Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> "Sheldon" wrote:
> (snip)
> The
> > waitpeople hereabouts dress like they just mucked the barn, smell like
> > it too.... when you enter a steak house around NY's Capital region you
> > know with absolute certainty you're in cow country.
> >
> > Sheldon
>
> How are the steaks?

Let's put it this way, I can do a whole lot better on my grill with
USDA Choice steaks [I choose myself] from the stupidmarket, and at
about 1/3 the cost. I very rarely order steak from any restaurant, I'm
usually disappointed in both the quality and the cooking... typically I
order dishes out I don't like to bother with at home, like liver,
seafood. Chinese, etc. I tend not to cook things at home that will
stink up the place or require a whole lot of ingredients I choose not
to stock.

The reason I tried steak at a few restaurants hereabout is because I'm
the newbie here and these joints came highly recommended by the
locals... I like to give folks a fair chance... when it comes to fine
food these hillybillys don't know shit from shinola... they'd best
stick to their church feeds. I shoulda backed right out of the last
highly recommended steakhouse soon as I saw those bright pink
tablecloths... looked like fabric for a suit Liberace would choose.
The salad bar was good, the 2nis excellent and generous... my
porterhouse was small, fatty, gristley and quite a bit over cooked from
medium rare... definitely not worth the $26. I did say something to
the waitres when she asked why I wasn't eating, she looked and offered
to get me a new steak but I declined, I knew I'd never be back. I
asked her to take my half eaten steak to teh cook and bring me another
2ni instead. She did and didn't charge. Wasn't her fault the cook
should be hung... I tipped her extra for the drink. I find more often
the service is great but the food stinks, that's why I don't mind
tipping service people.... to me tipping is to ensure I'll be
remembered as kind and generous and be treated in kind upon my return.
When I know I'll never be back I'll tip the customery 15%, but those
places I return to regularly I tip 20-25% (I return regularly for a
reason). And I always tip the bar separately, in fact typically as
soon as I walk in I order my first drink at the bar and spend a few
moments chatting with teh bar help, always good to let the bar know you
arrived. I get far more value in service and product than my generous
tips. Without repeat business and recommendations restaurants can't do
well, in fact they'll barely survive, lots don't. I don't eat out to
save money, I know the restaurant needs to make a profit, but I don't
like getting ripped off either... it being a pleasant experience is a
major part of why I'll eat out, otherwise I can more easily cook at
home, slapping a steak on the grill is easier than falling off a log.
And restaurants don't serve my favorite steak, a thick 1st cut chuck,
grilled really hot and fast. Only reason I order porterhouse out is
because I don't like steaks from the rib, those flavorless cuts are
reserved for the wimps who really don't like the taste of beef and have
rotten teeth... if you're gonna order ribeye you may as well save a few
bucks and order the skinless boneless chicken breasts, or better yet
the tofu... yep, I see those bottles of ketchup empty out on the tables
where folks order steak. If I ran a steak house there be no ketchup,
no steak sauce of any kind... what a stupid concept, "steak sauce"...
means you detest steak.... like those who order top shelf scotch for a
sour, and ask for extra sugar yet. Idiots.

Sheldon