FOOD FOR THOUGHT

I had been a faithful customer of L’Orangerie for 20 years (“Toque of the Town,” by S. Irene Virbila, Sept. 24). My wife and I loved that restaurant and always looked forward to dining there.

When we went to L’Orangerie a couple of months ago, it was overcrowded; people were stuffed around tables that had been placed too close to each other. The smell of the overhanging flowers was overpowering. The service was swift, so much so that we felt we were at a fast-food restaurant.

My entree consisted of five overly salted scallops topped by cardboard-like truffles and surrounded by a bed of intensely bitter greens. My wife’s John Dory with figs was lifeless and tasteless. For the outlandish prices charged, one would think that a vegetable and a starch could have been served along with the entree. The desserts were overwhelmingly sweet and rather uninteresting.

When I complained about the scallops, the manager replied: “I don’t like that dish either.”

Where did they put my L’Orangerie? That visit so saddened me that I was on the verge of tears.

Maybe if you publish my letter, my L’Orangerie will come back.

Jerry Weinstein

Beverly Hills