is everthing OK??

[Grits-N-Gravy]

Originally Posted by boar_d_laze

Easy there, br'er Grits. It's a story involving barbecue, ending with a punchline. Those two bases are grounds to suspect a tenuous grasp on truth. With a nic such as yours, you'd think good humored skepticism was the default setting. Speaking of "Grits-N-Gravy," whatever happened to the fried baloney?

FWIW, Willie did well as a pit-master, restaurateur, caterer, family man and human being. He was my friend, teacher and mentor. Which makes me lucky. That you may bank.

Is everything OK?
BDL

Pardon me if I spoke I out of turn. I thought he was sharing a personal experience, from years ago. I was relating to what he was sharing, and shared my expirience with this type of Restaurant/ ownership. I obviously missed the pointof his "punchline". please educate me.

[firerose0801]

Originally Posted by Grits-N-Gravy

I always trained servers to ask specific questions when doing there "first bite check", i.e "Is your steak cooked properly", "are you enjoying the grouper", etc.
My mentor taught me early on "Ok is not our standard".

Regarding writing down orders. As a guest I want it done, and as a manager I insist it be done.
As a guest, it makes me worry if they don't write it down.
As a manager, it isnt a fun table visit when your server with the photographic memory has a lapse, and you have a guest asking you that instead of trying to impress with memory skills, why not just write it down and get it right.
just my opinion.

I have always taught my employees the specific question rule, since I actually do care if their dining experience is exemplary. I also agree that I much prefer all of my servers to write things down (from both a manager's perspective and from a customer's perspective). I mean, everyone has a bad day and everyone gets preoccupied once and a while.

[Free Rider]

If all places were the same, what would be the fun? I enjoy a roadside stand in rural Mexico as much as fine dining in New York City.

As for the "is everything okay" bit, well, I hate being interrupted. I much prefer not to be interrupted while I'm talking, listening or eating. Invariably, the "is everything okay" or the worse new trend of "how does everything taste" shows up while I'm trying to chew, trying to hear what my friend is saying (background music/noise interfering already) or in mid-sentence of my own. I like the server to be available, but not on top of me. It's usually obvious when someone at a table needs the server for something, no snapping of fingers necessary. These days, the server disappears for long periods and then shows up to flit by with a "how does everything taste".

[peterlav]

I ate at Walker's Barbeque in the early 80s, when I lived in the area. Every time, dinner was excellent in every way, including the serive. I was sorry to hear Willie referred to in the past tense.

[boar_d_laze]

I started eating at Walkers in the seventies when I was in school at Cal, playing H20Polo, and working as a bouncer at Mandrake's -- and later at the Anchor and Jerry's Stop Sign. Willie loved it when the athletes, bouncers and cops came in late, because we were all big eaters and he'd get rid of all of yesterday's meat. He'd get these crazy overeating contests going at two in the morning, and give away half the food.

Remember those long oval plates he had that would hold a whole slab of spares? Remember his "hot" sauce? Not too mellow, not too zesty. And his ribs had just the right amount of pull. Tender as could be, but not quite "fall off the bone." In the East Bay, back in the day, there was Sam's, there was KC's and then there was Willie's. The best.

FWIW, Willie had a lot to do with my learning to cook for money. Almost as much as the guy who popped a cap at me outside the Anchor and taught me how tough I wasn't.

BDL