Miss Jean wrote:

At The Club (where I used to work as the only waitperson in a room
with 36 seats), we called it "The Two Bite Rule". It went like this:

Serve the food (only after making sure what was on the plate was
indeed what was ordered by the diner). While you are at the table,
check for additional requirements, such as another drink, additional
condiments, fresh napkins, etc. Then leave the table and stay gone
long enough for the customer to cut his steak and take a couple of
bites. Then go back and BE SPECIFIC: How is your steak, sir? Or Would
you care for more butter for your lobster? NOT "Is everything ok?"


That would shit me to tears, quite frankly.

I like my waiters to be intuititive, not checking off questions by rote the
moment I bite down.


--
Gold ODDY Winner, 2002

Lucian Wischik wrote:
Miss Jean wrote:

Then leave the table and stay gone long enough for the customer to
cut his steak and take a couple of bites. Then go back and BE
SPECIFIC: How is your steak, sir? Or Would you care for more butter
for your lobster?

Does anyone else dislike this as much as me?

yes, me.


Yeah, maybe I could get you to take the steak back and cook me another
one, in the process screwing up the eating experience with the other
people at the table. But two bites isn't anywhere near enough time for
me to judge the rest of the dish, and just about all comments about
the food won't be resolvable anyway. ("I'd have liked a touch less
thyme." "Could you make this again with a more flavourful variety of
tomato please?") Also, two bites into the food is always in the middle
of an interesting conversation with the other people at the table.

thankyou !


If I have any complaints, I'll sure as anything attract the staff's
attention.


ditto.

--
Gold ODDY Winner, 2002

"lea" wrote in message
...
Lucian Wischik wrote:
Miss Jean wrote:

Then leave the table and stay gone long enough for the customer to
cut his steak and take a couple of bites. Then go back and BE
SPECIFIC: How is your steak, sir? Or Would you care for more butter for
your lobster?

Does anyone else dislike this as much as me?

yes, me.

I personally hate it when the server comes back to the table after I have
started eating and asks me how everything is. I usually have a mouthful of
food or am engaged in fun conversation with my husband. The server's
interruption sidetracks everything.

Once I start to eat I DON"T WANT TO BE BOTHERED.

I have been thinking about making a small card that I can hand to the
serving staff. The card would say "Thank you for taking my order. I would
appreciate it when my order has been served that you do not came back to the
table to ask me how things are. If I want something I will signal for you.
No signal means things are fine. I want to enjoy my dinner and conversation
with my husband without being interrupted. Again thank you for your
service."

NitroFishBlue wrote:
I personally hate it when the server comes back to the table after I have
started eating and asks me how everything is.

I guess it depends what kind of a service the place thinks it
provides.

In Italy I go to a small osteria, maybe in the city, maybe in the
countryside. They make a particular kind of dish in a particular kind
of way, it's what they do, and they do it well. You have gone there
because you want to sample it. They don't ask if everything's all
right, and you don't complain, because that'd be like going to a
vineyard and then saying that you'd prefer them to give you oranges
not grapes.

Instead, in my favourite higher-end places in the UK the creator of
the meal is an expert at knowing what's nice. The idea is that you go
there, you surrender yourself into their hands and eat what they've
chosen. You've gone to this particular place because you have trust in
them, and because they're more expert at this than you -- more able to
pick out flavours, tastes, ideas that will please and intrigue you.
Maybe they make mistakes (garlic icecream!) but that's the adventure.


On the other hand, if a place thinks it can offer unique food
customized to the preferences of each patron, and if it asks each
patron if their dish meets their preferences -- I simply don't believe
that such a flexible place does its stuff as well as the inflexible
specialised places. (At least, not without an enormous price
increase).

I also get the impression that american consumers are more keen to
have things how they want, while italian and english consumers are
more willing to accept what's given. So it's not a surprise to me to
get more "Is everything ok?"s in america than in europe.

