300700 Mon Aug 15 15:38:30 -0700 2005 60 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1672664 I just had a flawless birthday dinner at Gary Danko, a four star restaurant in San Francisco. The couple next to us was a few courses ahead of our table. For dessert the man ordered the chocolate souffle with two sauces, the woman ordered the yogurt panna cotta. After the waiter poured the sauces on to the man's souffle, THE WOMAN ASKED HIM TO POUR HOT CHOCOLATE SAUCE ON TO HER PANNA COTTA! The waiter was clearly reluctant, but at her insistence he dribbled a dot on to it. Without even tasting the unadulterated panna cotta, she grabbed the sauce and literally drenched it in chocolate. Now, I know that different people have different taste preferences, but we're talking about Panna Cotta; one of the most delicate, fragile desserts in the world. This was a yogurt panna cotta which had a wonderful tart kick to it and was not too sweet. It was properly chilled and had the light, airy texture you only find in perfect panna cotta. By pouring hot chocolate sauce on it this heathen destroyed the temperature, the texture and the taste of the dessert in one idiotic motion; the panna cotta immediately melted into a syrupy, chocolaty mess. There are certain things you just don't do with food. You don't say, "these house cured anchovies are too cold, would you throw them in the microwave?" or "this red wine is too warm and too strong tasting, can I have some ice?" Restaurants are my temple of worship and it was like she walked in to the temple and spat on the floor because "that's the way she likes to pray." Am I the only one who feels this strongly? Anyone have any anecdotes to rival this woman's idiocy? I just needed to vent to some sympathetic ears. When I try talking to my friends they get that old "Morton's raving about food again" glazed over look in their eyes. Mon Aug 15 15:38:30 -0700 2005 0 Morton the Mousse 1 1672665 Yes, I believe you should eat everything the way someone else prefers it, especially if you are paying for it. Mon Aug 15 15:46:05 -0700 2005 1672664 0 SuzyInChains 1 1672666 I take it she was forcing you to eat some of it? No? Then it doesn't concern you in the least. Mon Aug 15 15:52:55 -0700 2005 1672664 0 WLA 2 1672707 True enough, I suppose.. OTOH, Morton's story reminds me a bit of the time hubby and I were at a high end chop house which had a special of a kobe filet, at something like $70...guy next to us orders it and asks for it cooked 'well done'...you could just see the server cringe, and then the server said something to the effect that the chef doesn't think that cut should be cooked well done, and would he consider getting it medium or ordering another...so, guy says, well medium is fine...then when it comes (you could see this coming, right?) he asks for steak sauce... However, he only puddled the steak sauce on the side and didn't pour it all over the steak...and maybe he really didn't like it just medium, because he left half the steak untouched on his plate! Ok, so hubby and I are looking at that $35 hunk of meat..and I'm thinking: If he had asked for it rare I'd have asked if I could have his 'doggie bag'.....:-) Tue Aug 16 02:48:08 -0700 2005 1672666 0 susancinsf 1 1672667 Were you paying for her food? Were you eating her food? Did someone force you to even WATCH her eat her food? Why do you care what she does with her food? As to the house of worship, I am reminded of Thomas Jefferson's line "It does me no harm for my neighbor to believe in many Gods, or no God". And she didn't spit on your floor. That would only have been true if she had poured sauce on YOUR food. Mon Aug 15 16:06:49 -0700 2005 1672664 0 Peter Flom 2 1672682 >>"It does me no harm for my neighbor to believe in many Gods, or no God" Amen. Thomas Jefferson was a smart man. Mon Aug 15 17:30:58 -0700 2005 1672667 0 Sir Gawain 1 1672668 Oh, for heaven's sake. "Restaurants are my temple of worship and it was like she walked in to the temple and spat on the floor..." I don't know about other 'hounds but I don't worship in restaurants. I tend to be too busy eating and drinking in restaurants to have time to worship the restaurant or its chefs. It's none of your business what the woman did. If she wants to pay $12 (or whatever a dessert at Gary Danko goes for) for a puddle of chocolatey yoghurty mess, then that is her own business. There may be things that YOU would never to do with food, and certainly there are things I would never do