Everyone,

I usually lurk here, but since I just posted, I figured I'd start a
thread. This is mostly for those of you who own a restaurant or work
in food service.

A couple of weekends ago, I was meeting friends for dinner and then a
night at the local symphony. I was told we had reservations at 6:00
about half a block down from the theater, and the symphony started at
7:30. The time would be tight, but it would work.

We meet at the restaurant, one of the best in the area, were seated
fairly promptly, and ordered at about 6:15. I had never eaten there
before, but my friends were all regulars and on a first name basis with
the staff. The waitress kept coming by and apologizing that the
kitchen was backed-up, and they'd get our food soon. (I later learned
that the waitress owned the restaurant with her husband, the chef.)
After quite a while, I told my friends we should leave and get a quick
snack somewhere close and get to the symphony because they're not going
to seat us until the intermission. My friends told me not to worry
because it's just a local symphony, no ushers, no doors to lock. We
can seat ourselves any time. The staff was very aware we were headed
to the symphony and we needed to go. One of my friends even got up,
got the check before the food was served, and we paid in advance so we
could leave right after our meal.

The food finally arrived at 7:20, over an hour after we ordered.
Needless to say, I didn't enjoy a fairly pricey dinner which I had to
wolf down in ten minutes. We were charged full price, but the
waitress/owner was very apologetic, as were my friends to me, and said
we should come back after the symphony and dessert was on the house.

We came back and had dessert. This time, we had a waiter and he told
us how nice and understanding we were, and of course dessert is comped.
And then he put down the holder for the bill. I thought this a bit
odd since it was comped. I saw paper sticking out and thought maybe
there was a thank you note or something inside. So I look inside and
there's a bill for $4.40.

The desserts were comped, but not the two coffees. I couldn't believe
it.

My friends insisted on paying full price for the desserts since they're
regulars and have had great service many times. They just wrote it
off. It was my first time there, and let's just say I'm not rushing
back any time soon.

I just thought some of you in the food service business might want a
reason to shake your heads in amazement. Comped deserts, but not the
coffee. That's a good one.

Ken

"Ken" > wrote

> After quite a while, I told my friends we should leave and get a quick
> snack somewhere close and get to the symphony because they're not going
> to seat us until the intermission. My friends told me not to worry
> because it's just a local symphony, no ushers, no doors to lock.

No offense meant to your friends, it's quite rude to disrupt the other
patrons by arriving late like that. Local symphony or no.

> The staff was very aware we were headed
> to the symphony and we needed to go. One of my friends even got up,
> got the check before the food was served, and we paid in advance so we
> could leave right after our meal.

I've had situations like that in places where not a single soul
knew me from a rock, and they understood the situation and
expedited the matter. No excuse good enough for what you
went through. Find something to eat and bring it, if you can't,
say so and let you go find food somewhere else.

> The food finally arrived at 7:20, over an hour after we ordered.

I don't care if I didn't have someplace to be, that would irritate me.
An hour is a long time to wait for dinner in a restaurant.

> Needless to say, I didn't enjoy a fairly pricey dinner which I had to
> wolf down in ten minutes. We were charged full price, but the
> waitress/owner was very apologetic, as were my friends to me, and said
> we should come back after the symphony and dessert was on the house.

Big whoop. Concert's already ruined.

> We came back and had dessert. This time, we had a waiter and he told
> us how nice and understanding we were, and of course dessert is comped.
> And then he put down the holder for the bill. I thought this a bit
> odd since it was comped. I saw paper sticking out and thought maybe
> there was a thank you note or something inside. So I look inside and
> there's a bill for $4.40.
>
> The desserts were comped, but not the two coffees. I couldn't believe
> it.

(laugh) I know you didn't ask me; I don't own a restaurant, nor do I
work in one, but that is *the* lamest restaurant story I've heard in a
long time. Just ridiculous.

nancy

Nancy Young wrote:

>
> (laugh) I know you didn't ask me; I don't own a restaurant, nor do I
> work in one, but that is *the* lamest restaurant story I've heard in a
> long time. Just ridiculous.

