B.A.R.

My vote for quip of the day. I am googling Mr. Jones right now, as I am not familiar with his greatness.

I got a little confused, as the pictures of the men don't match the column heading. Are those Marks Slater's comments under Michael Flynn's picture, or is the caption/column heading wrong?

I don't know if you can do this, as Pennsylvania liquor laws are pretty strict.

Hope you're not going to Italy, because I think they passed a ban as well. (And this shocked me, because every Italian I know smokes!)

Bought some Pork Belly and Ox Tail last night for some wintry comfort food this weekend. Any suggested recipes floating around in Rockwell land (i'd love to here from Cathal !)? Cookbook suggestions will work too.

On a snowy night in front of a fire with my wife and 2-year old daughter: Crusty bread, olives, pomegranate, Humbolt Fog, aged goat cheese, Shropshire blue, misc. aged cheddar, mission figs-d'anjou pears-proscuitto di parma, homemade borscht with creme fraiche, random bottle of '01 Cotes du Rhone. Chicken nuggets. Milk.

Sorry. Trying to do too many things at once.There are problems with reservations at restaurants all of the time. Say this particular couple was really beligerent about it, and I imagine they were. The statement "Are you calling me a liar" escalates the argument. Then venting about it in a public forum two hours later while your restaurant is still open may be cathartic to you, the restaurant owner, but it does your restaurant no good. I hope I have nothing in common with the AIQ's, and it was well within Mr. Gold's right to "bitch slap" these individuals. I just do not think these type of public posts are very productive for ANY restauranteur to make. Brian Reymann

I disagree. Part of being in the service business is dealing with assholes. Most of the time you have to suffer them with a smile. Sometimes you get to bitch slap them. But in most cases, it's best just to solve the problem and then let it go.As owner, you set the example. And if you start letting every asshole get to you, pretty soon your waitstaff thinks it an undo burden to provide honey with tea, and they roll their eyes when you don't order wine, and busboys decide you've had enough bread, and hostesses don't look you in the eye when you walk through the door, and the bartender spends five minutes engaged in a conversation with another patron while you stare at the back bar, and the chef sends out an entree even though it's less than perfect, and that Saturday evening one hour wait for a table becomes 30 minutes, then 10, then disappears altogether.

Pork Belly at Eve. I think I had it last year, but I remember it as if it were yesterday, so it's gotta count.

I too have been in the restaurant "game" for 10+ years. Fourteen, to be exact. I have had to ask customers to leave establishments that I have managed exactly three times. Each were difficult, and in my opinion necessary, decisions. I have had to ask customers to alter their behavior hundreds, if not thousands of times. So what happened during those thousand other guest encounters that did not happen on the other three? In each instance the guest did not respond to a polite request, then a firm suggestion, then an ultimatum. I like to think at no time (although I am sure the guests opinion differs), did I actually exacerbate the situation by poor choice of language or unneccessary posturing. Guests upset about a reservation SNAFU doesn't even register to me as something that could get so out of control as to require me to refuse service and remove the guest. Mr. Gold, it's your restaurant, so it's your call. You did what you felt was right for your business, your patrons, and your employees. I can respect that. But as I read through this chat, and your quotes in particular, I do sense this underlying customer resentment in your words. I don't know you, which makes it even more difficult to intuit your tone. Your mini-essay about why you are in this business seemed heartfelt, but I too would advise against casually posting negative comments about your guests (or-ex-guests) here. As I am sure you know, the night of the encounter emotions are always the highest. You are preaching to a very appreciative and sympathetic audience here at DR.com, but your message is being broadcast around the world. In that world lives once, future, and never-again customers. Last night's flaming asshole will quickly become next year's amusing anecdote, if they remain a memory at all. Brian Reymann

Ding, ding, ding!

As with any business, various enterprises operate at different profit margins. Net Profit for a well-run restaurant like Olive Garden or TGI Fridays might be as high as 15-18%. Fine dining restaurants generally have the lowest net profit within all restaurant industry sub-sets. I haven't been in the biz for a while, but the national average used to hover about 4.5-5%. Quite literally, if a busboy drops a trayful of chargers on a average Thursday night, the restaurant might has well have not opened. Poor labor management and rent are generally the big industry killers, not food or liquor costs. Regarding the bar profits, yes they are on a percentage basis quite profitable. But that fully stocked bar and broad winelist also tie up a significant amount of cashflow, another restaurant killer. * I don't particularly admire Olive Garden or TGI Fridays, merely meant if an average one was managed properly.

Obviously.

Exactly. And the benefit may be you save me a couple of dollars or I try it out and write a less eloquent rebuttal of your account.

Go ahead and name names. That's what this website is here for. The eponym of this very site never pulls punches, why should you? Be strong. So you might receive a little internet beat down. Those don't hurt, unless you are certain wine and hunting afficianado.

I especially like how all products shipped outside of California are "not for human consumption" and are labeled to be used as "pet food". Brilliant! This may be the first time the "dog" actually feeds me.

Is there an on-line link?

I just did the tour, speakers on: Palena, Kinkead's, IndeBleu Rocks, I have to respectfully disagree. Indebleu's website alone is so obnoxious that it would dissuade me from eating there, let alone buying a Membership. Palena's is just poor. I agree the Kinkead's piano music is mind numbing, but IndeBleu is a full-scale assault on the eyes, ears, and patience.

Don't you just love the 2 1/2 hour lunch!

One of the hardest habits to break servers of is the "pre-judging" of tables based on their order. It is a natural inclinition when your earnings are derived solely from tips, and the dollar amount you earn is in direct proportion to the dollar amount of the check. You conciously, or sub-conciously, allocate your time in the most efficient and profitable manner. Great servers never rarely, if ever, do it. But we all know there is a paucity of great servers. Most of the people who post here are members of the choir, so it is the industry lurkers out there I guess I am preaching to. You generally don't know who is at your table. Why they ordered lightly. Why they refrained from wine. Why they are sharing something. I used to joke as a server that people in my section "ate before they came". But they are still in your section. And your responsibility. And you can't trade them away. And treat them just as you would the table drinking '82 Cheval Blanc. You'll be surprised how many times these so-called "undeserving" diners quickly become your best customers. As far as dining at the bar, I'm all for it. I drink a lot, and would eat behind the bar if I could. But it isn't for everyone. And I don't think the two posters, considering they don't drink, would be comfortable at the bar.

One more bit of circumstantial evidence proving Rocks is Tom.

Man, what a great deal. Do we have to be out in two hours? If so, I suggest we bundle up all of the extra wine and head on over to Corduroy.

Congratulations.

I Imagine Mark gets out of work fairly late, hence the shift in clientele.

This exercise is both fantastically amusing and pathetic all in one. 82 Surrounding my office Only 12 surrounding my house. I'm going to send Starbucks and e-mail offering them the use of my garage. 12 is waaaayyy too low. edited because my typing sucks