with food, but those are matters of personal taste and just because yours doesn't match hers doesn't mean yours is better. If that's the most worrisome thing that happened to you that week, count yourself lucky. Mon Aug 15 16:25:53 -0700 2005 1672664 0 Das Ubergeek 1 1672670 Mr. Manners says its not polite to stare at other people's tables. Mon Aug 15 16:28:40 -0700 2005 1672664 0 MidtownCoog 1 1672671 so much for the sympathetic ears. i guess their chef is the only one who will commiserate with you. sorry. Mon Aug 15 16:33:08 -0700 2005 1672664 0 Loren3 1 1672672 Personally I think you are getting dumped on here. I agree with you... but it wasn't your food, and you weren't the chef. Now if I had cooked the food I would have been very upset, and would have explained to the person WHY, (right before I had a tantrum and threw them out...LOL.) Mon Aug 15 16:34:39 -0700 2005 1672664 0 JMF 2 1672700 I agree with JMF - of course in the "real" world, your post is a little food-freaky, but this IS Chowhound after all!. Of all the places, I would've thought people here wouldn't have been so food-observation-judgemental (is that a term?). Anyways, yes you over-reacted, but I get it! :) Mon Aug 15 22:59:50 -0700 2005 1672672 0 Rubee 1 1672673 I had the experience one time at being at a very upscale restaurant,when I overheard a customer make a request for ketchup(or is it catsup but thats another rant)for their steak, the captain who was carving the beef didn't miss a beat..." I do believe we keep some in back for the help"... Mon Aug 15 16:42:13 -0700 2005 1672664 0 Phu Bai 2 1672677 I hope the patron gave 0 tip to the captain, and complained to the owners, who should then have made the captain apologize. Restaurants exist to make customers happy, not to make chefs happy, and not to make captains happy. Mon Aug 15 16:59:48 -0700 2005 1672673 0 Peter Flom 3 1672678 And the "Captain" is still "Help" in my book. Mon Aug 15 17:01:26 -0700 2005 1672677 0 MidtownCoog 1 1672679 I think it's a shame that some people are unable to appreciate complex, but subtle, flavours for what they are, but I try not to take it too personally when they don't or can't. When I cook at home, and someone pours salt all over a dish without even tasting it, I cringe inwardly, but I don't say anything. Someone who is eating something I didn't cook, and didn't pay for isn't something I would get too worked up about, though I probably would spare a passing thought for the chef. Mon Aug 15 17:11:51 -0700 2005 1672664 0 Jacquilynne 1 1672680 First of all, belated happy birthday. Well, I kind of like ice in my red wine from time to time. I've even been known to add water to cheap wine. I could give you examples of restaurant fuax pas, but they would all be me making them. While I try to behave myself in restuarants, I really dont care very much on whether I'm stressing out local diners by adding ketchup to my fois gras ... mmmm. First of all, I'm probably never going to see any of these people again in my life and there are so many worse things in life than some stranger's opinion of me and my tastes. And you know, the only one this bothered was you. It made your dining experiece a little less pleasant. I can see though how that black, windowless Gary Danko could put one in a cranky mood. These are just resturants though. No one dies. Enjoy yourself and ignore the clods. We have to eat too. Don't rants belong on the Not About Food board? Mon Aug 15 17:19:07 -0700 2005 1672664 0 rworange 1 1672685 I guess my OP made me sound more outraged than I actually was. In fact, I found the entire incident to be largely hilarious and only mildly offensive. It certainly did not mar my meal or mood in the slightest bit. It's hard to communicate tongue-in- cheek humor on a bulletin board. It's also a younger generation sense of humor thing; we state the absurd and hyperbolic as matter of fact (hence South Park) and we're always a bit confused when folks look at us aghast, as if we were actually being serious. I assumed that everyone would interpret my "heathen spitting in the temple" comments as such, but I guess not. I did enjoy the anecdote about the ketchup at the steak house, I was hoping for more stories like it. (BTW the Captain is not "the help" no one in a restaurant (or any business) is "the help" and it's just that sort of attitude that will ensure you get awful service everywhere you go (probably a topic for another thread)). Bottom line: I care deeply about food, as do