My nephew was the chef in a restaurant that was equally lame. The sad part
is that was the restaurant in an arts centre where the productions were being
staged. His kitchen was so understaffed that when things got busy he had to
get the waitresses or managers in to help. It was a shame because the guy is
a darned good cook. We had several meals there and the food was always
excellent.

The problem in that place was the management...... and a lot of it. They had
a manager for the kitchen and the bar, a manager for the theatre and a
manager for the centre, and all three of them would be on duty on the nights
they had plays or concerts. There was a new bartender every time we went. The
food services manager would be standing around while the new bartender was
overwhelmed with orders and trying to figure out the computerized cash
register.

One night we were there for just a play. There were four of us. We had two
glasses of wine and two beers between us. It took that poor girl 15 minutes
to get the drinks and deal with the money. There were several people waiting
to owner, and the manager was sitting there talking to someone, never offered
to help the poor girl.

They laid my nephew off for the winter, but then wanted him to come in and
work under the table for the odd lunch or dinner party, or to do painting.
Then they started expecting him to come in more and more and for longer hours
without paying him any more. He now works elsewhere.

I was there for a concert last summer. They have a new chef, new bartender,
and the same three managers schmoozing the customers. There is no doubt in
my mind about the reason for the high staff turnover. They would probably do
much better to replace the managers.

" wrote:

> I usually give a restaurant 3 strikes before I stop going, (if they're
> reasonably good, of course),

I would give a restaurant three strikes if it was the only place round. I
gave a local restaurant a second try after some locals raved about it. I
had walked out on my first visit because I was hungry, had been there 45
minutes, no menu and no offer of a drink, never mind a drink delivered.
When I did go back a year or two later it was hard to make a choice from
their menu. It's tough when there are on less than a dozen items on the
menu and all but two end in "ger".

Everybody,

The food was actually pretty good, but there's no excuse for the
quality, or lack of quality, of the service. The tickets were my
friend's season tickets, and were up the stairs to the balcony, and the
first set of seats on the railing. So we didn't have to disturb
anyone, and we managed to get there just as the conductor was finishing
his opening spiel. So we were lucky on that account. (Yes, I agree,
not the most polite thing to do.)

The conductor/director of the symphony had complained to an
acquaintance of mine about there not being much music featuring brass.
So my friend, a classical composer, spent a couple of years composing a
piece featuring brass, and that night was the first time it was played
in public. Many of us went just to hear Ken's piece, and walking
around at intermission, I ran into many other people I knew who were
there to hear it. And the last two pieces featured an outstanding
violinist. So the concert and evening weren't ruined at all. We
actually had a good time.

But it didn't matter how good the food was at dinner, and it was good,
my dinner was ruined. If a friend wanted to go to that restaurant, I
don't know if I'd go or not. But I do know I'm not going to suggest it
to anyone. I've told this story to a few people and they all can't
believe it. Everybody thinks the ten cents worth of coffee would have
been a good investment for the good will.

Ken

"Ken" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Everybody,
>
> The food was actually pretty good, but there's no excuse for the
> quality, or lack of quality, of the service. The tickets were my
> friend's season tickets, and were up the stairs to the balcony, and the
> first set of seats on the railing.
>
> Ken

Are you saying it was a symphony dinner -- sort of like the dinner shows in
Las Vegas or Tahoe-- but a more cerebrial level?
I can't get this scene in my mind -- never heard of this before. Help me
out (but only if you please.)
Dee Dee

\
> I just thought some of you in the food service business might want a
> reason to shake your heads in amazement. Comped deserts, but not the
> coffee. That's a good one.
>
> Ken


That's nuts for sure... WTF does coffee cost them? But just a little nag..
If it were me, I would allow 2 hours for dinner, (I hate to be rushed when
eating at a "nice" place, and even go as far as telling waiters up front not
to rush me/us) then 15, minutes to get to the theatre, which should be 15
minutes before the down beat. so 2 1/2 hours before the concert starts, you
should be at the resturant. I know that may not have been your scheduling,
but stuff like that makes me crazy, and I would have been very tense.

Resturant prices these days are out of site. I don't mind the price if the
product fits it. In your case it doesn't seem so.

