nwyles

Where would I get sorbet stabilizer ?

Desserts not being my forte, I am looking to you for a good recipe for sorbet. I use a Pink Grapefruit sorbet in a martini . I have made it in the past but mine always turns out rock solid after I freeze it. I run it through my ice cream machine, and then place in the freezer. I use juice, sugar and water. When it comes out of the ice cream machice it is ok, but after a couple of days in freezer, hard as a rock. Am I missing something ?

DUDE! Above and Beyond the Call! What, are ya' trying to brownnose me to come in? It's starting to work! ← Hey , if could get out of here, I would be at Le Crocodile !! No brownnose intended. Just double checking my facts.

I just did a quick menu scan on Pastis and Le Crocodile. Very similar in price point. I think that Le Crocodile is percieved more expensive because of it's history in Vancouver but both are pretty close. You would do well at either. We would be splitting hairs about these two places very soon !

I shout at them every night - to no avail. Now, shoot one - everybody would certainly be one their toes after that - nothing serious, just a flesh wound, no need to be over the top

Is it a big enough "problem" that you need something besides a friendly reminder at the time the reservation is taken, and when the party is seated? I'd pay to see ejector seats!! A. ← Have you read none of the post re: Dine Out ? Major problem !

As to the two hour limit, the question is how to enforce it. Once a guest plants themselves and they know in their heart of hearts that they are going to fuck you over by not sticking to the limit, what do you do ? No one is oblivious to someone's ass in their face, standing next to the table, waiting for you to leave. They just choose to ignore it. It works against all of the hard work you are doing to "toss" someone, having them have a negative experience at the very end, which is the only thing they will remember. I always tell people I have another booking even if I do not. It plants the seed so that they know they can not stay all night. what is the enforcement ? Purchase the next seating as well ? "Sir, the next seating is in two hours. If you wish to stay longer, it will cost you the number of seats you have times $25.00 ! Please let us know in advence so we can make other arrangements for the other party." That would certainly light a fire under someone. I know this is like preaching to the choir as the people who post and read here are aware of all of these things. Ideas people, we needs ideas ! Ejection seats ? Teapots that give shocks after two refills ? Highly focused 400 watt halogen bulbs in the eyes. I hate turning people away and would like to offer this deal to as many who want it, not as many as I have to cram in. I would also like it to be less of a "goat rodeo" on the weekends.

As to the auto grat - we have it available to servers for parties over 8. Lots of them opt not to as they take a chance that it will be 20 % plus. 8 times out of ten, it works out in their favour. This is during non Dine Out times ! With all due respect to waiters the caliber of Andrew, this could be a potential disaster. It could lead to crappy service as the tip is guaranteed. Oh, I was just being nice. It will lead to really shitty service by those people who are the lazy ones who ride on the coattails of others. You know the kind. Ring in their food but are nowhere to be found when it comes up so others have to run it. Collect the billfold from the table but leave all the other stuff for others to clear. Pretend to be deaf when you are calling for them to get their meals, stand at the bar well yapping while waiting for drinks rather than helping someone else. Can hit the land speed record during cashout so they can be first out the door, leaving all of the final clean up to the same ones night after night. Plan their orders around a quick smoke break rather than a mise en place stock up. You know the ones ! It does leave the good waiter open to getting the shaft every now and then but the good ones make it up on the other tables. The good ones make it up on volume as well. What would you rather have - 20 % tips on a $500 night or 10% on a $2000 night. This is the reality for lots of people during a non Dine Out January. Although you can strut around, secure in the fact that you are an excellent 20 % tip waiter, it does not put enough bread on the table in the shoulder months. I myself, would rather string 30 15 % nights at $1500 together.

I totally agree. There are a finite amount of guests that a restaurant can handle well. I would rather see those guests spread out over a one month period and show them a great time rather than just a good deal. You certainly want everbody to walk away feeling good about what just happened than underwhelmed ! I realize that lots of restaurants extend their Dine Out offerings, myself included. It is easy to do when the event has such momentum. I can only really speak from my experience, but I would much rather have 30 strong nights in a row than 8 strong nights and 6 crazy ones. I would like to say the room here on the weekends has a nice " buzz" to it but I could not hear it over the roar of the crowd. It makes it interesting to plan the logistics of a crazy night with more people than you can really handle, people racked and stacked like jetplanes over Chicago's O'hare airport during a snowstorm, but are you really putting your best foot forward ? Not really. Are your guests getting your very best? I doubt it. No one really tries to overbook so they underwhelm their guests, it just happens when the floodgates open ! I would like to see the extended Dine Out with the weekend exclusions. I would probably have the Dine Out menu for the first turn ( 6:00 ) on the weekends and save the later turn for your regular diners. Let us not forget that although the Dine OUt menu is available to your regular diners, they can be virtually shut out for a couple of weeks. It forces them to find a non Dine Out option sometimes - which is ok, except what if they like it more than your place !

