ridaily - Eating Out
2009-11-11How to Be a Good Customer
Yesterday, Nicole posted a response to a piece that's been the talk of the blogosphere (and twittosphere and facebookosphere): Times blogger Bruce Buschel’s list of “100 Things a Restaurant Staffer Should Never Do.” It's a good list, and I agree with most of Buschel's points. But, having waited many a table and having catered more parties than I care to remember during my college days (and having once been directed to the nasty "servants' bathroom" in the even nastier basement of a prominent East Sider's home.... Really, you don't want the wait staff to have access to hand soap. Really?!), I thought it would be fun to create another list: Things a Customer Should Never Do. After jotting down a few, from the basic, "a simple hello goes a long way" to the absurd, "don't insist your server has a kid when she is telling you otherwise" (yes, this happened to me), I realized a list like this already exists. And it's a pretty damn fun list. (I have to tip my hat to anyone who uses the phrase "amuse douche" in a sentence.) Here it is: "64 Suggestions for Restaurant Customers." Appropriately enough, it's from the blog "I'm Your Server, Not Your Servant," by Patrick Maguire. Enjoy! (Though servers aren't supposed to say that, right?) PS Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments section below. |
|
2009-11-10Rules for the Fragile Diner
Back in September, Lisa posted tips from departing New York Times critic Frank Bruni on what to order in restaurants. I read it with great interest because I am a terrible orderer. I've never in my life ordered anything that made a server compliment my choice. I'll sit there as the server praises the selections of my dinner companions: “An excellent choice.” "Fantastic." “Superb!” Then it is my turn. “All right,” nods the server, unmoved. The shame! You might say, “So what? Who cares?” But I am a worrier. While my dinner mates dive into the bread basket, my mind will be full of ideas. Did the server know something? What happened to the last person who ate what I ordered? So. I was entertained by Times blogger Bruce Buschel’s list of “100 Things a Restaurant Staffer Should Never Do,” which has been making the rounds all over the Internet. Number forty on the list: “Never say, ‘Good choice,’ implying other choices are bad.” Aha! I am not the only one. Perhaps Buschel has been shamed too. Check out parts one and two of the list here and see what your own favorites are. An informal discussion in the office this morning led Lisa to opine that there should be a list for how customers should behave. Definitely. #1: Do not hold the server responsible for your neuroses, maybe? I will work on that one. ;) |
|
2009-11-06The Restaurant at AS220
The Restaurant at AS220 opened today at 11 a.m. and is likely serving its very first customers as I type. Regardless of where you stand on the whole AS220/Taqueria Pacifica controversy (the beloved burrito joint housed within the art space closed a few months back after a rent dispute with AS220), its tough not to be intrigued by the new incarnation's delicious-sounding, super affordable menu. The most expensive item is just $8. Options include roasted pumpkin and squash soup with toasted pumpkin seeds ($4 a bowl); pulled pork empanadas ($4); and grilled chicken with sweet potato mash and collards ($8). No surprise, there are a ton of vegan and vegetarian friendly dishes, such as tandori tofu ($5); whole wheat pasta with spicy pomodoro and local kale ($7); and crispy chickpeas with garlic, basil and paprika ($1.50) (view the full menu here). The restaurant's even got a do-gooder bent, providing six month work positions for youth involved in the RI Training School's culinary arts program and AS220's own Broad Street Studio program for teens in or recently released from state care. And like Taqueria, it sources seasonal ingredients from local farmers and food artisans. Kinda makes you want to celebrate, doesn't it? You can at next Friday's "Hail Seitan" grand opening featuring a $6.66 buffet from 6 to 11 p.m.
