LAZ wrote:

seebee wrote:If you don't know how to use an apostrophe, please, just ask anyone that works with you to proofread your menus or your signage. The person that says "I'll do it" is generally the person who should do it. I cringe every mother^#(*ing time I see your list of Burger's, or Sandwich's, or Special's, or Combination's, or Grill Item's, or Degustation's, or Prixe Fixe's, or Desert Creation's GAAAAAAH!

While you're at it, an apostrophe curls with the opening to the left. Do not let your stupid "smart quotes" software substitute an opening single quote instead. If you have "mac 'n' cheese" on your menu, both apostrophes should curl to the left. If you can't figure out how to do that, turn off smart quotes and use straight up and down marks, spell out "and" or use an ampersand.

And if English is NOT your native language, please hire someone to proofread the menu and to "anglicize" the writing.

While you're at it, an apostrophe curls with the opening to the left. Do not let your stupid "smart quotes" software substitute an opening single quote instead. If you have "mac 'n' cheese" on your menu, both apostrophes should curl to the left. If you can't figure out how to do that, turn off smart quotes and use straight up and down marks, spell out "and" or use an ampersand.

The English, as usual, feel they have a better way. They voted to remove all apostrophes from their signage.

bean wrote:The English, as usual, feel they have a better way. They voted to remove all apostrophes from their signage.

Stupid idiot's.

Reason finally reign's among the residents of Old Blighty: the original proposal to drop the "blot" drew so much disfavour , that the town council voted to retain the pore li'l tyke.

Ah, the Brit's.

Geo

My #1 dining peeve happens surprisingly often: a hamburger bun should be strong enough to handle the burger in question. Thus, if you've got a thick patty, or a lot of gooey 'stuff' on your signature burger, then please give me a bun that won't disintegrate as I eat.

I had a magnificent burger at Hearty last week, but the bun soaked through within the first three bites. It was unfortunate, because it was absolutely delicious, but I don't want to eat a burger with a knife and fork.

I realize this is late...
I went to Burgers and Barley Pop yesterday. Good, would have been nice if they bothered to season their ingredients but I digress. I hope I never hear "pink or no pink" ever again, in regard to how we want our meat cooked.

@ Yunnan Kitchen(NYC) (otherwise a good experience), the other two diners go outside to smoke, with the adage, go ahead and order for us. And I sit, and I sit, and I sit waiting for our waiter to reappear, finally commandeer the hostess and ask after him, by that time friends were just getting back from their smoke. Grrr. I understand that situation is ripe for misperception on the waiter's part, but is it really so hard to check in on me? Friends were catching up on business, so it did, indeed take them 15-odd minutes. I, mean, I'm sitting there with an empty glass, the least one might offer is another cocktail? Otherwise, great food.

@ a favorite Mexican place in the city. Friend says his malbec pour is corked. His girlfriend tastes it, is noncommittal. Waiter vaccillates, brings the open bottle to the table, another pour, but the waiter seems hesitant when the friend asks if he might just open another bottle. It's a little awkward, not the friend and his experience of the corked bottle, but the waiter's reticence. In my experience, esp. when it's just a mid-range bottle, go with the flow, open another bottle for the customer. They did comp us a round of shots of a good tequila. We've been going to this restaurant for years with very few hospitality hiccups; so they did right by us.

I don't understand. Why would they not just open another bottle? It's a glass pour

Christopher Gordon wrote:.... I, mean, I'm sitting there with an empty glass, the least one might offer is another cocktail?

Many times I've wanted to tell a waiter that I'm trying to give them more money if they'd just pay attention to me.

NeroW: exactly, regardless of whatevs, just open another bottle. Sheesh.

Darren72, I'm a short white guy, many is the time waiters are oddly suppressed when I'm the one ordering for the table

I'll leave the above 'cuz "oddly suppressed," is interesting in and of itself....but, the real story is I got caught in one of LTH's recent cf's. The above should read: "oddly surprised."

Christopher Gordon wrote: I'm a short white guy, many is the time waiters are oddly surprised when I'm the one ordering for the table

???????????

There's a stereotype I've never come across before.

sounds weird, but it happens; I shouldn't say "many," it's just when it does it makes an impression

Christopher Gordon wrote:@ a favorite Mexican place in the city. Friend says his malbec pour is corked. His girlfriend tastes it, is noncommittal. Waiter vaccillates, brings the open bottle to the table, another pour, but the waiter seems hesitant when the friend asks if he might just open another bottle. It's a little awkward, not the friend and his experience of the corked bottle, but the waiter's reticence. In my experience, esp. when it's just a mid-range bottle, go with the flow, open another bottle for the customer. They did comp us a round of shots of a good tequila. We've been going to this restaurant for years with very few hospitality hiccups; so they did right by us.

I think this is a case of doing a ritual so many times to the point where we've forgotten the meaning. The whole point is to find out if it's corked, but most people think it's to taste the wine.

I grok where you're coming from. The tasting when purchasing a bottle for the table is of course to see if it's somehow "off." I ordered a Roussanne Viognier(one of two bottles available) at Yunnan Kitchen on the lower east side last week. After feeling a bit neglected as mentioned above, everything went smoothly thereafter. I tasted the pour. It was fine.

Thinking over what I posted, I remember a situation at June in Peoria Heights where everything went well the back to back nights I dined there(once ordering a la carte, once, the degustation). My second night there I started at the bar with a glass of an Italian red, it's been a few years, I can't recall the varietal, the first pour was corked, the second pour from a different bottle was corked, the bartender with aplomb suggested something else. It worked out fine. To my memory, still two of the best meals I've had in a 24 hr period. They remembered my name, I took smoke breaks back when I smoked, I got to talk with the chef the first night and his sous the second. No repeats of my a la carte menu(except those I wanted again). They were super kool.

My Mexican restaurant in NYC remains a favorite, little slip-ups occur at favorites, we were introducing a friend since middle school and her beau to the experience, that easily inflected my perceptions. I don't expect shots or comps here(indeed, it was the first time I'd ever done a shot there). They did their best, remedied the situation and we walked to the river, full bellies and happy.