Wow , I can not believe that no one has posted saying skip the French Food and go straight to the Hamilton Street Grill ! It was a perfect set up ! I know now who will be getting 30 % less caramel sauce on their gingerbread ! Seriously , I would head to Le Crocodile. Michel Jacob is a fantastic chef - Both Hawksworth and Feenie worked under him at some point in their careers. The price point is good. Fairly priced for the quality and quantity you get. If you have a budget in mind, talk to Robert, the sommolier. He will set you up with the best wine that fits your budget. It is by the Sutton Place Hotel so you do not even have to drive if you are staying at any of the major downtown hotels. Skip the rest and head to the best ! If it is a diabetic come you are after, swing by the Hamilton Street Grill for a gingerbread pudding, extra caramel sauce ! ( I will have a little bit extra because I will not be giving it to any of the local egulleters !!! )

I wanted to be specific in the title as to not have this post moved. I am refering to Dine Out Vancouver and what Tourism Vancouver and the restaurants / partners involved can do to improve the whole thing. I do not want to get off on the wrong foot and start bashing restaurants and / or people who do not show. I want this be a discussion as to how the very popular event can be handled. I will put up a few suggestions in no particular order. 1. Limit table time to two hours MAX. How to enforce this ? A Dine Out Policy statement / contract ? I do not know but am looking for ideas. This is a two way street. Restaurants need to make sure they hold up their end as well. As the restaurants are in the hospitality sector, they do not want to be shooing the guests out ever but in the interest of offering this to as many people who want it, something needs to be done. 2. Credit card reservation system through Visa - a Tourism Van partner. Logistical nightmare but not impossible. A $20 non refundable booking fee for each reservation credited to your dinner if you show ! 3. Change the dates to encompass a month. Seattle does a similar event but does not include weekends - that is left to the individual restaurant. This would allow the guest to acceess this promotion for a minimum 20 days instead of 14. The downside is the guest can't do it on weekends. The upside for the restaurant is they can do regular dining if they wish at the weekends and get full dollar if it works for them. It would have to start about the 15th of January and finish before Valentine's Day. Could it work ? Why not. Is it a win - win ? It is for me. 4. Offer salad, then an appy and then dinner. Omit dessert. This is the point when people really start to put on the brakes and hang out for a long time, oblivious to the party standing next to them for 40 minutes waiting for the table. If #1 is used, this would not be needed. This is enough to get us started. This is a great event and everybody benefits from it. It introduces new people to a restaurant they might have never been to, it keeps lots of people working through a slow month - restaurants, wine brokers, suppliers, linen guys, delivery guys you name it. I want to keep this positive as this event is not going away but perhaps some of the difficulties both sides encounter can be eliminated. Neil Wyles, Chef, Carrot peeler, phone guy, everything guy,owner Hamilton Street Grill

Just a quick note as I do not want to detract from the purpose of your post - I had a party of 10 no show at 5:30. You would think that that would be no big deal but it caused the first turn to stutter a bit as we held the table for one hour. I know what you are thinking - why hold a table for an hour. Because these Mo*&$#@ers ( and no that word is not Mousekateers ) confirmed their reservation not once but twice. I would have given it away but you can't pull a table of ten out of thin air if they arrived. Ah.... I feel better now.

It is Sunday morning, the morning after SATURDAY NIGHT. Crazy busy. I did a quick little math of 2004 vs 2005 Dine Out. As of Friday, we had matched our 2004 volume and $$ and we still had six days to go. It has been very successful for us in every way. The volume has been a little staggering. I am on the phone from the moment I step in the restaurant until I leave ( ok, until about 11:00 P.M. - I leave at 2:00 a.m. - can you get brain tumors from having the cordless phone next to your head all day ) I should have just recorded a simple one word message for Saturday night - No ! - Do you....No ! - Can we...No! If I just come down......No ! I had a post shift with a couple of servers and although there were a couple of "exact change" tables, they agreed that sometimes that happens and it just stands out during Dine Out. By the end of the night, the cooks were not even able to string words together they were so tired. The kitchen looked like a battlezone and they knew there was no second crew coming in to clean it so they just got down to it. All in all, the staff have responded very well. I had a couple of servers wonder why I was punishing them by making them fold all of the napkins we could after shift on Friday night. It would seem that they could not think past the next five minutes and it was beyond them to think that Saturday night would be busy. It seemed really clear to me as I was telling them that Saturday night would have 100 more reservations than the night they just did. All I got was blank stares, which is the natural state of being for a couple of them. If the next few days remain as strong as they look in the book right now, without any major snowstorms or floods, we stand to have a 100 % increase in our Dine Out volume over last year. I think that that is amazing as last year was very good for us. Would I do this again ? Yes. would I want to make any changes ? Yes, but that is for another post. Will it fall on deaf ears - I do not think so as the folks at Tourism Vancouver are egullet lurkers !! Take it from me, you never know who is reading your stuff !

