Restaurant/Bar Annoyances

[beans]

Oh brother!

megaira! This discussion of any hard hitting critique is soooo typical eG. Pullllleeeaaasze stop with these two foot long dissertations with many personalised comments. For heaven sakes gal, I inserted smilies, which if it were serious shark waters, I wouldn't consider in banging out an appropriate response. (read: ignore due to possibly offensive crap being parlayed -- not worth my membership)

My personal and professional experience takes root to your "odd" attributed comments I've made. Enough! I refuse to get any further into this as it is all personal pissing matches and attacks!

You want to rip on the biz, well, I am the biz! Like it or not, I've made my points. And there are plenty of eG members in the biz too -- something to respect whenst posting among this group!

Edited October 26, 2003 by beans (log)

[beans]

I lived in cleveland,

On a momentary reread....

Did you really?!! Well, despite your sweeping generalisation, we don't have roaches! (our scheduled "bug nights" and contientious upkeep bills certainly pay for that )

Where?! Eastside or westside? [feel free to PM]

Then you know all about the Flats and current mega development of retail/housing/restaurants Quay 55? (very exciting venture! ) Umm, errr, then you *certainly* know where I work.... eGCI certainly didn't hide anything!

Cool! I'm so happy to meet another on these boards that has been in this neck of the woods! You should venture over to torakris' forum as she's also a former Clevelander and now in Japan! (This is almost more exciting than when I met up with two from Southeast Alaska, where I'm from -- see it's not at all like living in Jersey, NYC or Chicago where there are oodles of other posters! )

Yes, aren't peeves all about perception?

[megaira]

This discussion of any hard hitting critique is soooo typical eG.

I have no idea what the heck you're talking about. Hard hitting critique on what?

The "two foot long dissertations" are made because I like to keep track of what I'm replying to & it's much more efficient than quoting the whole 10 foot long post. Not to mention, it retains clarity.

Perhaps there was something in my posts that I missed, but there was no pissing match intended at *all,* not to mention any "attack." I was amused, if becoming exhasperated, up until the point you sent that PM. I was, IMO, defending my opinion & being a bit of a silly smartass. In fact, I had joked that things were much more civilised than they could have been & apologized over the joke about the rats, to which you had obviously taken offense. The only thing that I see as perhaps instigating, which certianly was not intended to be that way, was the first paragraph of the post where I said I felt your opinion was odd. If there was some other comment that I made that was overly bitchy, please, share it with me and I'll make my apologies.

(read: ignore due to possibly offensive crap being parlayed -- not worth my membership)

I see, so it's better to PM the "offensive crap" instead?

Submit my posts to moderator review as you've threatened. If I'm booted from egullet, then so be it. Your PM comments will also be fowarded to them if that can be put into consideration. I have nothing to hide, and if this is a board where it is "ok" to patronize and put newbies "in their place," I'll be happy to unwelcome myself. You feel free to quote and rip apart my posts and "expose my angst," beans, knock yourself out. I don't take kindly to a faux nice face on the board & threats off of it from someone who can't handle the same discussion she said I should expect.

You said to me:

And the old public restrooms "test" are hardly indicative of the cleanliness of the kitchen and prep areas.

but earlier said (emphasis mine):

As for general filth observations (tables, chairs, floors, restrooms, menus, etc.), I'll leave and not order food after a quickie cocktail. Why bother? After all it is my hard earned money that is paying for the experience?

So it is ok for you to hold the opinion that restaurant bathrooms may indeed be an indicator of why one would not want to dine there, but not ok for me.

You have no idea, as you don't work or dine where I work or live.

I took a look at your profile before your implosion here and I see you're in Cleveland. I grew up there, so I do indeed know the Flats and downtown atmosphere quite well and have been to most of the places where you've worked. I waitressed in Cleveland, catered there, worked food service there, partied there, ate there. I thought for sure, the way you were talking, you were someplace like NY.

If there are no roaches it is because they spray for them like crazy. I've done my share of "bugs nights."

Just updated the thread and I'm sorry we had to have this conversation, because indeed, I would have been interested to chit chat with you and catch up on what's been going on in that area since I left. Despite Cleveland's reputation, I get quite homesick for it.

