Article We Like: When the Customer Is Wrong

When the Customer Is Wrong: Restaurants

by Matt Brownell

It’s one of the oldest adages of the retail world: “The customer is always right.”

Of course, very often the customer is wrong. Every day customers behave in ways that make the lives of waiters, cashiers, customer service reps and other retail workers miserable. And in many cases, these customers don’t even realize how annoying they’re being.

To rectify this, we’ve decided to talk to the people on the other side of the cash register to find out what sort of customer behavior gets on their nerves. To kick things off, we got some veterans of the restaurant industry to dish on their secret pet peeves and give some advice to diners.

Great Expectations

Think about the last time you cooked dinner. How long did it take? Forty-five minutes? An hour? More?

We’re guessing the answer wasn’t “15 minutes.” Yet that’s about how long most restaurant patrons expect their dinner to take, and they get irked when it takes any longer. Sometimes diners need to tone down their expectations, says Michael Gordon, a restaurant industry veteran who has spent about a decade as a cook and waiter.

“A steak needs time to cook, and fish needs time to be brought up to temperature,” says Gordon. “There’s a lot of prep work.”

And if you’re in a big party, expect it to take even longer.

“The bigger the party, the longer it’s going to take,” he says. “I can’t give one person a plate and not give everyone else theirs.” In other words, the table will only be served once all the meals are finished, so if one dish takes 25 minutes to cook, that’s how long it will take before anyone sees their food.

Trust the Chef

Gordon says cooks don’t mind people sending their food back if it isn’t cooked as requested. But he estimates that nine times out of 10 the dish was cooked just fine — the customer just doesn’t know what constitutes “medium rare” or understand how a dish is supposed to be cooked.

“Everybody has a degree in something or other, but when they get to a restaurant, everyone thinks they have a doctorate in cooking,” he says.

If you really think the people in the kitchen screwed up your steak, by all means send it back. But consider for a moment that the professionals know better than you do how to prepare a meal. (And if you’re not sure whether you’re on the same page with the kitchen, you might clarify beforehand how they define the varying degrees of doneness.)

This Isn’t ‘Top Chef’

Of course, just because they’re professionals doesn’t mean that cooks are capable of producing any dish on Earth. While some substitutions and special requests will be fine with the kitchen, you can only expect so much improvisation from a kitchen with limited time and ingredients.

“We get people walking into a restaurant and asking for a vegetarian or vegan plate, and unless we’ve specifically got a menu for that population, you’re out of luck,” says Steve Dublanica, author of the Waiter Rant blog. “You’re asking the chef to make something they’re not used to.”

Dublanica, who’s also authored two books based on his experience as a waiter, recounts the story of a woman who came into a Northern Italian restaurant and asked for sushi; when she was informed that the kitchen was incapable of producing sushi dishes, she retorted that it should be possible given that the restaurant had tuna on the menu.

There’s nothing wrong with asking if the kitchen can make something that’s not on the menu, but don’t get all worked up when the answer is no.

Don’t Snap at the Waiters

Everyone knows it can be frustrating to try to get your waiter’s attention during a busy dinner shift, but there’s a right way and a wrong way to flag down your server.

“Raise your hand or make eye contact; don’t snap [your fingers] and don’t wave,” says Dublanica. And don’t even think about physically grabbing a waiter as they walk by, especially if they’re carrying something.

If it’s a special night and you want truly exceptional service, he says you can try slipping your server some cash at the beginning of the meal and requesting special attention. But there’s generally one surefire way to ensure the server keeps coming back to your table, and it doesn’t require you to pay out a bribe.

“The best thing is to be polite, be nice, and say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’,” he says.

Proper Groupon Etiquette

Groupon, the popular group deals site, can be a boon for restaurants looking to attract new customers, but it can also be a pain in the neck for the waitstaff, says Dublanica.

“A party of twelve will come in with their Groupons and they’ll request separate checks [so they can each use their Groupon],” he says. “You can’t do that.”

Indeed, many Groupons for restaurants will stipulate that you can only use one per table, but that apparently doesn’t stop thrifty diners from trying to game the system.

And while we’re on the topic of Groupon, Dublanica also observes that some diners are guilty of tipping only on the after-coupon price.

“When you come in with a $50 Groupon or gift certificate and run up a $100 tab, tip on the whole check, not just the $50,” he says.

They’re Waiters, Not Accountants

If there’s one thing people hate about going out to dinner with friends, it’s figuring out how to split up the check fairly. But that doesn’t mean you should force your server to do the math for you.

“When you have two, three, or four people all paying with credit cards, that’s a no-brainer,” says Dublanica. That’s especially true if you just split it evenly — if someone bought a more expensive entree than everyone else or ordered more drinks, you can square up later.

