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Sukie

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Everything posted by Sukie

  1. circa 2002...ish. Busy new restaurant...not all the right components in place....hense...a free standing coat rack by the front door....full of heavy minks. Woman customer wobbles...and faints!....on her way out....toppeling over coat rack which bring the whole thing crashing to the floor.... manager and staff rush over....towels? water? 911?....in the mist of it all....another patron bystepping thru minks in a hautey manner.... "excuse me.....(elbows ems)....I'd like my coat please????" you can not make this stuff up!!!
  2. 'good luck' and 'all the best' maggiethecat!
  3. I'm glad it made you smile... as it's suppose to be 'all in good fun'
  4. which begs of me to ask the question.....do you guys make the customer wait on purpose when they send something back? inquiring minds wanna know!
  5. now didn't that feel good to get it all out? Yesssss!
  6. hehe...thanks for the 'tongue in cheek' giggle.
  7. I agree with you both Ypants and David....and have said the same thing here and in previous threads and was approaching tecolote in this manner....(this morning I can see how it wouldn't come off that way, but was very late last night and I was tired)...but what I was trying to say is, just let it go, don't get so 'attached' to what a customer wants to do with their food...not everyone is a foodie (someone who appreciate's the skills of a Chef) and wants to smother it with ketchup (which 3 out of 4 chef's I know will not even keep it in the house, ours included) or want it PLAIN because they are on a diet. My point, he paid the 28 bucks for it, and, yes, is paying your salary the least you can do is slice it for him (my 'whatever' was commented towards my own chef for not doing so)... Absolutely, shame on him, that's what I thought when I saw it go out. And every time he does something like that (his decision as an Executive Chef) shows me the kind of professionalism he has toward the customer. As I've said before, I too would rather work with a Chef that is as customer oriented as I am (GM FOH) and also do not think the kitchen should be an ego breading ground. I've just worked with too many Chef's that approach it in that way....and, to me, yes, it's a shame. Hope that makes my point clearer.
  8. breathhhhhh.....it happens all the time...ketchup, tartar...kill the dish. I had a customer tonight who only wanted the Rare seared pepper crusted tuna NO pepper ONLY with spinach NO oil, garlic, yadda yadda...which 3 other orders for the tuna for the same table came into the kitchen... this is it on the menu (which the other 3 had): Peppercorn Crusted Rare Tuna with boniato-queso fresco cake, avacado relish, and mango-black truffle emulsion $28- this guy basically got a tuna steak on a plate with plain sauteed spinach for 28 bucks. The chef would not even slice it for him as the others came. whatever....he paid for it. let it roll...they complimented the chef and appreciated your compliance to the dish.... diet people...tartar/ketchup people are just not foodies....
  9. I'm surprised people don't have any funny juicy stories!! Oh, well....I guess living in NY, I am full of them.... Here's another: A woman is complaining about her fish: 'It's not this and not that....it's overcooked, not cooked enough....underseasoned but too much pepper...." yadda, yadda....you get the drift. My then manager talks with her hands: "Well, we can take it back for you....cook it more, cook it less...scratch the whole thing...make a new one, less pepper..." she is motioning with her hands in front of the woman as she's speaking... The woman takes this as some sort of 'sign' swoops the salmon up off her plate and places it gingerly in the managers hand. Eyes start to blaze. Manager looks at the piece of fish now sitting in her hands, looks back at the woman: thru clenched teeth: "take that piece of fish out of my hands" woman: "oh...I...what????" "Nothing", the manager says...."Now you get NOTHING" storms off to clean over peppered fish off her hands.
  10. what I meant to say is did the event planner have you wash the flutes and reuse them later in the day.... I see now she was just having you fetch them out for her to use at another time. Yeah....that's just 'off'.
  11. so, tino27, did you hand wash the 75 (cheap) plastic flutes and reuse them?
