ExiledInIllinois Posted November 4, 2009 Posted November 4, 2009 Better to be a dick that an idiotic moron. No. There are a lot of idotic morons that are dicks. For you it is like winning the lottery.
ExiledInIllinois Posted November 4, 2009 Posted November 4, 2009 I'll offer a (small) defense for wait staffs who are forced to say crap like "Hi! I'm so-and-so!!! How can I help you!!!!" I dislike the dropping down of plates followed by an immediate "Is everything alright?", and requests that get answered with "No Problem!" A fellow classmate in college chemistry and graduate school was a waiter. He was a native Buffalonian of strong Polish extraction. Top shirt button always buttoned. I once visited his place of employment - back when dining out was much more rare than now...reservations etc. He acknowledged me as Mr. _____. He set his own tables - silverware and glassware placed in the formal dinner fashion. He served from the left. Knew when silverware placed on the plate meant removal. After serving a course, he came back 5 minutes later, and asked if all was suitable. If not, he would rectify it. Nothing was wrong. When we were finished and wanted the bill, all I had to do was raise my head and look around, raise a finger. He acknowledged, walked over, and I said "bill, please." And it was delivered, and all he said was "Thank you for visiting us, Sir." None of this "Have a good day." It wasn't just me, because he was a colleague of mine and putting on airs. I observed him - 'twas the same for all of his tables. I hope he's still in the biz. Good luck! In today's society try and find someone who knows what service to others mean... More like service to me... More like this: IFH Monday's I got my own take on it and it has to with the transformation to a service society about 30 years ago... There are people who are forced into the service sector who really don't belong there. In the old days said douchebag could find a job in industry and even if they acted like a douchebag there, they were still behind the scenes... One could bounce from one steel mill to another or roll off one ship to another ship. What I am saying is that everything is about service today and there is a backlash because of it.
Chef Jim Posted November 4, 2009 Posted November 4, 2009 No. There are a lot of idotic morons that are dicks. For you it is like winning the lottery. Good to see you're keeping up with the conversation as usual.
ExiledInIllinois Posted November 4, 2009 Posted November 4, 2009 Good to see you're keeping up with the conversation as usual. I am sorry. I forgot to mention Ralph too. No denying he is an idiotic moron and a dick too.
Chef Jim Posted November 4, 2009 Posted November 4, 2009 I'll offer a (small) defense for wait staffs who are forced to say crap like "Hi! I'm so-and-so!!! How can I help you!!!!" I dislike the dropping down of plates followed by an immediate "Is everything alright?", and requests that get answered with "No Problem!" A fellow classmate in college chemistry and graduate school was a waiter. He was a native Buffalonian of strong Polish extraction. Top shirt button always buttoned. I once visited his place of employment - back when dining out was much more rare than now...reservations etc. He acknowledged me as Mr. _____. He set his own tables - silverware and glassware placed in the formal dinner fashion. He served from the left. Knew when silverware placed on the plate meant removal. After serving a course, he came back 5 minutes later, and asked if all was suitable. If not, he would rectify it. Nothing was wrong. When we were finished and wanted the bill, all I had to do was raise my head and look around, raise a finger. He acknowledged, walked over, and I said "bill, please." And it was delivered, and all he said was "Thank you for visiting us, Sir." None of this "Have a good day." It wasn't just me, because he was a colleague of mine and putting on airs. I observed him - 'twas the same for all of his tables. I hope he's still in the biz. Sure but I guaran!@#$ingtee that his food sat under the heat lamps too long and forgot to write sauce on the side on his order on many occassions
tennesseeboy Posted November 4, 2009 Posted November 4, 2009 Ralph Wilson surley knows the difference too... Yet, he is still a dick. no no...JAURON is a dick. Wilson is a Ralph.
stuckincincy Posted November 5, 2009 Posted November 5, 2009 Sure but I guaran!@#$ingtee that his food sat under the heat lamps too long and forgot to write sauce on the side on his order on many occassions Beats me...it wasn't the type of joint where patrons got any glimpse of the kitchen. This was a while back - sides like beets, parsnip, turnip, and occasionally - rutmus - were served. Sauces were less prevalent. You'd come across Brussels sprouts now and then. Which I thought a bad idea - I find them overpowering. Personally, I think they are best served with greasy potatoe chips - the defunct Buffalo brand, Schuler's, and Wise (before they got bought out by somebody) were ideal.
