Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Furl
Google
Reddit
Stumbleupon
Y! MyWebBar Review
Gregory's
It has all the makings of a great piano bar, they just haven't found the exact recipe yet
Sunday, January 06, 2008
DAYTON — Seeking a sophisticated evening of entertainment and beverages, the Lounge Lizards, delighted to learn that a second piano bar had opened in downtown Dayton, set out in search of Gregory's on North Main Street across from the Victoria Theatre.
The roomy first-floor space is clean and sparsely decorated with a mix of images from old downtown Dayton alongside giclées of reproduction wine art adorning the walls. A series of high-top and low-top tables flank the downstairs walls leading back to the bar area. The grand piano, the bar's centerpiece, is just inside the door.
Extras
Gregory's is the second piano bar to open in downtown Dayton.Gregory's
- WHERE: 139 N. Main St., Dayton [Map]
- HOURS: 4 p.m.-midnight Monday through Thursday, 4 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday and closed Sunday.
- MORE INFO: (937) 443-2900.
- MORE: Reader ratings, complete profile
Our first trip found us seated, literally, at the piano bar. A glass top over the piano, shielding it from spills, lets it double as a bar — things were off to a stylish start. Our server for the evening, wielding a personal digital assistant, painstakingly took our order pushing the stylus through a series of screens, a process that took several long minutes.
Our drinks arrived and we decided to explore the dessert menu and chance another encounter with the PDA, ordering the Banana Split Dessert ($4.75) and a Butter Cream Bourbon Chocolate Cake ($4.25). When the server arrived with dessert, we were informed that we would have to relocate from our perches near the piano man and find a table.
Our deserts, while well portioned, were underwhelming. The real fun came when it was time for the check. A few fellow loungers had joined the Lizards, which meant charming company for us and separate checks for our waitress. One would have thought the PDA interface back to the bar would have made this a snap; instead it was a 20-minute misadventure.
Our second outing saw us order a Manhattan and a Cosmopolitan and our server plug it into her trusty PDA. The Lounge Lizards are always a bit verklempt to let a beverage go to waste, and while the Manhattan was mixed just right, the Cosmo was not and was left half finished. Sniff!
For our third visit, we opted for a change in location and discovered that the second floor, complete with a balcony, is one of the bar's hidden treasures. Unlike the sparsely decorated first floor, the second floor offers a warm and cozy lounge area, filled with sofas, upholstered chairs on wheels and small tables perfect for resting a beverage or a snack.
The cheese and fruit tray ($6.50) turned out to be a pleasant surprise and a good value with a nice assortment of fresh fruit, cheeses and crackers. The strawberries were sweet and quite fresh, as was the melon assortment. The blueberries were well past their prime and should not have been put on the plate. The cheeses, although fresh, were cut into cubes, making it difficult to pair with the crackers. Slices would have made things easier.
The Lounge Lizards love the idea of a sophisticated piano bar in downtown Dayton serving great drinks with a piano man belting out a tune. Gregory's has all the makings, they just haven't found the exact recipe yet. Here's what we like and what we had hoped we would have seen:
KEEP IT UP
The Second Floor. This cozy, warm, unexpected surprise was relaxed and allowed for ideal conversation over the piano.
The piano. What could be better than live piano music and vocal accompaniment? It's metropolitan, glamorous and elegant. Not to mention that on all of our trips, the piano man was the friendliest person in the bar.
Location, location, location. It's downtown and makes for a convenient stop after work or after taking in a show.
A large beer assortment. With 29 bottles, there's plenty of variety. Imports are $3.50, and domestics are $2.75.
Just think of the possibilities. Between the piano format and the excellent space, it's a location ripe with potential.
WISH LIST
Lose the PDAs. This was a real mood killer and didn't help at all when it was time to checkout. The waitresses paid more attention to PDAs than to their customers.
Sample a drink before serving. A few of the bars around town are known to taste test what they've mixed before serving to make sure everything is up to par. On each of the three stops we made, there was at least one drink that didn't work.
Mingle. It's important to get to know your customers and will help bring in repeat business. The staff to customer ratio was low on each visit and would easily accommodate this.
Move some of the sofas and chairs to the first floor. The first floor lacked the warmth of the second; different furniture might help.
No repeats. On two separate occasions, in our first hour at the bar, we heard the same song played twice.
