It looks easy, doesn’t it? I mean, they just walk up to your table and take your order. Half the time they don’t even bring your food, right? A food runner delivers your plates – and a busser picks them up after you’re done. Of course your server may help you with wine or beer pairings (and also bring the bill!) but, all told, they may spend 10 minutes or less with you. So what exactly do servers do to earn a tip?
Continue reading Servers – What do they do all day, anyway?
Category Archives: Commentary
Robin Garr’s musings about food and restaurant matters that don’t fit neatly into the “review” category.
Where’s the Browning’s tap?
Tonight we resume the search for the hard-to-find Browning’s microbrew tap in Slugger Field, which is awash in Budweiser. … Browning’s found! Kiosk on concourse sec 119-120. Browning’s Guillotine ESB, $4.75 … in a Budweiser logo cup.
Posted via Twitter
Community Farm Alliance rally against proposed farm rules
News Release: Join CFA and Allied Organizations for a Protest Rally! Tell USDA to STOP N.A.I.S!
Come to Louisville to show your support of Family Farmers and Healthy Food! Friday, May 22, members of Community Farm Alliance and allied organizations will be speaking out against the USDA’s proposed National Animal Identification System.
Our goal is to have 100 people present to tell USDA why NAIS is harmful to family farmers, sustainable healthy foods, and our local food economy. YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED! COME JOIN US AS WE PROTEST N.A.I.S!
Boombozz tweaks Brooklyn pie …
Tony Boombozz has tweaked the new Brooklyn Pizza. Now 17-inch slice is foldable. Only at Springhurst for now.
Hey – it’s your dinner!
So you’re out with friends for a celebratory meal, or perhaps just a regular meal, and – even though the menu’s obviously in English – you’re stymied. Parts of it seem to be Greek to you, and I don’t mean the part that says “hummus.” Hmmm, you think. I wonder what’s in a Bordelaise sauce? At this point, some folks whip out their iPhones and Google like mad. But don’t isolate yourself from the table conversation to do research – after all, you’re there to enjoy the company of your companions. Ask your server!
Continue reading Hey – it’s your dinner!
WC pulled pork slider
White Castle is giving away free samples of its new pulled pork slider with a coupon during May. I am drawn like a moth to the flame!
The WC pulled pork slider isn’t awful, but it won’t win any major BBQ contests. Falling-apart pork; sweet, slight spice, tiny bun.
Can I have that recipe?
Yes. Yes, you can have that recipe. In this economic climate? Heck, you can have my apron, my toque, my chef’s jacket … Are you looking for a used car? Mine’s parked in the back of the lot. Make me an offer.
But let’s be clear about what you’re asking when you request a restaurant recipe. Continue reading Can I have that recipe?
Fox vows to put J. Gumbo’s back on track
Regular readers will recall observations I’ve written in the past about the original Clifton J. Gumbo’s retaining much of its character while some other links in the growing local chain didn’t show so well. This news release about Founder Billy Fox Jr. regaining control of the brand should read as good news for those who loved Gumbo’s, at its best, for quality and value.
During his twenty year career as a thoroughbred horse racing jockey, Billy Fox, Jr. learned a thing of two about taking it all in stride. So after his initial foray into franchising his J. Gumbo’s Down-Home Cajun Cookin’ restaurants didn’t proceed as smoothly as he had hoped, Billy didn’t panic or let failure whip him into a frenzy. Instead, he has confidently taken hold of the reins of his business again. “There’s a joke among the staff.” the Grand Coteau, La., native says, “that they’ve gotten me back in the saddle and the kitchen again.”
Continue reading Fox vows to put J. Gumbo’s back on track
Keepin’ it real: our end of the deal
Since I got this writing gig, I’ve spent a lot of column inches imploring diners to support the local independent restaurant industry. I’ve asked this knowing that belts are tightening, budgets are shrinking and moths are flying out of rarely opened change purses all over the city. But what’s in it for you? What are we doing to entice you to spend your decreasing pool of entertainment dollars at our places of business?
Of course we can drop prices. Many already have. Several local fine-dining establishments have recently revamped their menus to adapt to the changing recessionary and discretionary-funds dynamic. Le Relais, Avalon and Seviche come to mind. But what else can we do for you?’
Continue reading Keepin’ it real: our end of the deal
Vegetarian lunch at Havana Rumba
Had a vegetarian lunch at Havana Rumba, just to prove it can be done. Cubano Vegetariano, fried sweet potatoes, salad, finito!