--
Lucian

"lea" wrote in message
...
: Miss Jean wrote:
:
: At The Club (where I used to work as the only waitperson in a
room
: with 36 seats), we called it "The Two Bite Rule". It went
like this:
:
: Serve the food (only after making sure what was on the plate
was
: indeed what was ordered by the diner). While you are at the
table,
: check for additional requirements, such as another drink,
additional
: condiments, fresh napkins, etc. Then leave the table and stay
gone
: long enough for the customer to cut his steak and take a
couple of
: bites. Then go back and BE SPECIFIC: How is your steak, sir?
Or Would
: you care for more butter for your lobster? NOT "Is everything
ok?"
:
:
: That would shit me to tears, quite frankly.
:
: I like my waiters to be intuititive, not checking off questions
by rote the
: moment I bite down.
:
:
: --
: Gold ODDY Winner, 2002
:========

Yes and no... While I may not be able to judge the entire meal
within 2 bites - at least I won't be sitting there for the next
20 minutes with a steak that is overcooked that I won't eat
(which I would have determined the first time I cut into).

Cyndi
Remove a "b" to reply

Cyndi"

snip:
: Yes and no... While I may not be able to judge the entire meal
: within 2 bites
snip

Sorry... replied to the wrong one. Aarrgghh! (still remembering
Pirate Day)
Cyndi
Remove a "b" to reply

Count me as one who doesn't like the practice. As far as I'm concerned,
the food is either fine or it needs to be sent back to the kitchen as
not fine. Unless I expect the server or manager to do something to fix
the problem, I don't want to talk about it. (The meal has to be truly
horrendously inedible for me to complain.) (No, that's not true. I'll
complain to you guys but not the servers.) If servers ask me if I'd
like more butter for the lobster, I get the feeling that they're fishing
for compliments. If they think I might need more, why not go get it and
stop bothering me?

--Lia


Lucian Wischik wrote:
Miss Jean wrote:

Then leave the table and stay gone long enough for the customer to cut
his steak and take a couple of bites. Then go back and BE SPECIFIC: How is
your steak, sir? Or Would you care for more butter for your lobster?


Does anyone else dislike this as much as me?

In article , Lucian Wischik
wrote:


Yeah, maybe I could get you to take the steak back and cook me another
one, in the process screwing up the eating experience with the other
people at the table. But two bites isn't anywhere near enough time for
me to judge the rest of the dish, and just about all comments about
the food won't be resolvable anyway. ("I'd have liked a touch less
thyme."


Obviously, they aren't going to change the amount of thyme in your food.
However, if they get enough complaints, they may decrease the amount of
thyme used in that dish. But they really aren't trying to find out how
well you liked the meal. They are seeking to correct gross errors which
would have a major effect on the enjoyment of your meal. If your steak
was cooked very differently than you ordered, you want that fixed right
now, not after you are done eating. Same thing if they brought the wrong
item, like if you have a choice between fries and a baked potato, you
probably want that fixed before you are finished.



If I have any complaints, I'll sure as anything attract the staff's
attention.


And I'd rather that they come by and make sure everything is OK.

--
Dan Abel
Sonoma State University
AIS

Lucian Wischik wrote:

If I have any complaints, I'll sure as anything attract the staff's
attention.

That's what I said, if the server doesn't vanish, but moves around
the floor keeping an eye out, I will catch their eye if everything
is not okay. If I'm not looking around for them, everything is
fine. Also, keep an eye on my drink, I hate being stranded trying
to get someone to bring me another iced tea or wine. That's a
pet peeve of mine, being left high and dry like that. Wouldn't
happen if the server didn't disappear into the server black hole
that most restaurants seem to have.

nancy

I went out to dinner with a friend tonight and the waiter was a total jerk. We
were sitting in the smoking section, and my friend asked for an ash tray, and
the waiter just threw it on the table. We ordered salads which arrived with our
entrees, not before, and our drinks arrived about 5 min after that. When I
asked for a refill of my ice tea, the waiter reached across the table and
poured it, or more acurately-dumped it into my glass, while tea sloshed down
the side of the pitcher into my plate of food. And when I said "You just poured
tea all over my food!" he said "I'll go get you some napkins." Then disappeared
for 15 min. Then he came back-without napkins or a fresh plate of food. He
slapped our bill down on the table and stomped off. For the first time ever, I
did not leave a tip. As we were leaving the hostess asked how our dinner was
and I told her that the food was ok, but the service was horrible, and doubted
we would ever be back. The thing is, before we went to the restaurant I was in
a great friday night mood, and that waiter just ruined my night.

