If I were Food Lord Mayor of London

[Suzi Edwards]

1. No more empty "tip" sections on credit card slips when the restaurant has charged you a 12.5% service charge

2. All burgers to be automatically served with the gubbins ON THE SIDE so i can gussy my burger up the way I want it

3. An end to the supermarket hegemony of our produce so I cannot buy strawberries at Christmas

Would anyone add anything else?

[MobyP]

4. Restaurants would charge their food at 30% of regular prices, one day each month, in return for tax breaks (wine excluded).

[bainesy]

5. Devolve some of my mayoral powers to the rest of the country, so there weren't so many culinary deserts everywhere BUT London

Edited June 1, 2004 by bainesy (log)

[Carlovski]

5. Devolve some of my mayoral powers to the rest of the country, so there weren't so many culinary deserts everywhere BUT London

Well said!

[MobyP]

6. Order the Territorrial Army to invade Leeds, abduct the staff and all equipment from 3 York Place and Anthony's, and bring them to West London where they so clearly belong, thus preventing those Yorkies from feeling too smug.

[Suzi Edwards]

6. Order the Territorrial Army to invade Leeds, abduct the staff and all equipment from 3 York Place and Anthony's, and bring them to West London where they so clearly belong, thus preventing those Yorkies from feeling too smug.

6a. But only after June 22nd

[YKL]

6. Order the Territorrial Army to invade Leeds, abduct the staff and all equipment from 3 York Place and Anthony's, and bring them to West London where they so clearly belong, thus preventing those Yorkies from feeling too smug.

6a. But only after June 22nd

ah hah! now you have lost that element of surprise ...

note to self - must build defences round Leeds by 22nd June. Options include baking a twenty foot wall of yorkshire puddings .... or a reception committee with catering by Tim from Bonapartes.

[MobyP]

7. Make Bresse our 'Sister City' and promise free housing and fast track immigration to anyone who can make it here with 1,000 chickens!

[Hallie]

8. Enact an honesty policy about reservations. 'Sorry we have nothing available for three weeks' is to no longer include the unspoken proviso, 'unless your name is Sting, Madonna, Kate Moss, or David Beckham'.

Edited June 1, 2004 by Hallie (log)

[daw]

1. No more empty "tip" sections on credit card slips when the restaurant has charged you a 12.5% service charge

I would ban the practice of collecting "tips" via credit card payment entirely.

I don't want part of my tip which is intended for the staff being taken by the credit card company or the restaurant. I always put a line through such a section and make a point of completing the final total carefully and then leaving the tip in cash.

What grounds do restaurants have for a service charge anyway - is this an indication that they have their pricing wrong!

David

[daw]

6. Order the Territorrial Army to invade Leeds, abduct the staff and all equipment from 3 York Place and Anthony's, and bring them to West London where they so clearly belong, thus preventing those Yorkies from feeling too smug.

While 3 York PLace and Anthony's are the pinnacle of Leeds dining at present we have plenty of other place we can fell smug about - Quantro, Casa Mia, Pool Court at 42 etc etc etc

But perhaps this list belongs in the Leeds guide suggested in the Anthony's topic.

<SMUG> David </SMUG>

[Suzi Edwards]

9. Ban "suppliments" for dishes on set menus

If we storm leeds and eat through the yorkshire pudding walls we need to save a space for the sausage gates. And wear a hat in case they pour boiling gravy on us.

[Winot]

10. Mobile phones to be impounded at door.

11. Places with wooden floors forced to subsidise those with carpets.

12. Places with wooden floors forced to supply slippers for compulsory wear by diners.

13. Background music to be selected exclusively from Mayoral CD collection.

[tony h]

14. Ban smoking (not just restaurants)

15 Ban loud vacuous ladies who lunch (OK more than just a little jealousy here)

[Suzi Edwards]

how did i miss this one before...

16. Ban table turning.

[YKL]

17. All restaurants to have courtesy taxis waiting outside the restaurant door that you can pour yourself into after a great night out - which get you home safe and sound

18. All waiting staff will receive sufficient training so that they are polite, helpful and knowledgeable about the menu

19. All handsome french waiters must flirt with the female diners, but not in that creepy way (feel free to delete this one - I understand that this may be unreasonable)

Yin

x

[tony h]

19. All handsome french waiters must flirt with the female diners

that's very hetrosexist

[Hallie]

14. Ban smoking (not just restaurants)

This might not be as much of a fantasy as we think. Apparently both Edinburgh and Dublin restaurants are smoke-free zones.

If Ken seriously proposes it, its enough to make me vote for him again.

[daw]

14. Ban smoking (not just restaurants)

This might not be as much of a fantasy as we think. Apparently both Edinburgh and Dublin restaurants are smoke-free zones.

If Ken seriously proposes it, its enough to make me vote for him again.

Norway has gone down this route too with a nationwide ban on smoking in restuaurants and bars - anyone know any good restaurants in Oslo

David

[spanky]

This might not be as much of a fantasy as we think. Apparently both Edinburgh and Dublin restaurants are smoke-free zones.

Going a bit further off-thread but--

Not quite Edinburgh, yet. There's a bill going through the Scottish Parliament on banning smoking in public places, but it's still at stage 1 (or, in Westminster speak, the consideration stage). In fact, I'm reporting some of the bloody evidence-taking on this bill even as I--er--type this.

Feel free to resume the thread now, folks!

Spanks

[tony h]

14. Ban smoking (not just restaurants)

This might not be as much of a fantasy as we think. Apparently both Edinburgh and Dublin restaurants are smoke-free zones.

If Ken seriously proposes it, its enough to make me vote for him again.

Dublin is a great success - was there last month. Only problem is that that was all they could talk about!

(even this couldn't make me vote for that arrogant self-centred egomaniacal washed-out anorak-personified newt lover)

[Suzanne F]

14. Ban smoking (not just restaurants)

15 Ban loud vacuous ladies who lunch (OK more than just a little jealousy here)

Re: 14. You are more than welcome to join us here in the Big Apple!!!

And re: 15: As the old French warhorses keep heading off to the glue factory, this too may be passing.

Tarka: good start!

[tomweir]

Yes, the Ireland-wide smoking ban is a great success... now eating outside is the health hazard ;0) given the clouds of smoke out there.

Seriously, it's good news.

I never add a tip to a credit card bill. A lot of places don't give it to the staff, or don't give it to them accurately. I always leave cash. So, ditto.

20. I would encourage the spread of green markets throughout the city.

[Basildog]

As a wee sub thread, what i would like if i were Lord Mayor of Food would have a charter for guests to follow, tis' only fair

a) Turn up on time

b) with the amount of guests you booked

c) don't split a bill for 8 between 8 credit cards (please)

d) turn your mobiles to vibrate

e) don't leave it to your arrival to declare your vegan/lacto intolerence. alergy to celery/ galic and citrus etc etc etc, let us know when you book

more to follow

Edited June 1, 2004 by Basildog (log)

[Suzi Edwards]

fantastic idea basildog. these charters are a two way thing :-)