Restaurant News
Mealey’s in New Market has a new owner, according to the News-Post:
A landmark dining business is in new hands.
Owner Chim Butt, a Jefferson resident, said he had no restaurant experience, but sees Mealey’s as an excellent investment and with lots of potential.
Butt has 30 years of experience in corporate management that included some food service.
“But not a full-service restaurant like this,” he said.
The restaurant, at 8 W. Main St., began as the Utz Hotel in 1793 and later was a general store until it became a eatery in the early 1900s.
Butt said he and his wife, Zari, had never even eaten at Mealey’s until they began looking at it as a business opportunity.
Hmmm, never eaten there before, no restaurant experience…good luck! Methinks Mealey’s is in for some big changes! I don’t know but I’m not feeling optimistic. I wish the new owners luck though.
Also, a new Mexican restaurant is open on the Golden Mile:
Pepitos, which also has a location in Gaithersburg, is located at 1240 W. Patrick St.
The business offers burritos, Mexican breads and cakes, cocktails, soups, tacos and Mexican sandwiches.
Breads are made fresh at midnight and include selections such as concha de chocolate, concha blanca, concha amarilla, borregos, monos, bigotes, cuernos, gingerbread, orejas, empanadas de Manzana, pie de queso and more.
Owner Joe Molina has more than 16 years of experience in the restaurant field.
The 5,000-square-foot restaurant is open from 8 a.m. to 10 .m. Monday to Friday; 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
For information call 301-696-1434 or visit the website at www.tacospepitosbakery.com.
Looks like the link in the article is broken, but this one seems to have some info.
Thanks Guy!
Mealey’s long-time owner, Jose Salavieri, has long wanted to jump ship. The restaurant business is a young person’s game, requiring 70-hour weeks and lots of employee headaches. I agree: Expect changes at Mealey’s. Jose’s model just wasn’t working, no matter how hard he tried. He tried to change from “fine dining” to “dining fine,” but weekday evenings were painfully slow, and the new business owner will need lots of table turns to pay his creditors. Once upon a time, Mealey’s was a semi-elegant place, but with today’s t-shirt and shorts sensibility, I’m guessing casual will rule the day.
The good news? At least for now, the building isn’t being turned into a business suite. But given how valuable that piece of property is, and its location, I give the new place fewer than 5 years.
Long live Jose!
I am so incredibly sad to hear this. I live very, very close to Mealy’s and have been dining there for YEARS. We do NOT need another casual restaurant, Mealy’s is one of the few places we go and get an excellent meal and don’t have to wait in line or eat anything cooked in a frier. The only thing that would make me ok with changes here is if they created a friendly, classy, “pub” type environment. New Market needs a place you can meet your friends for a beer. I hope there are not many changes…I love their food and they do an excellent job at all kinds of fish dishes. Plus…my family has had Easter dinner there for at least the last 15 years. If this messes up next year’s reservation my grandmother will be very upset.
The news about Mealey’s change in ownership left me feeling a bit sad, especially when I recall the times it provided a special “destination dining” experience for my family and friends. I didn’t realize the place had been struggling. If the previous owner, with his years of experience, gave up on making a go of it, this doesn’t bode well for the new owner with no background in the restaurant business. Everyone seems to pine for locally owned dining establishments with some degree of uniqueness or sense of place. Yet, here is another venue of this nature that withered on the vine as profitability decreased and amount of effort involved in running the business increased.
The new owner is on record as saying he wants to bump things up a notch–make it more upscale. Hope it works, but Jose wasn’t successful and he had more than 20 years of experience under his belt.
Let’s hope the new owner doesn’t go for a new name: Butt’s Inn. Egad.
Why not, it works for Butt’s Tubes in WV. I’ll be the only one to give this a vote of optimism. I’ve got a feeling it’s going to work out for the better.
Only eaten there once, but the food was good. New Market’s a cool little town. One of the things I like about Frederick County: the wide array of smaller towns, villages and clustered crossroads communities.
There’s something about Frederick dinners that I don’t understand and hope I can get an answer here. I work in a restaurant that for the second year in a row made Northern Virginia magazine’s list of top 25 restaurants (last year number 7 overall, second overall this year). We’ve had people drive over 3 hours from Richmond to dine with us. And yet I think it’s easier to pull teeth, than get anyone to drive 20 minutes or so from downtown Frederick to our restaurant. Neither, I nor anyone, I work with and figure out why.
