beans
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Posts posted by beans
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And yes I have personal experience with high end steak houses uses a Jacarder.
What's your definition of a "high end steakhouse?" Are we talking Peter Luger, Wolfgang's, Sparks, Berns, et al. or Ruth's Chris, Zentner's, Shula's, Gibson et al.?
I would be shocked to learn that the former are using a Jacarder.
When I worked for Shula's I know they cooked and served up Jaccarded beef, I think from Buckhead Beef. I'm a wee bit hazy on the "Buckhead Beef" thing as I remember the name being in the conversation but was also in comparison to another Florida beef purveyor.
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Yum. Add this to the succession of frozen and cutting semi-frozen is good. I really enjoy a frozen niblet of cheesecake and haven't had any problems with them before, during or after.
I remember arranging for a baby shower luncheon during those days I was a lawyer wannabe, wearing those conservative blue suits, and our most unpredictable Cleveland weather struck. Blizzard was predicted, and blizzard we did end up having. Instead, we cancelled our reservation (in a proper amount of time) and opted for a fantastic deli that has a wonderful reputation. They were able to pull off a tray and satisfied our need for some sort of cake by providing one of their frozen cheesecakes out of the freezer. All worked beautifully and the cheesecake was as expected.
Quite good.
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Broken record here. I adore crabapple jelly. Love it more than regular apple jelly. My apologies if it is a bit tiresome of a suggestion.
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Just curious if anyone has tried 3 Olives flavored line, or the original for that matter.
The flavored only run $12.99 a bottle in PA right now, so I thought about picking up a bottle of the raspberry. I normally don't get flavored stuff, but since I'd only use it to mix with cranberry, it could make for a good cran-raspberry drink.
I've never had original 3 Olives so I don't even know how good of a vodka that is.
First, pardon my manners for not welcoming you to eG. Always happy to see new discussion.
Three Olives is a decent product. Currently we sell more Three Olives Cherry than our well vodka or our other huge seller, Jäger. I don't find the flavouring as overpowering as Absolut's flavours. Bombs are all the rage in Cleveland, most unfortunately. Me, I really don't care for drinks containing energy sodas....
I'm surprised Sam hasn't piped up with a suggestion of Brilliant. I understand it is a very clean vodka at a fairly good price.
I reside in draconian oHIo whose liquor laws are a thousand times more awful than our neighbouring friendly state of PA, thusly limiting my tastings to when I travel elsewhere.
There are far too many vodka choices!
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i've a bottle of this sitting on my desk this very moment. we've been judiciously sampling it.
it's interesting. will definitely not be for the typical Macallan drinker, unless said drinker also likes his or her Scotch in a much lighter, fruitier format. lighter whiskey drinkers are likely to be pleased.
the retail price seems a tad steep, but it's not completely outside the parameters of the Macallan brand.
will report more on this later this week, in an official capacity.
Oooh. I'm jealous. I'd love a sample bottle meself.
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hmm! everclear and gatorade! pardee!
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c) the combination of Scotch and orange juice sounded very strange.
That is what got me. I think even further into the discussion was something about a JWBlue being used to mix and that too made me shudder.
At the price of JWB, I'd never use it to mix, but am sure would elevate this drink to sublime.
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An example: my husband and I went to a local restaurant, and as we were being seated, the manager came over and explained they had a fire in the kitchen that morning, and one of their ovens was destroyed. She then listed the somewhat long list of items on the menu that they couldn't cook, and explained that she would understand if we didn't want to eat there after hearing this, and hoped we'd come back.
It wasn't a problem for us, since we'd wanted something not on that list, and apparently, from the number of other customers, it wasn't a problem for a lot of people. If she hadn't been up front about it, there would probably have been a lot of angry people - instead, we were all on the same page.
Somehow though, I feel that being upfront with their impediments is different.
Waiting for already ordered food, being hungry and trying to make a movie time, one isn't really in the mood to hear the excuses, whether or not one understands or empathises. Do you really want to potentially hear that one of the chefs/cooks was experiencing difficulties and been in the loo for a length of time?
But I have to agree with much written above. Being upfront and communicate. It appears the server was reasonable and not really tardy or neglectful in attending to the table as she didn't know about a timeline to make a screening.
The huff I don't find out of line either as that was her expression of frustration in otherwise delivering standard, good service. Would it have been better if she blankly said "oh well" and walked away without offering to promo the food?
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in every restaurant that i have ever become close with, the FOH and the BOH had a love/hate relationship. lots of disrespect all around. lots of talking behind backs. and then lots of blow, booze and sex.
word. Sign me up for the lots of booze.
