Who has the worst stemware!

[adegiulio]

In the Fascino thread, several people have applauded the restaurants choice of quality stemware. We have all been to restaurants that offer the worst stemware. Maybe its time to expose these restaurants in the hope that they may improve. I would like to see good quality restaurants that just drop the ball in terms of proper glassware.

My nominee for worst glass/highest quality food ratio is definately Latour in Ridgewood. Please, Mr. Latour, buy better glasses! I am embarrassed to bring my own, but do it anyway...

Epernay needs a little help too

Any other opinions?

[Rosie]

How about best glasses? Nicholas, Red Bank is one.

[Hank]

most chinese restaurants, including nyc. an exception would be the shun lee.

[prichwich]

Orbis in Montclair has a special stash (including some Burgundy stems, I believe) for those who request them.

On the other side of the ledger: the glasses need some work at Jocelyne's in Maplewood (easily the best food in Essex county, apologies to all you Fascino devotees - but that's a different post for a different time). They're not as bad as those at Latour or Epernay, but they need help.

Two tangents:

Tangent one: Do you notice the kinds of horrible wines people bring, even to serious restaurants? When I do a survey of the dining room, I find most of the wines patrons bring to be only marginally better than Two Buck Chuck. Given this, I can understand why restaurants are reluctant to invest in good stems: if the majority of patrons are bringing bad wine, then the restaurant is inclined to provide glasses of equal quality.

Tangent two: I still bring my own glasses (and, if the wine needs it, a decanter) to every restaurant in NJ (even those that aren't BYOB - Ryland Inn being the only exception). I hope this doesn't sound too snobby, but for those who truly care about their wine experience, the Riedel Vinum series (or, if money is no object, the Sommelier series) is the only way to go. I've conducted many taste tests side by side with Spiegelau and other decent glasses, and Riedel wins out every time.

One last thought. Bringing my own glasses has never been a source of embarrassment or awkwardness. Rather just the opposite. In my experience, all our servers have loved the beauty and elegance that the Riedel glasses bring to the table; and most fellow diners give approving looks

[tommy]

My Cup of Tea, in Allendale, used to have decent glasses. i think they've closed now.

as far as people bringing "bad" wine, well, i suppose they're simply bringing what they like.

[jo-mel]

Who has the worst stemware?? You want names?

Moi, me, Jo-Mel! I have whatever Fortunoff or Linen 'n Things has to offer.

Or is this not what you were looking for??

(LOL?)

[Cusina]

hehehe, jo-mel, exactly what I was thinking!

I hosted a bridal shower with 40 guests last spring. I intended to rent glassware but realized that Target sells them for less than $1 per stem. So we now have four dozen cheapies. Not what I'll set my Christmas table with, but they do the trick when we host crowds.

[Rosie]

My Cup of Tea, in Allendale, used to have decent glasses. i think they've closed now.

as far as people bringing "bad" wine, well, i suppose they're simply bringing what they like.

My Cup of Tea is closed. It is now a Mexican restaurant.

[glenn]

Casablanca, a byo Moroccan restaurarnt in JC, earned the distinction last night of having the worst of you name it, including/especially the stemware. We were given two unmatching small white wine glasses for our pinot noir. One was returned because it was dirty. And that's how the evening started.

[how quickly this place went downhill... they used to be reliable for cheap decent eats.]

Edited December 14, 2003 by glenn (log)

[scarlet knight]

Spiegelau glasses are much less expensive than Riedels and almost as good. Also, one does not feel so bad when one breaks. We use them at home.

My wife and I enjoy good wine and good glasses. However, we really don't want to call attention to ourselves or make a big production by bringing our own glasses. I think that it is a "dis" to the restaurant. Also, it's a burden to us.

What do you do with the dirty glasses when you leave? Ask the restaurant to clean them? Just pack them with wine residue?

[Rosie]

Some places ask if I want them rinsed. I bring a towel and wipe out the glasses and wash them at home.

[prichwich]

as far as people bringing "bad" wine, well, i suppose they're simply bringing what they like.

Rereading my post I can understand your response.

The point I was trying to make, but not very well, is not that people have poor taste, but rather that restaurants, like all market-driven businesses, respond to the expectations of their customers. Other than e-gulleters, most people don't realize that stemware is important. To the point, I see people all the time bring in fabulous bottles of wine, and they don't give a second thought to pouring it into the house's clunky goblets.