most people on this board, and it's hard for me to see someone destroy a culinary masterpiece without an inward cringe or groan. Of course it's not something to get worked up over, but it does make for an amusing anecdote/rant. Thanks for listening. Mon Aug 15 18:31:04 -0700 2005 1672664 0 Morton the Mousse 2 1672687 Hmmm. o.k. that makes you perfectly normal then..... and we thought you were just freaky...... Siva Mon Aug 15 18:51:33 -0700 2005 1672685 0 Siva 2 1672690 Good followup clarification post. I too would been amused and confused had I seen the same thing. As for similar stories, my deceased grandfather was absolutely NOTORIOUS in our family. Later in life his tastebuds were a lot less sensitive, and he insisted on pouring green tabasco sauce on anything and everything. One time, we were in a very swanky and reputable restaurant and he had ordered duck in a sweet cherry/red wine reduction sauce. He asked the waiter if he could bring some green tabasco. The waiter pretended not to hear, but grandpa persisted and the waiter finally, reluctantly, found some in the kitchen and brought it to the table. A table full of family watched in horror as he doused the duck with tabasco and ate with great relish. While the chowhound in me was horrified, it was very funny, and now that he's gone, we still talk about this story all the time and laugh. Mon Aug 15 20:02:38 -0700 2005 1672685 0 Celeste 2 1672692 While dining at a restaurant in Hangzhou, China, the Hindu gentleman at the table next to me asked if I could tell the server to bring him some hot chili sauce, which he proceeded to add to everything. He mildly complained that the food he was getting on his tour did not seem "local" enough. I tried to explain to him the differences in regional cuisines, particularly this area of SuHang, which is known for its lighter, fresh tasting dishes. You know, when in Rome, do as the natives, that kind of thing... I think it fell on deaf ears, but the tour guide thanked me later for trying to enlighten him. That being said, I have relatives who put ketchup on steaks and chops. I have given up saying anything to them. Mon Aug 15 20:25:48 -0700 2005 1672685 0 anli 2 1672696 Your followup makes you seem much more sensible than your original post. Yes, I too care deeply about food. I also would have found it amusing to see someone do something like that..... OTOH, many of us chowhounds eat combinations that strike others as bizarre - there have been threads on this in the past. Mon Aug 15 21:07:49 -0700 2005 1672685 0 Peter Flom 2 1672703 "It's also a younger generation sense of humor thing; we state the absurd and hyperbolic as matter of fact (hence South Park) and we're always a bit confused when folks look at us aghast, as if we were actually being serious." Well... of course. A generational thing. And we just don't get it. Golly. You know what? Us geezers play a different game. Whenever we hear a kid pretending to say something really silly then we pretend to slap him around. If you believe that then I'll believe your original post was a joke. Tue Aug 16 00:21:15 -0700 2005 1672685 0 Bob Martinez 3 1672796 Damn smart-ass back-pedaling kids. Bah. Tue Aug 16 23:06:19 -0700 2005 1672703 0 peg 2 1672712 You have now lost all credibility in my book. Tue Aug 16 08:15:27 -0700 2005 1672685 0 JMF 3 1672813 I don't think you were joking in the original post. I think you reversed yourself because you got flamed by other posters. Wed Aug 17 08:29:28 -0700 2005 1672712 0 JMF 2 1672723 The fact that you watch someone else eat that closely still creeps me out, even if you were joking. Tue Aug 16 11:53:13 -0700 2005 1672685 0 MidtownCoog 2 1672729 I totally heard your "tone" and agree this should be a safe space for such rants. Never really understand the lectures on how one "should" feel... to me that's not the point at all! Oh well seems like you took it well. Dunno if it's "generational" but I love South Park... Tue Aug 16 12:16:00 -0700 2005 1672685 0 julesrules 3 1672857 Same here. I can't figure out what he said that PO'ed so many people. It's not like he got up and lectured the lady...he waited to vent on Chowhound. So what South Park reference is appropriate now? Screw you guys, I'm going home? Yeah, I want Cheesy-poofs? Would you like some more tea, Polly Prissy Pants? Wed Aug 17 17:17:31 -0700 2005 1672729 0 danna 4 1672860 >>So what South Park reference is appropriate now? Screw you guys, I'm going home? Yeah, I want Cheesy-poofs? Would you like some more tea, Polly Prissy Pants?