But asking your server to itemize meals and drinks by requesting separate checks is a very different story.

“When you all want separate checks, that’s a pain,” says Dublanica. “If you’re going to torture your waiter that way, you have to tell him at the beginning.” Waiting until the end of the meal and then asking the server to go through the check and calculate each diner’s individual price isn’t fair, especially on a busy night.

Just Show Your ID

When a bouncer, bartender or waiter asks to see your ID, they’re not trying to give you a hard time. A single underage drinker can be devastating for a restaurant, so it’s important for establishments to be diligent about who they let drink.

“The big driver of any establishment’s ability to make money is their liquor license, and that can get pulled or sanctioned very easily,” says Drew Trombly, who has worked as both a bartender and general manager of a large restaurant. “It’s essential that these places protect themselves.”

So if you’re 40 years old and get carded at the door, don’t roll your eyes — just take it as a compliment.

Closing Time

“Don’t come in five minutes before closing,” pleads Dublanica. “The guys in the back have been there for 12 hours.”

Likewise, Trombly singles out patrons who “stay really late when they’re clearly the last people there.”

While you may love the idea of having a restaurant all to yourself with that special someone, consider that your midnight meal is preventing the staff from getting home to their families. If you must show up right before closing, at least be considerate enough to finish your meal quickly.

After all, waiters and cooks are people, too. Treat them with the same respect you would like to be shown yourself.

Can four-star chefs turn BBQ into fine dining fare?

Can four-star chefs turn BBQ into fine dining fare?

by Leslie Kelly

Barbecue ribs from a 30-course dinner from the hotly anticipated Modernist Cuisine. Photo by J. Kenji Lopez, SeriousEats.com.Posted February 19, 2011

The food-obsessed crowd is consumed with the upcoming release of a revolutionary cookbook called Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking. This $625 six-volume tome is the work of Nathan Myhrvold, a physicist-turned-inventor-turned-food-geek and occasional competition barbecue-r. (I interviewed Myhrvold’s co-author Chris Young for State of Q in December.)

When Myhrvold recently invited some of the country’s most influential palates to a 30-course tasting of dishes from this epic work, one of the high-concept creations that got big raves was barbecue: ribs and brisket, cold smoked and then cooked sous vide in a slow-simmering water bath. Looking at the gorgeous photo on Serious Eats, I couldn’t help wondering if any chef in Memphis had ever tried putting an upscale twist on barbecue.

I talked with Kelly English from Restaurant Iris and think he pretty much nailed the prevailing sentiment: Why do barbecue when so many other folks in Memphis are doing it so well? “It’s really a matter of respect,” he said.

While English does incorporate elements from the pit — he loves infusing smoke in unexpected places — he steers clear of cooking

Chef Kelly English from Restaurant Iris cooked this Old Spot whole hog at Cochon 555 in Atlanta last year, mopping it with sweet tea.

barbecue. Unless, it comes to watching and learning techniques from his father-in-law, a former engineer who has custom-built smokers and is a competition barbecue judge.

Those techniques helped guide English last year when he participated in Cochon 555 in Atlanta. This nationwide pig out designed to highlight the rewards of cooking with heritage breed pigs sparked some heated competition and though he didn’t take away a trophy, English got his first taste of cooking whole hog. (Pictured here.)

“We cured a 200-pound Old Spot hog in coriander, fennel seed and sugar and then smoked it over peach and pecan wood while mopping it with sweet tea,” he said. “That sweet tea gave turned it golden brown and made the skin so crunchy,” he said.

He mixed the lard that was rendered with masa and made tamales with the pulled pork. Oh man. That sounds so delicious.

English also did another show-stopping style of barbecue at last fall’s Southern Foodways Alliance symposium in Oxford, Miss., when he made true-blue barbacoa. For those unfamiliar with that Tex-Mex tradition, it involves burying cow’s heads under a blanket of coals. The low-and-slow cooked meat is shredded and chopped and served with tortillas. I was lucky enough to try it and it was spectacular!

Come to think of it, my very first brush with barbecue in Memphis was at a fancy dinner. I didn’t know any better and ordered ribs at Automatic Slim’s way back in the sultry summer of 2003. They were good, but nothing special. The very next night, I ordered ribs at Rendezvous and it proved to be a life-changing experience. That meal helped convince me to move to Memphis.

Getting to know the Chef

We all know and love Chef Kelly English for his culinary magic, but what does he like to eat, what does he like to do, and what lengths would he go to impress his wife?

Let’s find out!