Here are their top 3
Food Ambiance Service total
Restaurant Eve 9.6 9.3 9.3 28.2
Patowmack Farm 9.0 8.8 8.5 26.3
Farrah Olivia 9.2 8.6 8.4 26.2
And yet I hear from the people I talk too, that the restaurant scene in Frederick (got to be careful here, can’t afford to offend anyone I might be asking for a job someday), is lack luster, more of the same old, same old, too many chains. I don’t know, what will take to get you to drive 20 minutes from downtown?
Drive 20 minutes from downtown Frederick to *where*?
Tam,
The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm, is in Lovettesville, Va. Cross the bridge at Point of Rocks, take your first right and 1/4 mile or so up the road on the left.
Patowmackfarm.com
Honestly I have never heard of it and I live in Frederick and have for a few years…Do they advertise in Frederick anywhere. looks like a nice place and a great location for us frederick people to drive to.
Wow, Patowmack Farm does look like a fantastic place. Too bad I didn’t know about it last year when the family was in town and looking for a place for Thanksgiving dinner.
I’d guess that advertising and location are definitely part of the problem, Al. I don’t drive over the Rte 15 bridge too often, but when I have I never would have guessed that there was a luxurious restaurant up that first right-hand turn. Mentioning it at places like this, though, is a great start to making it more well known. Good luck, and I hope that I have the opportunity to dine there!
I have heard very good things about Patowmack Farm. The only thing is that it is pretty expensive. I think that downtown Frederick restaurants have pretty good food with nice atmospheres and affordable prices, which are all good reasons to go!
We serve only organic produce, organic/natural meats, and sustainable FRESH (line caught, not farmed, its never seen a freezer) seafood. That filet you had downtown cost between 9 and 12 dollars a pound, while an organic/natural filet runs about 18- 20 a pound. However when you dine and order, a soup, salad, appetizer, entrée and dessert downtown your still paying about the same, but and it’s a big but, everything we’re serving is fresh, and made in house, if its on your plate we made it i.e.: pasta, breads, ice cream, sorbet, all stocks, soups and sauces, well we do have some canned pumpkin and tomato paste (we made our own tomato paste last year started with over 50 pounds of tomatoes and I think we ended up with about a pint or so of tomato paste). We do offer an a la carte menu on Thursday and Friday, which will cut the cost, while not diminishing what is “a true fine dining experience”. As well as brunch on Saturday and Sunday. “I think that downtown Frederick restaurants have pretty good food with nice atmospheres and affordable prices, which are all good reasons to go!” I’ve eaten in most of the big name resturants downtown, and have yet to be wowed by the food, for the most part its ok, and some that made me ask why are they still open, but nothing that rocked my world, and there a few that my wife refues to go back to, and she thinks yellow and white corn taste the same. I understand that compared to most we cost a bit more, but the real question is “ are you getting what your paying for?” What drives me nuts when the wife and I go out to eat, I know how much the food I ordered cost, and I know what I should be paying for it, but a lot places are more concerned with turning that table, than paying attention to the food, this could of and should have been cut thinner, the crust while not burn’t is a little dark, its about the details. When I’m forking out my hard earned money, is good enough for government work really good enough?
Al,
Are you looking for opinions or an argument?
Face it, the market you have chosen to operate in is very small. People aren’t often going to be willing to pony up $80/person + booze, tax, tip on a regular basis. Add on top of that your location and your very, very limited menu, and your regulars won’t be there more than a couple of times a year. That’s a tough place to operate in. I think if you want to bring in more local residents, you’re going to have to advertise and offer a menu with more mainstream items.
We will be down to try Patowmack Farms soon. I was hoping to get in before the December menu kicked in, but wound up playing phone tag with the restaurant. We’ll be looking for the January menu (sorry not much interest in rabbit, duck, or charr at my house). Good luck!
JJP
There’s quite a nice organic restaurant downtown called the Orchard, so Frederick has pretty much all of it’s bases covered. My wife mentioned Patowmack Farms some time back while we were driving over the bridge, and to be honest my first instincts were – sounds like a really pretentious name and probably expensive. She agreed and said the prices were a little ‘chere’. You only need to look at Monocacy crossing for a place that’s out of frederick (but still pulls them over) has a great menu, organic items and is always packed. My advice is as follows, change the name to something that can be googled and doesn’t sound like a frozen chicken vendor, drop the organic push (i think of salad, indigestion and extreme prices) and stop trolling forums looking to start a fight with people who know full well why your undoubtedly superb restaurant is hitting the skids.
