Dune

Don't arrive early. I arrived 4 minutes early and when the hostess got off the phone with another customer she let me know that the table was not ready. She asked us to sit at the bar for drinks. From the hostess station, we could see the bar ahead though no seats were available. We sauntered down and greeted the cheerful bartender. My companion ordered one of their signature cocktails from the menu. We waited a few minutes while the bartender retrieved a bottle of gin and then enjoyed our cool drinks at the standing room only bar with a quick toast. No sooner had we begun but another person kindly let us know that our table was ready. I asked the bartender if the drinks should be applied against the table or if she needed me to settle up. She asked that I settle up. We returned to the hostess station and were soon seated upstairs in what I took to be the best table in the house! On our way there, we passed a second bar with its row of empty seats. We'll know should we find ourselves returning. We were thrilled with an intimate corner, a cozy booth, great lighting, and everything was just fine. Our server seemed genial for a moment and then noticed the cocktails. He asked me pointedly about them and I explained that our table wasn't ready and that we had been asked to wait at the bar. He was clearly offended. A bit later, we suddenly realized it had gotten personal with this man. As the minutes ticked by and our server made fawning conversation with other nearby tables it was evident that we had somehow broken his unspoken rule and that he was trying to make some sort of a point. But what!? Our cocktails apparently were an insult from which we were not destined to recover. We debated walking out as there were only a small handful of other diners in the room. We rode it out. Several other staff persons visited the table and each of these people was wonderful. Quick to fill a glass of water or just check in we found a certain rhythm especially with one kind woman which got us through to the main course. My companion had an appetizer and I chose none. The food was excellent and well plated. I had the tuna and it was nicely prepared with what was a chili based dry rub with black and white sesame seeds. The whole plate had a Southwestern vibe and was enjoyable. Bread would have been a nice touch. Finally, after finishing a second cocktail and clearing our plates we waited.. One of the other servers brought us dessert menus. The desserts looked great, but the exchange had been uniquely awkward. When our server returned he asked what we wanted and I simply told him, "We're walking". This was a final devastating blow and he wordlessly disappeared to the kitchen. We decided to go down to the wharf for ice cream which seemed romantic by comparison. The bill arrived and it was very modest-- probably half what I would expect in the DC area. The restaurant truly is about 4-5 stars, but we had bad luck to get a particularly challenging hand of cards with the server. This restaurant has everything just right except for this single critical element. I would not recommend Dune until the issue is addressed and I have eaten all over Nantucket for many years. The island has many other polished restaurants. From a strictly service standpoint, communication between the reception station and the house may have made things a lot better. Or maybe they could just lighten up.