>> Oh, s***! They killed Morton! Wed Aug 17 18:54:59 -0700 2005 1672857 0 bibi rose 5 1672880 You B*&%($@s ! (thank you for the first cover-my-mouth-to-stiffle-laughter moment of the day...guess I'll go back to working now.) Thu Aug 18 11:11:58 -0700 2005 1672860 0 danna 2 1672740 your original post and your follow up are both examples of fine writing, passion and comedy. Let he who has never ever once eavesdropped either on someone's conversation or plate cast the first stone. sheesh! for the record: it is very very rare that I ask the chef to modify my entree, and is next to never do I ask to modify a dessert. i don't pray that way. Tue Aug 16 14:17:40 -0700 2005 1672685 0 rumdrinks 2 1672749 My mother belongs to a camping club. Sometimes they go to a restaurant for dinner when they are camping. Most of the members are senior citizens. At one restaurant one of the male campers ordered a steak. He told the server to tell the chef to place the steak on the grill and turn it over and take it off the grill. The server brought the steak and the camper said it was over cooked and sent it back. He got another steak and again said it was overcooked. The chef came out and the camper told him the steak was overcooked. The chef said I quit! He had not finished cooking for the other campers. Not all of the campers had been served yet. They told the man next time you order last so we can get our food before you make the chef quit. I know this sounds like a made up story but it really happened. Tue Aug 16 15:02:44 -0700 2005 1672685 0 gerrycooks 3 1672755 well - I sure wouldn't blame the cook's stupidity and inability to follow the specific desires of a customer, on the customer. I would have done exactly as he asked and sent out the nearly raw piece of beef - I would have made sure it came from the stack of gristly, unmarbled stuff that is kept in the fridge for a while just for the well-done's and the complete idiots - especially those that are passing through... We were out with the office guys once and one of us sent back his hot boneless wings - not once, but twice, saying they weren't hot enough. They came out the third time redder than my candy apple red Ford - absolutely soaked in Tabasco or something much more evil. The guy took a bite and could not eat them - I not only laughed so hard I had beer up my nose, but I then immediately became the cook's advocate and not only pointed out that my co-worker had gotten precisely what he had asked for, but went on to goad him, publicly, into eating what he had made such a fuss about. The cook's real revenge, I figure, came afterwards... Of course, any person that would order that misnomer/gustatory nightmare that completely removes the point of mixing the heat with the tasty, greasy wing, and uses a tasteless piece of breast meat... such a person would probably order california roll... deserves some help... Oh yes - the customer's always right. (heh, heh) Tue Aug 16 15:39:25 -0700 2005 1672749 0 applehome 2 1672775 I am the same age as Trey Parker, do I still qualify for getting your 'tongue-in-cheek' post? I keep rereading it, but it still doesn't seem funny, what am I doing wrong? Will listening to The Strokes help? Tue Aug 16 18:11:32 -0700 2005 1672685 0 Sir Gawain 1 1672695 I once dated a man whose family brought several cases of fine California wine to his brother's wedding. At the reception, he observed his future in-laws filling tumblers with ice and pouring in cabernet and lime, dumping Sprite into the chardonnay, and finally taking a bottle of white and one of red and mixing them together after someone suggested, "Hey, let's make rosé!" The patriarch of the wine-bearing clan immediately called an emergency family meeting. They huddled together and he whispered, "I want you all - for the family - to drink as much of this wine as you possibly can. And hide the rest. Please do this for me." Mon Aug 15 21:02:54 -0700 2005 1672664 0 quiz wrangler 1 1672705 Wow, doesn't look like you got much sympathy here. Panna cotta is definitely in my top 3 favorite desserts since I love creamy and custardy desserts over chocolatey or cakey. I would order panna cotta precisely to avoid chocolate...unless it was a chocolate panna cotta or something. Now, if I witnessed what you did, I would probably have mixed feelings ranging from startled to amused to curious to admiration that she had the guts to say what she wants in a "temple". I appreciate classic and