But it isn't always that way which I think dear Nero is pointing out (and I hope experiencing
). I've worked with some truly awesome chefs that were very people and task oriented that magically made everything work under a controlled chaos with minimal bickering or eye rolling among the staff on the whole.Something in that keeps me coming back to work each day, eager and refreshed and that doesn't even factor in the drama stories with the regular clientele, purveyors or others in the biz.
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BOH barely has an ounce of respect for FOH let alone one that harps about ticket times.
That's a rather bold generalization.
Not really. There are plenty of other posts on a bunch o'threads about chefs having an amount of distain for servers and I've sure worked with plenty. Remember the staff meal thread where I posted about our exec chef ordered and prepared windings for 30 straight days in a row as punishment because of some sort of FOH day shift antics?
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the waitress didn't check in on the table for almost an hour
No, this is not true. The last time we saw her was about 7:20, or so, when she cleared the salad plate and dropped off more bread, but without any sort of "how are you doing," just cleared and left. Then we sat for close to 20 minutes before we could get her attention again to ask for the food to be packed to go.
I probably would have left her a tip if she hadn't been huffy.
AND, if the kitchen was having a problem with the order, we should have been informed earlier. I would have been more understanding.
I would not have left a tip either. Yes, you should have mentioned the movie but that does not excuse the lack of attention. Things happen in the kitchen that may back things up. It is the servers responsibility to relay this information to the customer. She simply did not do her job. I would expect the server to stop by the table to let me know that she knows the food is not out and is trying to remedy the situation. If nothing else the restaurant lost the opportunity to sell an extra drink or two.
It comes down to simple behavior modification. Your tip is the reward for a behavior. Her behavior did not deserve a reward because it did not meet your expectations. Hopefully she will learn from the experience. I'm not going to hold my breath though.
Wow tough crowd.
I disagree. She did her job. She became concerned. She offered to have it comp'd, hence free food, which is an ultimate last resort sort of pitch.
What more should she have done? Come out and burden her guests by telling them some tale of woe about someone from the kitchen calling off, or another who has car trouble or one of the line cooks is freaking out?
Guests don't want to hear about that. They really don't seem to care and are only interested in the quick arrival of their food and not the excuses. A server cannot accelerate a cooking time or produce an ingredient/item that they have clearly run out of most unfortunately during a dinner rush.
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Thanks Gordon, I could use a giggle.
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Oh gawd. Is this going to turn into another bickering match over tipping?
I would have tipped her. I tend to agree that she was just as flustered about the situation and did her best to accomodate you, even offering that last resort of free food which restaurants never want to do.
However note that a server cannot make the kitchen go any faster. BOH barely has an ounce of respect for FOH let alone one that harps about ticket times. Managers can help, however they also walk on thin ice with the BOH.
Mostly empty restaurant doesn't ever equate they aren't busy in the BOH. Someone called off last minute, someone cut themselves badly, someone forgot to prep something or someone forgot to order an ingredient and the walk in is now devoid of any reasonable subsitute. Crap like that happens often. They are only human and something gets forgotten or overlooked creating the whole domino effect.
The server does not deserve to pay for that and get gipped of even a nominal amount of a tip.
Ever.
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Yikes this sounds serious.
Despite I know I can't I am really wishing I could. As I'll be heading west myself to my old working/stomping grounds rock in the lake of Put in Bay, South Bass Island for part of that week. -
(People ordering Bloody Marys when I'm obviously in the weeds were also often invited to imbibe elsewhere -- we were famous for them, but weekend daytime, please. Obnoxious frat boys from out of town asking where they could pick up chicks were given specific directions to the nearby butch-boy gay bar.)
I so know that scenario.
I remember one hellish Saturday morning when our bar manager decided to open an hour earlier while failing to instruct the scheduled bartender, moi. I barely got the first manual, crank up window louver (sp? and we had EIGHT of them) open a wee six inches when a line of happy tourists were squeezing their faces to look in with the inquisitive Bloody Mary orders.
edit: kant tipe
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Alright, what is a bloodbath, and where did the recipe come from. Stump the bartender is not fair if you're making up drink names, or asking for non-standard recipes. Webtender doesn't have anything called a bloodbath in its recipes... nor does hotwired's virtual blender... which isn't saying much since neither has the Blood and Sand listed either...
The BloodBath, as far as I know, comes from an old NYC Goth hangout, The Black Veil. It's an interesting recipe: 2/3 winestem of Merlot, cranberry juice to top off and a teeny chambord float. As odd as it sounds, it's very good. Especially if you get a nice fruity Merlot.
As part of the bartender lessons at one my school's student restaurants, I actually made this as the Cocktail Special for one day. I called it a Wineberry though, because I didn't think BloodBath would fly.
