la provence at progress ridge

i used to be a regular. i came almost every morning for breakfast because i just love the geese on the "lake" there. the biggest draw however was the people. elsa, sarah the manager, eileen and kelley, so many great people who served so well. for some odd reason, although tonight's experience made it clearer, they've all gone. well eileen and elsa are still there but everyone else is a newbie who doesn't seem at all interested in learning their craft. i kept asking my guy why all the good ones were fired or leaving when they were being replaced by incompetents. now i get it. of course. their "leader" is weak and incompetent himself so is very easily threatened by intelligence. he wants to maintain his posture as the "man in charge". uh huh. ok. now i understand. 

i couldn't figure out why all the best were gone replaced by total newbies who have literally never served before. hey bobbie, (the manager ruining everything for the locals/regulars), you don't know how to manage a restaurant buddy. take it from someone who managed restaurants in nyc for 17 years. i know my deal bud. you do not. you are ruining what could be a good thing. (that is if they'd stop reheating leftovers and actually make their food fresh. ya know, to go along with the overpricing.) 

these people have zero respect for their customers. i overtipped so much because i actually felt sorry for the servers. seriously. i have given thousands of dollars to this restaurant in charity. no lie. charity. i am done. this last pathetic excuse for a meal featured a hard-boiled "poached" egg on top of some seriously old and overcooked flounder. i wouldn't let my guy eat it. (well actually i dared him and he refused.) when i brought this to the attention of the overworked bartender, she brought over the underaged incompetent inexperienced attitude driven "manager" who then proceeded to project his crap onto us. the best defense is a strong offense, right? uh not if you're in the restaurant industry. rookie mistake. ego. fool. 

bottom line dear reader: this place does not serve fresh food. it's reheated form the day before. that gives you sibo. google it. if everything makes you fat. sibo. it's from bacteria from bad food. as in sitting on a burner helping bad bacteria multiply bad food. like being fat? carry on. eat here. you'll definitely get sibo and then you'll get fatter and fatter over even a glass of water. that's sibo. enjoy! gift of progressridge la provence. 

it'll cost you tons of money to eradicate if you don't like being in the body of a toddler. after the thousands i've spent at this gut-rot establishment out of sympathy for it's employees, it was the least of my expenses. i deserve better. so do you.

i've been to la provence at least 7 or 8 times and generally like it.  interesting menu, fresh awesome croissants, in or outdoor seating. plenty to like.  today my coffee was weak, potatoes & squash were cold (i actually sent it back - have never done that) and my colette omelette was quite boring. not a deal killer experience but next time i'll try to convince  my wife to try somewhere else (marcos' in multnomah village?)

wife and went for brunch on saturday. there was a 40 minute wait but we were lucky to sit at the bar within 5 minutes. wife got the salmon quiche and i got the cheesy polenta and eggs, again. we both got the breakfast mary, which is a bloody mary with a hard boiled egg and a slice of bacon, only $.50 more then the regular mary. it was all very good and filling. we will be back soon.

okay, what is going on?. well, nearly two months since my first review and the question is: "what is going on?" the food has become less exciting (bordering on "blah") and the service - from most of the staff - has become poor, inattentive, and slow.

just tonight, for example, the "petite entrees" (which consisted of 3 little tiny scallops, some brie with (burnt) garlic with stale dry toast, and soggy beef lettuce wraps (which fell apart) was just so-so. in fact, the dinner was such a disappointment that we decided not to order dessert and left. the last two experiences have been the same and that rave review i wrote may have to be deleted!

perhaps the love affair with la provence at progress ridge is over? i have changed this as a "favorite" to just "like" and - if the next experience proves to be as bad as tonight was - i will vote that i don't like it and delete that august review when everything was so perfect back then.

the 4/5 rating, as a "must come back" as changed over the last 4 meals (yes, i liked it so much the first time i kept coming back even though the food and service seems to have declined) and now i will only suggest a 3/5 rating which means "might come back."

perhaps the only saving grace are the desserts and the fact very few other places exist nearby that are any good. (seriously, look around murray hill and progress ridge and you will see there aren't that many "great" places to eat. yes, a few "good" restaurants but the "poor-to-bad" outnumber the good-to-great by a huge margin.)


-----17 aug, 2014-----

finally - a great place to dine at progress ridge!. i like panera bread - i like bread! but, la provence is an upscale panera that provides full table service. the menu has some spectacular selections for breakfast and lunch. our server, kelly, was exceptional with a professional demeanor and a great smile.

the food came out promptly and exactly as ordered. wow, great food. and, the breads, the desserts - yum! sitting along side the "lake" with a small vineyard alongside the patio also gave this place a nice charm about it.

i must say i don't like "chains" and, remarkably, i have not been to any of the other locations around the portland area; but, i like la provence at progress ridge and it is a "must come back" with a 4/5 rating.

yum. one week after opening and a few logistic issues. this is in an old burger space. i like how they redid the place and it has a nice feel. there are outdoor tables that overlook the lake. the place was packed and just after we arrived a wait for a table. our server, jason, was slammed and took a few minutes to get with us, but it was just due to the volume he was dealing with. the bistro idea is french tapas and the plates are small but you order a bunch. we had a long wait for our food and jason came by and said that due to technical issues with the order system, the kitchen hadn't started our food. he put a rush on it and the food was soon at the table. we loved the kobe sliders. the mango salad was to die for. great flavor, fresh, could have had a complete meal on that one. desert was a selection out of the case. all really good and i'm sure with no calories. jason went to the manager and informed him of our wait and he came by and comped us on our desert. we will be back food is great.