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Do You Socialize With Servers?

partysugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 12:50:55 -0700

Maybe it's because I'm from a very social family, but when I go to a restaurant I can't help but socialize with my waiters. Whether I'm asking their opinion on the wine list or wondering what their name is, I enjoy chatting with my servers. How about you?

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Yummy Links: From Obama Waffles to Washing Dishes

partysugar — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 06:45:30 -0700

Bad taste: Obama Waffle mix. - Slashfood
Make your kitchen hazard-free. - Chow
Does food really travel 1,500 miles from farm to table? - Slate
Toast the last days of Summer with sparkling margarita floats. - Hostess with the Mostess
How to cook with quinoa.- The Kitchn
Can service at a restaurant ever be too good?- The Epi-Log
The do's and don't's of sandwich bags. - Simply Stated
The city of Toronto may ban paper coffee cups. - Serious Eats
Be more energy-efficient when washing dishes.- CasaSugar

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Philadelphians Are the Highest Tippers

YumSugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:00:55 -0700

The City of Brotherly Love is also the city with the most-tipping love. Based on Zagat's newly released Philadelphia survey, the city's residents leave a generous 19.6 percent tip on average, compared to the countrywide average of 19 percent. Diners in New York - long considered the most expensive place to live in the US - only tip equal to the countrywide average, while those in Los Angeles tip below average at 18.4 percent.

Do Philadelphians really possess more love for their fellow citymen? Or is it because of Philadelphia's large number of BYO restaurants? I'm most surprised by the fact that New Yorkers tip such a meager amount. When I lived in Manhattan more than five years ago, it was considered standard to tip 20 percent due to the high cost of living there, and the fact that so many New Yorkers make a living in the service industry. Do these numbers surprise you? Are they in line with what you would normally tip, given decent service?

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Have You Ever Worked in the Restaurant Industry?

partysugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:45:54 -0700

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Do You Ask Servers For Menu Recommendations?

YumSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:45:45 -0700

Often, when I'm trying to decide between two dishes, I'll ask servers what they recommend. Sometimes they won't have an opinion, but often, servers are very knowledgeable about what the best items on the menu are. I rarely regret taking their advice. How about you?

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Apparently There Are No Waiters In The Future

YumSugar — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 14:48:31 -0700

A restaurant in Nuremberg, Germany has figured out a way to eliminate bad service forever. How'd they do it? Simple, they eliminated service completely. At the bistro 's Baggers, which is now the first sit-down restaurant in the world without waiters, the waitstaff has been replaced by a fully automated ordering system. Each table has been connected to the kitchen via metal rails and meals are ordered via a touch-screen at each table.

Customers' orders are registered upstairs in the kitchen and a computer in the cellar keeps track of supply stocks. The system also calculates the likely delivery times for drinks and meals at every table and keeps customers informed.

What I want to know is what happens when the computers crash, and how do you get a refill, or send something back?

Source: Spiegel International

Rude Waiters Ruin the Dining Experience

YumSugar — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 01:38:39 -0700

When you dine out, do you care more about the food or the service? A recent survey conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation showed that most people care about the service. The survey, which is part of the ORC's "Ouch Point" series - a monthly survey examining tolerance thresholds in a variety of common scenarios, concluded that rude wait staff was responsible for 25% of the dining "ouch points." The study also showed that the younger you are, the less likely you are to handle rude wait staff. In the 18-24 year old age group, rude wait staff took 55% of the votes, compared to the overall 25%.

I guess I would have to agree. I know that I've had amazing food and horrible service and left remembering only the service. Would you agree? If not what is your biggest dining "ouch point?" To find out what the rest of the survey results are, read more

Rude waiters 25%
Hosts/Maitre d's who underestimate waiting time for a table 20%
Slow service 15%
Poorly prepared food 12%
Cold food 10%
Being ushered out of the restaurant after paying the check 3%
Dirty menus 2%
Fast service 1%

Source: PR Newswire

Let's Hear It For The Waitstaff!

partysugar — Mon, 21 May 2007 01:08:19 -0700

In honor of today being National Waitstaff Day, I thought it would be a good time to give a roaring round of applause to all of you readers who work at restaurants, bars, and cafes. I worked as a bartender/waitress, and know how difficult, frustrating, and exhausting it can be, so if you eat out today give an extra tip and remember that your server is a person too! A good waitperson not only delivers your meal, but stops by the table to check on you, keeps an eye on your table, and deals with comments about food/drink that they didn't make. They totally deserve a salute and today's the day to leave a 20% tip, so cheers to all of the waiters out there!

What Would You Do?

YumSugar — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 14:00:22 -0700

We've all been in crazy situations, and I want to know how you handle entertaining fiascoes and bad restaurant behavior. I'll present a situation and you tell me what you would do. Here's today's scenario:

You and a friend have sidled up to the bar at a small French bistro famous for burgers. You share the burger and a bowl of mussels, which are so good, you want to enjoy them to the last bite. But before you're finished eating, the waiter starts accosting you with polite, yet passive-aggressive questions like, "May I take your plate? Are you done with that?" You're still working on the mussels, but the shell plate - and all your silverware - get cleared without asking! After a few attempts to finish your meal sans utensils, you finally throw in the napkin.

Following the aggressively rushed service, you receive your bill, and want to tip accordingly. That's when you realize that the bistro's lone server is standing over you, watching you fill in the gratuity on the bill. What would you do?

To find out what I did - yes, it happened to me at a San Francisco hot spot! - read more.

Despite the server's rushed attitude, I refused to crack under the pressure. After all, I had already finished my meal before I was ready! My friend and I waited for what seemed like an eternity before he walked away and then signed our checks, which, it goes without saying, reflected the terrible service.

What do you think about the way in which the situation was handled? How would you have reacted if it happened to you?

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Yummy Links: From Waiters to Laptop Bags

YumSugar — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 11:58:35 -0700

Be sure not to miss this exposé into the world of waitering by The Amateur Gourmet. It's a great read. - Serious Eats
Ever get a bottle of wine and discover it's been "corked"? A lot of people would just throw it out, but just a little Saran Wrap will help uncork corked wine. - Cheap Fun Wines

Not everyone seems to eat Peeps, but I think everyone can appreciate these Peep S'mores. - Baking Bites
Warning: I'm about to make a seriously bad pun. These edible cigars with garlic-yogurt dipping sauce are smoking! I can't wait to try these. - Hooked on Heat
Think you hate tofu? Oh but think again. How could you hate something that is dredged in flour, browned in butter and then slathered in maple syrup? - Gastrokid
The bf has been trying to get me to bake a tomato pie for the last two years. Maybe he'll settle for this drool-worthy tomato and olive tart. - What's For Lunch, Honey
These vegan blueberry muffins look so tasty you probably won't notice that they're missing the butter. - Have Cake Will Travel
Once again, Elise manages to make even simple things like creamy asparagus soup look amazingly elegant. - Simply Recipes
And this is not food related in any way, but geeksugar's giving away a pink laptop carrier that is probably too fancy for the market, but if you win it, you could always try. - geeksugar