KatieLoeb

Clams in Black Bean Sauce at Ken's Seafood. Best I've had.

Interesting. I just had "Pork Wings" earlier this week at The Cafe, next door to the Irish Pub at 20th & Walnut and under the same ownership. I can't figure out what cut of meat it is. The bone in the center is too small to be a leg, but too big to be a rib. From what part of the pig does its "wing" come from?? I've placed a call to the kitchen over there and will post the response when I get it. The other delicious item on the Cafe Menu is the Chicken Thumbs. Bigger and fatter than a chicken finger and made of all breast meat. Delicious dipping sauce on the side. These are worth a trip all by themselves.

A little birdie told me that Honeysuckle gelato might be on the flavor list tomorrow. Considering it only makes a fleeting appearance each year, you may want to try it. Some folks don't like all the flowers in there but it doesn't bother me - not one bit. ← I will confirm this with a phone call tomorrow. A quart will come home and reside in my freezer until we can all get together for the annual Moscato Float ritual. YAY!!!!

Don't get me wrong. I love love love Szechuan Tasty House, and because they deliver, I love them even more. Especially because the ambiance there is a bit lacking. But I tend to hit Chinatown late at night, after a shift at work, and there's nothing better than rolling into Ken's Seafood, Xiao Guan Garden or David's Mai Lai Wah at 2:15 in the morning and sitting and drinking the tea, eating the crunchy noodles and people watching, because it's always a show. More often than not, when I order Chinese delivery (with the exception of STH) I get exactly what I'm expecting, and that's just fine. I even order differently. I'd likely never order General Tsao's Chicken in Chinatown. It's "American Chinese" food. I wish more Chinatown places delivered, but they don't. When I'm sick as a dog with a head cold I'll still call Lee How Fook and drag my sickly ass out to pick up Hot & Sour soup because it's the cure for all that ails me. I'll certainly give New Golden Palace a try. And thank you for the heads up on it. I think I'll have to go in person first though, so I have an idea of what my options are if I were to call for delivery. If it really is Chinatown quality food, I'd definitely order more the way I do when in Chinatown.

Thank you. I do love my job. And I'd be delighted to talk to you about bourbon, other spirits, wines, cocktail history or anything else behind the bar. One of the reasons I do what I do, is because I need to direct my wine/cocktail geek babbling. Otherwise they'd just throw me in a rubber room, or I'd look like an incurable lush. This way I can talk to anyone that will sit on the barstool long enough to listen. They get a good drink and learn something. And I keep the guys with the butterfly nets away for one more day. When someone leaves me a 3% tip, I need to know why. My management needs to know why. If there was some service that wasn't performed, their drink wasn't to their liking or whatever. More often than not it's either drunk math, or a simple miscalculation. I assure you I handled it quite politely. If the skinflints are embarrassed, so be it. They won't fix the tip and skulk out. I don't really care if I see them again anyway, to be honest. I have had some regulars whose company and personalities balanced out their bad tipping habits. I'm not against all bad tippers, you see. Just the ones that are incredibly high maintenance and have no other redeeming qualities. And anyone that can actually quantify their displeasure into .87 cent petty miniscule little increments won't ever be missed by me or any service staff anywhere.

See, if I want "Chinatown" Chinese food I almost always want to eat it in Chinatown. It just isn't the same at home. "Take out Chinese" is its own category and what I expect when I order for delivery. I'm not sure I want those two worlds colliding.

Shank's & Evelyn's on 10th Street is most definitely a uniquely Philly experience. The Roast Beef, Chicken Cutlets or anything there is delicious. And it's a slice of Sou'Filly like no other.

