tommy

also, the Allendale Bar and Grill (AB&G) in Allendale has a great fried chicken basket, along with some of the best burgers in northern NJ.

the kosher nosh, in Glen Rock, has some really tasty fried chicken. it's sold cold, however, and i've always had it cold. they'll heat it up for you, or you can heat it up at home, but i've never done either. after popeye's f*&$&*ed up my order the last time (they average about one f(*#&$(& up per 3 orders), i decided to never return.

considering the restaurant's reaction wasn't acceptable, i think the jury is still out on that one.

stone, i'm pretty sure they (container store) have similar racks for less money. i knw that i bought some for extra storage in my basement, and there's no way in hell i spent 454 each. might have been their intermetro line which, while not as nice as the 'spensive ones, aren't all that ugly. might be worth taking a look in person.

i'd rather have the glass of wine or the 100 bucks. i couldn't give a squat less if the bartender or host or manager feigns concern. and let's face it, that's all it is. i'd hate to think that egos are so delicate that they need that shallow stroking. (and no, i'm not addressing anyone on this thread)

and then what for dessert?

just as i suspected!

lala, i said "i'm right" in gest. i'm sorry if you didn't see the irony in the statement. however, to the extent that i actually meant "i'm right", i did qualify it, explaining that my methods have always worked for me, and suppose they always will. i wasn't trying to quell discussion on email, but rather move it elsewhere. i think i was clear. and no one has come out and offered an alternative to the Gift Certificate. could someone just come out and say that they want restaurants to send them cash if they email claims of food poisoning?!?!? that way i can shake my head at this car wreck and move on.

my one visit to MG led me to believe that it's a step up from other chains. although that's not saying much. edit: although, after looking at the menu online, i can't imagine what i would have found to order.

i could probably deal with a few flash bulbs at March or Jean Georges in NYC for example (both are upscale restaurants). i would think that a flash for every course might get a little old after a while. conversely, i wouldn't think flashes in Dallas BBQ or Carmines would be a bother at all, regardless of their frequency. aside from that, i'm looking forward to watching this thread quickly degenerate into a big pile of shit.

No, he's in Jersey. not that it matters. the email issue is a global issue. i have to assume that even people who live in Seattle email those outside of Seattle every now and again. the email issue is only one small part of this discussion, and i think we've discussed it enough. many people have voiced their opinions on it (usually in the form of "i think you're wrong", which i suppose is better than nothing), and additional discussion on that aspect might best be served on a separate thread.

do you think the restaurant regularly serves food that poisons customers? you can get a bad oyster at *any* restaurant (and no people, please don't take this literally as me saying "he had oysters and they were bad". 10 posts asking why i think he had bad oysters will do nothing for this thread). assuming the customer thought enough of the place to try it in the first place, i don't see a gift certificate being totally out of the question. what are the other options? cash? surely not.

aside from what should be obvious reasons why a restaurant wouldn't get the email right away (they don't have someone sitting in front of a computer 24-7), there are also the situations where emails aren't delivered for hours, days, or even months. i would dare say if you've never experienced this, you've all been very very lucky. clearly, if your concern truly is the welfare of others, get on the phone that night and leave your computer turned off.

that's a great point, brad. when i first started reading your post, i thought "oh boy, he's upset with the semantics". but you made your point well. on a related note of trying to do the right thing but doing it all wrong, the Macaroni Grill really *does* send their "chefs" to Italy. when i was in Rome, i went, for some reason, to the Hard Rock Cafe, where i met a bunch of Macaroni Grill chefs. so yeah, they go to Italy alright. and hang out at the Hard Rock Cafe.

i want the email address of this restaurant so i can get a 300 dollar gift certificate too! lala, i didn't bring up the email thing. in fact, i didn't think it was particularly germane to the discussion. i was asked about my thoughts on it, and then several people didn't agree, and one decided that he should try to insult me. i was merely responding to those posts. i have no need to hammer away at it, as i know i'm right, and my business correspondence is handled in a timely and reasonable fashion. i've never had a problem with it, and i don't suspect i will.

you might try the container store for a rack and lots of other reasonably priced goodies.

actually, i was using 'pen on paper' as a euphemism (although upon review i see my wording in one of my several posts may have suggested otherwise). but surely one would sign a letter that was created on a computer. i don't know many people who hand-write letters. it's certainly not appropriate for professional correspondence. the aspect of "warning" the restaurant doesn't seem to be the thrust of this discussion as it was initially framed (although it's certainly a valid issue). the concern seemed to be the compensation and reaction of the restaurant, which is only loosely related to the mode of communication issue currently clouding the discussion.

yeah, the last time i got that close to pho i almost drowned.

i was going to comment on how beautiful they are.

website

awesome news!

Tommy, do you really believe this? If a restaurant made you sick, or treated you terribly, would you want to return if you just got $100 back for your pain? You wouldn't feel slighted not getting an apology? I mean, the way reesek described her experience, it sounded like they basically told her she was wrong, that their food didn't make her sick, and that they didn't care - but here's some money to make you stop whining. Would that really satisfy you? the point was that i wouldn't characterize the restaurant's reaction as "dismissive" considering they offered a make-good. your mileage my vary. i didn't take that away from the description. again, your mileage may vary.

you might consider relaxing. veiled personal attacks are inappropriate. regards, tommy Dir. of Daily Personal Edicts

you can dismiss me any time you want, as long as it includes 100 dollars.

that's so beyond ridiculous that i can't even respond other than saying it was beyond ridiculous.