By steve

November 9, 2005 11:21 AM | Link to this

I wonder if the folks at DLM realize that they don’t necessarily have to have this event at one of their stores. It would be OK to have it in a larger facility.

By Mark

November 8, 2005 7:14 PM | Link to this

Sounds like many of the same reasons I have chosen not to attend the last 2 years. I really hope it can be improved so we can return again. It has always been an excellent event with the exception of the number and sometimes the behavior of the attendees.

By todd

November 8, 2005 5:35 PM | Link to this

As Wine Director at Dorothy Lane Market I want to first thank everyone who attended our Food & Wine event, we had a lot of fun! I also would like to say thanks to all who have responded at this forum, it is a great way for us to improve and get better. The food directors and I started discussing how to alleviate the congestion and improve overall foot traffic the very next day and look forward to providing you all with a much improved enviroment next year! Cheers, Todd

By Barb

November 7, 2005 10:14 AM | Link to this

I wonder if DLM might consider having a wine or two at food stations so that when you recieve your food sample, you could walk away with a wine that paired well? I realize that would take a bit more time but I wouldn’t mind if I knew I would not have to look for a taste of something to go with my food. After waiting in line for food, and then for a wine taste that paired, or visa versa, I’ve probably spent more time than if I could get both at the same time. Might make it less hectic.

By Martha Antolik

November 6, 2005 10:57 AM | Link to this

We attended the O’ Club event as well, and from the descriptions here of the food and wine offerings at the DLM event, I’d say that the DLM show sounds like at least the variety and selections were better. There were NO premium wines at the O’Club, and the food was good but not great. Yes, there were 125 plus wines, but only a mere handful that were ‘new’ and never previously offered at a local wine tasting. The big difference is that the O’Club event is in one large room with plenty of space for folks to wander and taste, rather than navigate crowded store aisles. Hopefully, the DLM folks are thinking now about how to improve on the design of this event so that waiting in lines is minimized as much as possible.

By cathy

November 5, 2005 1:23 PM | Link to this

John - just fyi, this year, the foods were much better than you described. The following food stations were spread out across the store (both downstairs and upstairs): 1) smoked salmon & spreads, 2) fresh shrimp, crablegs, and other seafoods, 3) carved roasted free-range turkey, 4) carved rosemary-roasted lamb, 5) carved beef, 6) salad plates, 7) a variety of DLM homemade specialty pizzas, 8) turkey with cheese and/or cranberries, 9) prosciutto with balsamic vinegar, and a number of deli salads, 10) more baguettes and specialty cheeses than could be counted, 11) ice cream, 12) 2 full tables of artisan chocolates and beautiful desserts. Also, DLM staff wandered about all evening offering crostini with various pates, truffle mousse, sun-dried tomato spreads, etc. Did I miss anything?

By Linda

November 5, 2005 10:40 AM | Link to this

I couldn’t justify $60.00 when I attended the Officer’s Club tasting of 125+ wines and fabulous food for only $25. There were no long lines and plenty of room to mingle. From the comments it looks like they need to limit the number of tickets.

By Niki

November 4, 2005 6:14 PM | Link to this

The Champagnes were especially intriguing, as were the handsome French vintners. Wonderful food, way too much wine for anyone to taste it all, and yes, way too crowded. Agree, closing the store and opening the other aisles to food and wine tasting table might relieve some of the congestion. Cheers, Niki

By John

November 4, 2005 1:08 PM | Link to this

Quit going two years ago after having paid a hefty price for mostly mediocre wines and so-so food…some people drank up the better wines first and left the mediocre wines for everyone else. The gridlock was horrible…so it sounds like the name of the game is still “how many tickets can we sell?” You spend too much time standing in lines for food and the tiny “tasting” pours…get a pour and head to the back of the line…you’ll be dry before you make it to the head of the line again…not conducive to socializing and generation of the holiday spirit! What started out years ago as a very nice social gathering has been transformed into a money-maker for DLM. sorry folks, but I don’t feel like standing in lines for several hours to taste a few wines and some tidbits of food at $60 a person…. Bah, Humbug…

By cathy

November 4, 2005 12:55 PM | Link to this

Bottom Line: WAY.TOO.CROWDED!! I generally agree with Mark’s assessment of the wines and food. The food, especially, was terrific, beautifully presented, high quality, and plentiful. The wines were varied… there were plenty of wines from which to choose, and a wide range of price tags. (Although, at least one table did run out of their most popular wine within the first hour.) The DLM staff was phenominal - they absolutely did their best and they were 100% pleasant and accomodating. In my mind, the biggest improvement over last year was the use of the hands-free note-taking gizmo with the cord to hang it around our necks. It was even oriented correctly for reading, and the table-by-table pages were convenient. But the volume of people was just too massive, and this did inhibit my ability to thoroughly enjoy the event. It was extremely frustrating and had me feeling edgy (and hungry, for awile, till I was able to obtain some of the yummy foods). I chose not to stand in some of the very long lines, and missed out on the good seafood and wines that I would have liked to sample. As Mark stated, this must be addressed somehow! Maybe the event needs to be held on 2 different evenings, or the number of tickets sold need to be strictly limited. The other frustration may be something that DLM can do little to alleviate (except perhaps gentle education, via signage or whatever): Too many wine tasters parked themselves at the front of the line, tasting their way across the table, and blocking those of us with empty glasses behind them. The general overcrowding exacerbated this issue. Mark said it is a matter of consideration; in some instances, I’d go so far as to say that certain attendees were downright rude. In the end, did I have fun? Yes. Would I go again? Yes (though not on an empty stomach). Did I thoroughly enjoy the event as much as I had previous times? No.

By Bob

November 4, 2005 12:25 PM | Link to this

I have attended the DLM Holiday Event for quite a few years. Both the quality and the logistics have improved year after year. I do miss some of the blockbuster tasting opportunities that had been available at some of the previous holiday events but it is very hard to complain about the overall quality and range of the wine and food. OK.. I can always complain a little, I would like to see a few more wines from the classic French areas. I would like to congratulate everyone involved from DLM and the various suppliers on an excellent event. Past history indicates that next years will be even better.

By Captain Ed

November 4, 2005 12:15 PM | Link to this

Kudos, Mark. Agree with everything you said. I believe there were 120 more tickets sold than last year. I don’t think the store should close, just enlarge the area. Looks like now only about a quarter of the store is being used. Most memorable - the 1927 Sherry, and desserts…Ummm…