tommy

i drink water non-stop during a piss-up. i find that not only do i feel better as i'm drinking, but i also feel better (not "good", but "better" ) the following morning. dehydration is your worst enemy, even when you're not drinking. i've heard that the headaches associated with a hangover (which i *never* get, probably because of the water) is a result of lack of water in the brain. i've noticed more and more people ordering glasses of water at bars these days.

sleep. water. vomit. more water. food. sleep. also, a bong hit does a very good job at setting a hangover straight.

that comparison was made to illustrate the point that servers should not bring anything with a cost to the table without being asked. they don't do it with wine, why do it with water. it wasn't to point out the incredible mark-up on water, which doesn't seem to irk those who drink it as much as the mark-up on wine irks wine drinkers. personally, i'm irked about everything.

i think tabla finally conceded. the last time is was there, about 2 months ago, they had "regular" stemwear. i kinda liked the old ones though. less of a chance for the bottom of the glass to get caught under the rim of a plate during the mad rush of the glass to my lips. but yes, swirling, which is half the fun, was problematic.

well, it stick a bit. but it turned out fine. i oiled up the grates and let the filet sit there for probably 10 minutes before turning it. probably should have had the heat a bit higher (it was on low). i'll try it again, as the flavor was very good.

that's them!

we need more places like yours. more servers like those that you work with. snobbery has no place in a service industry. and snobbery is a big aspect of what we're talking about. intimidation, inappropriateness, and other aspects of human nature that would not be condoned anywhere else.

but they are. and that's the whole point.

any chance of having success with a piece of chilean sea bass right on the grill? i was going to wrap it in foil and throw it on, but i'm thinking if i oil the grill up, i could pull it off (ha!). does anyone have any experience with this? any help is appreciated, as i have to start cooking in about 20 minutes!

come on now!!! captain kirk has been my hero like, forever. i think it's going to be quite entertaining. this is coming from a star trek and an iron chef freak.

that's a shame. although, the place never looked like much to begin with! well, since you're close to NYC, go to los dos rancheros on 9th ave at 38th. it's an even *better* example of 2 dollar tacos (we refer to the place as "the cheap tacos place" and mole and pumpkin sauces. real cheap stuff. pleasant young servers. and foosball.

there are quite a few. Hargrave is one, but i think they were just bought by an italian company. bedell is another. i'm on a cab franc kick recently, and they really make some jammy and lush cab francs. a little fuller than loire's. LI has also had some success (for my taste anyway) with sauv blanc. their chards are hardly oaked and very drinkable. i used to joke about LI wines before i had them, assuming they were crap. however, i went out to the forks last year for a wedding and stopped at several wineries. i was *very* pleasantly surprised. unforunately, because they can't produce very much, most stays within NY state. for anyone dining in NYC, i'd recommend the Tasting Room. great food, and an all-american wine list. wines from the finger lakes, LI, and even west virginia are available. they have 6 or 8 selections by the glass nightly, which change, so there's always opportunity to try something new. and now i'm thristy.

if that's the case, i think the restaurant should advertise that fact, just as they have the "no non-smoking section" and "cell phones not permitted" signs. "This restaurant will continue to serve you bottled water from the moment you order the first until you get up to leave." That way, everyone understands the "expectation". oh man, you backed down so fast!!! no way. i was going to use the water/wine analogy as well. i'm not convinced. and really, how many times would a server have to ask if you want another bottle that it would become bothersome?? what, 2 additional times for a party of 4? come on. sounds like some of those who expect non-stop water are a little tightly wound. unlike me of course. ;) (Edited by tommy at 2:04 pm on Nov. 15, 2001)

thoughts? thinking about trying it, but i'd like to get some impressions first.

i'll assume that's rhetorical and tongue-in-cheek. my statement was meant point out that people shouldn't get hung up on what is accepted as "correct", especially when it comes to food and wine. it is, after all, a matter of personal taste. more traditional? i'll buy that. but there isn't a right and wrong. if there were, we would have all bought the book by now and we'd know what wine correctly pairs with what food, avoiding the mistakes we presumably would have made before. i think we agree on that point! cheers.

there is no "correct" match, or even levels of correctness. i'm going with rieisling and cab franc from long island.

well, if 4 out of 5 dentists surveyed recommend... ugh. ;) edited: and really, this is *not* an "interesting example" of anything. ABC's Good Morning America takes a poll, and you suggest to me that the results are interesting?!?!??!?! i luv ya kid, but seriously. (Edited by tommy at 12:16 am on Nov. 15, 2001)

my good man, i *never* hold off on making judgement. what fun would that be? but seriously, i know tap from bottled, whether plastic or glass. i will check out your suggestion though. chlorine rules. and i agree with you on the issue that some folks like to say "we'll be drinking sparkling tonite", and would like an endless bounty of sparking. however, that is a percentage, whether small or large, of the dining population. any presumption on the servers' part is inappropriate. that's the bottom line as far as i'm concerned.