Eric - Nice new handle ! Had a woman in last night allergic to eggs. No problem. Orders salmon. No problem. Sends it back, having a reaction, wants another. Same thing. This frustrates me as I take special care to make sure allergies are respected and work with the person to make sure they get something they enjoy. As you have dined in my restaurant, you know this is the case. I would have had to have gone to the cooler to get an egg for there to be any egg in that. Salmon, potatoes, butter, whip cream, garlic and vegetables. Period. Is she allergic to anything else ? Perhaps. This was frustrating as not only did I throw two perfectly good meals away ( the second because now she was not hungry ), I also did not charge her for her either meal, my wife sent up a gift certificate to smooth over her dining companions for the discomfort they felt during the scene. Am I tarring everybody with the same brush. Not at all. Just expressing a frustration that I have to work with. On the bright side, it is not one I have to live with.

you are correct. Same spot

I think you perhaps doubt the validity of my previous statement. To that I have one thing to say. Sir, my restaurant is in YALETOWN ! ( home of pocket dogs in bags, real Prada, "feigned " food problem, every new wacky diet while still insisting to dine out, $99.00 loaves of bread that actually get sold, a leased fleet of Brian Jessel vehicles, two Botox clinics, 15 Spas, A tea shop that sells Norweigian Jazz on the side, 25 hair salons and 6 cosmetic "dentists" ) P.S. Shall you be needing that table all night ? Meyer lemons for your hot water ?

Will you be bringing the lesser Talents ? Highchairs, booster seats, Taser ? Laugh it up but you don't know how close to the truth that is sometimes. You should see the list I have for what different people can eat and not eat at the wine tastings ! Or the ten course wine dinner, announcing as they arrive what the "allergy D'jour" is. ( I think I am allergic to something so I am checking different items each day - Today is garlic, leeks, onions and black pepper ! I shit you not !) I am all for trying to take care of every little thing people have at any time, but sometimes the answer is no. Not out of spite, but just out of respect of the other 90 diners in the room and not making them wait for dinner while I stop the train to deal with your request. There are nights that if someone asked me to stand on my head and spit nickels while doing it, no problem, there will be a charge for that ! And sometimes, you just can't. Sorry, and how many vegans in total was that ?

Oh, I feel your pain my brother. This weekend is going to be tough. Perhaps a little overbooked on Sat night. A couple of things to remember. I take most of the reservations. Joan comes in on Sat. night to run the floor. She deals with the log jam, curses my name, daggers from her eyes for taking so many tables, Neil hides in kitchen, head down, averting her stare. I will have to have a chat with staff on how to "broom" a table after they have had three refills of hot water and lemon ( this was the cause of my log jam last Friday - 6:30 reso, told table was rebooked at 8:30, does not leave until 9:40 !) "We are out of hot water" "I know, how can that be !. I will certainly talk to management on Monday ! "funny you mention that, we are out of lemons as well !, What? Those lemons, they are pre-booked for the later turn !

That might not be the case. Last Friday, I had all the resos spaced out by two hours, not wanting to rush anybody. The kitchen was keyed up and food came out in minutes after being ordered. Imagine that you were only waiting minues after ordering, when normally you wait 1/2 hour. It certainly trimmed up dining times and people were wrapping up in one and a half hours. I was a bit more aggressive on Sat and all worked fine. We had a couple of large tables "camp" - ie - table of ten @ 6:30 still there @ 9:40, getting refills on hot water and lemon. All worked out without any major bottle necks. Showing up early gets you sat early and gets you out early - all good for the restaurant that is overbooked !

Here is my first attempt at adding a link. I just thought I would add this as I just finished the article and then clicked in here Michelin Article

I don't follow the logic. There will be a line out the door on Valentine's Day (New Year's Eve, etc) full of people who didn't make resevrations (been there, seen that) so if I get a cancellation I'm gonna do a happy dance because I can seat someone now instead of in an hour or two. But if it's a cold miserable Monday night, how likely is it that there will be someone waiting for a table? If I get a cancellation on a slow night, I think it would be a bigger deal since I'd be counting on that income from that table because I'm not turning people away. On holidays and crowded nights, anyone I'm not seating is money walking out the door so give me your table if you're not using your reservation. ← Sorry , speaking for only myself , Valentines Day is all reservations, a no show means nobody at the table. Having a cancellation on a rainy Monday is a loss in revenue, but I did not turn people away or stop taking reservations that evening because we were fully booked. Something like Valentines Day , you have turn down about 50 reservations, so when someone cancels at the last minute you are probably not going to refill.

It certainly is. It at least gives the restaurant an fighting chance to fill the spot. As to the exect amount of time - hard to say, depends. A last minute cancelation on a cold miserable Monday night is really no big deal. A last minute cancelation on Valentines Day is a bit of a pain.

It is a very delicate subject. If the guest is on time but the table prior is still on free refills of hot water and lemon and laughing it up, it is hard to handle. You need to loosen up the bookings to allow for some variations if you insist on CC. I do not think a 24 hour notice cancellation should be penalized as the restaurant has time to rebook. An out and out no show should pay the price. I recall a party in Ontario, Canada failed to show for an Xmas booking, The restaurant charged them full price. The party ( A Toronto Dominion Bank if I recall ) refused to pay. The restaurant sued and won. What to do ? This as I just called a party of 8 that has no showed tonight.

We have had 2 table each night no show - filled with walk- ins easily !

Just a quick note. People in Vancouver rarely make resos - only during Xmas and Dine Out. We should tackle that first. N