Mother's Day Brunch
Tony Lima
Reservations for the five of us at 11 a.m. There was a line
but it moved quickly. Interestingly the Crowne Plaza had me
pay before we were seated. That saved time later -- no
waiting for the check. Our request to be seated in the
restaurant was honored quickly. (Seating was also available
outdoors on the patio or in the ballroom.)
The buffet was magnificent. I've posted a menu at
http://www.cbe.csueastbay.edu/~alima/CrownePlaza/ . Items
worthy of note included ricotta cheese blintzes with fruit
toppings, quite serviceable eggs benedict, prime rib,
grilled eggplant (and I hate eggplant normally), glazed
salmon with chardonnay sauce, and too many desserts to
count.
Service was quick and the "champagne" refills were frequent
enough to keep our party happy. Every mom also got a coupon
for a free brunch. (Service was better and more friendly
than our experience at Trader Vic's Easter Brunch.)
Interestingly the restaurant offers "early bird dinner
specials" every day from 4:30 - 6:30 for $11.50. Hardly
worth cooking at that price!
Usual disclaimers. - Tony
Karen
Interesting!... yesterday, I was across the street at Trader Vic's for
dinner. (I have such a good daughter!)
What is the protocol on serving a course when a member of the party has
stepped away from the table to go to the restoom or something?
Last night, after drinks (yum on black tais!) and appetizer courses,
the secondary server (the waiter's helper?) came to deliver our entrees
(duck and Chilean seabass... awesome), and my daughter who had stepped
away from the table for a moment, was not there. He came to the table
with the two plates, noticed just me there and said, "I'll be back in a
minute," and left with the plates.
So, as soon as daughter returned, a couple of minutes later, he was
right there in a jiffy to serve the food.
In the past, when this has happened, and even when I have stepped away
from the table for a brief moment, the food was served while the party
was incomplete. The missing person would return to the table where
their food was waiting.
Am curious to know which way is the proper etiquette?
Thanks,
Karen
Todd Michel McComb
The proper etiquette is not to bring the food at all. You take a
look at the table to make sure everyone is present before you bring
the food.
Karen
Todd Michel McComb wrote:
> The proper etiquette is not to bring the food at all. You take a
> look at the table to make sure everyone is present before you bring
> the food.
What if one did look to find everyone there, but when you arrived to
the table one person was gone?
Karen
Todd Michel McComb
Karen <kso...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>What if one did look to find everyone there, but when you arrived
>to the table one person was gone?
Seriously, an experienced server at a fine dining restaurant would
not be so oblivious. They would notice.
Ciccio
of the chair? That is the proper etiquette to signal that one's absence
from the table is brief.
Ciccio
Karen
On the seat... I never knew about this secret code!
Karen
Ciccio
etiquette tidbit to your wonderful daughter who was so thoughtful on
Mothers' Day.
Ciccio
LurfysMa
wrote:
>Well see, indeed, a mother's duties are never done. So pass along that
>etiquette tidbit to your wonderful daughter who was so thoughtful on
>Mothers' Day.
But, for the clueless amongst us, which is which?
--
For email, use usenet-20060507[at]spamex[dot]com
Karen
LurfysMa wrote:
> But, for the clueless amongst us, which is which?
I always thought that once you unfolded your napkin and need to leave
the table, whether briefly or permanently, you leave your napkin on the
seat. But, maybe when you leave permanently, you leave it on the table
(ew?).
I think the secret code is the back of the chair or the seat if you're
coming back. It's like leaving the cocktail napkin on top of your
cocktail so someone doesn't swipe while you're at the salad bar.
When some restaurants do this fancy refolding and placing of the napkin
while a guest is away at the table, do they fold up a used one, or
replace it with a new one?
Karen
ll
> the napkin while a guest is away at the table, do they fold up
> a used one, or replace it with a new one?
At some of the taquerias that I go to, when you leave the table
to go get some more salsa, someone comes out from the back of the
restaurant and folds your used paper napkin into a little flag.
Really ... either I'm not going to enough fancy restaurants
or some of you are going to too many.
Ob.Fancy.Restaurants: We went to Terra Mia in Livermore for
Mothers' Day. The owners have/had a place in Half Moon Bay.
The local Times gave them a top rating. The consensus was
that it was overrated. It's a fancy looking place though.
Geoff Miller
Karen <kso...@yahoo.com> writes:
> I always thought that once you unfolded your napkin and need to
> leave the table, whether briefly or permanently, you leave your
> napkin on the seat. But, maybe when you leave permanently, you
> leave it on the table (ew?).
You say "ew" about leaving the napkin on the table that's clean
enough to eat off of, but have no objection to placing it onto a
seat where innumerable strangers' asses have been?
> When some restaurants do this fancy refolding and placing of
> the napkin while a guest is away at the table, do they fold
> up a used one, or replace it with a new one?
During dinner with my parents at La Hacienda in Monte Sereno when
I was about 11, my father folded his napkin into the shape of a
brassiere and held it against his chest. My mother was mortified,
but I thought it was hilarious.
Geoff
--
"The others scattered before our gathered hordes like
freeze-dried fetuses sucked out of a hotel window
during a firestorm..." -- Peter Bell
Karen
Geoff Miller wrote:
> You say "ew" about leaving the napkin on the table that's clean
> enough to eat off of, but have no objection to placing it onto a
> seat where innumerable strangers' asses have been?
The ew part was about leaving a messy napkin visible to others at the
table.
> During dinner with my parents at La Hacienda in Monte Sereno when
> I was about 11, my father folded his napkin into the shape of a
> brassiere and held it against his chest. My mother was mortified,
> but I thought it was hilarious.
hee! Must have been a training bra.
Karen
Geoff Miller
Karen <kso...@yahoo.com> writes:
> The ew part was about leaving a messy napkin visible to others
> at the table.
Aha.
I deal with that by folding my napkin into a tidy rectangle
before placing it onto the table, with the wipin's concealed
inside.
> hee! Must have been a training bra.
It was surprisingly three-dimensional. I still don't know how
to do that...
Geoff
--
"This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. This is only a test.
Had this been an actual emergency, you'd be writhing on the ground in
unspeakable agony, bleeding from every orifice, with your blackened skin
falling away in ragged strips."