Are you revealing a wee bit of yourself our eG Intern?
I've worked and been known to patronised a goth bar.
All is not preppy polos and chinos here but I drew the line with black lipstick or fingernails.... Most of these drinks are house drinks with house made up names. There are bizillions of them and it is absolutely ludicrous for one to expect others to know that often lack that knowledge. One who comes up to the bar, where I work, with a smirk and try to stump us with as many off the wall named drinks only ends up being ignored or handed a bud light. We are at the peak of our in-season attitude, which is quite different.
A note about Webtender. The drink database is on hiatus (sp?) and being carefully scanned to ensure quality submissions by it's owner, Pål -- as opposed to yet another Everclear and Gatorade recipe (and be aware Webtender is a hobby side project for that lovely fella and not his sole focus of energies). re the Blood and Sand: Gary's submissions to the cocktail world inclusive, at no disrespect. Email Pål cdh, I'm sure he'd find a way to incorporate it.
edit: clarity
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Perhaps it is being in the biz, but if I can't or won't drink it straight, I won't use it to mix.
Now there is a line that is drawn with regard to that statement. For instance, I'd never mix JWBlue. But I have no qualms with spending the extra baht for a decent vodka. The reasons that you'd not drink it straight are the exact reasons that your head will feel the next morning even though it was combined with juices.
Skyy is fairly economical choice. Luksusowa is a preference by my parents, but I really don't care for it.
And I trust if lovely Marlene wouldn't mix Pearl, I wouldn't either -- not having the pleasure of sampling same as of yet.
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Ah, but good things come to those that wait.
I am surprised how many bartenders don't know how to pour this one. But again, if you don't know, then you don't. As I've typed before, coach them a bit and then they've a new trick up their sleeves, if they are amenable to such.
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Always happy to forget my principles when there is cash/free booze involved.
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Hey Queneau,
as you are Irish does that mean you like the top of a pint of Guinness to be featureless (i.e. no engravings or etchings, stencils, airbrush etc)?
The things I have seen on top of a pint of Guiness include:
starburst pattern with a swirly thing in the middle.
a satanic goat
pentagram.
All of these are available here
Would they not go down well with ewe?
Cheers!
George
Hello George. I seem to remember something to the effect of q likes or creates a harp for presentation. But I must admit, it is fun to yank q's chain....
<cracking whip sound>
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I've been reading these forums for awhile, but I believe this may be only my second post. I hope that such a thread does not already exist. Please share your stories of bartenders who had no clue what they were doing!
Oh a thread does exist.
First off, if they didn't have a bartender I'd hardly expect a server to know how to make me a drink.
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Why is it considered wrong?
Fuck the Norweigans and the Japanese.Well that's pretty rude.
Add Americans top the list too KarenS as there are Alaskans that eat whale.
And it is to survive.
edit: clarity of thought is sometimes hindsight
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We took a moment of silence in our kitchen at work this afternoon in honour of this wonderful woman.
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This here in this other thread may be some news for all of the lovers of juniper....
Waiter tip tricks: shouldn't you be aware?
in Restaurant Life
Posted · Edited by beans (log)
Some random thoughs, in no particular order:
Interesting at how everyone claims to hate these forms of building a good raport with interpersonal communications.
I've been there and they do work.
It isn't meant as some special trick but are encouraged of many in sales positions to utilise to place their guest/client at ease.
Where did CNN dig this stuff up as this is so old hat. I suspect it was a piece they resurrected or revived in lieu of how popular this time of year is for those who take a summer holiday....
Many years ago, I waited tables for three months before I got promoted for bartending at Shooters. I understand the crouching down at a table when accepting my guest's order. It was almost always when a band is playing loudly on the outside free concert stage patio and they wanted a few burgers to go with their beers to enjoy the show. It was the only way to hear eachother and/or be able to read their lips. This consideration was appreciated too as the guest did not have to shout uncomfortably.
Servers are trained early on to repeat a guest's order making it more solid and concrete within their memory while trying to write it down quickly to alleviate errors, comps and voids.
And after waiting on, either as a server or bartender (or even when I worked at Ann Taylor and a regular client was in the store) use of that guest's name as a thank you was never out of order. It always garners a smile.
The smilie thing is just the cutesy part of more informal dining. Perhaps supplemented with a hand written thank you and even signing your own name is suggested.
Upsell --ALWAYS. Demonstrative of providing perceived quality for your guest. Face it a higher sales average generally equates better tips despite upselling from a well vodka drink to one with a call brand such as Absolut isn't helping the house out, but that is a different story.
Any questions?
edit: aw crap. Thinking faster than typing and that dreaded edit button to clarify....