Not to change the subject – but anyone been to Rick’s Chinatown since they opened”EDO” the japanese hibachi steakhouse and sushi bar?
I kind of agree with JJP. I don’t generally care for a Prix Fixe menu, mostly because I don’t eat beef or baby animals, and I’m allergic to shellfish. On that sort of menu, the choice is usually between the lesser of two evils, leading to disappointment and the feeling that I didn’t really get to choose what I wanted.
I’ve dined at Potowmack Farms and I think it is great. It is a niche restaurant. This is the kind of place that people will go for a special night out, or for a dining experience. I put it in more of a category with restaurants in DC like the now gone Maestro, The Source, or Ojamel. I would make a special trip for those restaurants on a special date. I love DTF and dining there, but most of those restaurants I’d decide to go to last-minute for dinner. Potowmack Farms wants (and succeeds) to wow you with fantastic flavors. Their bread is unlike anything you have probably ever had before, and served with each course. Each course offered an interesting flavor, even if it wasn’t something I’d traditionally order. And when I went they offered a Raspberry Peach sorbet as a palate cleanse that was one of the most delicious and memorable flavors I’ve had in my life. The view, if you are there when it is light out, is very pretty as you are dining in a greenhouse. It is an expensive restaurant. And it is a different concept (the organic, sustainable angle) than those offered not just in DTF but in most cities. That makes a difference in the quality and taste of the food. It’s not the same-old. But very fine dining shouldn’t be. If you’ve got the occasion to spend the ~$80 per person (I believe price varies with the menu), then I say go for a neat dining experience without having to go all the way into DC metro.
No, I’m not trying to pick a fight. I just don’t understand it. I’ve been cooking for almost 30 years, cooking isn’t just a job, (sure don’t do it for the money) it’s a passion. It’s not hard to do it right, and yet a lot of people out there are using precooked prime ribs, mashed potatoes that you pop in the steamer till hot, boil in the bag scrambled eggs, heat and serve bacon, pre-made frozen soups, pre-cut vegetables, pre-roasted ducks, the list goes on and on. Crap like this scares the hell out of me. I was working at a upscale country club in Ohio, and had a cook working with me, when asked to make a hollandaise, 5 minutes later he comes back and asks “where’s the Knorr hollandaise mix”? Hollandaise is one of the 5 mother sauces, how can a cook not know how to make hollandaise? Demi-glace from a can, chicken, beef, seafood stocks from powders or paste. This kind of droppings (can’t use the word I want to) takes the skill out of the kitchen, but even worse the dinning public get used to it. Nothing like lowering the bar, sure makes it easier to meet customer expectations.
I’m not knocking the restaurants in Frederick, what I’m getting tired of is over priced mediocre food, and cooks/chef’s that don’t care, and this appears to be fast becoming the norm across the nation. It’s the little things that I’m talking about, you know that little pile of spring mix that was on your plate as a garnish, salt and pepper it, toss it in a little olive oil, it will look better (nice shine) and taste better, don’t put it on the plate dry. That shaved fennel garnish, looks great, season it and it’ll taste as good as it looks.
My wife took me to Citronelle last year, dinner for the two of us was over $500, a truly outrageous sum of money, and worth every penny of it. Every plate was prefect, and the service was, they knew what I wanted or needed as the thought was forming, do I expect this every time I go out to eat, no, but I would like to see my fellow cooks have that kind of pride in very plate they present to you. But the only way that will happen is
if you keep restaurateurs and chefs, honest.
