Basildog

Ate plenty of Brik in Tunisia.Favourite was a spinach version with a poached egg inside.MMMMMM. We put them on our menu for awhile, using filo pastry

i can't possibly tell you where i was last night whilst Meades was on.I would be thrown out of egullet faster than a fast thing

Tony..i think you give critics too much influence IMHO.From what i gather from reading egullet over the last year, people make their own mind up about places.Yes, guides and critics can raise or lower profiles, but has a critic ever made you stop going to a place?

that link might need looking at nick

on first reading your post ferlisky, i thought your children were called dim sum and ocean spray..i must slow down to read properly. Mrs BD had no particular cravings other than chocolate and biscuits...but she has then anytime (i'm sooo brave when shes out)

Don't take this wrong way Al Dente, but i seem to read alot.." the vegetables were cooked al dente, just the way they should...blah blah blah" your name just kinda reminded me

Are you saying all publicity is good Fat Guy?

About 100...but i'm not counting them

A couple of bottles of Elysium Californian Black Muscat ? or make jelly with them Reddish

BD: You, Suzanne and I must make a point of dining out together. Looks as if we won't find anyone else to go with us. Oh I'm in Name the place!

Brandy Snap Baskets 8oz Butter 1lb Castor Sugar 8oz Golden Syrup 8oz Plain Flour Optional...pinch of ground ginger or cinammon Melt sugar, syrup and butter over a gentle heat Then mix in the flour, and take off the heat Allow to cool, then cook as small discs approx 1 1/2 oz on silicon paper or slip mat at 375 for 15 mins remove from oven and allow to cool slightly, then whilst still pliable shape over a ramakin or cup.Store air tight container

Maybe we need a survey of tables sizes...lets find the biggest and smallest out there! I'll start...my 2 tops are 30 inches x 30 inches 4 tops are 30 inches X 48 inches

Just to fan the flames abit.... I genuinely do not like to be treated differently in a restaurant than anybody else.I have in local restaurants recieved extra courses, and actual dishes cooked just for my table. I felt uncomfortable, i just wanted to eat dinner and be off duty! I appreciate that there intentions were good, but personally i want to experience a place like anyone else would.

I,m not asking them to adopt my methods.All i can do is run my place how i feel is right

You want the answer to be the regular don't you? How about the first timer getting it, because you might just turn him into a regular? But that would be preferential, and i don't believe in that, so it would be the guy who ordered it first

I think your getting the impression that i run daily speacils alot.I don't..i'm printing a menu for lunch...then after service writing another one for the evening. None of my regulars come expecting specials, so your question about how would i react to customers not returning because i kept running out of specials is moot.Sorry

Fat Guy...if you are calling ahead with special requests, then it doesn't matter what time you come does it?

The amount of money a customer spends with me is irrelevent to how they are treated. Regular customers know they can ask for something to be available. We don't run daily speacils, we print menus twice a day. So no, i wouldn't keep a dish back for a certin customer, unless they had asked for it to be available in advance.

First come first served. It has the advantage that if i keep the bass for some dude who booked in the name of Fat Guy, but decides he doesn't fancy it, i don't have it in my fridge for another day.

The only fault i see with Fat Guys bass dish, is that hes reserving it for VIPs

Blank Tables? nice idea , but would you like the price hike to cover the extra waiting staff needed to run back and for setting up around you? Maybe i should try it in my tiny place, because anything is possible if you seat less than 85 guests apparently FYI..My tables..... S+P ,sugar, tooth picks. business card.Cutlery for starter and main, side plate, napkin,side knife, butter, olives, bread.Bread olives and butter removed after first course, unless they want to keep them.Wine cooler

OH GOD! 85? I am organising a wedding for 120, so it looks like 35 of them will be disappointed

Fat Guy...where is the cut off point to where its not possible to treat customers as individuals? 20...30...100...1000? I would be offering this fantastic bass dish to everyone, why does it have to be offered to only a select few?(by everyone , i mean as the tables order untill i have sold out)

i have no problem with people asking for what they want, i positively encourage it. If i have infomation from a customer, then we can act on it. It depends on when we get the info, as to how much effect we can have. If a customer walks in, reads the menu and asks for " the chef to cook me something speacil" then i think i would select dishes from the menu.I would also offer anything that we had that wasn,t on the menu, but i would be offering that to the guest anyway.If the guest is asking for a dish that we have on the menu, but prepared differently, then if we can do it...no problem. If the customer can communicate what he wants, and we can do it, then thats great.Equally, advance notice helps a great deal I only disagreed with the sugestion that kitchens keep things back for VIPs.i don't believe in VIPs.I have said before on the VIP thread that ALL customers are important. Customers have different experiences at my place based on many factors.If i have infomation on a customer, then i can use that info to try and make their visit better.Should Martin make a return visit, they you can bet your bottom dollar that Saffron Pears will be available! Does that make him a VIP? Not to me, just a customer that i have infomation about that we can use .Cabby got the water she prefers because she mentioned it somewhere.She had extra courses because she asked.And should the egullet trip in March happen, then i could use what i have learnt about the members to improve there experience

I have never experienced kitchens" holding something back" for "VIPs.As some one mentioned before, off menu items are more than likell left overs from the previous service, or intended for the next one. Example...Valentines Night we had scallops on for a starter, sold very well..had 3 portions left.None were avaible the next day, so we took it off the menu, but did offer them to the first tables untill they sold.