Best bit of action you've seen in a resto

After the resto - bashing, I feel guilty. Maybe it's time to laud
something unusual you have witnessed, some bit of beyond the call
service.

Mine: ordered an after dinner White Cloud, and about a minute after it
was served, I noticed a chip in the glass. Summoned waiter and began
to point it out, and with an unhesitating flourish and not a word of
argument, he whipped that thing off the table and tossed the liquid
into a tiny, nearby sink, dropped the offending glass into the trash,
and rushed to the bar for a new White Cloud. He removed all doubt that
the same drink would be unceremoniously tossed into a new glass.

Kalmia wrote:
> After the resto - bashing, I feel guilty. Maybe it's time to laud
> something unusual you have witnessed, some bit of beyond the call
> service.
>
> Mine: ordered an after dinner White Cloud, and about a minute after it
> was served, I noticed a chip in the glass. Summoned waiter and began
> to point it out, and with an unhesitating flourish and not a word of
> argument, he whipped that thing off the table and tossed the liquid
> into a tiny, nearby sink, dropped the offending glass into the trash,
> and rushed to the bar for a new White Cloud. He removed all doubt that
> the same drink would be unceremoniously tossed into a new glass.

I was at a table near the front door & large plate glass windows of a
local Italian restaurant, i was in the middle of my soup iirc when a
'street person' an obviously, down on their luck, bedraggled, filthy,
unkempt, dirty person just walked in grabbed my untouched bread basket
and scurried out.

THe management were profuse in their apologies, produced another basket
of bread with alacrity. They seemed even more upset that the person did
not ask me if he could have my bread.

The chef came out and was particularly angry when i mentioned, in
response to some question of his, that the 'street person' didn't say a
word to me just grabbed the bread and ran.

I ate at that restaurant routinely, 4 - 5 nights a week after work and
often ate lunch there also. Very good food, unpretentious, well priced
and close to both my work and home.

When i was ready to pay the check i was told i would not be charged for
the meal or second drink that was served me with out my asking for it
and was again apologized to for the incident. And im not even a
particularly good tipper.

On subsequent visits i made it a point to sit further back inside the
restaurant and not quite so close to the front door
--

Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq.

Domine, dirige nos.
Let the games begin!
http://fredeeky.typepad.com/fredeeky.../sf_anthem.mp3

Kalmia wrote:
> After the resto - bashing, I feel guilty. Maybe it's time to laud
> something unusual you have witnessed, some bit of beyond the call
> service.
>
> Mine: ordered an after dinner White Cloud, and about a minute after it
> was served, I noticed a chip in the glass. Summoned waiter and began
> to point it out, and with an unhesitating flourish and not a word of
> argument, he whipped that thing off the table and tossed the liquid
> into a tiny, nearby sink, dropped the offending glass into the trash,
> and rushed to the bar for a new White Cloud. He removed all doubt that
> the same drink would be unceremoniously tossed into a new glass.

Nice. Because who knows where that missing bit of glass went.

I probably have a ton of good restaurant experiences. Most are
uneventful because the waiters do everything right.

Just a few weeks ago we went out to dinner after a long day of
working on the house. I was just plain hungry and tired. More than
usual. Heh. I ordered some dinner and I forgot if I had a choice of
soup or salad. Turns out it was just soup. No big deal.

A minute later the bartender was back, here, I just made you a
salad. I thought that was really, really nice of him. I mean, if I
just HAD to have a salad, I could have ordered one a la carte.
I was really touched that he went out of his way like that.

nancy

On Nov 8, 11:50 am, Kalmia <tweeny90...@mypacks.net> wrote:
> After the resto - bashing, I feel guilty. Maybe it's time to laud
> something unusual you have witnessed, some bit of beyond the call
> service. [snip]

