TCD

click here --->ryland inn lunch menu

Doomed to failure you will be.

you have "candidate for bait and switch plaintiff claim" written all over your posts. Please grind your axe elsewhere.

Because they don't want to do so. If that turns you off to the place, then I guess they'll learn their lesson by losing your business.

Personally, I don't have a high expectation that the menu posted on a restaurant's website that day will be the one offered when I arrive at the restaurant. Many restaurants that do have a site post a seasonal menu. There will significant (but not exact) correlation between posted menu and offered menu. Depending on what is available to the chef or the lack of popularity of offered items the menu will change on a daily basis and there does not seem to be a need to make real time website changes. Certainly back in the pre-net days as well as today there are many restaurants that I try based on reputation alone and a general idea of the cuisine offered. So long as the posted menu is not misleading as to the type and level of sophistication of the food it would not bother me if the restaurant posted only an unchanging sample.

Do you really believe they are attempting to lure the unsuspecting there for dinner?

Put's you in the same category as the infamous Chris ("Knives, Kforks & Kspoons, A Kulinary Roundtable") Shaw. I'm not sure if that's bad, but it might not be good.

Somerville. it's near shumi.

this "scam" is being perpetrated at just about every restaurant on the globe every single day. it's probably more of a conspiracy at this point, wouldn't you say? They killed Kennedy too, you know. This is a bigger scandal than Enron.

"Hi folks, my name is Tommy and I'll be your server this evening. Since there are 6 or more people at the table tonight we'll be adding that 18% service charge stated on the menu for service, but feel free to tip me more 'cause I'm cute. Now, can I take your orders. Split the pasta as an appetizer. Sure, no problem, but just in case you didn't see it on the menu, there is an extra charge for splitting plates. For your entree? The sea bass. You do know that costs $26. I know it says it on the menu but we just like to confirm all the item charges stated on the menu. We had a problem last Mother's Day."

You mean the service charge was included on the bill with all the other menu items ordered together with the prices reflected for such items on the menu. "Excuse me, sir, just in case you can't read or have never dined out with a large party before, as stated on the menu, we have added 18%."

Ok. It's stated on the menu that a service charge would be included. The check indicated that it was, in fact, included. Your father thought the check was high (assuming that it did not include service). Sounds like your dad had adequate warning of, and even reason to confirm whether, the service had been added.

Moving out of your section of northeast NJ might be helpful; it being one of the most densely packed parts of the state.

Rosie & Paula, Thanks for the suggestion re Epernay & Jocelyne's. Haven't been to the former but have dined at the latter. The Jocelyne's menu seems to offer a "higher" level of french fare and the dining experience is a bit more formal (not a bad thing certainly, just my observation) as compared to Manon. The food is well executed at both establishments. I would rank them as equals generally as to overall dining pleasure while recognizing they offer different types of experiences. I've yet to receive at Jocelyne's the especially warm and friendly reception and service that I keep reading about. I hope to get there other than on a Saturday when things might be a little more low key.

We dine here often. It offers very solid to outstanding basic french country fare plus, from time to time, a smattering of sophisticated and creative specials. The service can range from adequate to especially warm and homey. The head server, Kathleen, is a treat all in herself. Manon can be "rough around the edges" in service (can be a little harried on Saturdays) and food presentation (big clumps of cheese and longish green stalks are easily remedied by using the knive that is provided) from time to time, but these are slight annoyances and easily overlooked particularly given the very reasonable prices. Table spacing on the banquettes (sp?) could be better too. Overall it is my feeling that you will find few better places (if any) in NJ for relaxed french country dining with this level of food quality. Great place to open those bordeaux, rhones and burgundies that have been sleeping in your cellar. Finally, I implore you all to avoid dining here because it's difficult enough for us to get a table. Many thanks.

