Eavesdropping isn't polite, but sometimes I wish I did it more often.

Maybe then I could have avoided two subpar meals at Bottega Bistro, Midlothian's long-established, fine-dining getaway.

With summer upon us, I was thrilled to learn that Bottega allows customers to reserve outdoor tables online via OpenTable.com. Al fresco dining without a wait? I'm there.

Arriving on a comfortable Friday evening, we were promptly shown to a patio table, cozily hidden from the parking lot by lush foliage.

Several minutes passed with no server, and my pesky habit of eavesdropping kicked in.

While perusing the lengthy wine list ($26-$250), we watched a manager pounce upon a woman who hadn't cleared her plate. His check-in seemed more accusatory than genuine.

"Hmmm, already done? Was there something wrong with your entree?" he interrupted.

"No, I'm just full," the woman replied curtly, clearly uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, my husband and I examined the dishwasher spots covering not only our glasses and silverware but also the two unused place settings the hostess never removed from our table.

After about 10 minutes, our waitress arrived and asked for drink and dinner orders with no mention of the day's soup, the chef's selection for the Broiled Seafood Mix ($30) or the daily vegetable and starch served with almost every entrée.

After taking our order -- prosciutto-wrapped peaches ($12), Lemon Veal Scaloppine ($25) and Crab Lump Sauté ($30) our waitress asked another woman at a nearby table if her salmon could be boxed.

"No, thank you. It wasn't a very good piece of fish," the woman replied.

I must pause to preface that never once in all my years of eating out have I ever heard a server say this: "You know? I told the kitchen I thought it looked kinda gray!"

But you still served it? Or in your defense, if a food runner served it, the kitchen still let it go out?

The woman politely declined another entrée, but the manager came over to interrogate her.

So how did our meal go? Unfortunately, my eavesdropping-formed worry was justified.

Instead of manageable slices, the peaches were cut into thick halves that quickly turned into mush as we cut them. Any crispiness the prosciutto provided was lost.

Mascarpone, basil and oddly acidic tomatoes and black olives seemed thrown on as an afterthought. None of the flavors jelled.

The two pieces of veal were large but gummy. Lemon overpowered the cremini mushroom sauce, making it taste almost curdled.

Served over fried green tomatoes, the crab was overwhelmed by unappealingly viscous lemon butter sauce and Parmesan cheese smothering. Subsequently, the tomatoes' breading turned to paste. This was worth $30?

Common sides of snap peas and baby carrots were served blazing hot while loaded mashed potatoes (with bacon, sour cream and cheese) were ice cold.

Our sticky toffee pudding ($5.99) dessert was good but would have been better had dirty appetizer plates not remained on the table.

I had to roam the restaurant searching for our server to pay the bill.

Hoping my first experience had been an off night, I returned on a weeknight with a friend. The dining room was virtually empty, making us our waitress's only table.

Service was markedly better. Drinks were refilled, specials were explained and plates were cleared, just as one would expect at a restaurant in this price range.

Server-recommended calamari ($10) was served piping hot with garlic rouille, a nice departure from typical marinara.

We noticed many other diners eating wood-fired pizza, so we followed suit with Pizza Regina ($13), hoping this might be Bottega's forte.

A crispy crust held a pleasing combo of prosciutto, spinach, mozzarella, roasted garlic and white truffle oil. It would have been a bone fide hit had the center not become so soggy so quickly.

Because of the salmon issue I overheard during my first visit, I added salmon ($5 extra) to my Greek salad ($7). Although it wasn't gray, it was overcooked, perhaps to cover up the overwhelmingly fishy flavor and smell. I left most of it on my plate.

I've received several e-mails recently from Midlothian residents discussing their want of more quality restaurants in the area. Based on the image it portrays, I always assumed that Bottega was one of the good ones.

However, until I overhear people raving rather than ranting, I'll stop assuming.