We dressed nicely - not in tuxedo and cocktail gown, but not casual either - he was wearing a polo and dress pants, and I was wearing a blouse and dress pants. I had budgeted specifically to have this meal, and knew what it should cost.

When we first arrived, they advised that our table would be ready in a moment, so we each had a Corona at the bar and admired the view. The bartender asked us if we wanted glasses to pour our beer into - that should have been the first sign that our level of refinement was not acceptable. We declined the glasses.

When the young woman sat us at the table, she asked if we wanted glasses for our beers - we again declined. She immediately changed her demeanor from polite to rude and provided us with the menus. From our table, I could see the maitre d’ station and the young woman returned there, and was speaking with two gentlemen and all three of them kept looking at us. One of them came to our table, and had his lips pursed in a way that made it clear that our presence was appalling to him. He asked if we were ready to order, and we said no (because we both felt that this experience was not going to be enjoyed). His facial expression denoted that he was expecting that response, and he asked if we wanted glasses for our beers - we politely declined. Again, his dissatisfaction was palpable. He asked if we would like some water while we decided, and we said yes. The next question was, “sparkling or still?” Having never been asked this before, my boyfriend and I looked at each other, knew that we would be paying for this water, and requested still.

He returned with a smug attitude, a tall bottle of Voss water and two glasses, at which point we had decided to leave… the ambience had turned quite unpleasant, and our visit to this restaurant had switched from happy and excited to denigraded and lowly. He advised us that we could not simply pay for the water ($8.00) and leave - that we HAD to order something. We explained that we did not feel welcome and had no intention of staying for an entire meal. He said he would talk with the manager to see if anything could be done, and returned to the maitre d’ station to talk to the man there. After awhile, he returned and said that we must at least order a dessert (is that a law in LV that I’m not aware of?). We ordered the Chocolate Tower and ate it, but couldn’t fully enjoy it because the threesome at the maitre d’ station continued to chit-chat and watch us, as if we intended to ‘dine-n-dash’ (which, NEWSFLASH, is impossible to do in a restaurant 2,000 feet off the ground with only escorted elevator access).

We paid for the dessert and water, but left no tip for the haughty cretin who was serving us. As we passed the maitre d’ station on our way to the elevator, one of the male members of the threesome uttered the words, ‘white trash b*tch.’ I stopped and turned around, and all three heads returned to reviewing the guest list. My boyfriend grabbed my arm and guided me to the elevator before I could say anything in response.

I may not be a self-made woman of means, but I am now dating someone who has a family that is rather well-off and I assure you, none of us will ever dine at that establishment again. We/I did nothing to earn their ire, and despite my modest upbringing, I do carry myself with dignity, respect, and courtesy, and I treat everyone with these same virtues. It is a shame to be treated better by the waitress at Denny’s than the garcon at an upscale restaurant - especially when you consider the difference in their tips.