Generally, we prefer to dine starting at 8pm or so, but 9pm is not a problem (tried for 8pm at Petrus and were told 7pm or 9pm, we opted for 9pm). If the times available are not satsifactory, there are too many excellent or very good choices from which to choose in major cities like London to worry about not getting a table at a particular restaurant. If that is the manner in which the restaurant believes it can best operate then so be it. If it doesn't work for me then they've lost my business for the evening. If it doesn't work for a sufficeint number of people, I assume the restaurant will need to change their operating procedures or go out of business. I believe in diner's rights, but the restaurant has to the right and the obligation to guarantee a good dining experience for all its patrons. If that particular kitchen works best by having set seating times, then so be it. For two people, I find two hours to be ample dining time generally. But I really don't like to feel rushed so I tend to book later whether or not I am expressly informed the table will be turned. For parties of 4 or more, 2 hours would seem to be rushed and I would hope that the restaurant would book accordingly. Many people hate to be kept waiting for their reserved table. By telling the diner upon making the reservation the restaurant's booking policies it minimizes (i) a diner unexpectedly feeling rushed at the end of (and ruining) an enjoyable dining experience and (ii) a diner starting off their experience on a negative note by having to wait for a table.

My understanding is that the book opens exactly 30 days in advance, which gives me some time before I need to call. I would imagine that it would be very difficult to get a reservation if one didn't call very early that first day.

Depending on how far in advance one makes the reservation, often a restaurant will not have the time you would prefer available (or they have set seating times), so being "told what time I can eat" doesn't seem to be too out of the ordinary. Petrus, which I believe is also owned by Mr. Ramsey, did indicate that the table would be booked 2 hours later. Not rude about it, and that is a policy a few of the very popular places in NYC.

Planning a visit to London in the coming months. These are four restaurants (among others) at which we are considering dining. They all receive good print reviews (at least the ones I have been able to find, including Zagats) and, other than a few negative comments regarding Petrus, they all enjoy solidly good reputations from my London-knowledgable friends. Your thoughts and comments (pro and con) would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

I've spent some time in Hunterdon; I agree on Meil's and would add the following: Il Mulino and Roberto's (Flemington) Mom's (breakfast) (Ringoes) Manon and Church Street Bistro (Lambertville) Concina del Sol (or something like that) (Frenchtown)

yes, but not much.

I've adopted the practice of not placing the food order until I'm ready to order the wine. Hoping that the captain will return in a prompt fashion to take the wine order or will hold off on placing the food order with the kitchen is too great a risk at many places. (tommy's approach eliminates the risk of getting the wine after the apps of course, but at most fine dining establishments the risk isn't all that great.) In the case where we will be having different wines with the appetizers and the entree I will often select the second wine at the same time as the first. Sometimes I will order the second wine at the same time as the first asking that it be brought after the appetizers are cleared.

You say "our bottle of wine was opened" rather than "the bottle of wine was brought to the table (and opened)". It seems that this is a BYOB situation. If that is the case, it is shocking that the staff would not uncork the bottle soon after your arrival much less not until after the first course was brought to the table. Knowing that you often bring your own corkscrew perhaps it wasn't a BYOB situation. Even in that case, unless you failed to order the wine when the food order was placed, it is still inexcusable for the food to arrive prior to the wine. Although this does happen even at the "best" of places, for example, three times to me at Tabla.

a wine glass tote thingee. i ordered it from Wine Enthusiast. It holds up to four stems.

Some BYOBs (as well as ABC licensed restaurants) having very poor glassware -- shallow, small bowls. If I'm bringing a wine that needs plenty of aeration to open up adequately, I will bring my own glasses. Not too long ago, I thought the idea was ridiculous. After practically wasting several bottles of fairly expensive juice drinking out of tiny wine galsses that did not allow for the wine to evolve, I've converted. Of course, I've only done this at one BYOB so far. I doubt, however, I would bring my own glasses to a wine dinner where you are usually sharing a table with others -- if you can't bring enough for everyone don't bring any at all.