traditional but when I cook at home, I experiment all the time. That experimenter part of me would definitely have been curious and taken a moment to reflect...hmmm...how would that taste? Then I would think "NAH" and go back to enjoying my meal... My point is: Good discoveries or insights can come from observing others' actions. No need to get irritated or too worked up, although I know you followed up and said you found it humorous more than offensive. In defense of this woman, I think part of being a hound is knowing what you like and being able to ask for it. Tue Aug 16 00:52:17 -0700 2005 1672664 0 Carb Lover 1 1672711 Think how you would feel if you went back and found Yoghurt pannacotta with hot fudge was now listed on the menu! Tue Aug 16 07:49:27 -0700 2005 1672664 0 mdibiaso 1 1672716 toss in a "m'kay" from time to time so we'll know you're joking. i, for one, do understand your horror (although i wouldn't express it so strongly) at her actions. even though it's not my business, i cringe whenever i see someone adulterate their food without even trying it first. there's always the chance that it will be to one's liking without add-ons, and i do think one should give the cook the benefit of the doubt (after all, they usually are trying to satisfy you). if, after tasting, one deems it lacking, then adulterate away. one disappointing taste won't hurt anyone, and it means one's subsequent actions are based on knowledge and consideration rather than uninformed preference. wanton modifications can have their drawbacks. a friend of mine who always liberally salts food without tasting it first once salted a roast that i served him. this was a salt-jacketed prime rib. he ate it out of respect for me, but later confessed that it had been too salty even for him. at least at my house, he now tastes first, salts second. furthermore, i think the waiter dropped the ball here. rather than acting "reluctant," he should have politely explained the delicate nature of the dessert, and that dousing it in a hot sauce would radically change the texture. of course, she was paying for it, and had she insisted, then the waiter is obliged to accomodate her. Tue Aug 16 09:57:40 -0700 2005 1672664 0 mark 1 1672725 Meanwhile, She is RAVING about how great her dessert was, while she obviously tainted your meal experience. So...who is the person with the dining problem here? Tue Aug 16 12:12:12 -0700 2005 1672664 0 ladeeda 1 1672735 Well, I nearly broke up with my boyfriend when we had only been dating about two months. It was Thanksgiving - I spent the afternoon with my parents, then went to his house in the evening. I brought a pie. Homemade. Pear spiced with cardamom, with a cardamom crumble. Very delicate flavors, and damn, it was a good pie, one of the best I've ever made. He said, "You brought pie, great! I have ice cream." And he proceeded to dump chocolate fudge brownie ice cream all over my pie. I was horrified, and he couldn't understand why, because "ice cream goes with pie." I finally found an analogy he would understand. He loves to make special salads, and I explained it was like putting blue cheese dressing all over one of his carefully designed salads. He got it. But I think a lot of people have that mindset about dessert, particularly regarding chocolate. They love chocolate so much they just assume it will make everything better. And they don't give the balancing of flavors, textures and so on the same attention they do at dinner. Thoguh what I don't understand about your story is why somone who felt like that wouldn't just order the chocolate souffle to begin with. Maybe calorie-counting. (Which is negated by the chocolate, but since when do people act consistently?) I know now that my boyfriend would rather have a bad chocolate dessert than a great one in any other flavor, and I plan acccordingly. Link: http://seasonalcook.blogspot.com Tue Aug 16 13:04:08 -0700 2005 1672664 0 curiousbaker 1 1672736 I always have mixed feelings when I see people do this kind of thing. Like when people put lemon in their German hefewiezen. I think, man, you just ruined the delicate balance of phenolics and esters that the brewer deliberately wanted you to experience and covered it up with lemon. But at the same time, they paid for the beer, so they can drink it anyway they damn please. Just wish I knew a way to educate people on the subtleties of life without sounding like a pompous know-it-all. I usually just let people stay ignorant and happy. Tue