I apologize if I've put anyone out by sidetracking the thread. Thank you, bilrus, for trying to clarify where I was coming from. I should have just left it at that and walked away without making a comment or feeling the urge to defend my statements. I honestly did not think, when making them, they'd spark such a gyser of crap.

Edited October 26, 2003 by megaira (log)

[elyse]

Anyhoo....

[glenn]

top 5...

cleveland man - booker t & the mg's

cleveland, ms. - the bluebirds

down by the o-h-i-o - president o.a. plotz & the dictators

cleveland rocks - ian hunter

going to cleveland - mountain goats

glenn, who has too much time on his hands

[elyse]

You really do. But it's a nice change of subject.

Edited October 26, 2003 by elyse (log)

[hjshorter]

And, a small thought about hand washing while in the loo, what do you think happens when you reach for that door handle after countless others did not wash?

That's why I pull the paper towels before washing, turn the water off with a towel, and open the door with the same towel.

I keep tissues handy in case the restaurant only has those damned hand dryers that take 10 minutes to dry your hands.

restaurants could go to purell dispensers- eliminates having to touch a surface or have paper towels laying around. the wall dispensers could fit nicely in the kitchen area-staff can purell their hands frequently. i use purell at the hospital and it's cut down on wear and tear on my skin from too hot water and paper towels.

I keep Purell in my purse and in our diaper bags. It's a lifesaver when traveling with two small children - for cleaning their hands, and my own after changing their diapers - if there's no restroom around.

[Al_Dente]

Speaking of restrooms, one of my pet peeves is that damn paper towel dispenser that sits in a single metal unit with the garbage can directly below it. You're virtually taking the paper towels out of a garbage can. Whoever designed that was a moron.

[Pyewacket]

Back to pet peeves, I thought i might weigh in....

1. Restaurants who bother to offer a kids menu, but don't bother to serve a fresh hot dog bun. It's hard enough for kids to eat anyway without the bun cracking in half upon the first bite.

2. Dirty high chairs and booster seats! Booster seats that pose a tipping (over) hazard when placed on the banquette or chair! Order them to fit!

3. Dishes that are clean on top, but grimy underneath--you discover this when you pull your plate closer or turn it around to access your food.

4. Sauce paintings squirted or dribbled all over the plate-as if this was art! If you use sauce paintings, make it interesting visually to enhance the look and taste of the food or don't do it at all.

5. Restaurants that ask how you want your burger, steak or salmon filet cooked, but then cannot manage to fullfill your request. Otherwise, don't ask and just cook it however the hell you want to and take your chances with my satisfaction.

6. Wet salads with bruised lettuces.

7. Entrees without balanced vegetable portions. Do I want an 8 oz. steak with only 3 green beans and 6 pounds of mashed potatoes? No!

8. Menus with mispellings and grammatical mistakes--shitake mushrooms and arugala show up frequently.

9. Architectual presentation of food. What am I supposed to do with this entree that towers a foot and a half above the plate? Knock it over and pray it doesn't land on the table or my dining companion?

10. Dining tables with stiff paper on top of a tablecloth. The rough, torn edges snag my silk blouse, or stockings etc. I halfway expect my food to be dumped on the paper in the middle of the table- as in a crawfish boil.

I could go on, but will stop now.

[beans]

This discussion of any hard hitting critique is soooo typical eG.

I have no idea what the heck you're talking about. Hard hitting critique on what?

The "two foot long dissertations" are made because I like to keep track of what I'm replying to & it's much more efficient than quoting the whole 10 foot long post. Not to mention, it retains clarity.

Perhaps there was something in my posts that I missed, but there was no pissing match intended at *all,* not to mention any "attack." I was amused, if becoming exhasperated, up until the point you sent that PM. I was, IMO, defending my opinion & being a bit of a silly smartass. In fact, I had joked that things were much more civilised than they could have been & apologized over the joke about the rats, to which you had obviously taken offense. The only thing that I see as perhaps instigating, which certianly was not intended to be that way, was the first paragraph of the post where I said I felt your opinion was odd. If there was some other comment that I made that was overly bitchy, please, share it with me and I'll make my apologies.

(read: ignore due to possibly offensive crap being parlayed -- not worth my membership)

I see, so it's better to PM the "offensive crap" instead?