I posted this in 1999:
"..., I remember putting up a date at the Parker House in
Boston as a callow youth (dates you, just to use that phrase). At
breakfast, the toast had its own covered silver dish. Just as you
thought
you wanted a bite of toast and realized you needed another piece the
waiter
materialized from nowhere, lifted the lid and served it to your bread
plate
with silver tongs. I recall being so impressed that I hoped such
suavity
would rub off on me in the eyes of my date.... " -aem

aem wrote:

> I posted this in 1999:
> "..., I remember putting up a date at the Parker House in
> Boston as a callow youth (dates you, just to use that phrase). At
> breakfast, the toast had its own covered silver dish. Just as you
> thought
> you wanted a bite of toast and realized you needed another piece the
> waiter
> materialized from nowhere, lifted the lid and served it to your bread
> plate
> with silver tongs. I recall being so impressed that I hoped such
> suavity
> would rub off on me in the eyes of my date.... "

That's some fancy service! I've never had breakfast where
the toast was served on a covered dish, never mind having it
replenished by a tong wielding server. I picture white gloves.

I have trouble picturing you ever having been callow, however.

nancy

On Nov 8, 3:11*pm, aem <aem_ag...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> On Nov 8, 11:50 am, Kalmia <tweeny90...@mypacks.net> wrote:
>
> > After the resto - bashing, I feel guilty. *Maybe it's time to laud
> > something unusual you have witnessed, some bit of beyond the call
> > service. *[snip]
>
> I posted this in 1999:
> "..., I remember putting up a date at the Parker House in
> Boston as a callow youth (dates you, just to use that phrase). *At
> breakfast, the toast had its own covered silver dish. *Just as you
> thought
> you wanted a bite of toast and realized you needed another piece the
> waiter
> materialized from nowhere, lifted the lid and served it to your bread
> plate
> with silver tongs. *I recall being so impressed that I hoped such
> suavity
> would rub off on me in the eyes of my date.... " * * *-aem

Parker House? Callow youth? A well-heeled one, at least.

On Nov 8, 1:50*pm, Kalmia <tweeny90...@mypacks.net> wrote:
> After the resto - bashing, I feel guilty. *Maybe it's time to laud
> something unusual you have witnessed.

Not something I personally witnessed, but my sister saw her boss
screwing one of the other waitresses on a dining table. You said,
"action."

--Bryan

On Sun, 8 Nov 2009 15:06:27 -0500, "Nancy Young"
<rjynlyord@comcast.net> wrote:


>I probably have a ton of good restaurant experiences. Most are
>uneventful because the waiters do everything right.

We have a tendency to only remember the bad and not the good. Same
thing with a messy house. One of us may take on a messy closet or
another project and wonder why the other didn't notice. But if either
of us makes a mess you know it's going to get brought up.

Lou

On Nov 8, 12:17 pm, "Nancy Young" <rjynly...@comcast.net> wrote:
>
> That's some fancy service! I've never had breakfast where
> the toast was served on a covered dish, never mind having it
> replenished by a tong wielding server. I picture white gloves.
>
> I have trouble picturing you ever having been callow, however.
>
Imagine a college freshman in the big city of Boston having come from
an isolated town where my high school class numbered 22. "Callow"
doesn't begin to describe how unprepared I was. Some of what I
encountered was a great pleasure, though, such as the service at the
Parker House. -aem

Kalmia wrote:
> After the resto - bashing, I feel guilty. Maybe it's time to laud
> something unusual you have witnessed, some bit of beyond the call
> service.
>
> Mine: ordered an after dinner White Cloud, and about a minute after it
> was served, I noticed a chip in the glass. Summoned waiter and began
> to point it out, and with an unhesitating flourish and not a word of
> argument, he whipped that thing off the table and tossed the liquid
> into a tiny, nearby sink, dropped the offending glass into the trash,
> and rushed to the bar for a new White Cloud. He removed all doubt that
> the same drink would be unceremoniously tossed into a new glass.


