DJ's reply below that 4Rivers matches its hype inspired this question.

Which aspect actually makes a restaurant worthy of its quality--reputation, food, or ambience?

My wife swears that food at "high-quality" restaurants we visit is not as good as our homecooked meals; but we are bamboozled that we are supposed to prefer it because of the hype and accoutrements. I sort of agree, finding myself defensive of recommended places with superior service even though the food really ain't all that.

Maybe it is like a nice yard that sells a shack. I tend to dimiss presentation points in television cooking competitions, but it is the same thing, I guess.

As a former waitress, I probably notice more details of service than others, and it's shocking to me how many places apparently don't bother to train their staff at all. I appreciate great service, and I tip extremely well, even for decent service. Still, there are things that servers do or fail to do that drive me nuts.

So, my training for servers would include the following:

Ensure that the diner can begin eating when their food arrives. So many times, my food has arrived, but my silverware hasn't. And, rather than run get me some silverware, the server stops and checks on three more tables first. If the meal requires special tools (e.g., crab crackers) or accompaniments (e.g., BBQ sauce), make sure those things are on the table when the food arrives.

Unless your menu has no more than four or five options, write down the order! When you don't, it appears that you're either too lazy to get it right or too cocky to care. Neither impresses your customer.

Drinks: Don't hold a glass on the top, where your hand touches the rim (ewww!). Notice when glasses are getting low and do something about it before they're completely empty. Don't pour a refill over the table--pick up the glass and hold it far enough away that you won't drip in my lap or on my plate. Please don't keep piling new full glasses on the table without removing the empty ones--where did that annoying practice start??

The proper response to "thank you" is "you're welcome," not "no problem."

Don't remove a plate without asking first, and don't remove my plate if my companions haven't also finished.

Don't interrupt a conversation if you can possibly help it.

Don't ask "do you need change?" when I pay with cash. Just bring me the change unless I say otherwise.

Don't make excuses when something goes wrong. Just apologize and fix it. As quickly as possible.

Pay attention.