Submit my posts to moderator review as you've threatened. If I'm booted from egullet, then so be it. Your PM comments will also be fowarded to them if that can be put into consideration. I have nothing to hide, and if this is a board where it is "ok" to patronize and put newbies "in their place," I'll be happy to unwelcome myself. You feel free to quote and rip apart my posts and "expose my angst," beans, knock yourself out. I don't take kindly to a faux nice face on the board & threats off of it from someone who can't handle the same discussion she said I should expect.

You said to me:

And the old public restrooms "test" are hardly indicative of the cleanliness of the kitchen and prep areas.

but earlier said (emphasis mine):

As for general filth observations (tables, chairs, floors, restrooms, menus, etc.), I'll leave and not order food after a quickie cocktail. Why bother? After all it is my hard earned money that is paying for the experience?

So it is ok for you to hold the opinion that restaurant bathrooms may indeed be an indicator of why one would not want to dine there, but not ok for me.

You have no idea, as you don't work or dine where I work or live.

I took a look at your profile before your implosion here and I see you're in Cleveland. I grew up there, so I do indeed know the Flats and downtown atmosphere quite well and have been to most of the places where you've worked. I waitressed in Cleveland, catered there, worked food service there, partied there, ate there. I thought for sure, the way you were talking, you were someplace like NY.

If there are no roaches it is because they spray for them like crazy. I've done my share of "bugs nights."

Just updated the thread and I'm sorry we had to have this conversation, because indeed, I would have been interested to chit chat with you and catch up on what's been going on in that area since I left. Despite Cleveland's reputation, I get quite homesick for it.

I apologize if I've put anyone out by sidetracking the thread. Thank you, bilrus, for trying to clarify where I was coming from. I should have just left it at that and walked away without making a comment or feeling the urge to defend my statements. I honestly did not think, when making them, they'd spark such a gyser of crap.

megaira --

Enthusiasm is great, discussion better. But, again, keep the personal and judgmental/emotionally charged labelling as [your words] "bitchy," "gyser of crap," "to patronize and put newbies in their place," "faux nice face," and "someone who can't handle" out of it.

When I post pleasantry, it is with the utmost sincerity and it would be best to cease attributing falsehoods when in fact they do not exist. (In otherwords, don't worry about some "other" meaning than what is posted. )

I didn't PM or post anything offensive, nor any threats. And in any event, it is bad form to break decorum with any such assertion. In fact, I posted enthusiasm for finding another (former) Clevelander on the boards!

Can you please leave it at "perception is everything" with regard to the issues within this thread I've already posted about? I have stated it three times now!

[Rachel Perlow]

My pet peeve? Jason frequently orders a bottle of sparkling water (Pellegrino, whatever, this is not the restaurant pet peeve (but it is a husband pet peeve )). I make it clear to the beverage order taker (not always the waiter or server or busboy), that I prefer regular ice water. First peeve, when his bubbly water arrives, they attempt to pour me some. Second peeve, when waitron comes around and refills his glass and then attempts to refill my water glass (water glass is usually a tumbler, often a sparkling water glass is closer to a wine glass) with his bottled. Third and most annoying peeve, when I have to flag the busboy or whomever is making the rounds filling water glasses to give me more water -- they usually don't stop at our table because there's a bottle of water on it. Grr.

There's this local chinese/japanese joint in our town. It is nicer than the average chinese restaurant. Their default water, that they just give you without saying anything about it, is seltzer. The busboys walk around with pitchers of seltzer with lemon or lime slices in it instead of ice water. First off they have this pretention that this is classier than regular water, and second they look all confused when I ask for still water. Am I the only person in the world who doesn't like the taste of carbonated water?

8. Menus with mispellings and grammatical mistakes--shitake mushrooms and arugala show up frequently.

How else are you supposed to spell shitake?

[zilla369]

8. Menus with mispellings and grammatical mistakes--shitake mushrooms and arugala show up frequently.

How else are you supposed to spell shitake?

Shiitake. It's early on a Sunday, Rachel....i'm sure you knew this! Heh.

[Pyewacket]

The correct spelling for that specific mushroom is shiitake-pronounced properly, it has three (whoops!) edited, FOUR! syllables.

Anything with the letters s-h-i-t in that order should be kept off menus in my view.

Edited October 26, 2003 by Pyewacket (log)

[megaira]

Anything with the letters s-h-i-t in that order should be kept off menus in my view.

My husband has the same opinion, though, he views the description as accurate. Shiitakes are on his very small list of dislikes.

