Saturday, November 19, 2011

Dining Out

My friend from San Francisco is in town this weekend to pick her mom up and take her home with her.  I spent yesterday with her and some of it with her mom as well.  After doing all her elderly mother's banking etc we decided to go for a mid afternoon snack at Calories on Broadway.  It was 4:30 and her mom was looking quite hungry.  When we all arrived at Calories we were asked if we had reservations....AT 4:30 IN THE AFTERNOON!  AND the restaurant was virtually EMPTY, with all of maybe four tables occupied!  Of course the answer was no.  Then we were asked if we were planning on eating.  The answer was yes.  Then we were asked if we would like to make reservations for 5:30, when the dinner time chef was on.  At this point I am wondering what the hell the deal is with this coffee shop/restaurant?  We said "No, we are here now.  Don't you have anything on the menu for this time?"  Turns out they have an "Anytime" menu.  So we were seated and the menu was given to us.  But then, after we ordered our meals (burgers, sandwiches and soups etc) our cloth napkins that wrapped our cutlery were taken AWAY.  We asked if we were supposed to eat with our hands?  The server told us that we would get different cutlery.  We did....WRAPPED IN PAPER SERVIETTES!!!!

This was a very clear message that the owner of this establishment was a TOOL.  Seriously???  We can't use the cloth napkins because it isn't 5:30 in the afternoon yet?????!!!!!!  And since WHEN did this little hole in the wall require RESERVATIONS  in the first place?

All the major cities have absolutely top notch restaurants who NEVER TAKE RESERVATIONS.  It is good business to have people lined up out the door waiting to get in.  Why?  BECAUSE IT DELIVERS THE MESSAGE THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT IS SO FARKIN' GOOD THAT PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO LINE UP OUT THE DOOR.  This means that everyone is treated equally and it is first come/first serve.  And you can bet your ass that no one takes away the cloth napkins on you!

The service at Calories was great, the attitude sucked.

Calories, you have permanently lost my business.

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

5 comments:

Blondi Blathers said...

You're getting old and cranky, Trent.
But we still love you.
:)
And will be back for more.

Trent Deerhorn said...

I think perhaps you missed the point of this entry. I find elitism disgusting, no matter what form it takes, and this establishment was absolutely wreaking of it. If expecting to be treated equally and courteously in an establishment in which I am laying down hard earned dollars to eat makes me "old and cranky", then the world has simply become too complacent to the discriminating attitudes of the elite. Remember that the place was mostly empty except for us, and that we had an old and frail woman who was needing food in her system. The attitude that we were met with was unacceptable at best and egregious at worst. I think that whoever is running this place is trying to come of as "sophisticated" and is actually presenting themselves as moronic.

Blondi Blathers said...

I think perhaps you missed my :), which was meant to show that I was teasing you, and not remotely serious about you being "old and cranky."
But now I'm wondering if maybe ...

Trent! I'm kidding! I'd've been pissed off, too.

Trent Deerhorn said...

OOOOOHHHH! So sorry! I completely missed that. My bad. :-)

Blondi Blathers said...

I am so glad, because I really did not want to have to come over there and armwrestle you into submission.