Sandra

NitroFishBlue wrote:
"lea" wrote ...
Lucian Wischik wrote:
Miss Jean wrote:

Then leave the table and stay gone long enough for the customer to
cut his steak and take a couple of bites. Then go back and BE
SPECIFIC: How is your steak, sir? Or Would you care for more
butter for your lobster?

Does anyone else dislike this as much as me?

yes, me.

I personally hate it when the server comes back to the table after I
have started eating and asks me how everything is. I usually have a
mouthful of food or am engaged in fun conversation with my husband.
The server's interruption sidetracks everything.

Once I start to eat I DON"T WANT TO BE BOTHERED.

I have been thinking about making a small card that I can hand to the
serving staff. The card would say "Thank you for taking my order. I
would appreciate it when my order has been served that you do not
came back to the table to ask me how things are. If I want something
I will signal for you. No signal means things are fine. I want to
enjoy my dinner and conversation with my husband without being
interrupted. Again thank you for your service."

heh


--
Gold ODDY Winner, 2002

Lucian Wischik wrote:

snip

I also get the impression that american consumers are more keen to
have things how they want, while italian and english consumers are
more willing to accept what's given. So it's not a surprise to me to
get more "Is everything ok?"s in america than in europe.

I just find the American "Is everything ok?" perfunctory, like "have a nice
day". 1 person in 20 really hopes you *do* have a nice day, the others do
it to avoid getting the sack.

--
Gold ODDY Winner, 2002

Rick & Cyndi wrote:
"lea" wrote ...
Miss Jean wrote:

At The Club (where I used to work as the only waitperson in a room
with 36 seats), we called it "The Two Bite Rule". It went like this:

snip

Then leave the table and stay gone
long enough for the customer to cut his steak and take a couple of
bites. Then go back and BE SPECIFIC: How is your steak, sir? Or
Would you care for more butter for your lobster? NOT "Is everything
ok?"


That would shit me to tears, quite frankly.

I like my waiters to be intuititive, not checking off questions by
rote the moment I bite down.


Yes and no... While I may not be able to judge the entire meal
within 2 bites - at least I won't be sitting there for the next
20 minutes with a steak that is overcooked that I won't eat
(which I would have determined the first time I cut into).

I wouldn't allow 20min to pass by. If my meal is not to my asking ( ie: as
with steak ), I expect to be able to turn around in the direction in which
my waiter departed, to catch his eye with a simple raised finger/hand ( not
the "bird" motion , and to have him/her by my side in record time.

A good waiter can perform Miss Jean's "2-bite-rule" without having to
intrude on the table, but to keep a watchful eye from a distance post
serving.


--
Gold ODDY Winner, 2002

Dan Abel wrote:
Lucian Wischik wrote:


Yeah, maybe I could get you to take the steak back and cook me
another one, in the process screwing up the eating experience with
the other people at the table. But two bites isn't anywhere near
enough time for me to judge the rest of the dish, and just about all
comments about the food won't be resolvable anyway. ("I'd have liked
a touch less thyme."


Obviously, they aren't going to change the amount of thyme in your
food. However, if they get enough complaints, they may decrease the
amount of thyme used in that dish.

This is something I would make comment on post-meal.
When the waiter collects my plate, I would let them know my meal was
delicious ( if it was ), but perhaps a bit heavy on the thyme. It didn't
ruin my meal, but i'd let them know if I felt it excessive etc.


--
Gold ODDY Winner, 2002

We would all like Jeeves (or Bunter) to be serving us, quietly,
unobtrusively, and with psychic powers. I wonder what Jeeves' wages
were? Outside of *very* upscale restaurants, waitstaff is essentially
untrained outside something like the 'two bite rule' required by a
chain restaurant. For most servers, these are fill-in non-professional
jobs paying less than minimum wage. The quick adapters will realize
that they can make more money by being attentive. And the thoughtful
ones will devise some method (can't say what it might be) to judge
whether "is everything OK?" is attentive or obtrusive.

Having been on both sides of the table, I'm surprised there aren't
more incidents of "going restaurant" than "going postal." *We* are all
reasonable and polite and undemanding, and appreciative of good
service, but many aren't. And we don't complain when our mechanics or
plumbers are socially inept. Nor demand they observe some strict
protocol when attending to our needs. We're bloody grateful to *find*
a plumber or mechanic that will attend sometime sooner than a week
from next Tuesday. And we pay them enough to support a winter home in
the Bahamas.

Lighten up. :-)