• What is your favorite thing that your wife Angela cooks? Italian Love Cake. That girl can bake!
• What’s a staple purchase at the Memphis Farmer’s Market each time you visit? A cup of coffee, first and foremost. And during tomato season, I can’t get enough of tomatoes! And lots of salad greens during the summer.
• If you could compare your life to any song, what would it be? “Born on the Bayou”
• Fantasy vacation? Probably eating my way through Barcelona, Spain with my wife.
• Biggest pet peeve at restaurants? The use of non-applicable terms to make things sound more fancy than they are (when someone calls soup a “bisque” when it’s just not). Also, it bothers me when someone clears plates from the table while others are still eating.
• During courtship, what did you do to impress Angela? I cooked for her on our first date, Osso Bucco, and invited her and some of her friends to N’awlins for dinner, where I treated them to a 10-course tasting. The Osso Bucco was because she’s Italian, and I really wanted to impress her.
• If you could come back as any animal, what would it be and why? My wife’s Brussels Griffon, who gets all of our leftovers, and because my wife will do anything for that dog!

Willamette & Iris

Wine dinner March 1

Tuesday March 1st Restaurant Iris is hosting a wine dinner with Willamette Valley Vineyards. Winemaker, & former Memphian, Don Crank will be greeting guests, answering questions & sharing insight into the beauty of Oregon wine. Cocktails & passed appetizers begin at 6:00 with dinner following promptly at 6:30. Cost is $65/person plus tax & gratuity. For reservations please call 901.590.2828.

Whining & Dining: Adding to Accolades

Whining & Dining: Time to visit out-of-way culinary destinations

Consumer Taveler lists Restaurant Iris as one of 9 great Valentine’s Day adventures for any time of the year

9 great Valentine’s Day adventures for any time of the year

Here are nine great romantic experiences that work during the winter, spring, fall and summer. Here are cities and towns where love can blossom and every couple will have a time that they will never forget.

Memphis, Tennessee
If you and your partner love live music bars and if you love barbeque, you have come to the right place. Add a little bit of museums, some culture and the Mississippi River flavor and Memphis is the kind of place where one could spend some romantic time.

Music spills out of the bars and venues along neon-lit Beale Street; not only blues, which one would expect since this city is the birthplace of the blues, but rock and roll, country, gospel and jazz, too.

Stay in the middle of it all at the Peabody Hotel where blues musicians like Furry Lewis, Frank Stokes and Tommy Johnson all made their first recordings in rooms at the Peabody in the late 20s and early 30s, playing for talent scouts from big record labels like Vocalion and Paramount. It has a fantastic Sunday brunch and of course the ducks are legendary. This iconic hotel is just blocks from Beale Street, the Memphis Rock N Soul Museum, Gibson Guitar Factory, Fed-Ex Forum, National Civil Rights Museum and Sun Studio. And who can forget Graceland, the home of Elvis.

For eats, Memphis is one of the culinary capitals of America with something for everyone. I love the down and dirty BBQ joints and chicken joints. Try Gus’s at 310 S Front St. for fried chicken that lives up to its hype. Go to Tom’s Bar-B-Q and Deli at 4087 New Getwell Rd. for his rib tips, forget everything else, but try the strawberry cheesecake as well.

For romance, if your sweetie insists on tablecloths and fine napkins try the charming Restaurant Iris (2146 Monroe Ave., 901-590-2828) for Creole/French fare or head to Paulette’s (2110 Madison Ave., 901- 726-5128 ) where generations of locals have gone for “that special meal.”

A tribute to the Gulf Coast by Chef Kelly English

NOAA Reopens More Than 4,000 Square Miles of Gulf Waters to Royal Red Shrimping

NOAA Reopens More Than 4,000 Square Miles of Gulf Waters to Royal Red Shrimping

02/02/2011 12:43 PM EST

NEW ORLEANS — NOAA tomorrow will reopen 4,213 square miles of Gulf of Mexico federal waters off Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to royal red shrimping. The area was closed to this type of deep water fishing on Nov. 24 as a precautionary measure after a commercial shrimper discovered tar balls in his net. The “fingerprint” analysis to determine whether the source of the tar balls was the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil was inconclusive. Further fish and shrimp sampling and testing from the area showed no oil or dispersant contamination.

This reopening was announced after consultation with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. All commercial and recreational fishing is allowed within this area.

“Extensive testing of royal red shrimp and other fish from this area revealed they are safe to eat,” said Roy Crabtree, assistant NOAA administrator for NOAA’s Fisheries Service southeast region. “Seafood safety and consumer confidence remain a priority for NOAA, and we will continue monitoring Gulf seafood for as long as necessary to ensure its integrity.”

NOAA continues to work closely with the FDA and the Gulf states to ensure seafood safety. Additionally, the agency is continuing its post-spill broad-scale seafood sampling strategy that includes sampling seafood from inside and outside the closure area.

To date, all seafood tested by NOAA and FDA post-spill demonstrates seafood is safe for consumption. Results from the sensory analysis found no detectable oil or dispersant odors or flavors, and results from the chemical analysis for oil-related compounds and dispersants were well below the levels of concern.

