Ready To Order? Guide

Friday

Harriette Cole on Daily News about the Art of Waiting Tables

I have to report to our blog this very nice article that I red in Harriette Cole Sense & Sensitivity. The title was very attractive and I really take pleasure to read it for all the people that work in this industry. Thanks Harriette and also thanks to Christie, Shreveport, La:

Not much percentage in waiting tables, so give your server a break

Dear Harriette:In response to Andrea in New York, who wrote about proper tipping for hairstylists: While I agree with the etiquette for her profession, she said, "Why should a waitress get $20 for putting a couple of plates and glasses on a table because the bill is $100?"
Are you kidding me?

I am a waitress at a national chain steakhouse, and she has obviously never waited tables. In Louisiana, the minimum wage for us is $2.13 an hour, which we have to turn over for taxes. I virtually never receive a paycheck and work just on tips.

Waiting tables is not as easy as she seems to think. We do much more than just put stuff on the table. Some people (and their kids) seem to think it's okay to boss us around and talk down to us, while we constantly refill their drinks and go back and forth with their food. We have to run each other's food to tables and make sure everything comes out right. It can be pure chaos when there's a two-hour wait and we're trying to get people in and out, the whole time with a smile on our faces.

If we're lucky enough to get 20%, we still have to tip out to the hostesses, busboys and bartenders. So please tell Andrea to make sure she knows what she's talking about before making those kinds of comments again.

Christie, Shreveport, La

Link to Harriette Cole Sense & Sensitivity

Thursday

BAD CRITICS? MY ONCLE USE TO SAY...

My oncle use to say: it doesn’t matter if people is talking bad about you, start worring when they don’t have anything to say about you anymore…

Did you heard about the owner of Kobe Club? The same person that open and closed the famous Rocco’s and his mother place, and the same that owns at list 20 restaurant in the city? He paid for the all page on the New York Times because a Food critic said that his restaurant wasn’t good. So He spent probably about…I let you imagine how much, to explaine how the critic should apologies to his very hard workers staff.
The all point was just to advertise his restaurant and show how the other critics actually rated this restaurant the best restaurant opened in 2007 (…by the way, it’s only February…).

What do you think?
A very smart way to make the people talking about you, the pride to be the best, or the angriest to hear from one critic that your creation restaurant that for you is the best, is actually not for absolutely everybody else?

I don’t believe in anything perfect and I still think that the Kobe Club Restaurant is a piece of art.

My compliment to Mr. Jeffrey Chodorow for the job at that restaurant but what do you think about his letter?

How many times you saw bad restaurant reviews in this area and the places are packed?

Here is the link to the letter on the New York Times. Have fun !!!

Wednesday

TRANS FAT LOW IN NEW YORK

On December 5, 2006, the Board of Health approved an amendment to the Health Code to phase out artificial trans fat in all NYC restaurants and other food service establishments.

The phase out of artificial trans fat in restaurant foods will happen in two stages.

First, restaurants will have until July 1, 2007, to make sure that all oils, shortening and margarine containing artificial trans fat used for frying or for spreads have less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. Oils and shortening used to deep fry yeast dough and cake batter are not included in the first deadline.

The second deadline is July 1, 2008. By that date, all foods must have less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving if they have any artificial trans fat. Packaged foods served in the manufacturer's original packaging are exempt.

New Yorkers dine out a lot - more than a third of our daily calories come from food eaten away from home. On average, Americans consume almost 6 grams of trans fat each day. A single fast food meal can contain more than 10 grams of trans fat!

Trans fat is replaceable.
Artificial trans fat can be replaced with readily available heart-healthy oils (such as corn, canola, and soy), without changing the taste of foods.

NEW RESTAURANT MIRIAM (ISRAELI FOOD)

Remember Hill Restaurant? That is now the new Israeli Miriam Restaurant in Court Street. The owners seem to be the same but the place as definitely a new look now. They organize parties up to 80 people and everybody seems to be very frendly and full of energy. They just opened on Thursday and they seem to have a very succesfull restaurant also in Park Slope. Did anybody tried it yet?
Let us know what do you think about the change.

Tuesday

THE BEST CHOCCOLATE EVER !!!

This is really the top of the chocolate! It's called Venchi and they make choccolate in Italy from the 1878 ad the are absolutely the best. Are they expensive? If you consider that they don't have any shop in New York and you have to ask for a Fedex shipping, ordering that online maybe yes, you will consider that expensive, but trust me. It is worted to try it.

www.venchi.it

Monday