miel restaurant

i went to miel last night andleftwith a very dissapointed experience. the service was terrible we waited a very long time for our drinks much less appetizers and entrees. i had the special of the night a duck ravioli and wasleftwith cold duck and undercooked ravioli.for thecost of these meals i was expecting it to knock my socks off and we were just eager to leave. it took about 30 min to get our checks then the waiter told us that they could no divide the checks (even though 2 of our guestsleftearly andthey each received there seperate checks) so then we wereleftspnding an additional 20 min dividing the check between the 5 remainding people. i find it hard to believe that chili's or red lobster can easily split checks and a place such as miel was unable to. all in al its not worth the money.

used to be outstanding, now a little disappointing. miel used to be our go-to place for special occasions and when we needed to entertain business guests. i used to love this place. it maybe hasn't been as great lately, but for memory's sake we still picked this restaurant for our 10th anniversary celebration. for starters, after dropping off the menus our waiter was mia for quite a while, repeatedly, and we wereleftsitting with no drinks, no food for quite some time while we waited for him to reappear. he did tell us that the kitchen was out of the appetizer that we had planned to order, but was not able to offer any replacement (beyond suggesting that we just order an entree as an appetizer!). since the non-salad portion of the starter list was just cheese and olives, and we really weren't after just a 1-course meal, we asked to talk with a manager to see if there was anything the kitchen could make instead. the owner came and apologized, but said they just make a certain number of the tartare every night, and the kitchen didn't keep any other things handy for replacement. i completely understand being out of a dish, but maybe they should have a backup if it's the only thing on the menu. she also apologized that we hadn't gotten our drinks right away, so was aware of the service lapse. basically, she had the chance to make the terrible start up to us but didn't in any way. even comping the $6 olives that we ended up ordering as a starter (amounting to about 5% of the total bill) would have been a much-welcomed show of goodwill. the entrees were fine, well-cooked, fresh, and tasty as always, but up until our they arrived--at which point we were the only tableleftin our server's section--we had the distinct impression that they just didn't care about our dining experience. they always used to give little spoons of honey to finish the meal, but either they don't any more or our waiter forgot. overall we were a little disappointed, wished we had chosen a different place for our anniversary where someone would care, and we did leave trying to figure out what our new go-to restaurant would be. i'd still recommend this place for the food (and maybe things will get better again? i really did used to love miel) but would put it a step below some of the newer places in town.

atrocious service, jarring ambiance. with its decor as dull and comfortless as a disused bus station, its dining room placed inches from the non-foyered entry door and fronting the half-walled kitchen from which crashes and bangs thunder regularly every few seconds, and its vistas of a suburban strip-mall, miel's ambiance rates lower that of than many chain restaurants, much less what one would expect for haute cuisine. the service, too, is shockingly bad; non-existent much of the time (no offer to refill wine or coffee -- actually, no initial offer to serve wine or coffee!; although we were only one of three couples in his section, our waiterleftour entrees dallying on the counter so long, the hostess finally served them; our bottle of wine arrived ten minutes after the entrees), punctuated by disruptive bouts of rudeness (interrupting a romantic toast; offering to let the escorted married lady taste the wine her husband had ordered, not the gentleman, as is proper; commenting derisively on the gentleman's request for additional service). the food is divine, although portions may be somewhat meager. if this boit had someone as devoted to ensuring its good service and ambiance as the chef evidently devotes himself to its cuisine, miel would be a sweet treat indeed. as it stands now, however, the experience is simply too bitter to endure. too bad they don't offer take away.

very good unique dining experience. my wife and i like to try local restaurants when traveling. when we found out she would be in nashville on business, we did some research and came up with miel's for our v-day dinner. we preferred it because a) it wasn't one of the chains and b) had an interesting menu and c) has a green philosophy towards running a restaurant.

the building itself is very small but inviting, tucked back off the main road behind an ice cream shack. the decor inside is modern but warm.

we were extremely early for our reservations, so we had a long wait ahead of us, so we settled in. we were given cocktails by our pleasants hostesses while the v-day rush started piling on. entranceway got pretty backed up as it seemed tables were not getting turned as quickly as they needed to. we weren't in any hurry, so we had our drinks and enjoyed the company of those around us. some others got sick of waiting and left. just slightly overbooked on account of slow table turnover (all those lovebirds). may be worth taking in to account if you plan to go on a potentially busy night.

once seated, the culinary adventure began. v-day was a 3 course meal with each having about 2 choices. veggies were crisp. meat was tender, steak was done to perfection (it always amazes me how hard it is for people to properly make a rare steak). what i found most amazing is what some may find troublesome. the food was not laden with salt. in fact, the one dish had salt in it, in the form of pork belly instead of plain salt. chef's tend to pour on the salt to give their food big flavor, but not here. subtlty was key and it allowed you to taste the contrast between the various vegtables, meats and sauces on the plate.

portions were good as well. not outlandish like most restaurants. if you feel like you need to have a doggie bag to have gotten your money's worth, forget it. weleftsatiated and happy, which was better than bloated and sleepy.

we got out @ $180 for the whole dinner & cocktails. dinner was fixed price for v-day

so, in the end:
a) plan ahead. expect some waiting, possibly considerable, on extra busy nights.... consider takeout. it'll be just as good at home cuddling on the couch with a movie
b) friendly staff
c) excellent / interesting / not run-of-the-mill food
d) reasonable portions

one of the best!. went for a birthday part in april with a large group. we ordered appitizers, salads, entrees, and desserts...and lots of drinks. there was nothinglefton the table!!! we ate everything because it was so incredibly delicious! i can't wait to go back!!!!