Aug 16 13:17:09 -0700 2005 1672664 0 rl 2 1672737 that is somewhat different as half of the poorly trained bartenders out there plop a lemon in the Hefewiezen before it gets to you. Tue Aug 16 13:27:40 -0700 2005 1672736 0 Someguy 3 1672739 doesn't make it right... It never happened to me while living in Germany for over 3 years, I'd like to see if anybody else comments on whether this is or isn't a real German tradition. I now have to state - no lemon - in fact, I insist on pouring it myself. Unlike the op's issue of a particular diner being moronic, the acceptance of stupid psuedo-traditions by bartenders, servers, and cooks plagues all of us. Tue Aug 16 13:50:29 -0700 2005 1672737 0 applehome 4 1672748 Oh I agree it doesn't make it right. I usually request "no fruit" but sometimes when getting a draught Hefewiezen I forget and the bartender returns with a pint with a lemon floating in it. You pour your own beers at bars? You mean bottled only, right? I can't imagine too many bartenders letting me slide up the tap to pour my own. Tue Aug 16 14:53:14 -0700 2005 1672739 0 Someguy 5 1672754 I tried my one and only Hefeweizen in Salzburg. No lemon, but perhaps that would have made it a little more palatable. My sister was furious when she ordered a beer in New Zealand and was brought a half beer, half lemon concoction, cuz that was what the ladies preferred. I had dinner once at a very nice frou-frou restaurant with my cousin. She asked for a glass of white zinfandel. Which of course was not on their wine list. The wonderful waitress suggested a white wine with some cassis added. My cousin was pleased. If I'm paying for my food, then I will say leave out any fennel, avocados, pine nuts or croutons. If I am a guest of a friend, I will eat the avocados, before I dig in, ask if anyone wants extra croutons, then just leave them in the salad bowl. I also don't like to see food wasted, so I will tell my server no melted butter or my choice of fancy french fry dipping sauces. Tue Aug 16 15:38:35 -0700 2005 1672748 0 semmel 1 1672762 First date: he mixes all the chinese dishes together on his plate. Later on the phone in a post-date analysis session with a friend, I asked her shouldn't this disqualify the guy based on extreme poor taste alone? Her reply is still a great lesson after 23 years of marriage: "YOU don't have to eat it." Tue Aug 16 16:30:57 -0700 2005 1672664 0 Niki 1 1672772 I sympathise with you. I would've cringed as well. However, that customer had every right, no matter how misguided, to do what she did. Plus, some people are the opposite of supertasters - they aren't able to appreciate subtle flavors and what would be sublime to you or me is simply flat-tasting or even flavorless to them. Or it could just be that her love for chocolate overwhelmed every other sensibility. My husband, not yet a Chowhound, loves certain foods - namely, dark chocolate and hoisin sauce. His tastes in chocolate are pretty refined. However, he will put hoisin sauce on almost every Asian dish I cook, no matter how well-flavored it is (and I'm a pretty good cook, even if I say so myself; plus, it's my native cuisine). I used to get annoyed with him, but I've come to accept that it's just him, and I'm confident enough in my culinary abilities to realise it's not a reflection on my cooking. So yes, he's butchering my masterpieces, but I say, ces't la vie! Maybe I could come up with a dish that incorporates hoisin sauce and chocolate - sort of an Asian mole..... Tue Aug 16 17:58:35 -0700 2005 1672664 0 ju 1 1672776 Many (MANY) moons ago, I was a sushi chef, in a relatively small town. There was this guy who'd come in pretty regularly - IIRC, at least every couple of weeks. After a few visits, he started bringing his own bag of condiments. He'd sit down at the sushi bar and start unloading from his bag: sambal, little pieces of lemon, worcestershire sauce, Chinese hot mustard, shrimp cocktail sauce...I couldn't believe the stuff he'd pull out. He would proceed to order quite a variety of sushi, and then he'd doctor it to his liking with his assortment of sauces and garnishes. Although I never said anything to him, I was really insulted by his behavior. My co-worker in the sushi bar (who owned the place) had a different perspective on it. First, he figured that the customer is entitled to have the food the way he wants it. Second, we were the only sushi bar in a town where not a lot of people even knew what sushi was, so we ought not chase ANY