Now We're Singing

I wrote a few weeks ago about visiting the Robinson Film Center. My experience was mediocre at best. We arrived an hour and a half before the movie so we could eat dinner at Abby Singer's Bistro. A sweet dinner and a movie date that soured rather quickly. Our dinner was never served. We thoroughly enjoyed the movie, at least the parts we could hear over our stomachs growling. To make things worse, it was Ty's first visit to the Robinson. After that experience, he swore to never go back.

A few days after writing that blog, I was contacted by a local marketing consultant hired to assist the Robinson with these obvious kinks. A friend told her about my blog and she wanted to meet and discuss my experience. I was apprehensive about meeting with her. After all, I'd been dissatisfied and rather passionate about it. What would she say? How would that conversation flow?

I thought it best to meet with her. If I had such a bad experience, perhaps I could share it with her and she could better diagnose and resolve some problems. At the end of our pleasant conversation, she asked me to try the Robinson and Abby Singer's again. She gave me two dinner and a movie passes and wanted my honest opinion about my return visit — good or bad, she wanted the ugly truth.


So, last night we returned. It was a week night and we arrived exactly an hour and a half before our movie time. The conditions were similar to the last time we visited the bistro. The tables were full, which made me swallow hard. I thought, "Ty is going to kill me if this goes badly again."

We took a seat and instead of getting a negative vibe about the place, I relaxed and felt things were going to go much more smoothly this time. I could see signs of new guidance and suggestions around me. The Bill Bush Combo played some amazing music, adding so much ambiance. A buffet of free appetizers lined the wall. Our server instructed us to help ourselves, and they were perfection. The homemade corn chips were my favorite — oh goodness, they were good.

We never felt rushed. Our food was delicious, and best of all we had time to enjoy it. It was easily the best experience I've had at the Robinson. And consider the bigger picture, Ty said it was the most enjoyable dining-out experience we'd had in a long time. We were so pleased. Pleased enough to do it again on our own dime and invite others.

It was the perfect dinner and a movie date night. Our food was d-lish, and the movie, "Away We Go," was humorous and heartwarming. It just goes to show, the Robinson's concept is sensational when all gears are go.