You know maybe I’ve not said it right, maybe this might explain it a bit better, I love sushi and sashimi, there is only one sushi joint in town (that I know of) that uses fresh, not frozen tuna, the flavor, texture and color of fresh is so much better than the frozen. Once you’ve had fresh, the frozen is such a disappointment. Fresh sushi grade number 1 tuna can be ordered year round. But the frozen is easier to order, store and comes in nice trimmed blocks. A short cut that cheats the paying customer, but makes my job easier. When I take my daughter to Denney’s and order my eggs scrambled soft, why do they always over cook them? Lazy, or, lack of pride or no standards? Denney’s or not how hard is it to scramble an egg? I took my family out for Sunday brunch, the food in the chaffers was not garnished and the syrup was a bottle of Log Cabin that still had the Safeway sticker on it, they could of garnished the food so it it’d look like it wasn’t just dumped in the chaffer, and how hard would it of been to put the syrup in a creamer, sure would of looked better than an plastic log cabin bottle, though the Safeway sticker on the bottle was a nice touch. They say that ½ of every food dollar spent is spent in a restaurant, show me that you care, is that really asking too much? Chef Ramey, on every show and book of yours I’ve seen or read, the one recurring theme has been, fresh honest food, prepared well, value for the money spent and good service. JJP, for a number of people we are a special occasion restaurant, and your right about the advertising. Again I’m not trying to start an argument, are my expectations higher because I’m in the business, or is freezer to microwave to plate is where we’re headed.
Al,
I share your frustration with the quality of food and prep today. I’m not sure dining at your restaurant is the answer though. The are several places to eat in Frederick that do it right, opinions vary, but my favorites are: Monocacy Crossing, Tasting Room, G.Hunters, Old South Mountain, Gabriel’s, Mangia e Bevi, Il Porto, Main Cup, Viet’s Aroma, plus more .. I had a nice meal at Danielle’s the other night (and I’m going back tonight to try something else). None of these places are perfect, but they do a good job.
I’m not sure what you’re trying to accomplish with your posts though. You talk about high expectations and decry poor food and then take your kid to Denny’s. What were you expecting? Organic eggs raised from organic chickens on an organic farm, perfectly cooked, with several strips of bacon made from organic, pigs raised in pristine living conditions and fattened by the finest feeds made up of pearls worn only by the queens of European countries, hand picked by the finest jewelers? Potatoes raised in the darkest earth, kept at 40 degrees, and hand carried from a hidden valley in Idaho to the door of Denny’s in Frederick? Geez, practice what you preach.
I agree with JJP again. Al, I applaud your love for what you do, and I think it’s great that you are so passionate about your job. I think it’s admirable that you are trying to find a way to appeal to Frederick diners, and most likely you have found a few who will come your way via these posts. However, I have to say that criticizing our local restaurants is not cool. There are plenty of local Frederick restaurants that deserve a little credit (JJP has a great list, Monocacy Crossing is my favorite), and for you to blast our entire city as being somehow unworthy for not going to yours is just plain wrong. There’s plenty here in Frederick for everyone. I wish you all the best in your endeavors.
Al, I’m also in the industry (though not as a restaurant cook), I follow the area dining scene, and I spend a lot of time in Frederick though I live 30 minutes away in Harpers Ferry, WV. A few observations:
It’s extremely hard to get people to cross a river. It’s a whole other state on the other side, which psychologically sounds really far away. I cross the state line at least 4 days each week, so it doesn’t keep me away, but when I lived in Montgomery County I was loathe to head into NoVa for any reason–as were most of my neighbors. When I lived in the District, I knew lots of people who wouldn’t cross the District line for love or money.
I know Frederick has its own personality and history that long predate its current growth as a DC suburb. I think Frederick’s restaurants have suffered the same plight as other suburbs–chain dining that aims at families on a budget. I imagine most of the people who would spend $80/head on dinner that live in Frederick would think to drive down to DC or maybe Bethesda before heading over to Lovettsville.
I think it’s hard to swallow, but a place like Patowmack Farm is going to serve as a destination restaurant. You’ve had the press coverage around DC that other destination restaurants have, and I’m sure that’s resulted in a bigger regional draw, but it has to be frustrating to feel like the local community isn’t helping to keep you afloat. I have not been to your restaurant (I have a toddler, a limited income, and trouble scheduling a babysitter), but I wonder if it would work to try a more casual bar area in addition to your main dining room? Look at places like Lightfoot and Tuscarora Mill in Leesburg, Eve in Alexandria, or Palena in DC–they all have vibrant bars packed by locals happy to pay $30 plus alcohol for a nice dinner. Those same people then come in to the main dining rooms when they have guests or want to celebrate a special occasion, and they’re happy to drop a few hundred on dinner and a few bottles of wine at that time–especially since they know the staff and already view the place as an extension of their living room.