You're only talking in circles because you are convinced you are right. Some of your points border on ridiculous, others are complete hyperbole. If it is your opinion that these diners entered into a contract, entitling the server to 20%, what about the other side of the contract, where the server is expected to fulfill basic services? Oh wait, she is a server, so she can do no wrong. She is hard-worker, exploited, and underpaid. Clearly she deserves 20% when she only provides 5% worth of service. Your point of view as a server is inhibiting your ability to see both sides of the story. I wonder how many people, when realizing they were 87 cents short, would call over management and explain that they weren't going to pay the arbitrary 20% gratuity because the service didn't warrant it, but instead were going to pay 87 cents less. I'm fairly certain most people would just pay the 145 and leave it at that. ← Actually, I'm not the one talking in circles. My points are very clear. If you choose not to understand them because it gives you no grounds on which to attack me that is your choice. It's semantic whether we call it a gratuity or a service charge. And I think the overwhelming level of agreement with my points vs. yours makes it pretty obvious who is "right". If the service was sub-par then the appropriate response was to bring it up with management. Instead they chose to short-change the waiter. It's ridiculous that anyone would attempt to defend those actions without having taken the steps to explain their displeasure to the waitress (instead of assuming she'd simply understand why someone wouldn't pay the total stated on their bill like everyone else does) or confront a manager both with the percentage discrepancy on the menu vs. the check and to explain exactly why their service didn't warrant any service charge, regardless of the clearly stated policy on the menu. At no point have I said "the waitress can do no wrong". If the service was substandard then do the right thing. We've all explained what that was to death here. "Most people" would have done that, not been too cowardly to deal with situation the right way. Shaking down the cheap assed friends might have been a good strategy too. Women now routinely leave their homes with their bra straps showing. I don't understand that either, nor can I explain it. It's simply a cultural norm that has evolved over time. The standard tip is now 18-20%. Perhaps it's tied to inflation and cost of living, perhaps it's a leftover after effect of the dot-com boom. I don't know. Certainly my $2.87/hr. hasn't gone up in years. If one recognizes that the norm is now different, then why would they tip less? Simply disagreeing with it isn't enough. As Sam said, that's merely a justification for miserly behavior. I'm pretty certain most salaried individuals have seen at least a slight increase or raise in their pay levels whether or not it's kept up with inflation. And they most certainly aren't relying on the kindness of strangers to make their rent. Does a server or bartender have to earn it? Absolutely. But choosing not to pay it for any of the reasons that have been stated so far is unconscionable. I don't agree that doctors and lawyers should make as much money as they do, but I'm forced to pay my bill when it arrives for their services. And many times they aren't very nice either.

Good luck with that. Let me how that works out for you. That's an awful lot of menus to change. You're pushing a rock uphill that doesn't require any pushing. And yet will still roll backward and crush you needlessly. Whatever. :shrug: I'm done talking in circles. I'm going to bed now.

Congrats! I hope it brings you peace and contentment, and the ability to be creative and ethical all at the same time.

I'm not going to argue with you over how illogical the system is. I'd rather make a higher hourly wage and get an average 10% gratuity that really tells me I'm doing a great job. The "implied" gratuity percentage here is what it is. It is part of the system. Before I travel to another country I research what the norms and customs are. I expect others to do the same. And I really expect natives to know better. If you refuse to tip the cultural norms here you will only be branded as a cheapskate and an ignoramus. Sorry. That's just how it is. No one prints it on the menus. It's simply how it is.

My 20+% is a gratuity. Don't forget I live in Philly which Zagat has named as the best tipping city in the nation. Except for that party of four at my bar earlier this evening, apparently. I feel I provide the service to warrant it. Given the wage structure for waitstaff/bartenders (and again, I didn't create the system, I just make my living in it) I think an 18-20% gratuity is about the norm. By arguing that the gratuity is "voluntary" and that service staff should "take what they get" is missing the point. There are cultural norms in this country and the days of the 15% gratuity are somewhat passed. The "service charge" or "autograt" policy and percentage are set by the restaurant management, not the server. But why should it be any less than the usual customary percentage? If it's to cover the extra effort of a larger party in theory it ought to be more, no? I think nickel and diming the server rather than making an appropriate complaint to management (if there's something legitimate to complain about) is never the answer.