[tommy]

i suppose it's hard to say why so many restaurants offer such poor stemware. it would be even harder to make a case that they're all doing it for the same reasons. the reason that makes the most sense to me is cost. and perhaps ignorance in many cases.

i've been to restaurants where the customers are clearly bringing better wines than 2 buck chuck. this hasn't seemed to change the restaurant's stemware, unfortunately. additionally, i'm not sure these restaurants (the owners? the managers?) necessarily know "good wine." and i don't think they're surveying the room saying "yup, they're still all bringing kendall jackson. let's keep the shit glasses. they won't know." (although that's a good theory and probably the case in some restaurants - which, to me, falls under the "ignorance" mentioned above).

Edited December 14, 2003 by tommy (log)

[prichwich]

My wife and I enjoy good wine and good glasses. However, we really don't want to call attention to ourselves or make a big production by bringing our own glasses. I think that it is a "dis" to the restaurant. Also, it's a burden to us.

What do you do with the dirty glasses when you leave? Ask the restaurant to clean them? Just pack them with wine residue?

Again, this hasn't been my experience at all. Every time I've dined at a quality NJ restaurant (and by "quality" I don't mean expensive, but just any place that strives to produce good, creative food), the servers (and frequently the chef when s/he makes the rounds) have been delighted to see us bring good glasses and good wine - it's a sign that we take the restaurant seriously, and we want to have a wine experience that matches what comes from the kitchen.

As far as transportation and cleaning, there's no perfect solution, but I have something that works fairly well. We wrap each glass in a (relatively lint-free) kitchen towel and lay them snugly, end-to-end in a narrow, tote bag. This, and a bit of caution, provide enough stability and strength to weather the trip.

At the end of the meal, I rinse the glass out with the water from my water glass. I then re-wrap the glasses in the kitchen towels, which now aren't just protecting the stemware, but also absorbing whatever water remains.

So far we haven't had a single glass fatality.

[glenn]

Among other reasons, I can think of 2 BIG reasons why restaurants cheap out. First is breakage. Wine glasses, especially large ones, are easily broken in restaurant dishwashers. And in the less sophisticated places, management is clueless on the subject.

[tommy]

breakage falls under "cost".

clueless falls under "ignorance". :wink:

you suggest another interesting thought: better glasses are bigger, and are therefore more difficult to wash/store.

[tommy]

My wife and I enjoy good wine and good glasses.  However, we really don't want to call attention to ourselves or make a big production by bringing our own glasses.  I think that it is a "dis" to the restaurant.  Also, it's a burden to us.

  What do you do with the dirty glasses when you leave?  Ask the restaurant to clean them?  Just pack them with wine residue?

Again, this hasn't been my experience at all.

agreed.

how could it be a "dis" to the restaurant? you're simply providing yourself with a service that the restaurant is clearly incapable of providing on its own. if anything, you're doing them a favor by bringing your own glasses: they might take the hint.

and bringing stemware need not be a big production any more than bringing your own bottle is a big production.

again, if it's something that will enhance your experience, especially considering that you're bringing a wine that you really want to enjoy in the best possible manner, i don't see any reason to feel awkward.

[Rosie]

You also need to remember that BYO's have the expense of serving you wine in their glasses and don't make any money from wine sales.

[scarlet knight]

Don't you hate it when you bring a great bottle of wine and the server wants to pour an entire glass to the top? I usually tell them before they pour that we just want a small taste first. I also prefer to pour my own wine. The servers think that they are being helpful, but they pour off the whole bottle before you know it. Just another wine pet peeve.

Edited December 14, 2003 by scarlet knight (log)

[tommy]

Dn't you hate it when you bring a great bottle of wine and the server wants to pour an entire glass to the top?  I usually tell them before they pour that we just want a small taste first.  I also prefer to pour my own wine.  The servers think that they are being helpful, but they pour off the whole bottle before you know it.  Just another wine pet peeve.

yet another reason to bring your own glasses!

i call most restaurants' glasses "shot glasses", as you can only get about 1 oz or 2 of wine in them if you want any room whatsoever at the top of the glass.

Edited December 14, 2003 by tommy (log)

[Rosie]

Don't you hate it when you bring a great bottle of wine and the server wants to pour an entire glass to the top? I usually tell them before they pour that we just want a small taste first. I also prefer to pour my own wine. The servers think that they are being helpful, but they pour off the whole bottle before you know it. Just another wine pet peeve.

Actually, from a legal standpoint BYO's are not suppose to open or pour your wine.

[JohnnyH]

Don't you hate it when you bring a great bottle of wine and the server wants to pour an entire glass to the top?  I usually tell them before they pour that we just want a small taste first.  I also prefer to pour my own wine.  The servers think that they are being helpful, but they pour off the whole bottle before you know it.  Just another wine pet peeve.

Actually, from a legal standpoint BYO's are not suppose to open or pour your wine.

What about Japanese restaurants that routinely take the sake you bring with you to the back for heating?