Just Jim
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Posts posted by Just Jim
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A local restaurant used to offer Huevos Rancheros a la Mexicana.
Another used to have this on their sign board:
"Mexican American Breakfasts-Swedish Pancakes".
My F&B Manager would refer to any sliced roast beef in a pan as "Baron of Beef", selling it that way on banquets.
A brand new menu item referred to as "our popular".
Semi-boneless is a term that needs to go away.
It either has a bone or it doesn't.
Or can we use that in other areas of life?
Semi-pregnant?
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Show up on time, dressed and ready to work.
Pay attention to what you're told, and what everyone else is told.
Learn from your mistakes, and learn from other's mistakes (invaluable lessons there).
Clean as you go, always look for what else you can do.
If you're not sure of something, ask.
Like I tell my staff, there are no stupid questions.
Those are the easiest to answer though.
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For example, I normally don't approach a table to take an order until everyone's menus are closed. This seems like a pretty reliable rule of thumb, no?
Not with me.
One, if I close the menu I'm only going to have to reopen it when you arrive so that I remember the cutesy name your restaurant has for, say, a club sandwich.
Two, unless I go to your restaurant with a particular dish already in mind, I usually narrow my options down to 2-3 items, making up my mind at the last minute.
What can I say, I like operating under pressure.
Just do what the majority of servers do:
Wait a few minutes, ask if we would like to start off with beverages, and at that time ask if we are ready.
I really don't have time to play charades with my menu and flatware as props.
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Never done one myself, my demos were always my choice on menu.
Haven't asked anyone to do one either.
That being said, and for what it's worth, I would look for the following:
Cleanliness.
Efficiency.
Technique.
Utilization of product.
Waste control (which ties in with utilization).
Overall demeanor (are you visibly stressed, too casual, an obvious homicidal maniac).
The hardest part for you may be unfamiliarity with the equipment.
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If you don't have a set menu, you will have to deal with the daily inquiries.
You don't have to fully sacrifice your current M.O. though, but you could adjust it.
You could have Clam Chowder Friday, and extend that idea to more or all days of the week.
The more days you do this the harder it'll be to work with what's available as you do now, unless you start offering 3 or more soups a day.
I think Boagman is on the right track, in getting the info out there in a less painful manner.
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And that nobody thus far has acted insulted.
And as far as my waitress could tell, neither did I.
It just gave me pause, as I've never experienced this before.
Oh, and Jaymes, I'm not your ex.
If I were, I wouldn't blame you for making me your ex.
My wife is destined for sainthood for tolerating me for almost 22 years.
Nope, I'm not Mike.
I'm just Jim.
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Or you could just say "Regular Coke, please."
Yes I could.
But then we wouldn't have a thread that stretched into it's second page, with some people being exasperated with me.
Where's the fun in that?
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I dunno. I just suspect she was trying to get the order right. So many people order diet Coke that she probably wanted to be sure you wanted regular Coke so you wouldn't return it. Her memory is probably not so good that she remembered when you asked for refill and certainly not when you returned the second time.
You, and everyone else who responded similarly, could very well be right.
Still bugs me a bit though.
Imagine if you go to see a plastic surgeon to fix your nose that was broken as a child.
You walk in and the doctor says "Oh, we could fix your chin, no problem".
You just shouldn't make assumptions.
I assume most of you agree with me.
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Assuming that this also happens to you with some regularity, I think you have similar options as to how to handle this problem:
1.) Patronize a different restaurant/pharmacy.
2.) Patronize that restaurant/pharmacy, but request a different waitress/clerk.
3.) Patronize that restaurant/pharmacy and that waitress/clerk, but assume no harm or insult is meant and overlook it and continue on with your life concentrating on real problems and truly large issues.
4.) Patronize that restaurant/pharmacy and that waitress/clerk, but next time, ask in a loud, confrontational, head-turning, attention-grabbing voice: "What's THAT supposed to mean? Are you trying to TELL me something? Are you INSINUATING something? Because I don't GODDAMM LIKE IT!"
I figure that in either case, your problem will be solved and that waitress/clerk will never ask such an insulting, demeaning question again.
LOL, this has only happened at this restaurant, with this waitress.
One two seperate visits.
The pharmacy thing doesn't happen, as I always say "xtra small, with shims" when ordering.
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There are many kinds of Coke, you know, and in the south, the word "Coke" really means "soft drink."
I'll keep that in mind if I ever dine in the South.
Is the person behind the pharmacy counter just trying to help when you go up and ask for condoms, and they respond with "small?"
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I agree that waitressing is a service industry and, in this instance, you, as the customer, are right.
