tommy

i think one of the points is that tipping everyone who had a hand in making your experience what it was, or even the server *and* the wine-person, doesn't fall under "generally accepted tipping guidlines". i'd go as far as to say that you're absoultely wrong with that assertion. if it were generally accepted, you wouldn't have so many experienced diners disagreeing with you.

me too.

beans, i think that's a pretty big statement. the font i mean. no really, i honestly don't feel that people should feel required to tip a sommelier, mostly for the many reasons already mentioned here. generally, i might call on the services of a sommelier, and generally, it will be quick and to the point, and i won't be ordering hugely expensive bottles or requiring an sort of special treatment beyond "do you have anything in mind that might go well with the sweetbreads?". i'll usually only bother with requesting the services if i get the sense that the waiter isn't going to be much help, and most make it very clear if they can or can't help. and considering that very few people seem to tip the sommelier seperately, i'd dare say it's not a customary generally speaking. that said, if the sommelier is an intergral part of the meal, and is obviously providing services above and beyond what he'd do for most people, i don't have any sort of issue with handing him some money. how much? well i don't know, i suppose that depends on the expense of the meal, the level of service, etc. but for the average meal, i don't feel obligated. i would think that others shouldn't either. and i'm sure not going to track him down when i'm ready to leave to palm the 20. maybe i could just give it to the waiter and ask that he pass it on, as one might do when getting one's hair washed/colored/whatever and one doesn't want to track down the washer for the 2 dollar tipping process. but then again, i'm not convinced the waiter wouldn't just keep it. edit: excuse the gender-specificity and my general ignorance.

He's very sexy too. that's what i meant.

joe appears to be a guy who's doing pretty well for himself.

i forgot all about this. another reason to return. becco offers one of the better deals in manhattan, i'd say.

here in the US, most of us drive on the right hand side of the road. we also walk on the right hand side of the sidewalk (with the exception of about 10 or 20 people i run into every day), and accordingly, our escalators are set up in a similar fashion. it makes it very easy for us to remember. why the eff are the double doors going into some kitchens all backasswards? this phenomenon can be found in most, if not all, diners, and some regular restaurants as well. i've studied this and studied this over the years (usually at 2 in the morning all banged up at a diner), and i'm convinced, after 18 or so years of watching various waitstaff go through the left door, that i'd be knocked on my ass the first day at the job.

i thought about that too, but maybe it's a cultural thing. the whole bringing of cakes to a restaurant may sound odd to *you*, but in some cultures that's the norm. not sure about canada on this one yet, but i hope this thread gets to the bottom of it. you can bet i'll be watching it closely from down here in NJ.

but that wouldn't be a 4* restaurant then.

i suppose eatbc is the only one who can really tell us what the question was. but your answers seem to answer the question that you suggest wasn't asked. no doubt there are countless possibilities of why someone might want to bring a cake to a restaurant, though. we can probably make a reeeaaaallly long list if we try. and it's nice to be had.

isn't the question "why would you bring your own food to a restaurant"?

i just saw a thread on zongzi. i think i saw someone order something that looked just like this at C46 the other day. is this a seasonal item of some sort? does anyone know if what i saw is zongzi? i suppose i should order it?

well that's just silly.

You're correct. But my observation was that Andrew overlooks a room he hates and still gives it four stars (I assume because of the quality of the food). I overlook the inconveniences of the dining area of the Tasting Room because the food is so overwhelming. ok. so you can agree with the fact that taste, as far as rooms go, as far as decor goes, is a personal preference. and you feel that having to get up out of your seat is also a personal preference. that's fair enough. i just don't see many people finding the layout of the room at the Tasting Room acceptable for a "4 star" experience, given the whole getting-up-getting-down routine that comes with some of the tables. unless we're simply talking about how tasty the food is, in which case this thread is nothing more than "my favorite restaurants with the best food", as opposed to the "let's discuss and debate the 'star' system" as the other current threads seem to be." but i do love the Tasting Room, and i do have a crush on renee, which fat guy suggests can sometimes happen.

That's interesting. You say the four-star experience is a compilation that includes ambience. Yet, you "hate" the room. So you do make exceptions if the food totally overwhelms the setting - much like I do for the Tasting Room. but the room at The Tasting room isn't really about personal preference, unless you like people climbing over you to get in and leave, and you think others do as well.

i think the south city guy split off. but the grills, apparently, are all related still.

that's a nice deal.

i found that the 17 bottles of wine helped make our Village Green dinner very enjoyable.

thread on outdoor seating.

it takes intelligence and decency to list a bunch of favorite restaurants? by god, everyone on egullet is intelligent and decent! half of the discussion is offering opinions on what might be 4 star restaurants. another part of the discussion is wondering why someone suggested those restaurants.

absolutely. i was just addressing the below point: i'm with you on the riesling gewurtz thai combo. thai restaurants in my area are some of the biggest offenders, unfortunately.

good idea coughy. i've been reading some good things about this place.

sure sure. what kind of place did you have in mind? outside seating. hmmm. i think there's a thread devoted to NJ restaurants with outdoor seating.

various asian restaurants in and around NYC offer fine examples restaurants with great food and shit wine. i'd imagine they're not all that unique. but what do i know.

who said anything about a restaurant serving "truly great food" going out of its way to find "great raw materials" as it relates to wine lists? and do you only trust industry folks to offer opinions on restaurants and the food they're serving? that's odd. i know a bit about food myself, and i certainly know shit wine lists. unless i'm just making all of this up. perhaps i'll consider that for a moment.