I think the scene around downtown Frederick is fairly vibrant and has some decent options. My family drives a half-hour into town to eat dinner a couple of times a month. I don’t expect the same things of those restaurants that I expected when I was able to go to DC for dinner, but I think Frederick does ok for a community of its size. Certainly, I don’t think slamming Frederick is going to convince people to drive to your place.
This is very upsetting to me and my family. I have been dining at Mealey’s every year since I can remember for my birthday and was even proposed to in that very restaurant. I hope that the service and dishes are still of good quality – I do plan to report back after our anual trip which is right around the corner.
Geez, I’ve always been one to enjoy a spirited (but civil) exchange of viewpoints, and this thread took an interesting turn in that direction.
I believe I understand where Al is coming from; it can be frustrating when others don’t share your passion for something you take pride in, put energy into, and greatly enjoy yourself. Many folks similarly cherish exquisitely prepared food and the fine dining experience and perhaps feel that this should be a norm in daily living. But, it seems that in his first post, Al–knowingly, since he acknowledged that his remarks might offend–delivered comments certain to “get people’s backs up” by dissing both the Frederick restaurant scene and the sensibilities of people who live there.
The thing is, that old chestnut of a saying, “There’s no accounting for taste,” is so true. Long ago I recognized that it was counter-productive–and futile–to, for example, argue with a friend over the fact that she detests a certain restaurant my husband and I love and patronize frequently. Nor would I try to convince a co-worker who enjoys driving his expensive new truck with the custom orange paint job that he’s got it all wrong because something like my 10-year-old Civic will get him to work just as well (without looking garish, and on much less gas).
Back to Al and his restaurant: While I can understand his frustration, others among us legitimately have a different take on the matter. And it accomplishes nothing to provoke a negative reaction and in so doing, divert people’s attention from understanding the point of view and information you hope to convey.
Al, people often relocate to Frederick County because of the area’s relatively affordable housing and it’s a great spot to raise a young family. This isn’t the demographic that can afford a $500 splurge meal at Citronelle, and even if given $500, most of us wouldn’t shoot the whole wad on a single dinner, “perfect” or no. You talk about keeping chefs and restaurants “honest,” but there’s little honesty in a $500 dinner. Yes, you’re certainly getting quality ingredients and impeccable execution, but everything with a price tag yields diminishing marginal returns, and the last $250 or so mainly is buying you sizzle rather than steak. At that point, it’s not so much about the food as the mood, and for a truly “perfect” dinner is being with someone I really love. Throw in candles, soft music and a fine view, and it’s golden. While I value and enjoy good food, I don’t fetishize it and would prefer spending my $500 on a first-rate opera, ballet or musical. A last point: Many residents in Frederick County make long, hard daily commutes. Once someone gets home, the last thing s/he wants to do is pile back in the car, and make a long drive anywhere. Today, it’s about being casual and convenient. If you’re going to be dismayed by anything today, be dismayed by the many world issues worthy of such strong emotion. Dining doesn’t even come close.
Ok, let me try to do this without honking anyone else off, I’d like to thank those who took the time to answer my question. Lets see if I can say this without honking anyone else off.