However, maybe you're being a little thin skinned?
Your BMI is at least 38 (6'2", 300+lbs). Maybe she felt that she was trying to help or couldn't understand why you wouldn't want to save a few calories.
So when it's time for dessert, she should ask everyone else in my party if they'd like dessert, and turn to me and say "but not you, right?".
As far as her helping me, I don't think that's her place.
If it were I should be able to reciprocate and offer to go over the S.A.T. practice tests with her.
Should I tell her "it's your first day, huh?" ?
I know I'm big.
She knows I'm big.
Now all of you know I'm big too.
It's not a problem.
It's not like I'm trying to hide it, or have an issue with it.
How about if you showed up at a restaurant with an extremely good looking person of the opposite gender, and the waitress said "you two aren't together right?"
You know, because you are so hideous you couldn't possibly be standing next to one of the beautiful people.
It's presumptuous, and whether you have an issue with it or not isn't really the point.
It just shouldn't happen.
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Some people like Diet Coke because it's sweeter than regular Coke. For a lot of people, Diet Coke is their second choice of beverage when they find out that my restaurant doesn't serve sweet tea.
Diet Coke is not simply regular Coke that has had the sugar replaced with aspartame. Diet Coke is actually an entirely different beverage than regular Coke. It was developed at a time when the people at Coca Cola were worried that Pepsi (a lighter, less intensely flavored, sweeter cola product) was gaining market share. Diet Coke was created specifically to have a "Pepsi-like" flavor profile. And Diet Coke was a huge success. New Coke, then, was simply Diet Coke with the aspartame replaced with sugar. My understanding is that Coke Zero is real Coke with the sugar replaced with aspartame. This is really, in my mind, the true diet "Coke." The other stuff is a completely different product from Coca Cola.
You are correct.
I drink coke zero at home, as most restaurants don't have it in their machines.
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If she bugs you that much, the next time you're at the restaurant ask to be seated in someone else's service area. They should be able to accommadate your request.
I have friends who are diehard Diet Coke fans. Whenever we eat out, they always, always, always, order Diet Coke. So I'm thinking perhaps this waitress normally gets a large number of orders for Diet Coke and rarely for regular Coke. She may be just trying to confirm that you do not want Diet Coke.
Take a deep breathe and reiterate, "No, just Coke, thank you." Save your shoes for the real pains in the posteriors in life.
Nah.
I can't give her the benefit of the doubt.
Her job is to listen, and provide me with service.
If she listened, she wouldn't have heard the word diet.
It would the same if I ordered coffee, and said I take sugar with it, and she said "Splenda?".
It's a presumption she should not make.
And I'm saving my shoes by not seeing her again.
And lest you think I am irate, I'm not.
It is a lighthearted post, and I'm sure someone got a chuckle out of it.
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I was at a chain restaurant awhile back with my daughter.
The waitress took our order, asking for our drink choices.
When I said "coke", she said "diet?".
I said no, and I let it go.
Later, she asked if I wanted a refill, and asked what I was drinking.
I said "coke", she said "diet?".
I grimaced, said no, and let it go.
We returned a month or so later, same waitress.
When it came time for the drinks, I said "coke", and she said "diet?".
Okay, I know I'm not a small man (6'2", 300+ lbs), but this is getting on my nerves.
I haven't been back since for fear that it would happen again and I would lose my shoe in her rectal area.
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Casual dining restaurant.
"How ya be?"
This of course comes after being served, and as each item is set down "there ya be".
Perhaps too casual.
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I have no equipment, because I have no kitchen yet. I'm creating a first draft of my menu so that I can have my accountant examine costs and so I can start testing the recipes (I plan to take some time for this).
That being said it is most likely I will have the following:
6 burner with convection oven.
Fryer
Maybe an electric grill (not flat top) or Bar-b-q outside just to grill stuff quickly for flavour
2-3 immersion circulator setups
Yesterday I found out that even without a fryer I would need a commercial hood--even with a 4 burner residential stove--Because it is based on seats not equipment. So if I have to pay 6-10k for a hood, may as well have a fryer.
You might as well get the fryer.
It's easier to have the ansul system installed with the fryer in mind instead of facing the additional cost of adjusting the fire supression system after the fact.
Brisket with Caramelized Onions & Merlot Demi
Beef, Veal & Pork Meatloaf, just to kick it a bit
Chicken Cacciatore (or Parmesan) with Creamy Polenta
Pot Pies (too easy, but comforting)
Liver & Onions (calves liver and caramelized shallots)
Potato dishes are very popular:
Home Fries with saute'ed mushrooms and onions, cheese, avocado, sour cream and sprouts (for example)
Quiche
Frittata
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You said that you may or may not have a fryer.
