse are billing themselves as "fine dining" restaurants. And that is what fine dining establishments do.
We've been to Springhouse for lunch twice. Service and food have been good. I have noted that the hostess is a little offhand and not necessarily all that welcoming. Last time, they tried to seat us at a bad table and seemed a little taken back when we asked to be seated somewhere else. But, it wasn't a problem and they did as we requested.
When you are paying good money for meals in a fine dining establishment you have to sometimes let them know (nicely) that you expect them to measure up. Given them a chance to fix the problem. If they don't, then they deserve a bad review.
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| Name: |
water_watcher
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| Subject: |
Springhouse Restaurant
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Date:
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6/21/2009 5:07:25 PM
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I would try them again ... we have been for dinner at least 6 or 7 times and only one experience was not up to par. I spoke to the manager, who has gotten to know us, just to give him some honest feedback to help ... we went to the bar for an after dinner drink and when we went to pay he had already taken care of the check. I thought that was classy.
Had I gotten excuses or don't care attitude like we got many times at Sinclairs I would have been very disappointed. Springhouse is trying very hard to be a first class restaurant at the lake and they are doing a very good job considering they have to train people from scratch. It is not like major cities that can hire expirenced servers from other top calibur restaurants.
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| Name: |
lucky67
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| Subject: |
Springhouse Restaurant
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Date:
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6/21/2009 6:29:23 PM
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mistake # 1--showing up without reservation ! one bad experience & you give up ?? what business are you in ? im sure some people who do businesss with your[your company[ may have had bad experience--want them to only give you 1 shot ? personally, Springhouse to us is delightful & lots of lake people are glad they are here
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| Name: |
slownez
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| Subject: |
Springhouse Restaurant
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Date:
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6/21/2009 8:32:58 PM
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Try the Grilling Shack in Dadeville on Gibson Road. Fall off the bone ribs are awesome and the steaks are excellent. Ribs, two steak dinners and six drinks came to $69. Service was perfect and John the owner is always there.
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| Name: |
wix
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| Subject: |
Predictable answers
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Date:
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6/21/2009 9:34:53 PM
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So a snobbish restaurant has been built on the lake for snobbish people. If you didn't get your money's worth don't go back. Springhouse is no different than any other local restaurant, except they added the snobby attitude to make the snobby feel at home.
I've had bad meals at some of the supposedly best restaurant's in the world. If it ain't good go someplace else.
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| Name: |
itisd
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| Subject: |
This forum loves to dine
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Date:
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6/21/2009 10:51:25 PM
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As someone suggested last month " maybe we should start a new forum called Dining on Lake Martin.
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| Name: |
water_watcher
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| Subject: |
Predictable answers
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Date:
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6/22/2009 7:38:30 AM
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Why do you say it is snobbish? Do you think are finer dining restaurants are snobbish or just Springhouse? I have dined at restaurants all over the world (as I am sure others have as well) and Springhouse is far from snobbish ... but it is the nicest restaurant at the lake. So what if some people find it more relaxing going to a nice restaurant, having a cocktail on the deck with a nice view then enjoying a fine meal with a nice bottle of wine. I am sure others find it more relaxing going for ribs and a beer somewhere in a t-shirt and shorts ... and that is great for them.
I think it is wonderful we have a choice that fits all. But I don't think that makes Springhouse, or the people that enjoy it, snobbish. I think you saying that fits the definition of snob more.
Snob: "a person who believes himself or herself an expert or connoisseur in a given field and is condescending toward or disdainful of those who hold other opinions or have different tastes"
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| Name: |
Pontoonfisher
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| Subject: |
This forum loves to dine
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Date:
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6/22/2009 7:40:34 AM
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Maybe we should start a forum called "dieting on Lake Martin." It would be interesting to know some of the waste sizes :)
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| Name: |
Talullahhound
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| Subject: |
Predictable answers
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Date:
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6/22/2009 8:03:24 AM
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I agree. I don't think there is anything "snobbish" about Springhouse. I like having an upscale option at the lake.
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| Name: |
UncleSam
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| Subject: |
"Russell Lands tax???"
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Date:
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6/22/2009 9:54:31 AM
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What is that? More important, how much is it?
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| Name: |
water_watcher
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| Subject: |
"Russell Lands tax???"
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Date:
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6/22/2009 10:42:55 AM
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My understanding is that it is not a Russell Lands tax ... it is an additional state tax in lieu of a local/county tax (since there is none) to cover the bond financing.