JJP, in regards to Denny’s, if I came across like I expect to be served organic every where I eat, sorry that’s not what I was trying to say, when my daughter drives home from school, it’s the only place open, I’ve spent all day in the kitchen, cooking at home is the last thing I want to do. It’s fill and not much more, but they still should be able to cook an egg as ordered. There are nights when I get home, Chef Boyardee has fixed my dinner (marry a can of beefaroni and spaghetti O’s with meat (soy protein) balls, nuke for 3 minutes and its dinner). I may work in an organic restaurant, but that’s it, I work there. You posted a list of your favorites here’s mine. Hinode Japanese Restaurant, Acacia, Thai rice, Bombay Grill, Jennifer’s, Mays, Lucky Corner, Henning’s, Tajitu Ethiopian, Café Anglais, Jerry’s subs & pizza, Quizno’s, Viet’s Aroma, all do a good job. I did not mean to imply that there are no good restaurants in Frederick, there are, ok this is where I’m gonna do it again (honk off people without meaning to), without naming names, I took my wife out one night, dinner was pretty good, however the sauce on the entrée was over reduced and bitter, the fennel was sliced nice and thin, it was beautiful, but not dressed, it was dry and dull. Now go to the Washington Post, New York Times, and read the restaurant reviews, a meal that could of earned that Chef and staff 2 stars, just became one star or less, or worse a bad review or one that was never written. Do I expect perfection every time I go out to eat no, but its’ those little details that turn a good meal into a great one. I realize that it sounds like I’m being highly critical of the restaurants downtown and that’s not what I’m trying to say or do. I went out for lunch (the truth is I went out for margaritas) the other day and the server, had to run back to the kitchen to find out what 2 of the menu items that changed daily where, this was at 1:30 in the afternoon, she should of known this before they started service, than the owner/chef comes to my table to explain to why canned chili’s are better than fresh when making chili rellenos (better because they cheaper and require less labor/skill to make?). Will I go back, most likely not, though the bar does make a good margarita. Back to the tuna, restaurant X uses fresh tuna at 12 a pound, Y uses frozen at 5 a pound, they both use the tuna to prepare the same dishes, both charge the same price for the finished product. Restaurant Y just ripped you off. And that’s the point I’m trying to make. If the FNP (honk, honk) wrote critical restaurant reviews, instead of ones that read like ads, Restaurant Y would have to change, a critic would of called them on it. Maybe its because this is what I do for a living, that I see this, when my brother-in law, helped us do some work in the basement (he’s a contractor), he looked around and couldn’t believe some of the shoddy workmanship he saw, he pointed out a number of things, that not knowing I thought where done correctly. I don’t know what you do for a living, but when look at what other people in your profession do, don’t you look at it with a critical eye, hey maybe I should try that or damm what the hell where you thinking?
Dude, the wife was silly enough to give me a card that said good for dinner and movie of my choice, our anniversary (28 years) and xmas (9 days apart), was dinner worth it, I think so, one of the top 10 restaurants in the country, faultless execution, the favors, the service…. did she get her monies worth, yeah I think so. Will we go back, maybe when my daughter gets her Doctorate, or I win the lotto (we didn’t do a movie, it would of cost to much). And I understand about commutes, she spends about 3-4 hours a day in the car, on a good day (4/1/2 hours to get to work when we got the snow last week). Again, I did not mean to imply that there are no good restaurants in Frederick, there are. If my command of English was better, maybe I could of done this without coming across like an arrogant, pompous ass, though a lot of people would agree with the ass part.
Al, I’d really like to talk to you more off the board about ways to help Patowmack Farm. Can you please send me an email if you see this? malawry –AT– yahoo dot com
Hi- I would like to comment on the discussion on “Patowmack Farms.” I am excited that this restuarant is organic! I have been searching for organic restuarants for my family to dine at and can’t wait to try this one. Organics are much more than just eating fresh food. Eating organic is about saving the world for our children, food without pesticides and harmful substances, and about sustaining the world globally. In addition, I am willing to Pay $$$ to have a nice organic dinner out and there are many consumers who feel the same way I do. It is great to have choices. So I do not think people should knock this restuarant. We should embrace it and celebrate choice. There are many restuarants for people to choose from in the Frederick area – so make a choice and don’t eat at “Patowack Farms” but don’t knock it- just eat somewhere else.
Can’t wait to try your restuarant Al- thanks Valerie from Clarksburg
Valerie,
Nobody is knocking them. The point of the thread was that Patowmack Farm was having trouble drawing from the local area and they were looking for suggestions on how to change that.
For anyone interested, the new January menu is up on their website.
JJP
I’ve eaten at Mealey’s for years and even though the previous owners are no longer there (retired! didn’t bail ship!) everything remains the same. The same chef is there, the same staff, the same menu! It still is fine dining, the only thing that has changed (which is for the better!) is now they are open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday.
