725 1st Street
Tybee Island, GA 31328
Chatham County
Phone: (912) 786-7707
Fax: unknownWebsite: no website on fileEmail: no email on fileHours: unknown
by J T. on We rented the back room for a party and it was a geat space! Various friends performed on their stage. The sound system was good and the sound/light guy was very helpful. The balcony helped break up the crowd and the sound is well dispersed. Food was ok, not great, but our budget was limited. Rental price included clean up. Owner was nice & let us in earlier in the day to set up. When we left, there was a great band playing in the front. We warned people DO NOT PARK IN THE SAFEWAYS PARKING LOT!! THEY TICKET & TOW! There's a parking garage across the street.
by Carroll Pillette on I have always been a fan of Jean-Georges Vongerichten's restaurants and am particularly fond of lunching at Spice Market in New York. The restaurant is sophisticated and otherworldly, and the Asian-inspired menu explodes with flavor and diversity. Furthermore, Mr. Vongerichten's menus consistently offer options at multiple price-points that allow diners, even in spite of a collapsing economy, to enjoy a delicious and affordable meal. That said, I was thrilled to learn that Spice Market opened in Atlanta and decided to take my mother there for lunch on a cold and rainy Monday afternoon. At 2:15pm, I called Spice Market to ask if they could accommodate two people in twenty minutes. The hostess replied that that would not be a problem. We discussed the lunch menus and I offered to give her my contact info, but she declined and said to just come on down. So we did. We arrived at 2:36pm, eager to enjoy a Bento Lunch Box and hopeful for an experience as refined as in New York. My mother has a bad knee and was in notable pain, so after walking through the parking garage, up the hill in the rain to the hotel entrance, through the lobby, up a flight of stairs, and into the restaurant, we were extremely disappointed to be greeted by a young hostess lacking in tact or any visible hospitality training. Our conversation went something like... "Are you who called about lunch?" "Yes," I said, grinning widely with excitement. "Yeah, sorry, the kitchen closes at 2:30pm." "I don't understand, we called twenty minutes ago and said we'd be here in twenty minutes." "Yeah, sorry, we're closed." "That is exactly why I called ahead, so this wouldn't happen. Now we've wasted time and money coming down here in the rain only to be turned away. You can't misinform people like this." "Sorrrryyyy," she said, in a voice that pretended to care. "I can speak the manager or something." "Even if the manager did seat us, I wouldn't want to eat in a restaurant where I feel immediately rejected." We turned around and left. Then I went back into the restaurant to get my parking ticket validated. "I'm really not supposed to validate parking", she said, adding further insult to injury. She put a stamp on the ticket that meant nothing to the parking attendant, and we were charged for parking anyway. This is the kind of hospitality industry experience that burns a hole in my stomach - we were hungry, we were excited, and most of all, I wanted to impress my mother with a special lunch that would give her a sense of the kind of meals I had grown accustomed to in New York and France - but it all collapsed due to a negative interaction with an unfriendly and inexperienced hostess who misinformed us and did nothing to correct the situation. In her defense, perhaps the manager could have remedied the situation if we chose to wait for him/her to speak with us, but first impressions are very important to me and I refuse to patronize a business that makes me feel unwelcome. The same goes when I walk into a retail store - if they do not greet me, I will not buy anything. After working for some of the countries' most talented chefs (and arguably some of the worlds' most talented chefs), I have learned how to interact with clients in a poised and polished manner and have come to expect the same professional and sincere service from others in the industry. Our conversation should have gone something like... "Good afternoon. Are you Ms. Lorentzen? Thank you for calling ahead to make sure we could hold a table for you. Although our kitchen normally closes at 2:30pm, we're glad that you're joining us and have a lovely table for you near the window." "Thank you! We promise not to take long. I actually thought you closed at 3pm." -or- "I'm very sorry to inform you that the kitchen has closed. I should have taken your contact info while we were on the phone and I apologize for the oversight. Can I make a reservation for you to come another day? We would love to buy you dessert as an apology for the inconvenience." "Oh, that's too bad. We were so excited to eat here. But, we understand. We'll come back some other time. " "Here, please take our business card and call me when you're ready to make a reservation." While Atlanta is a more casual city than New York or Paris, global restaurant groups such as Mr. Vongerichten's should not take that casual nature as an opportunity to downgrade training or service excellence. If the behavior of the hostess is indicative of the mentality of the management and quality of service at Spice Market in Atlanta, I will never return. If this was an isolated situation and the managers and staff care about their clientele, someone will reply to my letter of complaint in a prompt and professional manner with a sincere desire to change my opinion.
by Spencer Robertson on I am an expert on Camp. Why? Because I am from Baltimore. There is a reason that John Waters films there. Hell, I've run into Mr Waters in Fell's Point and Tracy Turnblad's house in the movie Hairspray was literally a block away from where I went to grade school. (I'm talking about the ORIGINAL movie now, kiddies - not the musical... filmed in Canada?!! What an insult to Charm City... but I digress) I had no idea really what to expect from the Clermont. I'd heard some things, but was still pretty cloudy about it. So when I finally entered the place I was pretty shocked. Not in a bad way though. Shocked because I had never been to a place like that ever before. It's kind of like... if a Baltimore Club, and a John Waters movie made sweet, dirty love and had a baby... then that baby crawled into a basement and unexpectedly exploded... yup, you'd have the Clermont. After having written that sentence, I can see why some people do not and will not enjoy the Clermont. Some people think they have a sense of humor, but they are too timid to actually experience humor. And I'm not talking about going to a comedy club (which, for what they are, are awesome); I'm talking about finding humor in not only the mundane, but also the absurd, the extravagant, the visceral, and the dichotomy of reality and pseudo-fiction. Dig? The Clermont is an education in humor. I'm hesitant to actually write about the contents of the Clermont, simply because I don't want to spoil the surprise. I went on a Saturday night, prime time. Sufficed to say that there is an amazing mix of people there, and EVERYONE is there to have a blast. Music (DJ was spinning when I was there, and actually for an older white dude, could mix one song into another without throwing off the beat... impressive), dancing (guys, there are a good amount of attractive ladies there as customers), and the hilarious other things that I'll let you discover for yourself. I'm not one to label places "a must see at least once". But I guess I just did.