My $.02 US

Larry T


>

LT wrote:

> \
> > I just thought some of you in the food service business might want a
> > reason to shake your heads in amazement. Comped deserts, but not the
> > coffee. That's a good one.
> >
> > Ken
>
> That's nuts for sure... WTF does coffee cost them? But just a little nag..

It sure is nuts. They take so long to serve a dinner and then try to make up
for their screw up by offering a complimentary dessert, and then screw up the
conciliatory gesture by charging for the coffee.

> Resturant prices these days are out of site. I don't mind the price if the
> product fits it. In your case it doesn't seem so.
>
> My $.02 US

You've noticed that too? I thought that maybe I was just being cheap. My wife
and I used to dine out frequently. It was one of our favourite weekend
activities. We were earning a heck of a lot less than. There wasn't that big a
difference between a cheap restaurant and a nice one. Now the nice restaurants
are getting ridiculously expensive. The last time I went to one of the local
winery restaurants was charging $14.95 for a bawl of soup, and that was almost
three years ago. The cheapest wine on their list was over $30, and they sold
only their own wines. It is not like they had an extensive wine cellar to
maintain.

All the best to them if they can find enough people willing to be ripped of for
their restaurant experience, but I can't afford that kind of meal any more. I
prefer to patronize the places that offer the foods I like at a price I can
afford.

On Mon 20 Feb 2006 02:05:10p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Ken?

> Everyone,
>
> I usually lurk here, but since I just posted, I figured I'd start a
> thread. This is mostly for those of you who own a restaurant or work
> in food service.

This was a perfectly horrible and undeserved experience. There's no way I
would ever go there again.

having said that, if I'm dining before any live performance I always allow at
least 2 hours at the restaurant, plus any additional travel time to the
performance. I hate being late, and hate even more being rushed.

--
Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

BIOYA

Dee Randall wrote:
> "Ken" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> > Everybody,
> >
> > The food was actually pretty good, but there's no excuse for the
> > quality, or lack of quality, of the service. The tickets were my
> > friend's season tickets, and were up the stairs to the balcony, and the
> > first set of seats on the railing.
> >
> > Ken
>
> Are you saying it was a symphony dinner -- sort of like the dinner shows in
> Las Vegas or Tahoe-- but a more cerebrial level?
> I can't get this scene in my mind -- never heard of this before. Help me
> out (but only if you please.)
> Dee Dee

Dee Dee,

No, we ate dinner about a half block from the theater, then went to the
symphony. Somebody replied, and rightly so, that it was rude to the
others at the performance to come in late. I was just saying that the
seats were right by the stairs, so we didn't have to bother anyone even
if we were late. (I was the one who wanted to leave and eat somewhere
else so we'd be on time.)

Ken

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> On Mon 20 Feb 2006 02:05:10p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Ken?
>
> having said that, if I'm dining before any live performance I always allow at
> least 2 hours at the restaurant, plus any additional travel time to the
> performance. I hate being late, and hate even more being rushed.
>
> --
> Wayne Boatwright o¿o
> ____________________
>
> BIOYA

Wayne & LT,

That was another odd thing in a night of odd things. When I heard we
had reservations at 6:00, I thought it sounded like that was the
earliest reservation we could get. But when I got to the restaurant,
it was only about one-third full. I didn't bother to ask my friends
why we ended up with a 6:00 reservation, our choice or the
restaurant's? At that point, it didn't matter. I too hate being late
and was the first of our party at the restaurant.

By the way, why the Zarathustra reference?

Thanks,

Ken

"Ken" > wrote

> symphony. Somebody replied, and rightly so, that it was rude to the
> others at the performance to come in late. I was just saying that the
> seats were right by the stairs, so we didn't have to bother anyone even
> if we were late. (I was the one who wanted to leave and eat somewhere
> else so we'd be on time.)

Ken, you had made it clear it wasn't your idea, I was talking
about your friend's cavalier attitude, hey they don't lock the door
we'll just walk in when we feel like it ... that's how it came across to
me. But not you, you said to be on time.

nancy

Nancy Young wrote:
> "Ken" > wrote
>
> > symphony. Somebody replied, and rightly so, that it was rude to the
> > others at the performance to come in late. I was just saying that the
> > seats were right by the stairs, so we didn't have to bother anyone even
> > if we were late. (I was the one who wanted to leave and eat somewhere
> > else so we'd be on time.)
>
> Ken, you had made it clear it wasn't your idea, I was talking
> about your friend's cavalier attitude, hey they don't lock the door
> we'll just walk in when we feel like it ... that's how it came across to
> me. But not you, you said to be on time.
>
> nancy

Nancy,

The friend who said it appreciates live performances. I too was a
little shocked by what she said.