customers away. Third, he wasn't hurting anybody or anything, other than my pride. I still think it was a waste of good food to slather all the crap he put on it, but he was paying for it, and enjoying it, too. I learned to keep it from bothering me. (I think I may have posted about this a while back, but I couldn't find it in a search.) Tue Aug 16 18:26:51 -0700 2005 1672664 0 ricepad 1 1672811 butchering through sheer obstinance: As part of a 2 day long job interviewing process I was taken out to dinner. One woman orders pan seared tuna. Waitress says "we pan sear our tuna so it is only quickly seared and pink in the middle. would you like it this way or would you like it cooked all the way through?" Obviously they knew people like her... "Pink in the middle is fine". Tuna arrives. She cuts into it and discovers lots of pink. "Oh no, this is sushi. I can't eat this. This is totally unacceptable, you'll have to take it back to the kitchen." Waitress: "okay, well this is how we do our tuna. Would you like us to cook it all the way through for you or leave just a little pink in the centre?". "Oh leave a little pink please." Now hounds, you know what's coming. I knew what was coming, too, and on job interview behaviour could do nothing but internally cringe. "This is still sushi. I'm sorry, this is inedible. I mean look at this, it's still RAW!" Waitress takes it back without a fuss, and it dutifully comes back hockey puck like. The rest of the meal consisted of trying to hold a reasonable conversation while listening to complaints of how they really don't know how to cook back there.... I almost lost it when she started talking about her trip to japan and how lovely the sushi was. I didn't get the job. I'm sure I don't have to say that it wasn't that she wanted to eat hockey puck tuna, but the sheer unwillingness to listen to the waitress. Wed Aug 17 07:20:31 -0700 2005 1672664 0 drdawn 2 1672825 there used to be (may still be there) an asian place (oriental garden?) on main st in columbia, sc. I was there with friends one night towards the end of spring semester when in came two couples on their prom night. this place was pretty authentic, but tended to tone things down for non-regulars. these couples ordered, one of the dishes being an appetizer (can't recall what exactly) that the menu defined as "hot/spicy". the app arrived and the guys ate some, then complained to the waiter that it wasn't hot enough. he brought them a different sauce for it, which they tried, and despite beginning to turn pink, again said it wasn't hot enough. he cautioned them that the only other sauce they had was very hot, and few could stomach it. they told him, in the typical teenage boy's tone, to bring it on. the waiter brought it out, and we watched these kids take big scoops of it. they instantly turned red and started coughing. the waiter, to our amusement, took his time refilling their water while they tried to look tough for their girlfriends. sometimes the waitstaff does know what they're talking about. Wed Aug 17 12:51:08 -0700 2005 1672811 0 mark 3 1672828 I still do that to myself everday. Even at home. Some of us just have a hot food fetish. Nothing wrong with that. It's good to test your limits now and then. Wed Aug 17 13:24:31 -0700 2005 1672825 0 MidtownCoog 1 1672942 We once brought a very nice bottle of red wine from California to my father in law's house for Thanksgiving dinner. He proceded to set it out on the patio (in Wisconsin) to chill. Fri Aug 19 16:11:27 -0700 2005 1672664 0 Liz 2 1672968 And your point is....? It's not like he mixed it with Sierra Mist, for crying out loud. A LOT of people like a good red slightly chilled, or at least below the overheated room temps to which we are accustomed. Fri Aug 19 20:41:11 -0700 2005 1672942 0 peg 2 1673021 Actually, I don't find that so awful. In fact, we prefer our red wine to be a *little* cooler than room temp, so often in winter will leave a bottle out on the porch for a brief chill before opening. Sat Aug 20 17:43:50 -0700 2005 1672942 0 Deenso 2 1673037 I remember being told that red wine should be served at CELLAR temperature, not room temperature. I believe the ideal cellar temperature is around 55 degrees. Here's a bit of info I found on the site below: Beaujolais, Nebbiolo, Port, light and fruity reds 54°F - 59°F (12°C - 15°C) Simple Pinot Noirs, light Rioja, Argentine Tempranillo 59°F - 63°F (15°C - 17°C) Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, Shiraz, big