erynthered Posted November 9, 2009 Author Posted November 9, 2009 http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/05/o...ever-do-part-2/ This is the second half of the 100 do's and don'ts from last week's post. Again, this list is for one particular restaurant, mine, which is under construction in Bridgehampton, N.Y., and will, with any luck, open this spring. I realize that every deli needs a wisecracking waiter, most pizza joints can handle heavy metal, and burgers always taste better when delivered by a server with tattoos and tongue piercing(s). Not even a hundred suggestions can cover all the bases, so one is grateful for the many comments following the 50, including striking "you guys" from the restaurant lexicon and making sure the alcohol order is taken lickety-split. Thanks for all of the help. 51. If there is a service charge, alert your guests when you present the bill. It's not a secret or a trick. 52. Know your menu inside and out. If you serve Balsam Farm candy-striped beets, know something about Balsam Farm and candy-striped beets. 53. Do not let guests double-order unintentionally; remind the guest who orders ratatouille that zucchini comes with the entree. 54. If there is a prix fixe, let guests know about it. Do not force anyone to ask for the "special" menu. 55. Do not serve an amuse-bouche without detailing the ingredients. Allergies are a serious matter; peanut oil can kill. (This would also be a good time to ask if anyone has any allergies.) 56. Do not ignore a table because it is not your table. Stop, look, listen, lend a hand. (Whether tips are pooled or not.) 57. Bring the pepper mill with the appetizer. Do not make people wait or beg for a condiment. 58. Do not bring judgment with the ketchup. Or mustard. Or hot sauce. Or whatever condiment is requested. 59. Do not leave place settings that are not being used. 60. Bring all the appetizers at the same time, or do not bring the appetizers. Same with entrees and desserts. 61. Do not stand behind someone who is ordering. Make eye contact. Thank him or her. 62. Do not fill the water glass every two minutes, or after each sip. You'll make people nervous. 62(a). Do not let a glass sit empty for too long. 63. Never blame the chef or the busboy or the hostess or the weather for anything that goes wrong. Just make it right. 64. Specials, spoken and printed, should always have prices. 65. Always remove used silverware and replace it with new. 66. Do not return to the guest anything that falls on the floor — be it napkin, spoon, menu or soy sauce. 67. Never stack the plates on the table. They make a racket. Shhhhhh. 68. Do not reach across one guest to serve another. 69. If a guest is having trouble making a decision, help out. If someone wants to know your life story, keep it short. If someone wants to meet the chef, make an effort. 70. Never deliver a hot plate without warning the guest. And never ask a guest to pass along that hot plate. 71. Do not race around the dining room as if there is a fire in the kitchen or a medical emergency. (Unless there is a fire in the kitchen or a medical emergency.) 72. Do not serve salad on a freezing cold plate; it usually advertises the fact that it has not been freshly prepared. 73. Do not bring soup without a spoon. Few things are more frustrating than a bowl of hot soup with no spoon. 74. Let the guests know the restaurant is out of something before the guests read the menu and order the missing dish. 75. Do not ask if someone is finished when others are still eating that course. 76. Do not ask if a guest is finished the very second the guest is finished. Let guests digest, savor, reflect. 77. Do not disappear. 78. Do not ask, "Are you still working on that?" Dining is not work — until questions like this are asked. 79. When someone orders a drink "straight up," determine if he wants it "neat" — right out of the bottle — or chilled. Up is up, but "straight up" is debatable. 80. Never insist that a guest settle up at the bar before sitting down; transfer the tab. 81. Know what the bar has in stock before each meal. 82. If you drip or spill something, clean it up, replace it, offer to pay for whatever damage you may have caused. Refrain from touching the wet spots on the guest. 83. Ask if your guest wants his coffee with dessert or after. Same with an after-dinner drink. 84. Do not refill a coffee cup compulsively. Ask if the guest desires a refill. 84(a). Do not let an empty coffee cup sit too long before asking if a refill is desired. 85. Never bring a check until someone asks for it. Then give it to the person who asked for it. 86. If a few people signal for the check, find a neutral place on the table to leave it. 87. Do not stop your excellent service after the check is presented or paid. 88. Do not ask if a guest needs change. Just bring the change. 89. Never patronize a guest who has a complaint or suggestion; listen, take it seriously, address it. 90. If someone is getting agitated or effusive on a cellphone, politely suggest he keep it down or move away from other guests. 91. If someone complains about the music, do something about it, without upsetting the ambiance. (The music is not for the staff — it's for the customers.) 92. Never play a radio station with commercials or news or talking of any kind. 93. Do not play brass — no brassy Broadway songs, brass bands, marching bands, or big bands that feature brass, except a muted flugelhorn. 94. Do not play an entire CD of any artist. If someone doesn't like Frightened Rabbit or Michael Bublé, you have just ruined a meal. 95. Never hover long enough to make people feel they are being watched or hurried, especially when they are figuring out the tip or signing for the check. 96. Do not say anything after a tip — be it good, bad, indifferent — except, "Thank you very much." 97. If a guest goes gaga over a particular dish, get the recipe for him or her. 98. Do not wear too much makeup or jewelry. You know you have too much jewelry when it jingles and/or draws comments. 99. Do not show frustration. Your only mission is to serve. Be patient. It is not easy. 100. Guests, like servers, come in all packages. Show a "good table" your appreciation with a free glass of port, a plate of biscotti or something else management approves.
Booster4324 Posted November 9, 2009 Posted November 9, 2009 #101 - If you're a douche bag, don't open a restaurant.