Ken

"Ken" > wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> Nancy Young wrote:
>> "Ken" > wrote
>>
>> > symphony. Somebody replied, and rightly so, that it was rude to the
>> > others at the performance to come in late. I was just saying that the
>> > seats were right by the stairs, so we didn't have to bother anyone even
>> > if we were late. (I was the one who wanted to leave and eat somewhere
>> > else so we'd be on time.)
>>
>> Ken, you had made it clear it wasn't your idea, I was talking
>> about your friend's cavalier attitude, hey they don't lock the door
>> we'll just walk in when we feel like it ... that's how it came across to
>> me. But not you, you said to be on time.
>>
>> nancy
>
> Nancy,
>
> The friend who said it appreciates live performances. I too was a
> little shocked by what she said.
>
> Ken

It's been a long time since I've been to live performances, but used to go
to many. Perhaps times have changed because I can't recall ever being
disturbed by anyone coming in late - BECAUSE NO ONE DID! Even seeing
someone's entrance out of the corner of my eye is a disturbance -- yes,
that's the way I am. As I recall, one didn't get seated after a
performance. Not so anymore?

I can only relate in some small way as to a composer in an audience and the
thrill. After hearing a symphony in San Francisco, at the end, the composer
seated in a box took a bow. For the person to be your acquaintance/friend,
this must have heightened your concern.

Don't fret too much, you'll still have good memories.
Dee Dee




Dee Dee

On Mon 20 Feb 2006 06:40:11p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Ken?

>
> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>> On Mon 20 Feb 2006 02:05:10p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Ken?
>>
>> having said that, if I'm dining before any live performance I always
>> allo w at least 2 hours at the restaurant, plus any additional travel
>> time to the performance. I hate being late, and hate even more being
>> rushed.
>>
>> --
>> Wayne Boatwright o¿o ____________________
>>
>> BIOYA
>
> Wayne & LT,
>
> That was another odd thing in a night of odd things. When I heard we
> had reservations at 6:00, I thought it sounded like that was the
> earliest reservation we could get. But when I got to the restaurant,
> it was only about one-third full. I didn't bother to ask my friends
> why we ended up with a 6:00 reservation, our choice or the
> restaurant's? At that point, it didn't matter. I too hate being late
> and was the first of our party at the restaurant.

That didn't make a lot of sense, did it?

> By the way, why the Zarathustra reference?

I just like the phrase, "Thus spake Zarathustra". :-)


> Thanks,
>
> Ken
>
>



--
Wayne Boatwright o¿o
____________________

BIOYA

>
> That didn't make a lot of sense, did it?
>
> > By the way, why the Zarathustra reference?
>
> I just like the phrase, "Thus spake Zarathustra". :-)
>
> --
> Wayne Boatwright o¿o
> ____________________
>
> BIOYA

Wayne

When I read the Zarathustra part, I was certainly feeling full of
myself. I don't know if I was ready to go off and start a religion,
but I certainly felt important. With your reply, I have been deflated
back down to size.

Thanks,

Ken

P.S. I'll have to wait to ask about the pleasing BIOYA sign-off.

"Ken" > wrote in message
oups.com...


>
> That didn't make a lot of sense, did it?
>
> > By the way, why the Zarathustra reference?
>
> I just like the phrase, "Thus spake Zarathustra". :-)
>
> --
> Wayne Boatwright o¿o
> ____________________
>
> BIOYA

Wayne

When I read the Zarathustra part, I was certainly feeling full of
myself. I don't know if I was ready to go off and start a religion,
but I certainly felt important. With your reply, I have been deflated
back down to size.

Thanks,

Ken

P.S. I'll have to wait to ask about the pleasing BIOYA sign-off.



