Thursday, October 4, 2007

the worst way to eat columbus' best dessert

i have enthusiastically loved pistachio for a long while and today i finally stopped in to their new location, pistacia vera. i think their mille feuille is as close to heaven on earth as one can get, their staff is lovely, and the space is beautiful and elegant. but today i've been sulking because my beloved pistachio has evolved in a way i just don't appreciate. apparently the boutique concept no longer accommodates patrons enjoying their desserts inside the shop. it's certainly not for a lack of space that there aren't cafe tables present, as the new location has more room than the short north location did.
here's the truth: i don't pretend to know what's best for pistacia vera's business model, i'm not an expert on how they carry out their vision, and i am certain i couldn't come close to replicating even a tenth of the items on their menu. but, i do know that those lovely, delicate, decadent desserts are best enjoyed in that beautiful, tranquil, elegant space. they are not meant to be eaten in the back seat of a friend's car, out of a cardboard box, with a plastic fork!
i'm actually pissed about this. and it doesn't help that the clerk today delivered the "no, we're a boutique, not a cafe" message with a bit too much edge to her voice.
i'm pouting. and until my craving for mille feuille grows unbearably intense enough to drown out my bitterness over their unwise choice not to offer seating, i'm not going back.

6 comments:

Jen - said...

Well put! I couldn't agree more! It's damn hard to eat their delicious desserts out of a cardboard box. I'm afraid I might puncture my leg with the plastic fork accidentally.

Walker Evans said...

That is a little bit of a bummer that they don't have seating. Perhaps they'll change their minds down the road?

Emily said...

I cannot agree with you more! I'm so frustrated by their new space that I've actually contemplated opening a business that sells "seating space" (along with forks and china) next door. Seriously. Pistacia Vera could easily charge me an additional fiver just to be able to continue to enjoy their amazing desserts as they used to be in the Short North...beautifully plated (and with a complementary glass of ice water to wash it down in simple perfection).

It's possible that they might be brilliant, who knows...I mean, the fact that I was not able to eat in their "boutique" didn't stop me from dropping $50 on desserts for my mother's birthday last weekend. However, if they are really going to become a "boutique"...maybe they need to get away from the "individual servings" as well...just sell whole items and call it a day. Those smaller versions only make their customers nostagic for the way they used to be anyway! It does beg the question, was it really killing them to do dishes so much that they had to get away from the service their customers adored?

Anytime you make a change to your model like this you are basically asking your customers to decide (again) whether or not they will continue to choose you over another option. Was it worth it, Pistacia Vera? I now buy from you once a year on special occasions instead of stopping by twice a month for an after-lunch guilty pleasure.

I guess the good news is that I will no longer be looking to you, Pistacia Vera to be the bi-weekly diet-wrecker you used to be. It's too bad because you USED TO BE HE BEST excuse to fall off the wagon.

Anonymous said...

I wish they were also selling those love plates & cake stands still. Those were so pretty.

PV said...

Morning! Anne, here from Pistacia Vera. Thanks for the great feedback! Good news... we are listening.

We are still jumping through a few hoops with the City of Columbus Plans Examiner but we should have our new tables in our space by the end of December. Just in time for cozy dessert eating weather.

Look forward to keeping you all posted. Thanks for your patience.

heather said...

thanks so much for the update!