My uncle lived across the street from a very nice hotel in Toronto and
often ate there. One night he took his in-laws out for dinner and they
were all drinking Manhattans and a fly landed in his SiL's drink. He
called the wait over and pointed out the fly in the drink. The waiter
came back with a cloth over his arms and a paid or silver spoons with
which he deftly removed the fly from the drink.

aem wrote:
> On Nov 8, 12:17 pm, "Nancy Young" <rjynly...@comcast.net> wrote:
>> That's some fancy service! I've never had breakfast where
>> the toast was served on a covered dish, never mind having it
>> replenished by a tong wielding server. I picture white gloves.
>>
>> I have trouble picturing you ever having been callow, however.
>>
> Imagine a college freshman in the big city of Boston having come from
> an isolated town where my high school class numbered 22. "Callow"
> doesn't begin to describe how unprepared I was. Some of what I
> encountered was a great pleasure, though, such as the service at the
> Parker House. -aem



Boston in the 60s was a fantastic college town with something for
everyone. Most of us didn't aspire to the Parker House, but
places like Durgin Park were so much fun.

gloria p

"Kalmia" <tweeny90655@mypacks.net> wrote in message
news:876a0289-ba17-4f44-a768-f9a0b03fd213@m38g2000yqd.googlegroups.com...
> After the resto - bashing, I feel guilty. Maybe it's time to laud
> something unusual you have witnessed, some bit of beyond the call
> service.
>
> Mine: ordered an after dinner White Cloud, and about a minute after it
> was served, I noticed a chip in the glass. Summoned waiter and began
> to point it out, and with an unhesitating flourish and not a word of
> argument, he whipped that thing off the table and tossed the liquid
> into a tiny, nearby sink, dropped the offending glass into the trash,
> and rushed to the bar for a new White Cloud. He removed all doubt that
> the same drink would be unceremoniously tossed into a new glass.

Saw this article in the NY Times today and found it was appropriate to the
discussion. Lots of things on the list I'd like to teach to the wait staff
at the places I eat.

Part 1:
http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/1...r-do-part-one/

Part 2:
http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/1...ver-do-part-2/

Jon

Dave Smith wrote:
:

>
>
> My uncle lived across the street from a very nice hotel in Toronto and
> often ate there. One night he took his in-laws out for dinner and they
> were all drinking Manhattans and a fly landed in his SiL's drink. He
> called the wait over and pointed out the fly in the drink. The waiter
> came back with a cloth over his arms and a paid or silver spoons with
> which he deftly removed the fly from the drink.



How classy! Euuuuuwwwwww!

gloria p

"Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq." <jpstifel@isp.com> wrote in message
news:4AF724B4.7040305@isp.com...
>
>
> Kalmia wrote:
>> After the resto - bashing, I feel guilty. Maybe it's time to laud
>> something unusual you have witnessed, some bit of beyond the call
>> service.
>>
>> Mine: ordered an after dinner White Cloud, and about a minute after it
>> was served, I noticed a chip in the glass. Summoned waiter and began
>> to point it out, and with an unhesitating flourish and not a word of
>> argument, he whipped that thing off the table and tossed the liquid
>> into a tiny, nearby sink, dropped the offending glass into the trash,
>> and rushed to the bar for a new White Cloud. He removed all doubt that
>> the same drink would be unceremoniously tossed into a new glass.
>
> I was at a table near the front door & large plate glass windows of a
> local Italian restaurant, i was in the middle of my soup iirc when a
> 'street person' an obviously, down on their luck, bedraggled, filthy,
> unkempt, dirty person just walked in grabbed my untouched bread basket and
> scurried out.
>
> THe management were profuse in their apologies, produced another basket of
> bread with alacrity. They seemed even more upset that the person did not
> ask me if he could have my bread.
>
> The chef came out and was particularly angry when i mentioned, in response
> to some question of his, that the 'street person' didn't say a word to me
> just grabbed the bread and ran.
>
> I ate at that restaurant routinely, 4 - 5 nights a week after work and
> often ate lunch there also. Very good food, unpretentious, well priced
> and close to both my work and home.
>
> When i was ready to pay the check i was told i would not be charged for
> the meal or second drink that was served me with out my asking for it and
> was again apologized to for the incident. And im not even a particularly
> good tipper.
>
> On subsequent visits i made it a point to sit further back inside the
> restaurant and not quite so close to the front door
> --
>
> Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq.
>
> Domine, dirige nos.
> Let the games begin!
> http://fredeeky.typepad.com/fredeeky.../sf_anthem.mp3
>


same thing happened to me, though the owner of the restaurant brought out a
brown bagged lunch for the offending homeless man. i now call it one of my
favorites restaurants.