What equipment do you have?
This will streamline ideas.
No sense telling you about an idea you won't be able to pull off due to lack of proper equipment.
And when you say grilled, is that char grill or flat top?
Many confuse the two.
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I don't advise sabotaging him, or stooping to his level in any manner.
It belittles you, and I'm a firm believer in not letting others determine how I am going to act.
Talking to him at this point would be futile, he has shown that he is unwilling to listen or learn.
All you can do is speak to the Chef.
If the Chef chooses not to do anything about it, your choice is to tolerate it or leave.
I don't recommend a group confrontation with the Chef, and I wouldn't make any demands.
If you don't see the result you want, I'd start looking for other employment, as there is more to the problem than just this one employee.
All that being said, I know that sometimes it is difficult to find a replacement for a problem employee, and the Chef will keep someone on longer in the hopes that they will turnaround, which does happen, albeit not all of the time.
Speaking for myself, I have found myself in a situation where I finally determined that I could rid myself of a problem employee without jeopardizing customer service, only to have 1 person quit and another punch a coworker and get fired, leaving me in the situation of keeping the problem employee so I won't be suddenly 3 people down.
Sucks, but it does happen.
I still want to hear from my valued employees their take on the situation, but expect tolerance as I try to find the best remedy.
I am actually dealing with this situation as we speak.
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If it's sat there for 20 minutes and the customer then complains it is cold
I assume this means if it sat in front of the customer, not in the window.
All other courses should stay on the bill, and if a replacement item for the same course is accepted it should be paid for. While a free drink or a discount for the inconvenience is nice it shouldn't be expected and one should look at such humbly and with a thank you.I agree, it shouldn't be expected, it should be the establishments call if they want to further compensate the diner for the inconvenience.
I don't agree with the humble part.
That feeling should be with the restaurant. After all, they made the mistake.
The diner shouldn't feel humble in any situation.
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I really don't care what people put on their pizza (I am a minimalist myself), but what is the deal with people cutting pizzas into squares?
It drives me nuts. I mean, its already a frigin circle, why the hell are you cutting it into squares?
In Racine, Wisconsin, one local chain takes the circle and cuts it into diamond shapes. It's actually a fairly good pie, with an exceedingly thin, almost cracker-like, crust.
Diamonds?
Blasphemy.
Diamonds are just squares that are too lazy to stand up straight
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Not much you can do that isn't going to have a negative aspect to it.
You can't ask for the money back, and it's not the restaurants fault you didn't look at the bill.
It's just a honest occurance.
I would just chalk it up to experience.
Of course, if you return there shortly, and request the same server, you are probably going to receive exemplary service.
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If I am served an inadequate meal (as I often am) I try to take it up with the management, who hopefully but rarely reduce my bill. In the US the only variable part of the bill is the tip, so that is what is under my control.
Jim: If your voluntary system is not in fact voluntary then that is hypocritical. If its a seperate contract for services, then I should be able to negotiate before the meal what service I want from self service buffet (just leave the food on the table) through full silver service to exclusive attention. I should be able to negotiate a rate, say $10 for wine service labour only, regardless of whether its a $20 or $200 bottle, or even bring my own butler...
There are many points in this topic.
You and I are arguing different points.
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Oh, I understand what you are saying.
I was speaking to a select group, not people who fell on one side or the other.
Rather, the idea is to pay the servers a living wage, and to raise prices however much they might need to be raised to compensate your staff.
If you would like the menu price to be raised to provide decent wages, fine.
I agree with that.
I just used 20% as a figure.
If someone just doesn't believe in tipping, I can respect that, even if I disagree with it.
But if you would like the prices raised in order to provide a decent wage, and choose not to tip, you are in effect saying that you would happily pay the servers wage, as in any business, but just not in the manner in which it is done now.
Again, if you would pay more, what difference does it make as to the method in which your money is collected?
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For those who would rather that the menu have a 20% increase in pricing so that the establishment can pay their servers a decent wage, and choose not to tip because of this, I ask you:
If the meal price is raised 20%, or you tip 20%, what's the difference?
The out of pocket is the same.
You actually have more power with the current tipping system.
If the menu is priced higher, you pay that amount, everytime.
Under our current system, if you are unhappy for any reason, you can reduce your costs.
So, if you support the idea that you would gladly pay the higher price so that the servers can be paid a decent wage, but currently choose not to tip, you are a hypocrite.
"Deli Style" and other nonsensical packaging lingo
in Kitchen Consumer
Posted
Now if you opened the carton and 3 oranges and a juicer fell out........