Steven says: "From a server's perspective, the water policy is whatever management says it is. It's hard to disobey it. " Nonsense. I’ve heard many a server suggest that a dish or glass of wine or beer wasn’t very good. They have the power. Simple as that. If, as you suggest, they can’t go against management’s policy, then I guess I have no choice but to not believe anything my servers say for fear that they are “bowing down to the man.” Silliness. Steven says: “And nobody is forced to buy the stuff. “ that’s the point. They are. Steven says: "I see no difference between the water markup, the wine markup, and the coffee markup. These are legitimate profit centers." "profit centers"!?!?! am i, or we, expected to excuse presumptuous behavior of servers because bottled water is "legitimate cost center" for the restaurant?!?!?! Or worse yet, as you suggest, to dismiss this as a part of SOP???? When I say this, I mean constant refills without asking the customer. Oh man, that’s just silly. And I don’t know about your palate, but I’m pretty sure mine picks up the difference between “NYC’s finest” and bottled, still or otherwise. There are no excuses, no explanations. This is just a crappy practice. I know bottled water from tap. I know when I want bottled water. I know when I can deal with tap. And I #### sure know when I want to pay for something, namely, when I order it. Anything short of that, don’t put it on my bill. FYI, I don’t drink tap at home, and I dare not serve it to guests. and yes, i say this will all due respect, and passion. xo

I have come across this so much that if i'm inclined i'll suggest to the waiter "one bottle, we'll see how that goes." it happens all the time. i don't like the policy. i think it's insulting. i think it's a ploy of waiters, if not restaurants, to gouge an extra 10 bucks out of people. rest assured, if i see someone pouring something onto my table that has a price tag, i will stop them mid-pour and tell them to piss off. of course, if you're in front of clients or in some other situation where this might be inappropriate, i say "prepare in advance"...make it clear to the server. anything short of that you're making your own bed. we all know it happens. and it happens all the time, from jean georges down the line. and of course, if i confront a waiter with something of this nature, and he/she is not receptive, i certainly take it out of the tip. simple as that. my motto in this situation, with respect to the server, is: "hey, i ain't payin for the water, *you* are". take a stand. they'll learn. my 2 cents meter has apparently run out.

thereuare, if you're in hoboken, you might find los compadres interesting. it's on first street btwn willow and clinton. i have an overall problem with people claiming this or that is "authentic", but certainly this place is "authentic something." sit your butt down at the counter and order a couple of their 2 dollar chicken tacos, which come garnished only with onions and cilantro with red and green sauce on the side. a nice little treat. i've never had their mole, but Los Dos Rancheros in NYC has fabulous mole, and the place is of the same vein. (Edited by tommy at 11:29 am on Nov. 14, 2001)

different cut of meat. different marinade. you are probably doing yourself a favor by ordering only grilled shrimp with the special. the other two preparations are horrible. i'm not one to look for values, and i don't think fajitas are anything special regardless of the price. ok, maybe i'd be convinced if Daniel offered a 60 dollar foie gras and truffle fajita, but i'm just pretentious like that. i've tried mission burrito, and the others. they are mostly the same. lots of rice, a little meat. pound for pound they represent good value. i just don't think burritos are very special either! although, the new-ish place on Washington and 4th or so (adobe or something?) seems to be a step above the rest. east la was lots of fun for a while for brunch. however, waiting on line for greasy food followed by stumbling home drunk from those margaritas at 3 in the afternoon got old, probably right around the time i did. i do miss the days when i could do that though!

agreed. it's very difficult these days to get something drinkable for less than 10 a glass. i find that more often than not i'll just order a bottle (if i'm with another person). the markup is still gross, but more palatable than the price per glass. and of course, the selection is *much* better by the bottle, even at decent mid-level restaurants. if i do go with a glass, i generally ask for a taste to make sure it's not completely horrible, or even turned for that matter.

i hand wash for two reasons: 1) they're delicate and break in the dishwasher. 2) the dishwasher tends to leave spots, or hardwater marks, or whatever they are. inevitably the glasses get a white haze on them. but, i've found that with hand washing, they rarely get completely towel dry and i *still* get marks. obviously i have no idea what i'm doing. help!!!

i have to disagree with this point. although i think baja is pretty good for what it is (cheese-laden "tex-mex" with kick-ass margaritas), i don't find this dish exceptional in any manner. they have other entrees that you wouldn't find at the chains that are quite good. one that comes to mind is skewered and grilled filet mignon and shrimp. the "baja special" is simply a pile of fajita meat (chicken/beef) and shrimp done 3 ways (one is parmagian which is simply a turn-off IMHO). yeah, the grilled shrimp is tasty on this platter, but for the money, there simply isn't enough variety or quality. this dish seemed more "fun", which is probably its best attribute, when it wasn't listed on the menu, and only those in "the know" would order, garnering points and whispers from jealous nearby tables. the chicken soup, however, is fantastic.