Blow it out your ass!
Dee Dee

>
> P.S. I'll have to wait to ask about the pleasing BIOYA sign-off.
>
>
> Blow it out your ass!
> Dee Dee

Dee Dee,

I know what it means, that's the "pleasing" reference. I just don't
know why.

Good Night,

Ken

Dave Smith > writes:
" wrote:

>> I usually give a restaurant 3 strikes before I stop going, (if they're
>> reasonably good, of course),

>I would give a restaurant three strikes if it was the only place round.

I agree. Years ago a local brewery/restaurant treated my husband and
myself poorly because we were students -- their yuppie customers were
their focus while we were seated in the doorway of the kitchen and were
insulted by the waiter. He accused us of being poor, until we paid with
a $50 bill, then kissed our asses. After 10 years of purposely avoiding
that place, I went back to give it another chance -- this time my
husband and I were the yuppies (30somethings, actually) and were treated
well enough, but we sat next to a couple in their 20s who were ignored
just as we had been a decade ago.
Never again will I give a restaurant a second chance. It's hard
because we're in a small town, but there's a limit to what I'll put up
with.

Stacia

> All the best to them if they can find enough people willing to be ripped
of for
> their restaurant experience, but I can't afford that kind of meal any
more. I
> prefer to patronize the places that offer the foods I like at a price I
can
> afford.
>

I'm with you on that, we eat out at least twice a week and we've found a
rotation of places that are inexpensive yet good. (many will split orders in
the kitchen) But we do dine "fine" on special occasions. Our favorate place
will cost about $250+ for the two of us with a bottle of wine and all of
the courses. But we enjoy the meal for many hours and are never rushed nor
made to wait when we want something. Though expensive, I've never felt
cheated there.

Larry T

In article >,
Dave Smith > wrote:

> You've noticed that too? I thought that maybe I was just being cheap.
> My wife and I used to dine out frequently. It was one of our
> favourite weekend activities. We were earning a heck of a lot less
> than. There wasn't that big a difference between a cheap restaurant
> and a nice one. Now the nice restaurants are getting ridiculously
> expensive.

We live in a small town, and even the nearby city isn't a big time
kind of place. However, we are finding that the price increases at
restaurants are getting too high. However, there are some places that
offer Sunset Dinners, if you are willing to eat our earlier, that are
less expensive, and still allow you to enjoy going out.

Regards,
Ranee (who eats out probably 10 times a year, tops)

Remove do not & spam to e-mail me.

"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." Prov 31:13

http://arabianknits.blogspot.com/
http://talesfromthekitchen.blogspot.com/

In article et>,
"LT" > wrote:

> I'm with you on that, we eat out at least twice a week and we've
> found a rotation of places that are inexpensive yet good. (many will
> split orders in the kitchen) But we do dine "fine" on special
> occasions. Our favorate place will cost about $250+ for the two of us
> with a bottle of wine and all of the courses. But we enjoy the meal
> for many hours and are never rushed nor made to wait when we want
> something. Though expensive, I've never felt cheated there.

Rich's company gives us a $100 gift certificate to El Gaucho every
other year at the Christmas party. We could not afford eating there
without those certificates. We went out for a night of dancing and a
late dinner there, and though the food was excellent, and the service
impeccable, I still didn't find it to be worth the price. I had a
cocktail at the club where we went to dance, and Rich doesn't drink, so
we didn't order any alcohol at the restaurant, neither did we drink
anything but water and the coffee that came complimentary at the end of
the meal. We didn't order dessert. We split an appetizer between us,
each ordered salads, a main course and side. That was it. It cost us
another $65-70 over the gift certificate. If we didn't get those
certificates, I'm certain we would never eat there. Also, since we need
babysitting to go out together, it means that for three hours out (that
night Rich's folks had watched the kids for us, so we didn't have any
added cost there), we're paying another $30 at least.

Regards,
Ranee

Remove do not & spam to e-mail me.