BillsPride12 Posted November 9, 2009 Posted November 9, 2009 It looks like Im jumping into this topic a little late, but as someone who saw it from a mutual standpoint(I worked as a busboy when I was in high school at a restaurant) there was definitely friction between the cooks and servers. I later worked at a couple car dealerships part-time when I was going through college as a detailer and it was the exact same thing there between car salesmen and detailers/mechanics. There was alot of contempt for the salesmen as they did absolutely nothing but bull **** customers into buying the cars while we did all of the actual work on the cars. The salesmen did more bitching and moaning than anyone else there and if they wern't dealing with a customer you could find them flicking rubber bands around or hitting on the 18year old receptionists while we were cleaning the floors for barely over minimum wage. It was funny to as a young adult seeing first hand the difference between guys who made their living by doing blue-collar laboring work in the mechanics and on the other hand all those lazy salesmen who hated to get their hands dirty and just the complete difference in the personalities and lifestyles they had.
stuckincincy Posted November 9, 2009 Posted November 9, 2009 It looks like Im jumping into this topic a little late, but as someone who saw it from a mutual standpoint(I worked as a busboy when I was in high school at a restaurant) there was definitely friction between the cooks and servers. I later worked at a couple car dealerships part-time when I was going through college as a detailer and it was the exact same thing there between car salesmen and detailers/mechanics. There was alot of contempt for the salesmen as they did absolutely nothing but bull **** customers into buying the cars while we did all of the actual work on the cars. The salesmen did more bitching and moaning than anyone else there and if they wern't dealing with a customer you could find them flicking rubber bands around or hitting on the 18year old receptionists while we were cleaning the floors for barely over minimum wage. It was funny to as a young adult seeing first hand the difference between guys who made their living by doing blue-collar laboring work in the mechanics and on the other hand all those lazy salesmen who hated to get their hands dirty and just the complete difference in the personalities and lifestyles they had. Were paragraphs on the menu? They are delicious, and aid the digestion. Sorry...
Beerball Posted November 9, 2009 Posted November 9, 2009 64. Specials, spoken and printed, should always have prices. 100% agreement. Part of the way I make my mind up on what to order is the price. Don't make me ask.
Chef Jim Posted November 9, 2009 Posted November 9, 2009 100% agreement. Part of the way I make my mind up on what to order is the price. Don't make me ask. Chicken ****. My pet peeve? If you're going to buy my lunch or dinner let me know before I order not when the check comes. That lobster dish looked good.
LeviF Posted November 9, 2009 Posted November 9, 2009 72. Do not serve salad on a freezing cold plate; it usually advertises the fact that it has not been freshly prepared. I think there should have been a 72a: Do not serve salad on a hot plate. I hate warm lettuce.
Chef Jim Posted November 9, 2009 Posted November 9, 2009 I think there should have been a 72a: Do not serve salad on a hot plate. I hate warm lettuce. I have not gone through the list yet but 72 is bull ****. Just because the plate is cold doesn't mean it was prepared ahead of time. There's this great process used in restaurants to keep plates cold until needed. It's called a refrigerator.
Beerball Posted November 9, 2009 Posted November 9, 2009 98. Do not wear too much makeup or jewelry. You know you have too much jewelry when it jingles and/or draws comments. Just last night I said to a waitress..."my, your necklace is nestled ever so gently between your breastessesses." I didn't mean it as a negative.
ExiledInIllinois Posted November 9, 2009 Posted November 9, 2009 I have not gone through the list yet but 72 is bull ****. Just because the plate is cold doesn't mean it was prepared ahead of time. There's this great process used in restaurants to keep plates cold until needed. It's called a refrigerator. Exactly! I was gonna say the same thing... I worked a little in a kitchen and they would pull the salad dishes after keeping them cold and then make the salad. Who wants a salad dish right out of the dishwasher (which was me... ). Don't they have chillers that specifically chill dishes (at least made for that sole purpose)?
MattyT Posted November 9, 2009 Posted November 9, 2009 93. Do not play brass — no brassy Broadway songs, brass bands, marching bands, or big bands that feature brass, except a muted flugelhorn. Thank you! Too much cornet just ruins a good quiche. But a muted flugelhorn can make a meal perfect.
Chef Jim Posted November 9, 2009 Posted November 9, 2009 Exactly! I was gonna say the same thing... I worked a little in a kitchen and they would pull the salad dishes after keeping them cold and then make the salad. Who wants a salad dish right out of the dishwasher (which was me... ). Don't they have chillers that specifically chill dishes (at least made for that sole purpose)? Yes.
KD in CA Posted November 10, 2009 Posted November 10, 2009 62. Do not fill the water glass every two minutes, or after each sip. You'll make people nervous. 62(a). Do not let a glass sit empty for too long. These both annoy the crap out of me and more often than not one of them is the case. Ditto with coffee. On the other hand, I'd be fine if they refilled my beer every two minutes, but that never seems to happen.
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