So what have we learned from all this talking in circles? 1. The "service charge for large parties" or "autogratuity" or whatever euphemism we wish to use is part of the check. You agreed to it upon ordering. By choosing to underpay the bill, you're effectively thieving services. Not terribly different than the old "dine and dash" walking out on the check. That .87 cents is part of the check. The server's paperwork will not be correct if you shortchange them. They will have to pay for you. There's no reason they should be expected to do that. 2. If the percentage charged stated on the menu was different than the percentage charged on the check, a swift complaint should be made to management. The server doesn't set policy. They merely follow it. We also didn't create the "less than minumum wage" pay scale. We simply have to live with it. Misdirecting one's anger at the server is not going to solve anything and will only serve to peg you as an HMC, or High Maintenance Customer. 3. If the service was substandard in any way, it should be brought to the attention of management. Immediately. Because the manager isn't clairvoyant either, and if you nod and smile on your way out the door, you've denied them the opportunity to solve your problem or try and appease you in some way. The scathing letter/email/phone call next week is useless at that point. You've made it impossible to please you now. At this point you'll just tell all your friends how much the restaurant sucks and bitch about it on sites like eGullet. But you never even gave them the opportunity to concede that there was an issue and try and be concilatory. 4. Whether or not there were other tables in the restaurant has nothing to do with the percentage of gratuity that is appropriate. Only if the other tables effected your service (as in there were LOTS of other tables and the server was absent) does that come into play. The implication that it's OK to tip less because the server didn't have any other tables (that you could see, anyway) is completely illogical. Nor does the style of restaurant change the appropriate tip percentage. Only if it's a self service buffet and you're actually fetching your own food and merely having beverages brought or plates cleared is it appropriate to tip less. Does that mean the diner waitress only deserves 8%-10% because it isn't a fancy white tablecloth restaurant? Or the waiter in the fine dining restaurant that's done less of the heavy lifting because he has food runners, busser, sommelier and a back waiter doing the work deserves more? The gratuity should be 18-20% and go up from there for exceptional service. Regardless of where you're eating. My tip average is about 22-30% on any given night. And I think I earn it. I provide sommelier services for a 40 bottle by the glass wine list, waiter service/menu advice/explantions to the bar customers, beer guidance, and mix exceptional cocktails. I had a group of four customers at my bar this evening that ran me ragged, asked all kinds of questions about bourbon, which I calmly educated them about and provided small tastes of our various offerings. Their bill came to $38.50. They gave me two twenties and I placed the $1.50 change back in the check folder and returned it to them. They didn't add anything else and started to walk out. I asked the gentleman that seemed to be the host of the group (and who was the most difficult of them) if there had been a problem with the service or if I had offended them in some way. He looked at me quizzically and I explained that the gratuity seemed to indicate that there had been some failure on my part to please them. He tossed another 3 singles into the folder and seemed embarrassed. He damned well should have been. Their tip was barely 12% even after he "corrected" it. The owner of my restaurant was sitting right there when it happened and applauded me for handling it the way I had. And so did every other customer at the bar that saw how nice I'd been to them even when they were condescending and difficult. Some nights there ought to be an automatic gratuity on every single check.

One of my regulars told me they stopped by there and were stunned at the bar prices. $13 for a Ciroc on the rocks + $2 for the rocks. And it actually showed on the check! Somebody needs to teach them how to program the POS system so that stuff is either transparent, or there are separate prices for mixed drinks, rocks drinks and up drinks. I'd have a cow if that showed on my check and have a word with management. $15 for a tiny glass of vodka on the rocks is usury and offensive to boot.

So if the car rental company tacked on a charge because you didn't return the car with a full tank of gas, would you argue with them? If your physician or dentist's office charged you for an appointment because you cancelled with less than 24 hours notice would that irk you quite as much? Those services rendered (or not rendered, as the case might be) are simply accepted as part of the cost of doing business. Yet the harried waitperson making about one third of minimum wage plus tips that got your order correct, and made sure all of the food for your large party came out at once should have to suck it up and take hard earned money out of their own pocket to cover your unwillingness (not inability) to cough up .87-effing cents??? Are you serious?? Restaurants institute the automatic gratuity for larger parties because whether or not you believe it to be true, your group is a lot more work than the average four-top. And the larger the group, the more likely that the server that's making $2.87/hour is going to get stiffed. The shortcuts taken were clearly to keep you and your tablemates from tugging on their shirt asking for more water every two minutes. I won't argue whether or not servers and bartenders should make a living wage. That's a whole 'nother discussion. It is what it is and I wear those same tattered shoes every day. I can't believe you're even asking this question. If service was an issue, then take it up with a manager, as well you should. If the policy wasn't clearly stated it's the management's fault, not the waiter. By your own admission, service was adequate. You agreed to the terms of service when you sat down, same as the rental car or the missed appointment fees. Why make the waitperson suffer for it? You aren't the one that gets to decide how low maintenance your group was. The perpective from the other side is undoubtedly different.

