Monday, January 21, 2013

advertising a restaurant on the back of a $hitter is not cool


Appetizer: literally "apart from the [main] work") or the first course, are food items served before the main courses of a meal.[2] The French (singular and plural) is hors d’Ĺ“uvre. There are several related terms, such as a one-bite appetizer, an amuse-bouche

If that is the definition of appetizer then why do they keep bringing them to my table before or about 30 seconds before they bring my actual meal?

I have gotten to the point where I act like the only thing I am only going to eat is an appetizer in order to make sure I don’t have a dump load of food all at once.  Then I order my meal once I am done with the appetizer. 

This is a good trick – feel free to use it. 

I understanding that “*turning over” a table is a huge part of the restaurant business, but do you really want to piss off your diners?

There is a fine line between timing your meal components… and nobody likes to wait for their meal – even if you have had your appetizer.  So here is another hint: look around… if there are a lot of people and very few of them have dinner in front of them… there is going to be a wait. 

If you are the only person in line waiting for a table and you are waiting – you are going to wait.
If you are seated at a table that has not yet been completely cleared – you are going to wait.
If you don’t get your water and silver where right after you sit down – you are going to wait.
If they give you your water, appetizer and silver where and don’t come back for your drink order…. You are going to wait.

There is nothing wrong with getting up and leaving.  Don’t worry about their feelings.  You are the customer and they want you to like them and come back – leaving is a good sign for them to shape up.  Get a pair….

To be perfectly honest…. Even if you have had a drink or two and an appetizer and then left to linger for an extended period time – it’s ok to leave.  Put a little cash you have on the table.  They are not going to chase you down at the door.  They are too busy to even notice.

And if they do notice and confronted you then tell them that that you were waiting bla bla bla…. They hate that shit and usually melt with apologies and a gift card or something… you are in the power seat.  If you are a dude… then get macho and get-r-done.  If you are a chica then grab ahold of your inner bitch and show your date that you like to take control of dumb shit.  Either person.. it will help your sex life.  Who doesn’t like it when someone takes control (not counting 50 shades of Gray) from time to time? 

Sorry to burst anyone’s “love of chain restaurant” bubble but this mostly happens when you go to chain restaurants or restaurants that are themed as “American” fair and have a ton of televisions around off the walls.  And, if the restaurant has actual commercials – that is probably not a good sign.  Advertisements in Metro Mag, Mpls, St. Paul Mag, in a Playbill or a season brochure are usually safe and good eats.

*turning” a table is a calculation that restaurants use as a measuring point of how many people they can get in their restaurant per night based on how long they are open and how many tables they have.  Many times they like to “turn over” a table as frequently as they can so they can get as many customers through the restaurant as possible.

Obviously this is not ALWAYS the case – so I am not totally generalizing every restaurant this way.  But if you want a nice long meal to chat-up your date… then why not go to a good restaurant that isn’t focused on turning the table over and go to one that takes the time to focus their time on making a good meal? 

Just sayin’ 

BTW - is it good to eat at a restaurant that advertises on the back of a bathroom door?  Hmmmm...