Houston Chronicle's Whine and Dine

[FoodMan]

Dignan -

not at all, thanks for the link and here are some highlights, especially the tipper lady who bugged me the most, and yes people really do that:

- Vic and Anthony’s takes top marks for outstanding service

- A diner decides to live Joe’s Crab Shack because among other reasons it was too noisy!! Then they head over to another one of Landry’s restaurants

- A disagreement with Cook’s review of Bank.

- My favorite, a diner at Café Rabelais (a fine bistro) decides to stiff the waiter his or her tip because the bill (from the computer) was not detailed enough. We all know that it is always the waiter’s fault how the bill should look like, right? She then believes it is all a big conspiracy to make her tip more since, “Its obviously programmed into the computer”

Elie

[FoodMan]

Ok, I don't know about you, but I am tired of this tipping BS and hope this is the last W&D that has anything about it. However, I have to quote this comment about tipping:

"Dining in a nice restaurant with my date and/or some friends where the food is good and the service is pleasant, efficient and transparent can be a delightful experience. Please do not mess up the effect by expecting me to be aware of having to figure and pay a tip."

Elie

[FoodMan]

Today's W&D includes:

A reader finds very good French pastry at a Mexican bakery. Sounds promising.

A defense for Allison Cook’s reviews.

Mr. Ross is upset at Houston’s “No Caps” policy

Yia Yia…..you know the new Pappas Greek place gets a thumbs down

Elie

[fifi]

Mr. Ross is upset at Houston’s “No Caps” policy

Yet another pair of specimens that prove that evolution is not without its problems. These guys have the IQ of a rutabaga. Really folks... All Houstonians aren't like this.

[Dignan]

If his mama didn't teach him any manners, maybe Houston's will...but considering he had the cojones to write the newspaper about the event, it seems unlikely.

[SuperLuckyCat]

I can't believe he isn't demanding that the Houston's management call him personally and offer a free dinner for two, a full apology and a personal greeting when he returns. Oh, and give him a card that says "you hereby never have to tip again at Houston's so that your evening is as effort-free as possible"

Can you imagine being so outraged by something like that that you have to write to the Houston Chronicle about it?

[SuperLuckyCat]

OK, by telling this story I have to admit I went to Houstons for dinner last night (there is a salad there - the grilled chicken one - that I often crave) on the way to a movie. My fiance was wearing a baseball hat and was asked to remove it. No big deal, I did laugh and he was grumpy about it but managed to survive the trauma. We noticed that they seated 2 parties after us, one with a boy of about 10 years old in a baseball uniform including ball cap AND one with a woman wearing a baseball hat. On the way out I commented to the hostess that they seemed to be selectively enforcing their no-baseball hat rule. She said very quickly and loudly that they let little kids and women wear them.

Discrimination! Discrimination!

I wonder if they enforce it to gay men? Or celebrities? What if Yao Ming walked in wearing a baseball hat? Or Nolan Ryan?

The devil in me wants to harass Houstons somehow or write to Whine & Dine.

[FoodMan]

OK, by telling this story I have to admit I went to Houstons for dinner last night (there is a salad there - the grilled chicken one - that I often crave) on the way to a movie. My fiance was wearing a baseball hat and was asked to remove it. No big deal, I did laugh and he was grumpy about it but managed to survive the trauma. We noticed that they seated 2 parties after us, one with a boy of about 10 years old in a baseball uniform including ball cap AND one with a woman wearing a baseball hat. On the way out I commented to the hostess that they seemed to be selectively enforcing their no-baseball hat rule. She said very quickly and loudly that they let little kids and women wear them.

Discrimination! Discrimination!

I wonder if they enforce it to gay men? Or celebrities? What if Yao Ming walked in wearing a baseball hat? Or Nolan Ryan?

The devil in me wants to harass Houstons somehow or write to Whine & Dine.

Kids, I understand..sort of. But women? That makes no sense. No one will blame you for "harrassing" them SLC or for writing to W&D.

And there is no shame in going to Houston's, it's a good restaurant with excellent home-smoked salmon and grilled steaks (provided you tell them to grill it with nothing but S&P on it--non of that "Hawaiian" gunk), their ribs are also excellent. The service over there is always top notch as well.

Let us know if you ever do write or otherwise "harrass" them.

