Night at Restaurant a Bitter Experience

I find it hard to feel bad that dinner business has fallen 60% since Sept. 11 at Moomba [“Consumers Have Reservations, but Not for Dinner,” Sept. 22].

A friend and I called in advance and asked what it was like on Fridays around 6 p.m. We were told we did not need reservations for drinks and hors d’oeuvres on the patio. The night we went we were indignantly told that without reservations, the only place we could sit was at the bar. I told the hostess what we were told on the phone, but we would sit at the bar, no problem. As we started to order, a manager came over to tell me that none of her staff would have told me a reservation was not needed and I must have called the wrong restaurant.

I ordered Cabernet at the bar and was told the Cabernet they were pouring that evening was $30 a glass. I was supposed to pay $30 for a glass of wine and be called a liar. I will try to continue to do my part for the economy and support local businesses, but you can be sure Moomba won’t be one of them.

Katherine Vasila

Los Angeles