The (Meat)ball and Chain

I have a bias against chains.


Chains on lame-o posers...great. Chains on snow tires...a-okay. Chains with balls attached to them...a fact of life. But restaurant chains...I don't like them. I don't trust the capitalistic principles behind them, I don't approve of their ubiquitousness (geographically and victually), and I don't appreciate how their primary selling feature is an absence of culinary creativity.

Thus, when my sister wanted to dine at the Glowbal Group's Italian Kitchen for her birthday dinner, I reluctantly agreed (birthday demands quash any dissent amongst the ranks). Lo and behold, we had an excellent meal! Darn!


The decor was Ikeaesque and forgettable, and the menu was filled with commonplace Italian standards, but those spunky young fellas in the kitchen knew what they were doing with our supple veal and tender gnocchi. Our table ordered the Veal Scaloppini Bresaola (perfectly seared, with baby veg and truffles), the Chicken Saltimbocca (tender and unique with the addition of grapes), the Penne Arrabbiata (al dente and piccante), the Spinach Salad (just like Mary-Kate Olsen: scrawny and overdressed), the Gnocchi (simple and delicate) and the Jumbo Prawn Linguini (again, pretty basic but well prepared with ginormous prawns).


After our meal, I was sitting there, content and surprised over the skill with which everything was cooked. We had a fun, agreeable meal, worthy of a three-star or B ranking. However, I bumped this up to a four-star (or B+ / A-) ranking when our cookie-cutter, winsome waiter brought my sister a complimentary tiramisu. This really was unexpected and nice.


How can you NOT appreciate this generic gesture of quality customer service?