Raynickben
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Posts posted by Raynickben
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As for Paley's I wonder if you've been served by the owner or by staff she's hired. I believe my run-ins were with her. Given her interpersonal style, she may have hired wait staff who are more cordial.
Definitley staff was the problem in my experiences. I know what the owners look like and it wasn't them! And to comment on ExtraMSG's inquiry about the more formal service being the issue...trust me...I have eaten in most major cities at most of the top restaurants (it is my passion) and I was formally a restaurant manager at a 4 star restaurant, etc. The service at Paley's is not formal.
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Here's the situation that occured to us last month.
We were 9 people. It was a slow Tuesday night for the restaurant. Our bill came to $450.
We passed around the check and 5 of us had cash, 4 credit cards.
On the back of the bill we wrote card Jones = $50, card Smith = $45, card Doe = $55, card Knight = $40, the rest is in cash.
We spent 20 minutes making sure everything was adding up, etc.
We handed the check and cards/cash to the waitress at which point she stated "we will only accept one form of payment. One of you will have to put all of it on a card".
Say what??? You just watched us divide this all up, itemize it clearly for you and now you tell us you'll only take one card? Rules like that should be stated on the menu (it wasn't) or clarified before we even order (it wasn't).
I put it all on my card just to get out of there but believe me...there are now 9 people who will NEVER go to that restaurant again and the 9 of us have BIG mouths! Take that Veritable Quandary in Portland, OR !!
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I left Dallas a year ago (but I'm moving back next month) and the best bagels I could find were at Bagelstein's in Plano. I may have to re-evaluate when I get back but they were very acceptable to my Jewish in-laws and my own NJ bred tastebuds.
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I USED to not like compliments and then I realized if no one said anything that it was worse.
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I just might have been part of that other "couple sitting at the bar"! It was a female bartender and she couldn't of cared less if we liked our drinks or wanted another.
Anyway, back to the subject at hand. Another good place to go is Portland City Grill especially for happy hour. You can eat well and cheaply and enjoy the great view of Portland. Dinner is also good there but a little on the pricey side. I had 4 large shrimp and some rice for $23. The lobster goes for $65. I'd stick with the happy hour!
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Jack in the Box has one out here in California that is actually pretty good!
I saw cheesesteaks sold in LA's Farmers Market that came with sprouts and avocado.
Oh, you can have a cheesesteak with anything on it...but it's not a PHILLY Cheesesteak!
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We may just look for different things in our dishes, however.
Agreed.
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Mayo? Ewwwww.
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McD trying to sell cheeseteaks in the city of the cheesestak is as dumb as a chain like Subway trying to sell hoagies in the city of the Hoagie. Oh, wait, that's right. Subway is selling tons of hoagies in Philadelphia. Go figure.
Good point. Taco Bell is very popular in TX. So sad.
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Interesting selection. I wouldn't put any of those in my top 10, probably, except maybe Pho Van in The Pearl only because I'd be giving it a nod for some cuisine diversity. I think I've been to them all in the last year except Fratelli's. I certainly don't think I got anything special as far as service goes at any of them. For a service/food combo, it'd be hard to beat places like Genoa, Wildwood, Paley's, and Caprial's. Of course, they're also some of the more expensive. Heathman often has a good service/flavor combo, but there are nights when the service just lacks, unfortunately. They're few, but it does happen. But Heathman also has better prices than these.
I have also been to Wildwood, Paley's and Caprials. While I had good food there I didn't have great food. And service-wise each one of those made me feel I was entering a club I didn't belong to. Quite uncomfortable. In fact I went back to Paley's for drinks (before dining at Wildwood) and my husband and I were both put off by the bartender's snobby attitude.
The restaurants I mentioned as favorites had food that was unique, well orchestrated and left me wanting more. Maybe I was just lucky and ordered the right thing that night!
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I have just completed my year long world-wind tour of Portland restaurants.
My favorites from the past year are based on both food and service:
Fratelli's Ristorante
Lucy's Table
Pho Van
Three Doors Down
Loved the food but the service was lacking:
Higgins
Fife
Worst service ever: Veritable Quandary
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Oh for the love of god make it stop!
Half the places in Philly can't make a decent cheesesteak and almost no one in the rest of the country can make it right unless they fly in Amoroso rolls. Why does McDonalds have to ruin everything?!
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Man, I make good-ass coffee. My roommate has started to discriminate against other people's coffee.
Well, you can't just stop there! How do you make your good-ass coffee?????
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Steamed Clams.
BRING 'M ON!
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Stovetop Stuffing
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Any place that serves Folgers...
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My CEO-rejection Ben and Jerry's letter.
Thanks for sharing the rejection letter! Sure beats some of the one's I've gotten.
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My rule is if I am still thinking about it a month later I buy it. This rule applies to clothing, CDs, books, etc. For BIG things if I am thinking about it 6 months later I will get it. This comes in really handy because Christmas and my birthday are exactly 6 months apart. I always know what to ask for!
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Try this one, then page down to click for the "Green Room Photos."
Those are the most pointless photos. My 5 year old can take more meaningful pictures.
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I applied to be CEO years ago but didn't make the cut, even though I sent them a photo of us wearing the t-shirts... but I got a great rejection letter whichI framed ( and is now hanging in the guest bathroom .)
Beat THAT, you Ben and Jerry afficionados!!!!
Any chance you could share this rejection letter with us?
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Cointreau is pretty good in a classic Sidecar as well.
2 parts brandy or cognac
1 part Cointreau
1 part fresh lemon juice.
Shake and strain into a "birdbath" glass that has a sugared rim.
Sidecars are my favorite drink but I find that just about every bartender out there has a different version of the Sidecar and most of the time it isn't nearly as good as the recipe quoted above.
Is it acceptable for me to inquire as to how said bartender makes his/her sidecar and if it isn't brandy/cointreau/lemon juice ask them to make it that way? Or should I just be daring and go with their version?
I don't think I have had any other drink that is so varied. I never know what I'm going to get!
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I am letting my subscription to Gourmet lapse also. After so many years of looking forward to reading it now I often put it to the side until I HAVE to read it because the next issue has arrived. I think it was "dumbed down" for the masses and ignores the true gourmets that relished every word in it. I usually find more of interest in Food and Wine but their last issue was lame too.
So now I turn to egullet! Thank YOU!
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You will each get a cheeseburger.
That's what I want!
Waiter, split that check
in Restaurant Life
Posted
Bruce:
Without getting into the more gory details it was the dinner from hell and this check matter was the last straw so to argue at that point was going to make a bad situation worse. And 3 of us wrote letters to the owner (who was not available that evening) and no one has received a response. Some people just don't care.