Nice post at Waiternotes

http://waiternotes.wordpress.com/2009/12/11/proper-waiter-language/ Our good friend at Waiternotes wrote some very commonsense things about some common quirks in the language and some hoary sayings as well. I admit that I struggle with the “guys” thing. Once I discovered that it’s not considered a nice informal way to refer to a group, I have tried to wean myself [...]

Oldie but goodie

I thought that one of my earliest posts was worthy of reprinting. Not because I have no ideas about waiting tables (I’m in this hopefully for the long  haul so I don’t want to shoot all of my ammo at once), but because newer readers to this blog might not have taken the time to [...]

Cookbook of the day – Cooking Fearlessly

Cooking Fearlessly: Recipes and Other Adventures from Hudson’s on the Bend by Jeff Blank, Jay Moore with Deborah Harter Publisher: Fearless Press (September 1, 1999)  ISBN 10: 0967232309 ISBN 13: 978-0967232300 Hudson’s on the Bend is a creative restaurant slightly north of Austin. It’s owned by two creative chefs named Jeff Blank and Jay Moore. By [...]

A few more waiter’s terms

Early in this blog’s history, I started a series of waiter’s terms. It’s been a while since I’ve added to it. I’ll continue to try to update periodically. At the bottom of this post, you’ll find links to the original articles. No-show – can either be a reservation that doesn’t show up or a fellow [...]

Last minute gift suggestion to the foodie in your life

Amazon has a good price on this knife: It’s a 9 1/2 inch Yanagiba Japanese sushi knife. Normally around $50 “retail”, it’s on sale for $31.95. This knife is used predominately for sashimi preparation. It’s got a one-sided beveled blade. The length is intended to allow you to pull the blade in one direction over [...]

Post from SF critic Michael Bauer on tipping on wine brought from home

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/mbauer/detail?&entry_id=53505 Just a couple of comments on this. I read through the first couple of pages of comments (and might read more later). I don’t think that many guests realize that there’s actually more of a markup on inexpensive wine as there is on pricier bottles and this seemed reflected in some of the comments. [...]

A nice holiday gesture

I work Sunday nights and there’s a very nice couple that comes in on Sunday nights about twice a month. I wait on them occasionally but usually they sit in a different section than the one that I’m waiting on simply because of the rotation. I always make a point to go by and say [...]

And speaking of Serious Eats…

…we’re adding it to our blogroll, under the category of foodie. Always interesting, always informative, and, in the best tradition of food porn, glossy and moist with tempting photographs, this is definitely a go-to site for anyone interested at all in food. Just like a 13 year old boy stays in the bathroom for excessive [...]

A great burger guide from Serious Eats

http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2009/09/a-guide-to-glossary-of-regional-american-burger-cheeseburger-styles-and-cooking-methods.html The one thing that I disagree with is the very narrow definition of slider that Adam gives. I’d argue that mini-hamburgers have now been redefined as sliders. Sure, the original sliders were from White Castle and Krystal’s and embodied a certain ethos but, much in the same way that confits have graduated from duck and [...]

Today is…

…National Cocoa Day! I can get behind this one, especially with the temperature being what it is. I doubt that I’ll be as enthusiastic about tomorrow’s National Bouilabaisse Day, as much as I enjoy a well-maded bouilabaisse. So, everyone rasie a steaming cup of cocoa, and don’t forget the marshmallows.