I happen to work at Mealey’s, and can tell you firsthand about some of the changes. The new owner has no clue what he is doing. Chim Butt says he has experience in “corporate management that included some food service.” He really managed a chain of 7-11′s. He then bought a liquor store in Jefferson, flipped it, then bought Mealey’s. He is chasing his employees away with his complete lack of knowledge about how a restaurant works. He is hiring servers who have never waited tables before. For example, a table asked a new server for a Whiskey Sour. The server replied, “A what?” Then she had to have someone show her how to pour sour mix into whiskey. Butt changed the pork sausage and bacon on the Sunday Brunch to turkey because he is Muslim and can’t eat pork. At a restaurant like Mealey’s, details matter and hospitality is key, not cutting costs. He dropped one food distributor because they wouldn’t give us 60 free pounds of crabmeat for a charity function. He stopped our Ecolab (pest control service) because it was too expensive. He bought a can of Raid and some fly strips. He stopped serving water and bread to tables because he “doesn’t want people to get accustomed to it.” We had a wine tasting back in November. Some women bought a case of wine that wasn’t in stock. They haven’t gotten it, and he refuses to reimburse them because he says they would be “getting something for nothing.” Actually, they have gotten the reverse. Another time, a table received a lunch menu instead of a dinner menu. They ordered an entree that is served on both lunch and dinner menus, except the dinner also has a vegetable and is served with a salad. When the table asked for the lunch price as that was what they were quoted, he refused, saying that they had “ordered a Porsche and wanted to pay for a Cadillac.” They were extremely upset, and instead of giving them the lunch price, he comped their entire meal, in the hopes that they would “feel guilty about wanting something for nothing.” Maybe the worst part of it all is that he refuses to turn on the A/C. It is the middle of summer in a 18th century building with no windows or vents, and he says he is comfortable, so he won’t turn it on. His only concern is the money, not the hospitality or guests. The chef has since left, as have many key employees. Most others are thinking of leaving. And the stories just keep coming…
If these practices as described by “Mealey’s Employee” are typical, it will soon be customers as well as key employees who are not returning.
Unfortunately, I have a sense now that it’s just a matter of time until the other shoe drops…that is, until Mealey’s goes out of business.
It would be nice to think of the place getting sold to a new owner/operator with a good track record in the restaurant business. But, in the current economic climate, it’s hard to picture somebody else taking on the restaurant and turning it around successfully. Hope I’m wrong.
What sad news. We used to go to Mealey’s all the time, but have not been pleased the last couple of times we have gone. In addition, we have heard from friends how the food has gone downhill. Such a shame. Once a staple in Frederick County for a nice meal out.
I am one of the people that the new owner of Mealey’s Restaurant, Chim Butt, has refused to refund money to for the wine I never received. He has been extremely rude, has not returned any of my phone calls, and has basically said he will not return my money or give me the wine that I was due (2 of my other friends did not get their money back or wine either). Despite his request for our receipts which we provided more than once, he claims that he has no proof that we did or did not receive our wine, even though his employee that waited on us the night of the wine tasting vouched for us all. You can bet that I will not step foot in his establishment ever again and will tell all of my friends about this. Mealey’s used to be our favorite restaurant for a fine-dining experience in a great setting, but since Mr. Butt has taken over the food has gone down hill since the chef left and the service is no longer what it used to be. It’s a shame that such a great restaurant was bought by an inexperienced owner and a person that has no moral values whatsoever! Forget about the refund – I just want him to get out of the restaurant business!
That’s sad to hear. Mealey’s has had such a stellar reputation over the years. It’s too bad the reputation has gone so down hill. Maybe the previous owners should have insisted on the new owners changing the name during the sale so as not to ruin the Mealey’s brand.
Throughout the five-year period I wrote restaurant write-ups for Frederick Magazine — don’t get me started on that one, folks! — Mealey’s never ventured into gourmet cuisine, but did serve predictably good meals in a pleasant inn setting. For me, what distinguished the Mealey’s experience were two things: the waiters were the best in the business and Jose Salaverri refused to cut corners. He served a quality product at reasonable prices.
During this period (from about to 2002-2006) Jose privately complained to me on numerous occasions that the upscale chains/franchises were stealing his customers. After losing a small fortune, he finally adapted and reinvented his business model from fine dining to what he called “dining fine,” which meant introducing mid-priced entrees, carry out, and making the Inn more kid-friendly. But throughout this period, it was clear he was looking for a buyer. At one point the 60 year old lamented, “the restaurant business is a young man’s game.”
I’ve been to the new Mealey’s twice. Our experience was mixed. Some entrees have been good (not great), but others have disappointed. Not only is the Pump Room louder than ever, but the service just isn’t where it once was.
I too would like to see Jose rescue Mealey’s, but that simply isn’t in the offing. The environment today is very hostile to the independent restaurant owner, especially if he has an upscale operation. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Chim Butt sell in the next 2-3 years, and see the new, new Mealey’s converted into a business suite.
That, of course, would be a great loss for all of us.