[Jenni]

I agree with most of these. It's not like I'd be terribly offended or upset if someone broke one of these "rules", but I think that altogether they add up to an efficient, high-end dining experience that can be rather pleasurable.

As for the name thing - if I'm really enjoying the dining experience and the waiter is really great, I will often ask their name. If it's told to me at the start, it feels inauthentic (like they're only doing it because they've been told to) and also I won't remember it!

[Sugar Apple]

Part two is out now. He seems to be trying to pad out the list and there are a few I don't agree with:

76. Do not ask if a guest is finished the very second the guest is finished. Let guests digest, savor, reflect. I prefer to digest, savor and reflect without a dirty plate in front of me.

97. If a guest goes gaga over a particular dish, get the recipe for him or her. Is he kidding?

[David A. Goldfarb]

Okay, as a trombone player, I've got a problem with--

93. Do not play brass — no brassy Broadway songs, brass bands, marching bands, or big bands that feature brass, except a muted flugelhorn.

[gfweb]

I thought that that was odd too. And I once played flugelhorn.

If up to me I'd ban Mantovani, all C&W, Streisand, Houston, Celine, and Tennessee Ernie Ford.

[MaxH]

gfweb, on 06 November 2009 - 08:07 AM, said:

If up to me I'd ban Mantovani, all C&W, Streisand, Houston, Celine, and Tennessee Ernie Ford.

Good one!

It's easy to list idiosyncratic, even weird, personal preferences that restaurant owners might conceivably impose, but what I find striking is that it really happens, as I'll illustrate. Normal, successful business wisdom is to serve your market, not yourself (as anyone would learn if they assembled a wine list, for instance, fitting their taste but not their clientele's). Contrast this small steakhouse chain in a pleasant corner of southern California (Coachella Valley, aka "Palm Springs Area"), which has a relatively high restaurant density, being a vacation and tourist region. (From a large file of restaurant notes):

LG's Prime Steakhouse ... Bustling independent local steakhouse group (3 locations) onto which eponymous owner Leon Greenberg oddly imposes his unusual personal dislikes of (1) soups and (2) bar dining. For (2) you can conspire with friendly staff unless LG himself is present, but for (1) you're out of luck ... (Food-historical note: Soups were the original evening meal of Western civilization, source of French word "souper," English "supper.")

[prasantrin]

Sugar Apple, on 06 November 2009 - 11:36 PM, said:

97. If a guest goes gaga over a particular dish, get the recipe for him or her. Is he kidding?

Why? If he wants to give out the recipes for the dishes at his restaurant (and if you read both articles thoroughly, you'd know that the rules are for the servers at the restaurant he's about to open), then he can certainly direct his staff to offer recipes to diners.

[johnnyd]

Inspired by the article, 100 things a customer should never do

Quote

13. Show up for your reservation with a different amount of people without calling first.

27. Spend a lot of money to impress your friends/date and not tip on it. If you’re going to be a big shot, follow through.

39. Put your dirty plates on other tables, nothing makes us want to dump a drink on your head more.

[MattyC]

johnnyd, on 07 November 2009 - 01:59 PM, said:

Inspired by the article, 100 things a customer should never do

Quote

13. Show up for your reservation with a different amount of people without calling first.

27. Spend a lot of money to impress your friends/date and not tip on it. If you’re going to be a big shot, follow through.

39. Put your dirty plates on other tables, nothing makes us want to dump a drink on your head more.

I love it, although I tend to agree with everything Ricchio says anyway

Hell, I work back of the house, and 90% of that customer one pisses me off most of the time and I don't even deal with it, I just hear about it.