Random Daily Banter

[briantrumpet]

I'm lucky in that I dislike the experience (waiter: "still or sparkling, sir" me: "tap is just fine" waiter: scowl) and am very happy with many cuisines from around the world that also happen to be much cheaper and come without the charade. I've even eaten in places that don't have alcohol which is unthinkable to many.

I think you might have a USP for a restaurant there: the waiters don't speak, but do everything in charades/mime. The question about still/sparkling/tap water would be an easy one to master. You could reply like Marcel Marceau in Silent Movie.

 

[First Aspect]

PP would like one of those places in Chinatown in San Francisco, where they try to be as rude as possible.

e.g. sliging menu on table and saying "What do you want?" Without eye contact. And pretty much nothing else.

 

[laurentian]

PP would like one of those places in Chinatown in San Francisco, where they try to be as rude as possible.

e.g. sliging menu on table and saying "What do you want?" Without eye contact. And pretty much nothing else.

We were on Rugby tour in Chicago a couple of years ago and a handful of my mates went to a place like this. The level of insults was really, really surprising - amazed they could get away with some of it. Not just rude, downright abusive.

 

[Pblakeney]

We were on Rugby tour in Chicago a couple of years ago and a handful of my mates went to a place like this. The level of insults was really, really surprising - amazed they could get away with some of it. Not just rude, downright abusive.

Bet they demanded a sizeable tip as well.

 

[First Aspect]

We were on Rugby tour in Chicago a couple of years ago and a handful of my mates went to a place like this. The level of insults was really, really surprising - amazed they could get away with some of it. Not just rude, downright abusive.

It's a thing. I think I remember reading that there's an award for the rudest. My first experience, nearly 30 years ago now was entirely unexpected though, so I really got to appreciate it. It is still more enjoyable than being served by a spotty youth eager to get a 25% tip, and who just won't 🦆 off and leave you alone.

 

[laurentian]

It's a thing. I think I remember reading that there's an award for the rudest. My first experience, nearly 30 years ago now was entirely unexpected though, so I really got to appreciate it. It is still more enjoyable than being served by a spotty youth eager to get a 25% tip, and who just won't 🦆 off and leave you alone.

Quite!

I'm pretty sure I saw such a place in Birmingham Grand Central . . . didn't try it

 

[PurplePenguin]

PP would like one of those places in Chinatown in San Francisco, where they try to be as rude as possible.

e.g. sliging menu on table and saying "What do you want?" Without eye contact. And pretty much nothing else.

It's probably fair to say that I don't dislike it as much as other people, and will forget about terrible service if the food is good.

 

[BoldonLad]

I think you might have a USP for a restaurant there: the waiters don't speak, but do everything in charades/mime. The question about still/sparkling/tap water would be an easy one to master. You could reply like Marcel Marceau in Silent Movie.

Some years ago, we visited a place in France (Autun), Rue Saint-Saulge, New St George Salon de The. It was small, maybe 7 tables, and, appeared to be staffed by one person, who fulfilled all roles from waiter, to chef. It was an (pleasant) experience. 😊

 

[PurplePenguin]

Most people I have encountered with this complaint do fall into the quantity over quality category.
I am yet to leave a restaurant hungry.

I have a few times although I think it's gone out of fashion. Much like the way pies are suddenly pies again and not pastry floating on soup. It would be great if taste rather than fashion was the driving factor.

 

[PurplePenguin]

I think you might have a USP for a restaurant there: the waiters don't speak, but do everything in charades/mime. The question about still/sparkling/tap water would be an easy one to master. You could reply like Marcel Marceau in Silent Movie.

Not quite like this, but there is some restaurant in London where you eat in pitch black.

 

[Bazzer]

I have only once knowingly seen the effects of social media "buzz" on an eating establishment.
Mrs B and I couldn't understand why there was a long queue of people along the street, to get into an eaterie in central Manchester. It was only after we spoke to one of our daughters in the evening that we found out.
Whether the food lived up to the hype I have no idea. But Waterstones was a much more attractive proposition, than queueing on a main road for Mexican food at 11am on a cold Sunday morning in January.

 

[First Aspect]

I have a few times although I think it's gone out of fashion. Much like the way pies are suddenly pies again and not pastry floating on soup. It would be great if taste rather than fashion was the driving factor.

There is never a need to deconstruct something that is nice because of the way it is constructed. Like cheesecake.

If it is such a good idea why only with desserts? Why not a deconstructed pork pie, with separate piles of pork and jelly over a pastry crumb? Well, that's because it's a stupid idea.

 

[Pross]

I find the best thing to do when travelling is to ask the people serving you a drink, the people running whatever accommodation you're in, the guy in the shop etc etc,:

". . . if you were going out to eat, where would you go . . ."

This rarely results in a poor experience.

(I also often ask the waiter what they would choose from the menu . . .)

I had the misfortune of going to our local 5 star hotel for afternoon tea last weekend, if I'd asked a waiter there for a recommendation they'd have probably said McDonalds or KFC. They've always struggled a bit for the quality of waitng staff you'd expect for a hotel of that quality due to its location but pre-Covid / Brexit they did at least have a decent proportion experienced European staff who treat hospitality work as a career rather than something to earn pocket money / provide spending money when studying. Having gone there fairly regularly in the past but not for a few years I was amazed at how poor it has become.

The afternoon tea itself was a bit of a rip off at over £40 per person for 3 finger sandwiches, a sausage roll, small tart, turkey wrap plus 3 or 4 small cakes and scones. I had to ask for a fresh plate after the sandwiches which you would think would just be done automatically, they also took the knife and fork but didn't send a replacement so I ate the cakes with my tea spoon. We were initially provide one small pot of jam and one small pot of cream between four of us whereas one each was needed to get anything meaningful on the scones. We did pay quite a bit more for afternoon tea for my daughter's graduation at oe of those Instagram places in Victoria but at least we got the expected level of service and far more food.

 

[Pross]

I have only once knowingly seen the effects of social media "buzz" on an eating establishment.
Mrs B and I couldn't understand why there was a long queue of people along the street, to get into an eaterie in central Manchester. It was only after we spoke to one of our daughters in the evening that we found out.
Whether the food lived up to the hype I have no idea. But Waterstones was a much more attractive proposition, than queueing on a main road for Mexican food at 11am on a cold Sunday morning in January.

You can tell it's a social media venue when it gets referred to as an "eaterie".

 

[Pross]

It's a thing. I think I remember reading that there's an award for the rudest. My first experience, nearly 30 years ago now was entirely unexpected though, so I really got to appreciate it. It is still more enjoyable than being served by a spotty youth eager to get a 25% tip, and who just won't 🦆 off and leave you alone.

My daughter's friend opened a restaurant that was a franchise that did exactly this Karen's Diner but it failed after a few months. I suspect this was due to it not having enough of a USP in this area.