Perhaps they could change them to:

"exotic asian mushrooms"

"tasty mushrooms with a garlic flair"

"mushrooms of the orient!"

I'm surprised, actually, that given the regularity in which we reshape and respell words to suit our purposes, that shiitakes haven't been since respelled "shetalkies."

I love it when I get a server who can't pronounce items on their own menu. No thank you, I don't want the quesa-dill-a. (or, speaking of shiitakes - "she-takes")

We went out for sushi last night. While we were waiting for our food I heard a tell tale "snip, snip, snip" - it was a lull at the door and the hostess was clipping her nails. Mmm...fingernail clippings.

[elyse]

That is repulsive.

[megaira]

Well, on the bright side, she was at the door and not in front of us making our food. "is that a seseme seed, it's really chewy!"

There was a minute though where Hubby and I looked at each other and the look said "is that what I think that is?"

[Pyewacket]

Here's another that just sends me straight up the wall--servers who haven't the slightest idea what they are serving.

We were seated at a moderate, but nice restaurant and the wait started his soliloquy of the evenings' specials rambling on and on about the mahi served with baby something-or-others. He leaned down to us (both accomplished chefs) and condescendingly whispered "really, mahi-MAHI, it's like tuna!" He looked a bit perplexed when we burst out laughing!

Edited October 26, 2003 by Pyewacket (log)

[bilrus]

We went out for sushi last night.  While we were waiting for our food I heard a tell tale "snip, snip, snip"  - it was a lull at the door and the hostess was clipping her nails. Mmm...fingernail clippings.

I once had one show up in a Gyro Platter at a place near my office - in my LAST bite!!!

I thought - "Gee, this is a big piece of spice" but it was pretty clear when I pulled it from my mouth what it was. Needless to say that meal was free.

Although I am embarrassed to admit I have been back since. The Gyros are actually pretty good.

[mighty quinn]

8. Menus with mispellings and grammatical mistakes--shitake mushrooms and arugala show up frequently.

How else are you supposed to spell shitake?

Shiitake. It's early on a Sunday, Rachel....i'm sure you knew this! Heh.

HOLY SHIITAKE, BATMAN! funny this should come up in this context-when i lived in japan i saw some pretty amusing menu misspellings in "engrish" my fave- on a bar list "OLD GLANDAD" i don't know -maybe you had to be there.

[hjshorter]

We went out for sushi last night.  While we were waiting for our food I heard a tell tale "snip, snip, snip"  - it was a lull at the door and the hostess was clipping her nails. Mmm...fingernail clippings.

Eeewww.

Tell me this wasn't at the sushi place (Sushi Taro?) in Cherry Creek? My in-laws order from them all the time, and we always go when we're in town.

[megaira]

Nope. It was a place by the mall in Littleton...you & the inlaws are safe! I don't think anyone with out of town guests would take them there.

There's three sushi bars/restaurants, of them all within a mile, all mediocre, all with their pros and cons. One has the largest selection, but questionable quality...another has pretty good quality but a short selection... the third has medium selection, a very tasty house roll and hit & miss quality. I was jonesing for the tasty house roll.

edited to fix wierd typos.

Edited October 27, 2003 by megaira (log)

[FistFullaRoux]

Biggest restaraunt pet peeves:

Not changing the fryer oil often enough. I get this weird kind of bitter taste to anything cooked in it, and I can catch it earlier than most people do.

Assuming that you want sweetened tea when you order iced tea. I try to order unsweetened, and get a moment of hesitation, as though they can't figure out how to do that. (This one is pretty specific for Alabama and the southern US) I do not like sweetened iced tea. And down here, they put enough sugar in there to stand the spoon up.

Not enough napkins at the table. Not that myself and the group that I dine with often are total slobs, but if your silverware is wrapped up in your napkin, and you have a glass of water collecting condensation in front of you, you want to prevent the glass from dripping down the front of you when you take a sip. So the choice is, unwrap the silverware and place it on an uncovered table, hoping the waitstaff used an actual clean cloth to wipe it down, or ask for more napkins. (Okay, I realize this one affects mostly me, and most people don't think twice about putting a fork down on the table. I work in a hospital lab. 'nuff said?)

