Yukon Chatter Bug

My mom is a funny one. She’s visiting from Timmins, Ontario, where there’s twice the population of Whitehorse and all the regular box stores one can imagine, and then some. When we decided to go downtown for a little shopping, she wanted to go to Walmart.

Okay, Walmart is my least favourite place, but being the the host, I went along with her. My mom is all about bargain shopping, so I guess that explains it; you don’t have much of a choice when you raise three kids on your own. Plus, I did end up buying two pairs of jeans for $12 a piece in a store my husband refuses to set foot in. After a while, I finally managed to guide her toward the exit because my take is, why visit stores and restaurants you have back home when you’re away on holidays? Try something new!

With that in mind, and after an afternoon of shopping and browsing with my mom, I thought I’d bring her to the Capital Hotel. The renovations give the feel of an old saloon with wooden tables, floors, bar, and walls. Because of that, it doesn’t need many people to make it noisy in there. However, they do have an interesting menu with mini-bourbon-bison burgers, fresh pretzels, and bison shepherd’s pie. Although the food was very good, the service was pitiful. The bartender/waitress was a young woman with zero common sense. Examples:

1. For my second glass of wine, I thought I’d try a different one. So after she brought me the new individual decanter,
   

   Individual Decanter

   I asked for a fresh glass. No problem. However, since I had already finished my first drink, I sat there waiting for her to return while she proceeded to clean off a table and do other little things behind the bar. I finally got up and went to the bar to ask for the glass.
2. I saw the kitchen cook bring our food out to the bar, so we thought “yummy…can’t wait!” Of course I didn’t mind her finishing up with her current customer who was paying her tab at the bar. Because, for some reason, this took a while, I figured she’d bring our food as soon as she was done. Instead, she went to the phone to make a phone call. WTH? While she was still on her call, eventually the cook came out of the kitchen again, and when he saw that the food was still sitting there, he looked up to see her on the phone, and brought the food to our table himself. I thanked him profusely.
3. Two guys were sitting two tables down from us and one spilt his pint of beer. It literally sounded like a waterfall as the beer went from the table, to his lap, to the foot rest, and finally to the floor. He got up and after ringing the excess liquid from his jacket, he went to the bar to advise/apologise to the bartender, then made his way to the bathroom to clean himself up a bit. He came out with a wad of paper towels to wipe the table and disappeared to the washrooms again. Meanwhile, the bartender is chatting with a guy at the bar, fiddling with tabs and other little things, when my mom, being a mom, couldn’t take it anymore. She went to the bar to ask for a cloth and went to these guys’ table and started wiping it. Finally the bartender ran over and said, “Oh, I could’ve done that!”

“But you didn’t!” was my mom’s reply. “Poor guy, he’s soaking wet!” The young woman looked a little embarrassed, but she should be! During the whole time, there were only three tables (two customers at each), and one person sitting at the bar. Not once did she think of bringing the mop out to wipe the major puddle at the foot of the table with the spilt drink. Yes, she was a pretty little thing, but she either needs more training, more common sense, or get the hell out of there!

Yes, the Capital is new with all its renos and new feel, but as far as service goes, nothing much changes in this town.