Zinfandel 63°F - 68°F (17°C - 20°C) Many sites say that most wines will benefit from a half hour in the refrigerator. So I guess your father in law knew what he was doing! Link: http://www.2basnob.com/red-wine.html Sat Aug 20 21:05:47 -0700 2005 1672942 0 Chris VR 3 1673082 Well, as I said, this was Wisconsin in late November, so the temperature outdoors was about 36-40 Farenheit. He stuck the bottle into the snow and left it there for several hours. This doesn't equate to cellar temperature. This equates to ruined wine. Liz Mon Aug 22 00:23:13 -0700 2005 1673037 0 Liz 2 1673394 Despite the comments by others, I'm with you. Don't you dare put my Davis Family Pinot in the damned snow!!!!! Peasant!! Fri Aug 26 18:06:31 -0700 2005 1672942 0 Jakesdad 1 1673584 that's nothing...i was at a cafe once in vienna and the table insisted the waiter put the big piece of german chocolate cake in the microwave (i bet it was delicious too...) Tue Aug 30 12:53:23 -0700 2005 1672664 0 abdul alhazred 1 1673645 A lot of you who have flamed Morton for his personal thoughts over this incident are as well revered writers on these boards as is MTM. I agree with the others about the inappropriateness of the 'temple of worship' remark resulting in the very apt quote from Thomas Jefferson, however had the Mousse worded the original post a bit differently, perhaps it may have resulted in a well balanced response. Strongly disagree with those who feel that if a customer is paying for the food, and it is their food not yours, that this gives them the right to adapt it or genetically modify it to their total desire. In my view, going to a restaurant is to experience a difference from the norm, which includes enjoying the ambience, atmosphere, and style of cooking. In the same token, when seated at a table, for me, it is natural to add to my enjoyment by looking around and taking in the view of the arena including the surrounding tables their occupants, and what they are ordering, in a gentle, non-snoopy, and inconspicuous manner. Just because you're paying for your airfare does not give you the right to become the steward/ess -Yes !!you can ask for something to be provided as per your preference within reason to make your ride more comfortable, but you cannot expect them to fly at your altitude or speed. If you don't enjoy the ride, don't go back. If on the other hand you have allowed yourself the chance to experience something different which has been enjoyable, you have benefited yourself by learning from it. Good on you Morton -Belated Happy Birthday. Wed Aug 31 01:14:16 -0700 2005 1672664 0 Amin (London Foodie ''OrientRice@aol.com'') 2 1673669 No one was imperiled by the woman who put chocolate on her panna cotta, (as they would be if I could insist on the speed and/or altitude the plane was to be flown at) least of all other diners. The analogy might have been a better fit if you, as the person next to me on the plane, became upset because I watched my seat back movie without my earphones, while I read a book and wrote out post cards. Because this was a classic movie you revered you became upset with the way I was watching it and it interfered with your own enjoyment of the movie. To that I say "too damn bad" but your right, (or the right of the crew) to tell me how to enjoy my movie exists only in your own mind and nowhere else. Keep it to yourself. Wed Aug 31 10:44:51 -0700 2005 1673645 0 Anon 3 1673700 Say we're talking about the world premier of a play and not an in flight movie. You spend $250/pop for Orchestra seats and spend the entire play listening to your ipod (at a low volume that does not disturb those around you) and reading Cosmo. I think that most of the other theater goers would find this behavior strange, and more than a few die hard theater lovers would find it offensive and consider it an insult to the actors and playwright. Of course, you have every right to do this. You paid for the tickets, this is a free country and you aren't "hurting" anybody. But the other theater goers also have every right to come home and tell their theater loving friends about the unsophisticated boob they saw at the premier last weekend, which is exactly what I did. I'm still surprised by how many people took the hyperbolic language in my OP literally. I enjoyed the many passionate responses both attacking and defending me, and I loved the amusing anecdotes chronicling other acts of "blasphemy". Wed Aug 31 15:48:03 -0700 2005 1673669 0 Morton the Mousse