|
|
2009-10-30Eats Week
The countdown is on. Newport Restaurant Week starts Sunday (and runs through the following Sunday) and I'm already poring over the menus online. The whole concept intrigues me. How do restaurants serve food that will wow first-time guests enough to draw them back on a regular week, avoid losing money (they're only charging $16 for three-course lunches and $30 for three-course dinners) and put enough on the plate so big eaters aren't tempted to stop at Mickey D's on the way home? Sounds like a challenge. But restaurants keep signing up (nearly 40 are participating this year) and diners continue to fill tables, so the idea must be mutually beneficial for both. Of course, not all Restaurant Week menus are created equal. Here are a few that look especially promising: Spark, Tucker's Bistro, Scales & Shells and Trattoria Simpatico.
|
|
2009-10-27Here’s the Beef
Until three weeks ago, I’d never tasted wagyu beef. Waygu beef, for those who don’t venture deep into the land of carnivores, is very expensive and very marbled, the product of grass-fed cows, and is sometimes called the foie gras of beef – if you can wrap your brain around that concept. But in the last twenty-one days, I’ve had it twice, as waygu beef cheeks no less. (Who knew cows have cheeks; I certainly didn’t.) |
|
2009-10-14Outrage of the Week
In homage to local TV show “A Lively Experiment,” I offer up this scenario. Picture the scene: a dozen thirty-something women, baby shower, weekend luncheon at local restaurant/banquet hall (no name will be used; suffice it to say said restaurant was not my choice). Champagne is poured, orders are placed. Three minutes later our server returns to inform us that for those of us who didn’t order an entrée, we would be charged an additional $3.50 per person. Okay, I admit it; I ordered soup and salad, not because I was trying to save cash (my meal was more expensive than some of the entrees), but because I didn’t want chicken parm let alone a three-pound baked stuffed lobster at 11:30 a.m. I didn’t say anything (not my party), but it definitely raised a few questions — namely, is this even legal? I guess it also answered a question or two, too — namely, why Americans are, um, so fat. Check it out; it’s cheaper to over eat! Oh yeah, and it’s also more cost effective to drink booze at said restaurant. When we got the bill, we realized they charged the same for sparkling cider as they did for sparkling wine. The party organizer questioned it and was told, “Yup, that’s right.” So, um, yeah, drink on! |
|
2009-09-18Trend Watch: Burger Mania
It used to be safe to assume that BYOB meant bring your own booze. These days the acronym is just as likely to mean build-your-own burger. The gourmet burger trend first arrived locally about a year ago, when Todd Rizzo (of Rizzo Ford fame) left the car business to open Ozzi's Steakburger in Warwick. At Ozzi's (one of our Best of Rhode Island winners this year), diners can create customized sandwiches out of countless protein, cheese, sauce, topping and bun choices. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay rolled into town this summer to unveil Bobby's Burger Palace, his causal burger joint at Mohegan Sun. The menu is all about regional flavors: There's the Philadelphia Burger, topped with provolone, griddled onions and hot peppers, the Buffalo Burger, with hot sauce and blue cheese dressing and the LA Burger with avocado relish, watercress and cheddar. Much to our dismay, there are not yet any New England city-themed burgers on the menu. Solo Burgers & Bar pays homage to its Federal Hill location with The Hill Burger, topped with buffalo mozzarella, tomato, basil and a balsamic reduction. The restaurant offers eight other choices, including the heart-stopping "Better Call the Doctor," topped with fried egg, cheese and bacon (a hangover remedy?). The Chow Fun Food Group recently closed its organic, California-inspired Citron Wine Bar and Bistro and opened Luxe Burger Bar in its place. Like Ozzi's, it takes the build-your-own burger approach. The restaurant draws a steady post-work crowd with specials like half-priced starters from 2 to 6 p.m. on Fridays and a live DJ on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Rhode Island-grown franchise Spike's Junkyard Dogs debuted a new co-brand this summer called LuLu's Burgers & Fries. It offers a more abbreviated version of the build-your-own-burger concept. Options include an angus beef burger, grilled chicken breast or portabella mushroom cap doused with one of ten topping styles (everything from BLT to jalapeno and cheddar). This article originally appeared in The Dish, our monthly food e-mail newsletter. Click here to sign up. |
|
2009-09-02What the Hell Should I Order?