"skeeter" <skeeterdoo@myway.com> wrote in news:4af96778$0$7445
$ec3e2dad@unlimited.usenetmonster.com:

>> Kalmia wrote:
>>> After the resto - bashing, I feel guilty. Maybe it's time to laud
>>> something unusual you have witnessed, some bit of beyond the call
>>> service.


When I was a dishwasher at the famous French restaurant in my youth, I
watched one waiter in his tuxedo walk some cleared plates into the kitchen
and grab an uneaten portion of rack of lamb in his bare hands and bite off
a huge mouthful before dumping the plates in the bin for me to clean. It
totally grossed me out. I don't remember if he washed his hands. Never saw
anything like it before or since.

Andy

On Nov 9, 3:37*pm, "gloria.p" <gpues...@comcast.net> wrote:
> Dave Smith wrote:
>
> :
>
>
>
> > My uncle lived across the street from a very nice hotel in Toronto and
> > often ate there. One night he took his in-laws *out for dinner and they
> > were all drinking Manhattans and a fly landed in his SiL's drink. He
> > called the wait over and pointed out the fly in the drink. The waiter
> > came back with a cloth over his arms and a paid or silver spoons with
> > which he deftly removed the fly from the drink.
>
> How classy! * Euuuuuwwwwww!
>
> gloria p

Obvious comment not made: I believe it's doing the backstroke, Madam.

maxine in ri

On Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:15:53 -0500, "skeeter" <skeeterdoo@myway.com>
wrote:

>> I ate at that restaurant routinely, 4 - 5 nights a week after work and
>> often ate lunch there also. Very good food, unpretentious, well priced
>> and close to both my work and home.
>>
>> When i was ready to pay the check i was told i would not be charged for
>> the meal or second drink that was served me with out my asking for it and
>> was again apologized to for the incident. And im not even a particularly
>> good tipper.
>>
>> On subsequent visits i made it a point to sit further back inside the
>> restaurant and not quite so close to the front door
>> --
>>
>> Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq.
>>
>> Domine, dirige nos.
>> Let the games begin!
>> http://fredeeky.typepad.com/fredeeky.../sf_anthem.mp3
>>
>
>
>same thing happened to me, though the owner of the restaurant brought out a
>brown bagged lunch for the offending homeless man. i now call it one of my
>favorites restaurants.

It's hard to say no to someone who is hungry. But what are you going
to do if there's a hundred of them looking for that brown bag?

Lou

Lou Decruss wrote:
> On Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:15:53 -0500, "skeeter" <skeeterdoo@myway.com>
> wrote:
>
>
>>>I ate at that restaurant routinely, 4 - 5 nights a week after work and
>>>often ate lunch there also. Very good food, unpretentious, well priced
>>>and close to both my work and home.
>>>
>>>When i was ready to pay the check i was told i would not be charged for
>>>the meal or second drink that was served me with out my asking for it and
>>>was again apologized to for the incident. And im not even a particularly
>>>good tipper.
>>>
>>>On subsequent visits i made it a point to sit further back inside the
>>>restaurant and not quite so close to the front door
>>>--
>>>
>>>Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq.
>>
>>
>>same thing happened to me, though the owner of the restaurant brought out a
>>brown bagged lunch for the offending homeless man. i now call it one of my
>>favorites restaurants.
>
>
> It's hard to say no to someone who is hungry. But what are you going
> to do if there's a hundred of them looking for that brown bag?
>
> Lou

In my case the chef seemed most upset about the "street person" not
asking me if he could have my bread but just taking it, in effect
"defrauding an innkeeper" which, form what i understand is a curious
point of honor among chefs and an equally curious aspect of English
common law.

