Common Man, Ashland

Life is Wild · 01-18-2014, 12:25 PM

I love it. I love waiting upstairs for a table downstairs, sipping drinks and getting the starters out of the way, or just carving off a slice of cheese from the big block by the stairway. The food is great, and the atmosphere is great, the staff are friendly. As an ex-manager of hotels and restaurants, I want to suggest that on a Friday night of a holiday weekend, in the winter when your regular customers are your mainstay, they should come first and if you're going to accept a reservation for a group of 40, bring in an extra chef and a couple of extra waiters so the people like me who love you don't experience slower, less attentive service. Once the decision is made, there is nothing the staff can do, and they were truly doing their best to keep up, so management, show your people that you have their best interests in mind, and that you know what you are doing by preparing in advance for what you know will be a hectic evening. One thing that helps a kitchen and wait staff provide great service to large groups is to tell the group's leader in advance that you can offer a choice of three main dishes to the group, a meat, a seafood, or a veggie option. Designate certain chefs and wait staff to the group, as it was obvious that waitresses were bustling between the group and their regular tables, and also were waiting a long time for their orders to come out. I love you Cman! I hope my brilliant ideas come in handy in the future. I will never stop dining under your roof, no matter how long you make me wait for my food. And the white chocolate...you forgot to bring it out at the end. I expect a double chunk next time.

blacksheep · 01-18-2014, 10:37 PM

Just curious LIW - how did you know it was a reservation for 40 and not a walk-in? It would be unlike the C'man not to have a seperate menu and dedicated staff for a party that size... Sounds to me like a surprise. I'm curious.

Life is Wild · 01-24-2014, 05:01 AM

Thanks Blacksheep,

Exactly what I would have expected from Common Man too. We were told by the hostess that they had a booking for a group of 40 people and that we might want to dine upstairs if we wanted more peace and quiet. Anyway, since I still like the restaurant so much, I suppose writing about the less than great experience that evening wasn't that productive, since as you say, they should already know how to deal with that kind of situation. Maybe it was unrelated. Maybe a chef walked out or someone called in sick...doesn't matter. Going back for more next weekend.

blacksheep · 01-27-2014, 09:26 PM

I love the upstairs at C'Man Ashland. It just feels... great! Especially on a cold, winter night. Hope your return visit this weekend was better than your last visit. I've always gotten the impression that the crew really wants to please, even if something goes less than perfect.

01-18-2014, 12:25 PM	#1
Life is Wild Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 28 Thanks: 22 Thanked 16 Times in 9 Posts	Common Man, Ashland I love it. I love waiting upstairs for a table downstairs, sipping drinks and getting the starters out of the way, or just carving off a slice of cheese from the big block by the stairway. The food is great, and the atmosphere is great, the staff are friendly. As an ex-manager of hotels and restaurants, I want to suggest that on a Friday night of a holiday weekend, in the winter when your regular customers are your mainstay, they should come first and if you're going to accept a reservation for a group of 40, bring in an extra chef and a couple of extra waiters so the people like me who love you don't experience slower, less attentive service. Once the decision is made, there is nothing the staff can do, and they were truly doing their best to keep up, so management, show your people that you have their best interests in mind, and that you know what you are doing by preparing in advance for what you know will be a hectic evening. One thing that helps a kitchen and wait staff provide great service to large groups is to tell the group's leader in advance that you can offer a choice of three main dishes to the group, a meat, a seafood, or a veggie option. Designate certain chefs and wait staff to the group, as it was obvious that waitresses were bustling between the group and their regular tables, and also were waiting a long time for their orders to come out. I love you Cman! I hope my brilliant ideas come in handy in the future. I will never stop dining under your roof, no matter how long you make me wait for my food. And the white chocolate...you forgot to bring it out at the end. I expect a double chunk next time.

01-24-2014, 05:01 AM	#3
Life is Wild Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Posts: 28 Thanks: 22 Thanked 16 Times in 9 Posts	That's a good question Thanks Blacksheep, Exactly what I would have expected from Common Man too. We were told by the hostess that they had a booking for a group of 40 people and that we might want to dine upstairs if we wanted more peace and quiet. Anyway, since I still like the restaurant so much, I suppose writing about the less than great experience that evening wasn't that productive, since as you say, they should already know how to deal with that kind of situation. Maybe it was unrelated. Maybe a chef walked out or someone called in sick...doesn't matter. Going back for more next weekend.

The Following User Says Thank You to Life is Wild For This Useful Post:
Old Hubbard Rd (01-18-2014)

01-18-2014, 10:37 PM	#2
blacksheep Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Plymouth, NH Posts: 63 Thanks: 98 Thanked 47 Times in 25 Posts	Just curious LIW - how did you know it was a reservation for 40 and not a walk-in? It would be unlike the C'man not to have a seperate menu and dedicated staff for a party that size... Sounds to me like a surprise. I'm curious.

01-27-2014, 09:26 PM	#4
blacksheep Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2013 Location: Plymouth, NH Posts: 63 Thanks: 98 Thanked 47 Times in 25 Posts	I love the upstairs at C'Man Ashland. It just feels... great! Especially on a cold, winter night. Hope your return visit this weekend was better than your last visit. I've always gotten the impression that the crew really wants to please, even if something goes less than perfect.