And speaking of tablecloths, how about the places that put a sheet of glass over the tablecloth? How often do you think that tablecloth gets washed? It does not affect the food, but it's the equivalent of dry humping a dozen strangers on a bus for 45 minutes.

And echoing what others have said, I hate watching my waiter clear a table, carry the dirty dishes to the back, and appear 15 seconds later with my jalapeno poppers. (or whatever) Making waitstaff bus their own tables is a bad idea. there's too much chance of cross contamination.

I am not a neat freak by any stretch of the imagination. But when it comes to food and the way it is handled, especially if I am paying good money for it, I am pretty picky. I'll send plates and glasses back if they have a crusty spot on them. I know how I handle food in my kitchen at home. I expect the same from a place I'm paying for.

[Al_Dente]

Assuming that you want sweetened tea when you order iced tea. I try to order unsweetened, and get a moment of hesitation, as though they can't figure out how to do that. (This one is pretty specific for Alabama and the southern US) I do not like sweetened iced tea. And down here, they put enough sugar in there to stand the spoon up.

And speaking of tablecloths, how about the places that put a sheet of glass over the tablecloth? How often do you think that tablecloth gets washed? It does not affect the food, but it's the equivalent of dry humping a dozen strangers on a bus for 45 minutes.

First Paragraph: In the south, when you say "tea", you're gonna get iced sweet spoon-standing tea. You have to ask for unsweetened-- maybe they'll have it.

Second Paragraph: I will never eat at a restaurant that uses table clothes and glass again. Nor will I ever again go about dry humping strangers on buses. I'm gonna miss that...

[beans]

Biggest restaraunt pet peeves:

Not changing the fryer oil often enough. I get this weird kind of bitter taste to anything cooked in it, and I can catch it earlier than most people do.

*****

And speaking of tablecloths, how about the places that put a sheet of glass over the tablecloth? How often do you think that tablecloth gets washed? It does not affect the food, but it's the equivalent of dry humping a dozen strangers on a bus for 45 minutes.

And echoing what others have said, I hate watching my waiter clear a table, carry the dirty dishes to the back, and appear 15 seconds later with my jalapeno poppers. (or whatever) Making waitstaff bus their own tables is a bad idea. there's too much chance of cross contamination.

Re fryer oil: Yuk. I roger that.

Re tablecloth washing: Generally, at the end of each evening. (hopefully) I've been to, even worse, those vinyl types of table covered places with the downhang/draping part absolutely filthy, but the top is sparkling clean with degreaser/sanitizing commercial cleaning agents! Bigger yuk! That's a no return category. (As long as you mention the humping and cloth thing, think about the bedspreads and blankets at hotels -- sure the sheets are washed.... Point being we all open ourselves up to much germ warfare each time we step out the door. Vile to really thing about, eh?!)

Re the self-bussing waitstaff: That is potential cross contamination, but cost effective by not hiring additional staff to handle just that sort of thing. Sad.

[herbacidal]

(Okay, I realize this one affects mostly me, and most people don't think twice about putting a fork down on the table. I work in a hospital lab. 'nuff said?)

And speaking of tablecloths, how about the places that put a sheet of glass over the tablecloth? How often do you think that tablecloth gets washed? It does not affect the food, but it's the equivalent of dry humping a dozen strangers on a bus for 45 minutes.

And echoing what others have said, I hate watching my waiter clear a table, carry the dirty dishes to the back, and appear 15 seconds later with my jalapeno poppers. (or whatever) Making waitstaff bus their own tables is a bad idea. there's too much chance of cross contamination.

I am not a neat freak by any stretch of the imagination. But when it comes to food and the way it is handled, especially if I am paying good money for it, I am pretty picky. I'll send plates and glasses back if they have a crusty spot on them. I know how I handle food in my kitchen at home. I expect the same from a place I'm paying for.

i don't have close to that level of concern about the table top and putting my utensils down on it. i suppose i just trust the restaurant enough.

for me, the only exception is diners, where i always put napkins down under utensils.

i've never liked the look of the tablecloth with clear glass over it.

i've always been like, if you use tablecloths, then use tablecloths and change them every time.

if not, use really nice tables and wash them every time in between.

the glass thing on top is just stupid.

i could care less about the busser also carrying food.

by cross contaimination, i imagine you're referring to germs between the diner recently finished and diner just about to start.

to me, that's relatively miniscule and overly extreme.