Perhaps delivery to your well air conditioned pied-a-terre might be the answer? I don't belive that there's such a thing as hot weather and cold weather cuisine when we artificially create our own environments. I'll still eat hot soup in the comfort of my air conditioned abode in the dead of summer.

Gecko's remains one of my favorite places in Cape May. Chef is from Santa Fe and does delicious Southwestern cuisine. BYOB to boot. The basket of warm mini corn muffins that come with butter and jalapeno jelly to slather on top are reason enough to go on their own. But the apps and mains are excellent as well.

I'll have to try this. I've not noticed it in the store, but then again, I'm usually purchasing the more top shelf bourbon for home use. I've still got the better part of two 1.75 liter Eagle Rare 10 year old bottles to get through before I need to do any bourbon shopping for recreational use. But perhaps for having at the bar for use as a well bourbon, the Ezra Brooks sounds intriguing. Thanks for the tip. I'll check it out.

i'm sure this has been highly debated somewhere on this site, and yes, all recipes do point to rye as the spirit of choice, but i prefer it with a high rye content bourbon ← Sounds like Bulleit would make a tasty Blinker. I might have to test that theory tomorrow night after work...

Isn't a Blinker made with Rye?

Actually no. I wish I were on the way to the beach, but I'm back to work tomorrow. I was heading up Buck Road to meet a kitty cat in the next township over. This is Briolette, aka Bree. A purebred Bengal cat. She's a real beauty and I might add her to my menagerie later this summer. I'm torn between getting her, a different male kitty that's a red marbled Bengal with aqua eyes who is really sweet, or waiting until a different cat is available. If you have any questions about her PM me. And to keep this on topic, I knew I'd want to find some farm fresh fruit while I was wandering about in the hinterlands of Gloucester County. Having passed both Schober's and the other farm on the way to my destination I was certain I'd find something to bring home. The other farm (whose name excapes me) had gorgeous fresh peas in addition to the strawberries and cherries I purchased. The cherries are candy sweet.

Bourbon and Bitter Lemon soda. Sometimes with Ginger Beer as well. Sometimes with mint or herbal simple syrup and a squeeze of lemon. Over lots of ice in the tallest glass you can find.

I think I got you boys hooked up. Check this out: Cut and seasoned fruit woods from William Schober Sons Orchards. 1125 Monroeville Rd., Monroeville, NJ 08343. 856-694-1212. Yes, that's right. It says $6 on the box. They sell larger quantities as well. It's about a 35 minute drive from Center City. Take the Walt Whitman to 42 South. Exit 13 to Route 55 South (DeptfordGlassboro exit). Continue to Exit 45, CR-553. Make a right onto Buck Road (County Route 553) and drive approximately 2 miles. You'll pass Garrison Lake on your right. Schober Orchards is on your right at the intersection of Buck Road and Monroeville Road (CR-604). They have lovely fruit too, normally. Or at least so they tell me. I stopped to buy some fresh strawberries but since it's been 100 degrees all week they haven't picked any. I did buy some nice preserves at Schober and found fresh strawberries and cherries a bit further down the road at the next farm they directed me to. Hope this helps. You all realize that if I make it possible for you to do all this fancy smoking I expect a multitude of dinner invitations as a thank you.

I honestly can't say, as only the cherry is available to me locally. I've seen the others (Blueberry, Blackberry, Black Currant) online. But if the Sour Cherry is any indication of the quality, I suspect the others are delicious as well. The other brand of syrups I find at my local Lebanese market are the Kassatly Ajyal syrups. I've tried the Apricot, Tamarind and the Kamardeen (date and rose water) flavors and enjoyed them. I'm still messing with the latter two, as I'm not sure my first attempts were my best efforts, but I think they might both be better suited to autumnal and winter cocktails so I think the further experimentation can wait until then. I've got my hands full with finding enough time to make my own falernum, pimento dram and orgeat. Those are the next priorities in warmer weather.

Luxardo Triplum as a Cointreau-alike. Gran Gala or Torres Gran Orange for a Grand Marnier-alike.