I admit it. I loved reading Times critic Frank Bruni’s reviews. Not only is he an incredibly entertaining writer, but he could be unabashedly brutal. Hey, it’s New York — they’ve got to live up to that whole if-you-can-make-it-here-you-can-make-it-anywhere mantra. Before Bruni stepped down from his post as Kingmaker to promote his new book, Born Round, he left his loyal readers with some parting words in a NY Times piece oh-so cleverly called “Good Tips at the End of His Meals.” One question that particularly caught my eye was, "Is there any best, safest way to navigate a menu?” Here’s Bruni’s answer: *Scratch off the appetizers and entrees that are most like dishes you’ve seen in many other restaurants, because they represent this one at its most dutiful, conservative and profit-minded. The chef’s heart isn’t in them. *Scratch off the dishes that look the most aggressively fanciful. The chef’s vanity — possibly too much of it — spawned these. *Then scratch off anything that mentions truffle oil. (I love this.) *Choose among the remaining dishes. For fun, I asked our food critic, Karen Deutsch, how she navigates a menu when conducting a review. Here’s what she had to say: Seasonal ingredients are probably my first concern. No one wants to read about short ribs in June and no one can get fresh corn in December. After that my interest falls to the restaurant’s identity: if the soul is French than I want confit and consommé; if it’s Southern than I’m looking for collard greens. If there seems to be no identity whatsoever then I’m already lost (as are they). But the underlying thrill for me is creativity and technique. And by creativity I don’t necessarily mean modern — New York City’s Craft is still creative in that it approaches things with such unabashed simplicity. And that relies heavily on technique. But inspiration takes many forms: the concept of a dish, the pairing of ingredients, the love for a region, a dedication to doing things right. I’m always looking for that — the opportunity to see something differently or to be introduced to something familiar. Go forth and eat (wisely). P.S. For more from Karen, check out her interview with Jenna in the most recent edition of The Dish. |
|
2009-08-12All-You-Can-Eat (Gourmet?) Chicken
Rhode Island seems ripe for road trips lately. Not only did the Food Network’s Guy Fieri point his ’67 Camaro in our direction, visiting Louis, Liberty Elm and Crazy Burger for his show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" (read more about that here), but the folks at Gourmet have also trekked to our fair state for their August Road Food column. The focus of this piece — “Big Bird in a Little State” is on family-style, all-you-can-eat chicken dinner places, a curious culinary tradition the Ocean State seems to claim as its own. The article, written by Jane and Michael Stern, highlights three Northern Rhode Island institutions: the Bocce Club Restaurant, Village Haven Restaurant and, of course, Wright’s Farm. The latter literally turns out 2,000 pounds of chicken a night. Yup, a literal ton. The Sterns were blown away by the sheer volume of chicken consumed (let’s not forget the starch — bread, pasta, fries and roasted potatoes), the size of the dinner halls (Wright’s seats more than 1,200) and, most important, “how unspeakably good the chicken is.” Out of the three places they visited, they declined to name a favorite. So that’s where we turn to you…. Where do you go to get your roast chicken fix? |
|
2009-08-06Get Your Drink On at Tina's Jamaican
One of the best parts of working on the Best of issue -- on newsstands now! -- is getting some great recommendations from the other editors of new places to try. Be it a spa, restaurant or boutique, I have never been disappointed when checking out a Best of winner for the first time. So I was excited to try out Tina's Jamaican -- Best Caribbean Food -- on Atwells Avenue recently. Aside from the ubitquitous jerk chicken skewers found on so many bar menus, I'd never had what could be considered authentic Jamaican food. The food was (not surprisingly) terrific, but it was my drink that really stuck out. I got the cucumber juice, which Tina makes herself. The spicy-sweet concoction was super refreshing and unique, with lots of ginger flavor. Weeks later, I'm still thinking about it. It's the kind of drink that would hit the spot on a really hot day, or, better yet, brought home to serve as the base of an amazing rum cocktail. |
|