"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." Prov 31:13

http://arabianknits.blogspot.com/
http://talesfromthekitchen.blogspot.com/

Ken wrote:

> Everybody,
>
> The food was actually pretty good, but there's no excuse for the
> quality, or lack of quality, of the service. The tickets were my
> friend's season tickets, and were up the stairs to the balcony, and the
> first set of seats on the railing. So we didn't have to disturb
> anyone, and we managed to get there just as the conductor was finishing
> his opening spiel. So we were lucky on that account. (Yes, I agree,
> not the most polite thing to do.)
>
> The conductor/director of the symphony had complained to an
> acquaintance of mine about there not being much music featuring brass.
> So my friend, a classical composer, spent a couple of years composing a
> piece featuring brass, and that night was the first time it was played
> in public. Many of us went just to hear Ken's piece, and walking
> around at intermission, I ran into many other people I knew who were
> there to hear it. And the last two pieces featured an outstanding
> violinist. So the concert and evening weren't ruined at all. We
> actually had a good time.
>
> But it didn't matter how good the food was at dinner, and it was good,
> my dinner was ruined. If a friend wanted to go to that restaurant, I
> don't know if I'd go or not. But I do know I'm not going to suggest it
> to anyone. I've told this story to a few people and they all can't
> believe it. Everybody thinks the ten cents worth of coffee would have
> been a good investment for the good will.
>
> Ken

I've found in the past that the worst thing you can do is become good
friends with the owners, as they'll rely on YOU to take the hit if
there any delays etc. They know you'll let it slide, as you've had good
food there in the past and they'll rely on your friendship to pay no
matter what.

Doc

Simple explanation.

Waiter to manager: They're back for dessert.

Manager to waiter: How nice of them. Comp their dessert, will you?

Waiter to manager: Will do.

Waiter then takes order, and rings in parts of order that aren't
desserts. Because they aren't desserts. Because that's how waitstaff
thinks. If it's not A, it's not A. If we only have Pepsi, don't serve
Pepsi to someone who orders Coke without asking "Is Pepsi okay?" Ditto
"raw or creamy horseradish?" "No decaf, but we have Sanka." Etc.

--Blair
"Cheebourgi cheebourgi cheebourgi cheep cheep cheep!"

Ken wrote:
> Everyone,
>
> I usually lurk here, but since I just posted, I figured I'd start a
> thread. This is mostly for those of you who own a restaurant or work
> in food service.
>
> A couple of weekends ago, I was meeting friends for dinner and then a
> night at the local symphony. I was told we had reservations at 6:00
> about half a block down from the theater, and the symphony started at
> 7:30. The time would be tight, but it would work.
>
> We meet at the restaurant, one of the best in the area, were seated
> fairly promptly, and ordered at about 6:15. I had never eaten there
> before, but my friends were all regulars and on a first name basis with
> the staff. The waitress kept coming by and apologizing that the
> kitchen was backed-up, and they'd get our food soon. (I later learned
> that the waitress owned the restaurant with her husband, the chef.)
> After quite a while, I told my friends we should leave and get a quick
> snack somewhere close and get to the symphony because they're not going
> to seat us until the intermission. My friends told me not to worry
> because it's just a local symphony, no ushers, no doors to lock. We
> can seat ourselves any time. The staff was very aware we were headed
> to the symphony and we needed to go. One of my friends even got up,
> got the check before the food was served, and we paid in advance so we
> could leave right after our meal.
>
> The food finally arrived at 7:20, over an hour after we ordered.
> Needless to say, I didn't enjoy a fairly pricey dinner which I had to
> wolf down in ten minutes. We were charged full price, but the
> waitress/owner was very apologetic, as were my friends to me, and said
> we should come back after the symphony and dessert was on the house.
>
> We came back and had dessert. This time, we had a waiter and he told
> us how nice and understanding we were, and of course dessert is comped.
> And then he put down the holder for the bill. I thought this a bit
> odd since it was comped. I saw paper sticking out and thought maybe
> there was a thank you note or something inside. So I look inside and
> there's a bill for $4.40.
>
> The desserts were comped, but not the two coffees. I couldn't believe
> it.
>
> My friends insisted on paying full price for the desserts since they're
> regulars and have had great service many times. They just wrote it
> off. It was my first time there, and let's just say I'm not rushing
> back any time soon.
>
> I just thought some of you in the food service business might want a
> reason to shake your heads in amazement. Comped deserts, but not the
> coffee. That's a good one.

Why don't you tell us the name and location of this place?