Elie

[Dignan]

OK, by telling this story I have to admit I went to Houstons for dinner last night (there is a salad there - the grilled chicken one - that I often crave) on the way to a movie.  My fiance was wearing a baseball hat and was asked to remove it.  No big deal, I did laugh and he was grumpy about it but managed to survive the trauma.  We noticed that they seated 2 parties after us, one with a boy of about 10 years old in a baseball uniform including ball cap AND one with a woman wearing a baseball hat.  On the way out I commented to the hostess that they seemed to be selectively enforcing their no-baseball hat rule.  She said very quickly and loudly that they let little kids and women wear them.

Discrimination!  Discrimination!

I wonder if they enforce it to gay men?  Or celebrities? What if Yao Ming walked in wearing a baseball hat?  Or Nolan Ryan?

The devil in me wants to harass Houstons somehow or write to Whine & Dine.

Kids, I understand..sort of. But women? That makes no sense. No one will blame you for "harrassing" them SLC or for writing to W&D.

And there is no shame in going to Houston's, it's a good restaurant with excellent home-smoked salmon and grilled steaks (provided you tell them to grill it with nothing but S&P on it--non of that "Hawaiian" gunk), their ribs are also excellent. The service over there is always top notch as well.

Let us know if you ever do write or otherwise "harrass" them.

Elie

Actually, it's excusing the ladies that makes more sense to me than the young gentlemen. It's uncommon, except perhaps on easter, for women to wear hats these days, but it was always proper for them to wear their hats inside as part of their ensemble. Men and boys, however, should remove hats while inside.

[FoodMan]

I think the issue is not hats but baseball caps only. So if a gentelman walks in wearing a suit and a hat, he might be allowed to keep it on. Not so if it was a baseball cap. So ladies need to take them off too.

Elie

[Dignan]

I think the issue is not hats but baseball caps only. So if a gentelman walks in wearing a suit and a hat, he might be allowed to keep it on. Not so if it was a baseball cap. So ladies need to take them off too.

Elie

Well, I suppose that could be the case but I think it is simply the fact that there are few fedoras being worn these days, so the issue arose around a ball cap. If the original person in question were wearing a sombrero, I think there still would have been a "no hats" ruling. We have a pretty well established hat rule in this society, though it is perhaps passe' in many minds, and that's what this fella ran up against. Suits and hats used to be quite common, but these were exactly the folks who knew to take the hat off while inside. The original complainer didn't think the rule inapposite, just that Houston's apparently wasn't the sort of place where it shoud be enforced -- it wasn't upmarket enough.

Tony Soprano: "Take off your hat. They took the bleachers out and stopped selling hot dogs a year ago."

Edited July 15, 2004 by Dignan (log)

[Mabelline]

It seems they are attempting to get away from the GOB and Gimme cap image, bless their heart. Maybe someone might misjudge them because of John Deere or Agra Seeds being promoted by their public...how uncouth

[FoodMan]

In today's W&D:

-A reader is spot on concerning "Kids Meals" at restaurants.

-Another reader decides to complain about Joe's Crab Shack three years after the fact.

-More about the Houston's cap/hat incident. Readers approve of the restaurant's policy.

Elie

[SuperLuckyCat]

Hi - I am proud to say that I wrote the Kids Eat Free comment about the unhealthy options. Although the original article did provide a nice list of places to avoid on what day.

I don't have any kids (thank goodness) yet and that does make me quick to judge, but I see so many fat kids these days and I know my tax dollars will be paying for their medical care some day. We thought we were being tortured growing up never being allowed to have McDonalds more than 1X a month, if that, and never getting soda or sugar cereal, but now I realize how smart my parents were.

[FoodMan]

Hi - I am proud to say that I wrote the Kids Eat Free comment about the unhealthy options. Although the original article did provide a nice list of places to avoid on what day.

I don't have any kids (thank goodness) yet and that does make me quick to judge, but I see so many fat kids these days and I know my tax dollars will be paying for their medical care some day. We thought we were being tortured growing up never being allowed to have McDonalds more than 1X a month, if that, and never getting soda or sugar cereal, but now I realize how smart my parents were.

Good for you, you are officially our first member to write W&D. At least the first to admit to it. The best part is we did not have anything to make fun off in your comment .

