Northwest Suburban Dinner #2 -Asian Bistro- Thurs Nov 8

I know we said Wed were pretty good for everyone but every Wed is booked in the evening for me till Dec 5. So in an effort to keep the NW suburban dinners going

Dinner at Asian Bistro look on Thursday Nov 8
Time: 7pm

(located on SW corner of Golf Rd & Arlington Heights Rd, details: http://www.asianbistro.biz/ )

FYI, I will re-engage the owner and ordering off of the Chinese menu here. The "special" Chinese menu is much about Sichuan cooking, so is inherently very spicy. The manager and I (as well as other LTH'ers) have discussed the desire that dishes are to be served as if we were his Chinese clientele - so again the spice levels will be above that of what typical western palates like.

Attending:
ronnie_suburban
jygach
Willie
Cathy2
jlawrence01
LAZ
BrendanR
dodger
Cookie Monster
Katie
helen

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Ooh! Count me in on this one. I've been meaning to get there, in fact I was there yesterday at noon, but no lunch menu on Saturdays and wasn't up for an expensive lunch.

I'm in. Thanks, Willie, for getting the ball rolling.

=R=

I'm in Sweet Willie. Looking forward to it.

Jyoti

ok, I just posted their under construction website in post #1.

It mentions a hot pot which I'd really like to try !

So far, this looks good for me. I'd love to join you.

Hi,

Gee if Suburban Ronnie can make it, then I guess I can make it, too! I really need to help Katie see there are really two of us!

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Gee if Suburban Ronnie can make it, then I guess I can make it, too! I really need to help Katie see there are really two of us!

ok, I guess you non-NW suburban folks can attend!!

Sign me up.

Please add RheS and me.

I want to attend.
Please add me to the list!
-Brendan

Sorry. I have to cancel. Husband reminded me of a previous commitment. Next time.

I am in.

thanks for your efforts in doing this.

D.

I'd love to join you, as well.

Hi,

I was there for lunch yesterday. I highly recommend they are warned of a large group attending. It was very busy. They had only two servers who were treading water to keep up. We ended up pouring our own water. I met them at the bar to get my check just to speed things up.

We did like the Szechuan wonton (or was it the dumplings?) quite a bit. We really liked the sweet-spicy sauce. We shared an order of Ma Po Tufo, which was fine. We would ask them to substitute in the sweet-spicy sauce for their standard. Just couldn't get enough of that sweet-spicy sauce.

Their location is just north of Johnnies and Mitsuwa, which may help people orient their trips.

Regards,

I want to come but I have a question about the price. Last event I attended was great but the price at the end was much higher than was announced on the forum. I would like to have a firm commitment on what the price will be so that people that leave early will not leave the rest of the group picking up their tab. This may sound harsh but we all want to have a good time and getting stuck with paying someone else's tab kind of ruins my evening.

Cookie Monster wrote:I want to come but I have a question about the price. Last event I attended was great but the price at the end was much higher than was announced on the forum. I would like to have a firm commitment on what the price will be so that people that leave early will not leave the rest of the group picking up their tab. This may sound harsh but we all want to have a good time and getting stuck with paying someone else's tab kind of ruins my evening.

I can certainly appreciate the sentiment but a big part of what happened at the last dinner was that a price was given (here) that didn't include tax, tip or drinks. We pretty much all ordered cocktails, which were (iirc) $6 each. So, here's the way it worked out:

$30 (dinner) +
$6 (drink) +
$3 (8% tax) +
$7 (20% tip, before tax)
= $46

We were each asked to put in $48. Perhaps a few people ordered more than 1 cocktail but even so, the $48 we were asked to pay was very much in line with what was originally posted, all things considered.

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Cookie Monster wrote:I want to come but I have a question about the price. Last event I attended was great but the price at the end was much higher than was announced on the forum. I would like to have a firm commitment on what the price will be so that people that leave early will not leave the rest of the group picking up their tab. This may sound harsh but we all want to have a good time and getting stuck with paying someone else's tab kind of ruins my evening.

I can certainly appreciate the sentiment but a big part of what happened at the last dinner was that a price was given (here) that didn't include tax, tip or drinks. We pretty much all ordered cocktails, which were (iirc) $6 each. So, here's the way it worked out:

$30 (dinner) +
$6 (drink) +
$3 (8% tax) +
$7 (20% tip, before tax)
= $46

We were each asked to put in $48. Perhaps a few people ordered more than 1 cocktail but even so, the $48 we were asked to pay was very much in line with what was originally posted, all things considered.

=R=

I understand your sentiment as well. I apologize for leaving on the earlier side, but for the record, I only drank water. I honestly thought that leaving $40 was going to cover me.

I would be happy to chip a few dollars extra next time. I am just not sure if I can attend on 11/8 yet b/c it is my dad's birthday. On a side note, I kind of prefer meeting for dinner on Sun, Mon, Tues or Thurs rather than Wed. But I understand if the majority prefers Wed.

I don't intend for this meal to be a set menu, the mgr and I spoke of ordering off of the Chinese menu when the group is there. So price is a unknown. (FWIW, prices here are not pricey so this shouldn't scare anyone off)

I also do not intend for anyone's alcohol to be added to the bill as it seems that this created heartaches with the bill. You drink, you pay your own.

It is kind of ironic that this subject is coming up as on a travel board I frequent this same discussion is going on about some people picking up more than their fair share of a bill/event.

