George wrote on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 15:46:25 -0500:

> Gloria P wrote:
>>
>> Do your local Chinese restaurants charge for a pot of tea?
>>
>> When we lived in New England, and now in Colorado, the
>> waitstaff brings a free pot of tea after taking your order
>> even if you don't ask for it, and it's usually quite a nice
>> tea.
>>
>> We were quite surprised on my first trip to California, back in the
>> 70s when things were cheap, to ask for tea along with our other
>> drinks, and find a $2 charge on the bill for it. I
>> think it was in L.A. We ate a lot of Chinese and Japanese
>> that trip because it was such a nice change from New
>> England's bland Cantonese style.
>>
>> What's customary where you live?
>>
>> gloria p
> Around here whatever hits the table is on the bill. Most of
> our Chinese restaurants are of two kinds, buffet, or take-out.
> Mostly Cantonese plus the occasional Schezwan dish.

You know, I don't ever remember being charged extra for tea or the
refills that were supplied cheerfully, neither here or in San Francisco.
--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not