Somehow stealing food from an "innkeeper" or restaurant is morally &
legally worse than stealing food from a market.

I don't recall the philosophical premise that justifies it, only that it
is an archaism still much favored by restaurateurs.

--

Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq.

Domine, dirige nos.
Let the games begin!
http://fredeeky.typepad.com/fredeeky.../sf_anthem.mp3

Lou Decruss wrote:

> On Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:15:53 -0500, "skeeter" <skeeterdoo@myway.com>
> wrote:
>
>>> I ate at that restaurant routinely, 4 - 5 nights a week after work
>>> and often ate lunch there also. Very good food, unpretentious,
>>> well priced and close to both my work and home.
>>>
>>> When i was ready to pay the check i was told i would not be charged
>>> for the meal or second drink that was served me with out my asking
>>> for it and was again apologized to for the incident. And im not
>>> even a particularly good tipper.
>>>
>>> On subsequent visits i made it a point to sit further back inside
>>> the restaurant and not quite so close to the front door
>>> --
>>>
>>> Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq.
>>>
>>> Domine, dirige nos.
>>> Let the games begin!
>>> http://fredeeky.typepad.com/fredeeky.../sf_anthem.mp3
>>>
>>
>>
>> same thing happened to me, though the owner of the restaurant
>> brought out a brown bagged lunch for the offending homeless man. i
>> now call it one of my favorites restaurants.
>
> It's hard to say no to someone who is hungry. But what are you going
> to do if there's a hundred of them looking for that brown bag?
>


One of the "issues" we have when we have cookouts at our corner bar are
homeless types wanting food. A coupla of them are real obnoxious, they'll
barge right in or whine and beg when we are manning the grills. A coupla
others are very discreet, they hang back and approach us very timidly and
ask politely...they get some nice food, the loudmouthed fucks do not..

Natcherly the "freeloaders" are not just black homeless peeps, there are the
affluent white cheapskates who will come in and chow down big and only order
one beer and tip the barkeep a quarter. They'll hawg all the primo stuff
like shrimp and steak and one even brings Tupperware containers for
leftovers (this stopped when I conveniently "misplaced" the containers when
she wasn't looking, hehe). Some will sit for a coupla hours and eat enuf
for like FIVE people, etc. I mean come ON, you are getting a GREAT meal for
free here...

So I kinda keep an "eye" on things, cheapskate deadbeat losers will ruin
EVERYTHING if you let 'em...

I am a *lot* less kindly disposed towards the affluent cheapskates than I am
towards the homeless...

One in particular is a Big Cheese type, always flashing a roll of hundreds.
He'll say, "I'd buy you a drink or put some songs on the jukebox, but all I
have are hundreds...", to which I'm thinking, "Hey, they have enuf money
here to MAKE CHANGE...and if not there's a currency exchange and several
grocery stores with in-house banks just down the block...". Maybe it's
Confederate money or something, who knows...

OTOH there are those of fairly modest income who are buying the cooks
drinks, tipping big, etc. I'll say, please, it's not necessary to buy me
drinks, but they insist. Money is certainly indicator of class...

Anyways, the vagaries of "urban living", lol...


--
Best
Greg

On 2009-11-10, Gregory Morrow <lllllllll@lllllljll.se> wrote:

> others are very discreet, they hang back and approach us very timidly and
> ask politely...they get some nice food, the loudmouthed fucks do not..

I'd handle it the same way.

> So I kinda keep an "eye" on things, cheapskate deadbeat losers will ruin
> EVERYTHING if you let 'em...

I wonder if a chit system would work. Customers can pay $2 for the grub
or get a chit from you.



--
brothermouse
http://www.mousetrap.net/mouse/
Coleman gear, *nix, scanners, homebrewing