Thanks Willie for clarifying the situation. I think that sounds like a good idea of everyone paying their own drink tab. If this is the way the dinner is structured then please count me in.
Ronnie here is the way I did my math
Dinner: $30
Drink: $5(actual cost of my drink)
Tax: $2.8
Tip: $7
Total: $44.80
I paid $48 dollars for dinner, I know its not much that I had to pay over but it is the principal of the matter, if you want to go out and have a good time pay your own way don't expect the rest of the crowd to pay your way. I think that it is unfair, other people in the forum have mentioned to me that one of the reasons that they do not attend these dinners anymore is because they get stuck paying someone else's tab. I want to have a good time but in my head I am thinking here I go again paying for someone else's fun which really bugs me.
This is my 10 cents worth.

Cookie Monster wrote:Thanks Willie for clarifying the situation. I think that sounds like a good idea of everyone paying their own drink tab. If this is the way the dinner is structured then please count me in.
Ronnie here is the way I did my math
Dinner: $30
Drink: $5(actual cost of my drink)
Tax: $2.8
Tip: $7
Total: $44.80
I paid $48 dollars for dinner, I know its not much that I had to pay over but it is the principal of the matter, if you want to go out and have a good time pay your own way don't expect the rest of the crowd to pay your way. I think that it is unfair, other people in the forum have mentioned to me that one of the reasons that they do not attend these dinners anymore is because they get stuck paying someone else's tab. I want to have a good time but in my head I am thinking here I go again paying for someone else's fun which really bugs me.
This is my 10 cents worth.

I understand completely that it's not the $3.20, it's the fact that it's more than it should be and if that happens often enough, it eventually takes another potential meal (at a restaurant) off the table.

Hopefully, this is an issue that can be worked out easily, going forward. I worry though, because the thought of 10+ people all paying separate amounts for a shared meal sounds like a problem in and of itself -- and taking that route doesn't guarantee that there won't be discrepancies anyway.

=R=

My apologies to the group, I left early and only threw in $38. I didn’t have a drink and thought that should have covered it. This was only my 3rd dinner get together and I didn’t realize you tipped 20%. I just figured 15% and rounded up a little.

Tipping 20% is ok with me, by the way, in most cases. In this case I was disappointed in the service. I asked for extra chips for our side of the table twice from 2 different servers, never got them. Also, it was hard to get my water glass refilled too.

Even giving them a leeway for the size of the group I thought the service was not what it should be.

D.

dodger wrote:My apologies to the group, I left early and only threw in $38. I didn’t have a drink and thought that should have covered it. This was only my 3rd dinner get together and I didn’t realize you tipped 20%. I just figured 15% and rounded up a little.

Tipping 20% is ok with me, by the way, in most cases. In this case I was disappointed in the service. I asked for extra chips for our side of the table twice from 2 different servers, never got them. Also, it was hard to get my water glass refilled too.

Even giving them a leeway for the size of the group I thought the service was not what it should be.

D.

Actually at most restaurants with parties over 6 they include an 18% tip in the actual bill itself. So even if you did feel service was bad they get you anyway with an included tip.

I've GOT to go to this dinner, just to see if ronnie_suburban and Cathy2 really can be in the same place at the same time! I have heard so many stories of "oh, Ronnie, your friend Cathy was just here!" and vice versa that I won't believe they're not changing clothes in a phone booth or something until I see them both at the same time.

I will RSVP for just one person this time, as I think I screwed up the accounting a little last time by not giving adequate notice that Sweet Baboo would not be joining me after all. I hope I covered for him adequately.

That said, I am in favor of keeping the drinks tabs separate, though whether they are or not, I do always try to make sure to chuck in more than enough to cover my glasses of wine.

SW mentioned that this was currently being discussed on another forum he frequents, and I think I saw some discussion of the topic in the "Ask Amy" column in the Chicago Tribune. As I recall, Amy's advice to the teetotaler was to ask for drinks and food to be on separate tabs.

Sweet Willie, you're starting a fine tradition here! I really enjoy the opportunity to meet face-to-face and talk to some fellow LTHers from the burbs.

Sweet Willie wrote:I don't intend for this meal to be a set menu, the mgr and I spoke of ordering off of the Chinese menu when the group is there. So price is a unknown. (FWIW, prices here are not pricey so this shouldn't scare anyone off)

Do you mean that everyone will order separately? That seems very awkward for a Chinese meal (typically served family-style) for more than 10 people.

Surely people will want to share and taste different things? I suggest that you put the possible choices up here and let folks work out a menu ahead of time. Then we can figure the price with tax and tip and all will know where they stand.

If that's not possible due to translation issues for the Chinese menu, the solution may be to come up with a price and ask the restaurant to choose the dishes.

Sweet Willie wrote:I also do not intend for anyone's alcohol to be added to the bill as it seems that this created heartaches with the bill. You drink, you pay your own.

That's fine, so long as the restaurant is willing to handle separate checks for drink orders.

manager and I have spoke about creating a set menu, when I get time later this weekend I'll post the potential menu, I think all will be pleased at the cost and the variety of dishes.

--

Thanks for all your efforts, Willie. You did a wonderful job with the menu for Flamingo's. I'm sure this will be great, too. I'm looking forward to it!

Sweet Willie,

I am really glad to hear about the special menu. Thanks for your efforts - I am looking forward to it!

Jyoti

jygach wrote:I am really glad to hear about the special menu.

here is the Menu:

Starters:

Szechuan Hot & Spicy wontons
Szechuan Beef Stomach
Baby Shrimp w/scallion pesto
Green Mountain Smoked Beef w/dipping sauce
Spicy Jelly fish
Chengdu Liang Mein (sweet/spicy noodles)

Entrees:

Lamb Twin Delight
Szechuan Sea Cucumber
Sweet Sour Fish
Yu Shung Eggplant
Chungdo Sauteed Szechuan Pork
La Tsi Chicken
Szechuan Green Bean
Black Pepper Ribs

If there are 20 of us, the cost pp is about $12-14 (pre tax/tip/bev)

--

Awesome!

Great job, Willie. Thanks for the good work on this.

=R=