mhberk

It looks like all of Fabio's restaurants are getting hit hard on FB over this Cruz event.

Hey Don, any chance you can score us Rockweilers a pre-opening event there?

I'd suck it up as a learning experience. It's happened to me and I never thought to ask for my money back. I take responsibility for my own mistakes.

I would say a "learning experience" is having your server suggest wine-by-the-glass without checking the price and finding out that you were drinking $30 a glass wine when you thought it would be around $12. Or ordering a special without asking the price and finding out it was $50 a plate.

Again, I stated that it was my father's fault, but I don't think there's anyone out there who would think a reasonable person would tip roughly 40% on a table of 6 adults, a two year old, a seven year old, and an 11 year old where the service was sub par (and it was). He absolutely should've noticed the policy, but for a local restaurant without a corporate backing in a down economy that gets a ton of press in this area, you would think that they would overlook their "policy" for a regular customer. And there's no way that that server honestly thought that she was getting $100+ tip for a table like ours.

Well, I asked for opinions because I'm sure that this is a common occurrence and I wanted to know what other restaurant's policies are. I didn't name the restaurant, because I didn't describe the complete situation. What I said was true and that they wouldn't refund the tip. But after talking to two managers (both refusing the refund) and then to the owner herself, and telling her that he and his family are regular diners of the restaurant and that we all live in the community, she finally caved and gave him a $50 GC (which was $10 less than the "extra" tip). He said that he's not sure that he wants to come back because of this (and service has really gone downhill over the last few times we've been there) and asked if they're willing to lose a customer and his family over $10. They repeated that it was their policy to not refund tips. He was NOT happy - and neither am I!

It's a local Ho Co restaurant (not a chain, but pretty big in this area) so I'm not sure it would matter to too many of you if I named the restaurant. After this additional information, if you still want to know the name, I'll let you know.

First of all, if this topic has already been addressed, please move this to that thread. Similarly, if I've posted in the wrong forum, please move this to the correct forum.

I'd like to get the opinions of waitstaff and restaurant owners on this one:

Here's the situation: My father (who is almost 80) recently went to a restaurant where he was part of a party of eight and he was the one who paid the bill. Even though it was printed in the menu that parties of eight would be subject to a mandatory 18% gratuity AND the 18% was added into the check, he went ahead and tipped 20% on top of all of that - COMPLETELY his fault. He realized his mistake the next day and went back to the restaurant to explain the situation. Both the owner and her managers explained that the policy is clearly stated in the menu and on the check and said that it's their policy to not refund mistakes like that.

I'm sure that this oversight isn't that uncommon. How do you handle this situation?

I don't have the issue in front of me, but my biggest complaint was Zaytinya ahead of Palena

Just picked up the new issue. I'll wait for others to get it before I make comments. Was surprised to see a new restaurant debuting at #4

No Vennari's on the list?

One of my new favorites is Anne Burrell's "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef"

Yes, I was thinking the same thing. I thought both Marcel and Richard were 2nd place winners. I remember she came in 3rd, but I'm blanking on who was the 2nd place winner that year. I think it was the season that Hung won.

I'm pretty sure Casey came in 2nd that year and Dale got 3rd. I remember Casey making such a big deal about Hung winning and how she was robbed.

I find it odd (though not for Carole Greenwood) for someone to open a restaurant in DC and chose who to serve based on their political affiliation.

Not anymore. I'd always kept Jesse Wong's Hong Kong in mind for acceptable Cantonese and better than some Dim Sum. Looks like they closed the location on the lake in December. According to Elizabeth Large in the Balto Sun, the Asean Bistro location is still open.

There is nothing that can survive in that location! Over the decades, I have seen several restaurants try, but they never seem to make it. Only Clyde's, Tomato Palace (anchored by Clyde's) and Sushi Sono have made it. I did enjoy the Brazilian joint that was there before Jesse Wong moved in.

Did anyone catch that Fabio Trabocchi will be competing on Iron Chef this Sunday?

I go to Palena EXPECTING to get poor service (it makes the evening much easier to deal with when things actually DO go wrong). If I had chosen to stop going after my first experience there (easily in the top 10 for worst experiences I've had in my life!), I would've never come to appreciate the genius of Chef Ruta's culinary mastery! Over the years, I've experienced great service. During those visits, I write down the server's name and request them every time I go. When they are not available, I know my evening will be unpredictable. But that doesn't stop me from coming down from Howard County to enjoy one of the best meals in DC.

Here's the schmaltz that I made after making my stock (sorry for the size of the photos):

Skin from the four whole chickens that I used to make my stock

Cut skin into inch sized pieces and add that to 3/4 cup of cold water

Cook at low to medium temperature to let the water render the fat from the skin

Once the water evaporates, the fat will further render the skin until the skin is crisp

Once the skin is completely crisp, strain the fat

Cool to room temperature and enjoy your schmaltzy goodness!

The best FO soup I've had in a LONG time was at Victoria's Gastro Pub in Columbia (have you tried that place yet Rocks?). A rich, flavorful stock with a hint of madeira and little bits of veal confit.

Totally doing this when it gets cold enough out to do chicken stock again. Thank you.

I saw David Rosengarten do it a few years ago on the Food Network. It is SO unbelievably easy! The simmering water renders the fat very well. Once the water has evaporated, you're left with the fat and the skin. The skin then fries in the fat (further rendering it - at a medium temperature) and produces those nice "cracklins". You just have to stir it every once in a while until the water evaporates so that the skin doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn (giving a burnt flavor to your schmaltz).

I do this for Thanksgiving too, where I buy turkey/chicken skin from the butcher and render it off. Then I make a roux from the fat to thicken the drippings/stock into a gravy. It's much more flavorful when your roux is made from the fat of whatever animal the stock if from.

Cheers!

I take the skin off of two or three chickens before I make my stock. Then I cut the skin into pieces that are an inch or two.

To make the schmaltz, I pour a half a cup (to a full cup) of cold water into a sauce pan and dump the cut up chicken skin into it (make sure the water is cold - the skin will render better as the water goes from cold to a simmer). Then I let it simmer until all the water has evaporated and the skin has crisped in the chicken fat. This nets about a cup to a cup and a half of schmaltz.

It's been probably 5-7 years since I've been out there, but the place is a total joint and serves up good diner food. It gets packed regularly, even after another Double T diner located itself right next to the place.

The Double T Diner folks bought the Forest Diner a few years ago, so now the food at both spots is pretty similar.

I put another vote in for the KA Pro 600. I got mine at the Williams Sonoma outlet in Leesburg for $250 last fall and it was worth every penny. I make a lot of cakes and between batter and icing, it gives me very light airy texture to my baked goods. It's a treat to make bread now, and the grinder made sausagemaking a snap.

It's an investment that is well worth it to me.

I was just at the Leesburg WS on Sunday and they had about five of the Licorice (black) KA Pro 600s for $250.

Let me know what you think. It's been several years since I've had it. If it's made the same way, the meats are great quality and they heat the roll up in the oven just before serving.

Well, they already have the sign up for the one in "Columbia". It's a few doors down from the Trader Joe's

The first will be in Columbia in August.

Ooo, where in Columbia?

I don't know anything about NYC's cookie, but the Salty Oatmeal Cookie at Teaism ROCKS!!!