My wife was bumped because she's a local (from the neigborhood) the
other day, so the guy could serve a first-time customer first. He
comped her entire order, but told her not to tell anyone about it, so I
won't mention the place's name.
>
> Ken

--Bryan

> Rich's company gives us a $100 gift certificate to El Gaucho every
> other year at the Christmas party. We could not afford eating there
> without those certificates. We went out for a night of dancing and a
> late dinner there, and though the food was excellent, and the service
> impeccable, I still didn't find it to be worth the price. I had a
> cocktail at the club where we went to dance, and Rich doesn't drink, so
> we didn't order any alcohol at the restaurant, neither did we drink
> anything but water and the coffee that came complimentary at the end of
> the meal. We didn't order dessert. We split an appetizer between us,
> each ordered salads, a main course and side. That was it. It cost us
> another $65-70 over the gift certificate. If we didn't get those
> certificates, I'm certain we would never eat there. Also, since we need
> babysitting to go out together, it means that for three hours out (that
> night Rich's folks had watched the kids for us, so we didn't have any
> added cost there), we're paying another $30 at least.
>
> Regards,
> Ranee
>

You have to live within your means for sure. I've found that if you are
worried about the price of the meal, you probably won't enjoy it much. For
us eating at the upscale places now and then is, more about the experience,
and not just the food. My wife and I have very similar tastes, as do our
close circle of friends. So, when we do splurge, we make the most of it, and
try not to think to hard about what it's going to do to my cc balance!

Best,

Larry T

>
> Why don't you tell us the name and location of this place?
>
>
> --Bryan

Bryan,

The location was Visalia, California, and the place is called Acequia
on Main. (Acequia is Spanish for irrigation ditch, and it's on Main
Street. Hey, I didn't name the place.) Since I didn't think many
members of this group will be stopping there anytime soon, I didn't
include those details. Visalia is about half way between Fresno and
Bakersfield, probably just about in the middle of the state both north
and south, and east and west. Now I've gotten myself curious and I'll
have to get out a map and see now close to dead center it is.

So, any other members in Central California?

Ken

On Tue 21 Feb 2006 12:06:22a, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Ken?

>
>
>>
>> P.S. I'll have to wait to ask about the pleasing BIOYA sign-off.
>>
>>
>> Blow it out your ass!
>> Dee Dee
>
> Dee Dee,
>
> I know what it means, that's the "pleasing" reference. I just don't
> know why.
>
> Good Night,
>
> Ken

It's for those who need to. :-)

--
Wayne Boatwright Õ¿Õ¬
________________________________________

Okay, okay, I take it back! UnScrew you!

In article . net>,
"LT" > wrote:

> You have to live within your means for sure. I've found that if you are
> worried about the price of the meal, you probably won't enjoy it much. For
> us eating at the upscale places now and then is, more about the experience,
> and not just the food. My wife and I have very similar tastes, as do our
> close circle of friends. So, when we do splurge, we make the most of it, and
> try not to think to hard about what it's going to do to my cc balance!

For me, a great part of the experience _is_ the food. When we go
out, it is so someone else cooks and does the dishes, largely. I can
cook better than most places for less than a quarter of the cost, so we
know we are paying for the service mostly. However, if the food doesn't
measure up to the price, it doesn't matter how nice the surroundings or
service, since we're not going to enjoy the eating as much.

Regards,
Ranee

Remove do not & spam to e-mail me.

"She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands." Prov 31:13

http://arabianknits.blogspot.com/
http://talesfromthekitchen.blogspot.com/

Dr Hfuhruhurr wrote:

>
> I've found in the past that the worst thing you can do is become good
> friends with the owners, as they'll rely on YOU to take the hit if
> there any delays etc. They know you'll let it slide, as you've had good
> food there in the past and they'll rely on your friendship to pay no
> matter what.
>
> Doc
>

I was about to post the same thing. They know you'll be back because
you're a regular/friend, so when they're busy and cutting corners on
service, you're the first to get lopped off.

Shouldn't you be working the graveyard shift or something?

TL

--

Every normal man must be tempted at times to spit on his hands, hoist
the black flag, and begin slitting throats.

H.L. Mencken