  12. Sukie

    Healthy snacks

    a slice of turkey wrapped around a string cheese crudites, kalamata olives, flat breads and hummus cheese and crackers grapefruit snack packs
  13. You're absolutely right....I experienced the same thing as a server....everything is seemingly your fault. And while that is just not true on *so* many levels, now being on the side of management, I do see a whole other perspective at times... it's actually amazing....once a server, now a manager. Honestly, I acknowledge you just can not be there for everything and you can not know every little detail at all times...case in point...you tried to pour wine, they polietly refused, only to pour when you turned your back... BUT there are so many little incidents....now that I am FREE of a station a much more emotionally involved in the restaurant as a whole...where I 'see' servers that have the time to fold a napkin when a patron leaves the table to use the rest room, or light a candle when it goes out, or CLEAR that wine glass ASAP, BE there and present at the runner staition/at the table when food goes out EVERYTIME and it just does not happen. I conclude that they are just not as emotionally involved as me as miss stuff...no matter how important I stress these details. ahhhh....some servers are just not detail orreinentied I've learned. some are more personable, some more professional, some more...well...'fast'....good table turning... yes, they all have quality's and well....no one is perfect. It's the way of people and Life, I conclude, and I try to contain my disappointment.... BUT....for the record...I do acknowledge and appreiciate that I DO have one of the best staffs in the biz which is VERY hard to find... hahah...it's actually....sometimes...why they are so 'spoiled' and miss that napkin
  14. Here's another story that was told to me by a customer: A famous pop songstress (without saying her name, let's just say she can sing in over 5 octaves), makes a reservation in a NY restaurant. When she arrives and is shown to her table, she does not approve. She glances over at a table that she likes better where people were already seated at having their dinner. "I want that table," she says. The Host complies with, "I'm sorry, there are already people sitting there having their dinner." The songstress marches over to the table and says, "Excuse me, I'd like this table" The customers say, "I'm sorry, we are in the middle of our dinner here" The songstress annoyed: "Don't you know who am am??" and the customer replies, "Yes, and we didn't realize you were such a bitch" oh, lol...
  15. was thinking more about this this afternoon, and I feel I didn't address the 'fast food' situation, or at least acknowledge specifically how you wouldn't do this at a 'finer' restaurant. So, I appreciate the difference you are trying to make here...and do see a 'slight' difference...and, honestly, while I would never do it, I'm am not sure what etiquette surrounds an establishment as that. Especially when nowadays some chains are connected...ie..Dunken Donuts and Basken Robbins...or Taco Bell and Pizza Hut....yes...I've seen a few like that... So, I would be interested in what employees of such places would have to say about it... hmmm....on the other side of the coin....I do remember once some really super regular bar customers of mine (so regular they are 'family' to the restaurant and friends now too) came in late on Sunday night and pulled out a bag of Mickey D's. Even tho the kitchen was closed and it was now a 'bar' atmosphere, I was completely appalled and told them so. They tried to cover it up with 'well, we were hungry and we knew the kitchen was closed' and just honestly are so close with the restaurant...it's like their second home....just didn't think anything of it. But after thinking about it, they apologized, realized the faux pas, and would never do it again.
  16. Another good point/idea brought up in this thread was about 'requesting' your tea, gin, spice etc. to be ordered and stocked by the establishment so you could purchase it when you come. I've had no problem doing this for our regulars and have... Case point: the only customer I have ever known to order a Negroni...with an orange slice, not a twist, which he gives to his wife....(and always has 2...just automatically bring the second), one day began talking about Hendricks Gin. We have been ordering it for him ever since and now have a few other customers that drink it too. Another suggestion (like with the tea) was to just bring a box of your favorite so they have the stock of it for you when you're there. Well, my regular hot water with lemon/orange couple were in the past weekend with the family and he did just that.... When they don't bring a bottle of red (always red...always a cab) they enjoy cocktails. Her: a seabreeze in a large bubble stem glass....lots of ice and lime *on the side*. Him: Flavored vodka on the rocks. He's liked the orange and the raspberry in the past, but the last few times I've seen him he's been asking for Mango. Lo and behold, this weekend, he asks again and when we say no, not yet, he says....ok, I've got some for you. He goes out to his car, comes back with a bottle of Finlandia Mango and says "keep this behind the bar...I'll have some tonight and then use it, sell it to your other customers" Way cool of him and now when we are done with this one, I'll be sure to keep it in stock for him.