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| Name: |
Lady
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| Subject: |
This forum loves to dine
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Date:
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6/22/2009 11:10:17 AM
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"waste" or "waist"? Both pretty funny!
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| Name: |
roswellric
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| Subject: |
"Russell Lands tax???"
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Date:
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6/22/2009 11:49:39 AM
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How annoying. Why isn't that in the tenant's rent? So Russell got a development bond underwritten by the county with a low interest rate and it's financed by creating a special tax district that places a sales tax on the consumer? Do I have that wrong?
I guess if you ignore the obvious benefit to the developments you could argue that the benefit accrues to the consumer anyway but wouldn't you think it would irritate the person paying the tax?
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| Name: |
water_watcher
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| Subject: |
"Russell Lands tax???"
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Date:
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6/22/2009 12:23:51 PM
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you have it right
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| Name: |
itisd
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| Subject: |
Low rate county bond
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Date:
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6/22/2009 1:09:19 PM
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These were designed for Industrial developement. Retail and restaurants don't quite seem to fit the purpose for which they are designed.
I'll bet none of us could get the developement bonds to start a new business in the area. But if I/we could then I'm sorry but you my friends would be financing my/our start ups.
I hate the double standards. I know of a franchisee that branched out and started a new McDonald's unit with this type of financing. Yet other start up restaurants could not even get an ear.
The Bass Pro Shop in Prattville gets to charge an extra 2% sales tax and the 2% is paid back to City for their incentives or start up help.BUT its ultimately the consumer who is doing the pay back not Bass Pro. Does that seem fair?
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| Name: |
water_watcher
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| Subject: |
Low rate county bond
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Date:
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6/22/2009 3:17:57 PM
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I don't know ... I can see both sides. The real question is would you not have wanted the development because of the extra tax? I know the answer for me is the benefits out weigh the small extra and I think improve property values as well. Keep in mind no one forces people to shop at Catherines or dine at Springhouse if the extra 2% really bothers you.
You also have to remember if it was in the City limits of Alex City, you would still have the tax, it would just all be called sales tax. It is only that where it is located, we only pay the state sales tax, so the extra is equal to the additional county tax to pay for the development and increased costs to the county.
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| Name: |
8hcap
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| Subject: |
"Russell Lands tax???"
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Date:
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6/22/2009 10:39:37 PM
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This form of financing, where the user (consumer) pays for the priviledge of shopping at a development that could not have been developed without this assistance contributed greatly to the over-building of retail we are going to suffer through for quite a few years to come.
If a project is not feasible on its own merits, why force it with "public assistance". There are several types of financing of this type, with the most common being Tax Increment Financing". When more funds were needed to develop a property than TIF could provide (usually based on the increase in property taxes generated by the improvements), the above process was invented.
8
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| Name: |
water_watcher
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| Subject: |
"Russell Lands tax???"
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Date:
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6/23/2009 6:44:44 AM
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I don't know all the specifics on this project so I can not agree or disagree ... but my limited understanding is that the additional tax was not necessarily related to help finance the project. It was related to road and utility improvements that would be necessary to support the project in the county. Since the location was an area that only had a state sales tax, there was an additional tax added to fund those general improvements that would normally handled by the county. If there was already a county tax nothing would be necessary as they would just benefit through the additional sales tax generated.
Since this seems to get so much discussion, it would be nice if someone from Russell weighed in to clarify for everyone.
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| Name: |
Kizma Anuice
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| Subject: |
"Russell Lands tax???"
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Date:
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6/23/2009 7:56:01 AM
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I am not familiar with the specifics of this project, however, in similar projects in other areas of the country, in which I was involved, if the governing authority, in this case the county, did not have the cash to make the necessary infrastructure improvements, a developer, could upon agreement pay for the improvements, and the authority would add the "Russell Lands" tax to collect monies to repay the developer.
This is often confused with an IDB where, usually an Industrial development Authority, purchases lands, builds buildings, and purchases manufacturing equipment, all of which is leased to an industrial concern, such as Honda or Mercedes, for a period of usually 20-30 years at the end of which lease the industrial concern owns the facility. By doing this the Honda et al can get money at a cheaper rate, because it is obtained from the sale of bonds by the authority, which are tax exempt. Because of the tax exemption, such bonds will be discounted less than taxable bonds thus providing the entity with "cheap money"
It is not economical for a "mom and pop" operation to do this because of the costs involving bond lawyer, underwriter, etc.
The above is a simple explanation of what most likely is happening and in no way explains all of the intricacies
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