I completely agree with your point. I have a son who will turn one tomorrow and he eats whatever we eat wherever we go. I make it a point to always offer him my shreds of duck, bbq, or hummus before even thinking about "kid's meal" and he usually loves it. I know it will get harder as he gets older and is bombarded by adds for this fast food joint or that sugary cereal, but hopefully by starting him of right we will be able to control anything we do not approve of in the future.

Elie

[FoodMan]

There is hardly anything worth mentioniong in this week's edition of W&D. Let's keep our fingers crossed for next week's.

As a reply to the reader requesting a tip on ...valet tip, my position is always the same. If I am forced to pay the valet a set price, then I will not offer an extra tip since all "extra" tips normally are collected by the site manager who pays the workers a set wage. I know this because I was a valet for a couple of years while in college.

Any others who care to comment about this?

Elie

[Robb Walsh]

I loved the one that said Alison and I shouldn't review the same place on the same day.

All newspapers come from the same big newspaper factory, you know.

[Dignan]

I loved the one that said Alison and I shouldn't review the same place on the same day.

All newspapers come from the same big newspaper factory, you know.

That one set me off as well. These are the same people that write the TVGuide to complain about what time Judge Judy is on.

This weeks Dining Guide included an article about dress codes that talked about the hat issue from the previous weeks Whine and Dine, including quotes from Houston's.

[fifi]

Good for you, you are officially our first member to write W&D. At least the first to admit to it. The best part is we did not have anything to make fun off in your comment .

Protest!

I wrote to W&D a couple of years ago bemoaning how Houston just "doesn't get" the muffalatta. They editted out my most stinging commentary, though. I think it was the "big gobs of meat, bad bread" at Treebeards that they deleted.

[LDLee]

I have found Whining & Dining to be less interesting recently. I don't know if it is because the Chronicle moved the Dining Section to Thursday, a terribly stupid idea, probably by the same person who cancelled Tank McNamara and thought Brewester Rockit was funny, or the comments now are so insipid. The whines are moronic and the dines are dull and predictable (the Jack in the Box on NASA road 1 makes the best french fries ever). It has been over a year since I have read a comment in W&D that made me want to try some place. Thank goodness for egullet.

[Susan G]

A comped meal for a six-top because *the bread ran low*???? What am I missing here?

[FoodMan]

I have found Whining & Dining to be less interesting recently. I don't know if it is because the Chronicle moved the Dining Section to Thursday, a terribly stupid idea, probably by the same person who cancelled Tank McNamara and thought Brewester Rockit was funny, or the comments now are so insipid. The whines are moronic and the dines are dull and predictable (the Jack in the Box on NASA road 1 makes the best french fries ever). It has been over a year since I have read a comment in W&D that made me want to try some place. Thank goodness for egullet.

I don't think I've ever gotten a "tip" from this section. I actually look forward for the "whines are moronic" part.

Elie

[FoodMan]

The weekly W&D section continues being lame.

Today's column had one interesting entry, the rude waitress at Hoffbrau Steaks. What's up with that? All the manager offers is a GC? That is very, very lame. I do reralize I used the word lame twice (three times if you count this one), but I cannot find a better way to describe the situation.

Elie

[FoodMan]

In W&D today:

3 complaints about Alison Cook’s reviews- I am really surprised about the restaurant 17 one. I mean a restaurant of this caliber should not have both of its chefs “off”!!

2 recommendations for a Thai restaurant

1 recommendation for a Mexican (read Tex-Mex) restaurant called Mango’s. This brings me to a side note, Why do so many Tex-Mex restaurants have a Latin/Mexican/S. American food item/ingredient as their name??? It really bugs me, as if the owners of these establishments have no creative power over the names of their restaurants, but simply go with whatever edible item is next on the list! Here are some examples:

Jalapeno’s

Pico De Gallo’s

Serrano’s

Poblano’s

Mango’s

Tequila’s

And I think there is a place called Enchilada’s !!

All these are real restaurant names. It will be only a matter of time before we have Chalupa’s, Fajita’s, Taquito’s (wait, we actually might have this one), Tostada’s,…..

Ok, rant over.

Elie

[Dignan]

All these are real restaurant names. It will be only a matter of time before we have Chalupa’s, Fajita’s, Taquito’s (wait, we actually might have this one), Tostada’s,…..

There are a couple of Fajita Flats here in Houston....