  17. I think a tea bag or red pepper flakes are one thing, but anything beyond that...such as water bottles, soda...or heaven forbid what you are describing...actually bringing a meal...is way beyond tacky. It's just downright 'wrong'! I once had a walk-in of a man, a child and a Chinese woman and the Chinese woman proceeded to produce a pizza slice that she purchased from across the street and chow down! Even worse, right over the paper plate that came from said establishment! never, never had I ever seen someone do this...I was definately caught off guard! I had to at least dispose of the paper plate so the absolute 'tack meter' would go down in view of the rest of the customers. Next time (and hopefully there won't be one) I am prepared to fully dispose of it. I should mention we are a 3 star with a funky, casual atmosphere.
  18. I'm a wine drinker but I love, love, love having a Sapporo whenever I go for sushi... Yum!
  19. I was posting in another thread ('ordering fish undercooked?'), about a customer that made the statement "tell the chef to take his pride out from between his legs and cook the tuna the way I want it!" It reminded me of another story I was going to post there about an 'unruly customer' but rather than derailing that particular thread, I decided that this subject had enough 'juice' to have a thread all it's own... So....wa-la....here it goes: I've read a few threads around here of the 'worst service' and while in agreeance (altho you'd never see that in my restaurant, heh) restaurant folk also need the chance to vent about the 'worst customers'... This particular Chef of 'the tuna incident' is actually famous for an article he posts yearly in a foodie mag around here called 'Great Restaurant of LI' called 'Top Ten'...and not a 'Top Ten' Great Restaurants....or 'Top Ten' Best Customers...it is a Top Ten WORST customers list...which is a funny and great read for those of us on the other side of the table who do not always think 'the customer is always right'. And oddly enough, his 'fans'...food and wine customers....are not offended by it and actually love it and some even take pride in actually making it! So, I thought it would be fun to share any stories here that anyone may have that would make his 'Top Ten' I'll start by sharing the other story I was reminded of...which happened in the same Chef's restaurant...that made 'The List': I'm taking a dinner order for a four top who is abusing the menu (I want this and that and can you remove the heads of the prawns and I like my salad chopped and split in two and no onions in one half and fresh drinks and remove this butter and take that glass and we want more bread...) and are taking up a large chunk of my time... I look behind me as this is going on to see my entire station (five other tables) all being sat at once as it is now prime time (7pm) on a saturday night... When they are finally thru, and I have my now bookbinder of notes, the 4 steel clipboard menus in hand (large and awkward) my tray with their now empty martini glasses and the absolute stress that I am now so 'in the weeds', the woman says to me "oh, and I'd like you to take me to the bathroom so you can check for me that a stall is free" and I'm like (in my head)....???....are you kidding me, lady???? .... all I could mumble is "I think I'm a little to busy to do that right now" and turned in the horror of it and scurried away. Later, as they left, they complained to the manager about me when she got to the part about me not taking her to the bathroom my manager said, "she wouldn't take you to the bathroom....are you kidding me right now? Lady, she's your waitress, not your servant" that one still kills me with absurd laughter about 'life in a restaurant' to this day....
  20. oh, yes, Hest....he is one of *the* celebrity chefs in this here parts and absolutely does get away with it...especially with this particular manager at the helm who has/had no problem whatsoever putting a customer in their place when called for. I should include that this particular area...or parts of, I should say...definatley have the most, um, 'verbal' people I have ever known and this can give you an idea of what people are 'brought up' to be like (pretentious and rich) and, sometimes, yes, it was good to have the kind of staff that did not back down to it...and I kinda admired them for it since -I- could never do it. So, as you can see in the way the customer asked for it cooked ("tell him to take the pride out from between his legs"), the Chef and most especially this particular manager had no problem dishing it back. And after the confrontation and the 'direct' way the manager handled it, he did wind up ordering a completely different fish and not another peep came out of him. amazing.
  21. I'm sure this wouldn't be a problem if the chef was waiting on the tables... but no, never in my 12 years of service at a 3 star restaurant has any customer asked/ordered by temp. and until this very moment, I've never even discussed it in those terms with other waiters/mgmt/kitchen.... In other words, this is obviously something chefs are taught in the culinary world, but not something taught in the service world. We are taught to ask for r, mr, m, mw or w.... also accustomed to b & b...and I'm sure any good chef can tell me what this translates to in degree's....but just not something 'taught' to wait staff....nor customers for that matter I'm sure! but for a foodie like you....while I may find the request odd as a server (well, not so odd now that you've made me aware of it)....just cause no one does it....I'm sure I'd ask the chef and he'll know exactly what you want.
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