When in New Orleans it is a mistake to go to places like
Brennan's/Antoine's/Ralph & Kakoo's, etc. in the first place. The best food
is often at the less upscale places (Mother's, Acme Oyster House, Praline
Connection come to mind right away). More upscale but about 100 times as
good as Brennan's, etc. is K-Paul's. I have never been to Commander's
Palace, which I have heard is really great but unbelievably expensive, nor
have I been to Emeril's. But I would generally stick to downscale places
recommended by the locals.


"Wayne" > wrote in message
...
> Kate Connally > wrote in
> :
>
>> Peter Aitken wrote:
>>>
>>> "Kate Connally" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>> > Goomba38 wrote:
>>> > >
>>> > > Kate Connally wrote:
>>> > >
>>> > > > You know, I did just this very thing but not to avoid a
>>> > > > service charge. I have always wanted to eat at Brennan's
>>> > > > in New Orleans and when I got the chance to go there I was
>>> > > > really excited. I couldn't wait to have the Bananas Foster.
>>> > > > I made a reservation months in advance. I was meeting my
>>> > > > sister and her husband there for dinner while we were both
>>> > > > on vacation in N. O. at the same time. So, we get to the
>>> > > > restaurant and are seated and the waiter comes to take our
>>> > > > order and I ask for separate checks. No deal! Huh? What's
>>> > > > the big deal? (I don't even want to hear all the "so why
>>> > > > couldn't one or the other of you just pay the check and get
>>> > > > reimbursed by the other" comments - there are reasons - okay?)
>>> > > > So I'm furious. I ask to be seated at another table nearby.
>>> > > > They think I'm nuts. Too bad it didn't work. If it had been
>>> > > > a place where you didn't need a reservation months in advance
>>> > > > it woulda worked. We ended up eating at Kakoo and Ralph's.
>>> > > > It was great. Eh, their Bananas Foster is probably not all
>>> > > > it's cracked up to be anyway. :-)
>>> > > >
>>> > > > Kate
>>> > >
>>> > > That's really a depressing story. It is like you cut your
>>> > > own nose off to spite your face...very sad. I hope
>>> > > whatever is wrong between you and your family can be
>>> > > resolved so that you don't miss out on other nice things in
>>> > > years to come.
>>> >
>>> > Well, I don't feel that way about it. I just don't like
>>> > being pushed around by snooty restaurants or even non-snooty
>>> > ones! It was a matter of principle. And there is nothing
>>> > wrong between me and my family. If there were I would not
>>> > have been dining with them! The reasons for requesting
>>> > separate checks have nothing to do with a "family feud".
>>> > Don't feel sorry for me. I can always make my own Banana's
>>> > Foster from Brennan's own recipe so it's not a big deal.
>>> > And we had a great time at Kakoo and Ralph's and great
>>> > food. I had crab done 7 different ways, and except for
>>> > the soft-shell crab it was all delicious. I would have
>>> > actually felt worse about it if I had let Brennan's force
>>> > me into doing it their way.
>>> >
>>> > Kate
>>> >
>>> > --
>>>
>>> The very reason for going to a top quality restaurant is so they can
>>> "do it their way."
>>
>> I totally disagree. If I go there to have the house specialty,
>> like Bananas Foster, then, obviously, I'm going to "have
>> it their way", but if I just go there to eat and decide to
>> order salmon and they refuse to cook it properly for me
>> (as in *not* rare!), then I don't think they have the right
>> to tell me that's the only way they will cook it. And if I
>> want a dish without the mushrooms and it's not something that's
>> already made up with the mushrooms already in it then I damn
>> well will "have it *my* way". Of course if I had known
>> then, what I know now about both parties charging their own
>> portion on their own credit card, something I've done many
>> times in the last 10 or 12 years, it wouldn't have been a
>> problem, but they probably would have given me a hard time
>> about that, too, with my luck. I don't know when that became
>> a common practice. Anyway, this was almost 20 years ago.
>>
>> Anyway, as far as I am concerned the reason for going to
>> a "top quality" restaurant is so that I can have well-prepared
>> food and good service. Not to cater to the ego of some
>> wacked out chef who thinks his way is the only way!
>>
>> Kate
>>
>
> I wouldn't want to go to a restaurant where I felt the need to dictate
> the cooking method and ingredients to the chef.
>
> --
> Wayne in Phoenix
>
> unmunge as w-e-b
>
> *If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it.
> *A mind is a terrible thing to lose.