Little Stalky: Food Snob?

I went out for a meal with the girls from work on Tuesday and someone - I don't know who - had selected an Italian restaurant in a nearby town.  We were excited about the prospect of cocktails and a nice three course meal.  Who wouldn't be!  And although I had a nice evening with the girls, the restaurant was just awful.  Awful!  I know I've been spoilt with the Hungry Duck of late but this was just rank.  The thing is, I've heard others rave about the place and as we were eating, some of the girls were commenting on how they liked their dishes.  It made me wonder, am I a food snob?  Let me describe the evening to you.  We arrived at the bar to order cocktails and I ordered myself a Margarita.  It's the Stalky beverage of choice.  Anyway, I make myself a Margarita from time to time and I enjoy a nice cocktail at the Blue Diamond too.  A Margarita should be tequila, triple sec or Cointreau and fresh lime juice.  Emphasis on the fresh.  I watched the girl mix my drink, with half the alcohol a normal Margarita requires, lime cordial - lime cordial! - and so much ice I expected to find a rogue penguin in my glass.  It was awful.  I could taste nothing but ice.  It was a slushy with no flavour and certainly no alcohol.  And it wasn't just me who was disappointed with her cocktail.  The girls agreed that there was not enough alcohol (not that we were on the lash or anything) and the flavours were disappointing.  I guess one of us should have said something but it was obvious it wasn't just a one off error.  It was just poor cocktail making.  We then made our way over to our table and were served by unenthusiastic teenage girls who obviously didn't want to be there.  The menu looked nice enough but the food was a huge let down.  I had salt and pepper calamari to start, which turned out to be rubber covered in grease.  I had veal for main, which was tough as old boots and served with frozen chips and that salad.  You know, the salad you're not meant to eat or enjoy.  The one they just randomly shove on there because they feel they have to.  I had cheesecake for dessert and honestly didn't think anyone could cock this up.  I was wrong.  It was the driest most flavourless thing I've ever tasted.  I think I ate two mouthfuls before deciding it wasn't worth wasting the calories.  My God.  It seemed evident to me that nothing was fresh as the food had obviously been sat under heat lamps for God knows how long.  Yuck.  It was just huge portions of crap.  Honestly, you couldn't pay me to eat there again.  It was awful.  And the whole time I was wondering if it was me that had the problem.  Was I the only one who realised how poor the food was?  Did that officially make me a food snob?  Well apparently not.  After leaving the restaurant the others admitted that they hadn't liked it either.  I was so relieved that it wasn't just me!  I was starting to get worried.  But it turns out that no one really liked it.  Poor food, poor service and bad cocktails.  This is not a good combination.  I won't be going back there.