Royal red shrimp are caught in Gulf waters deeper than 600 feet and are the only shrimp species targeted with trawls at these depths. The more common Gulf shrimp species are brown, white and pink shrimp, and are caught in waters less than 300 feet deep. NOAA has not received reports of tar balls in fishing catches at shallower depths in this area.

These waters were initially closed to all commercial and recreational fishing last summer because of the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill and were reopened to all fishing on Nov. 15 after hundreds of seafood specimens sampled from the area, including royal red shrimp, passed both sensory and chemical testing.

An area covering 1,041 square miles immediately surrounding the wellhead still remains closed to all commercial and recreational fishing. The fishing area closure was first instituted on May 2, at which time it covered about 3 percent (6,817 square miles) of Gulf waters around the wellhead. As oil continued to spill from the wellhead, the area grew in size, peaking at 37 percent (88,522 square miles) of Gulf waters on June 2.

NOAA has a number of methods for the public to obtain information or be notified when there is a change to the closed area:

• Sign up to receive Southeast Fishery Bulletins by email at SERO.Communications.Comments@noaa.gov
• Call 1-800-627-NOAA (1-800-627-6622) to hear a recording of the current coordinates (message in English, Vietnamese, and Spanish – coordinates in English)
• Listen to NOAA Weather Radio for messages about the closure
• Follow us on Twitter: usnoaagov to get a tweet when the closed area changes

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Visit us at http://www.noaa.gov or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/usnoaagov.

Chef Kelly English wins the Memphis Restaurant Association’s Restaurateur of the Year Award

RISING STAR CHEF & VETERAN INDUSTRY VENDOR WIN RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION HIGHEST ACCOLADES

Memphis, TN- Sunday evening, the who’s who of the Memphis Restaurant Community gathered at the Hilton East to honortheir own and help generate awareness for the Gulf Coast’s struggling seafood industry. Over 500 restaurateurs, chefs, vendors, food enthusiasts, and dignitaries enjoyed an evening of Gulf Seafood, Dixieland music, and dancing at the Memphis Restaurant Association’s 47th Annual Banquet: ‘A Tribute to the Gulf Coast’. The evening also gave a chance for the membership-driven Restaurant Association to honor two of their members with the Annual Associate Member of the Year and Restaurateur of the Year Awards.

Associate Member of the Year Award, was presented to veteran food industry vendor, Brad Leslie of Data Cash Register. One of the longest standing associate members of the MRA, Leslie was praised for his continued dedication to the MRA and commitment to the local restaurant community. “Brad was one of the first members to call and congratulate me and to offer his help when I first became Executive Director of the MRA,” says Kimberly Carlson.

The Restaurateur of the Year Award was presented to rising star Chef Kelly English, owner of Restaurant Iris. In his presenting speech, event co-chair and MRA Vice President, Patrick Reilly praised fellow chef English for his self-less attitude towards elevating the Memphis culinary scene, highlighting the many ways in which English involves other chefs, local farmers and others in his kitchen at Restaurant Iris as well as in national competitions and demonstrations.

“Kelly English not only promotes the legacy of Memphis food,” said Reilly “but challenges us to look beyond our own toques, our own tongs and yes, our own egos, to realize that the best way to elevate the Memphis Restaurant Scene is by working together.”

President Mike Miller shared the MRA’s recent successes with the capacity crowd in his keynote speech. He highlighted annual accomplishments including the creation of ‘restaurant only’ focus groups, increased lobbying presence both statewide and nationally, added member benefits, and a soon-to-be launched, interactive website. Miller also gave insight to projects the MRA Board is working on for the year to come including bringing on a preferred credit card vendor offering discounted processing fees to members, creating a political action committee, and involvement in ProStart, a high school-based program that prepares students for careers in culinary arts and foodservice management.

Another highlight of the evening was Greg Voisin of Motivatit Seafoods from Houma, La and the grilled-to-order garlic oysters-on-the half shell he prepared during the cocktail hour. Mr. Voisin, a special guest of the MRA for the evening and 7th generation oysterman, gave a heartfelt speech during the ceremonies thanking Memphians for their continued support of Gulf fisherman.

During the cocktail hour, former MRA Executive Director and out-going advisory board member, Wight Boggs, was presented with a proclamation from the City of Memphis, declaring January 30th as ‘Wight Fulton Boggs Day’ in honor of her more than two decades of dedication to the Memphis Restaurant Industry.

After enjoying cocktails & hors d’oeuvres of shrimp cocktail and oysters on the half shell, all from the Gulf Coast, guests paraded into the dining room led by the rousing music of the Dixielanders. Guests dined on Chef Linda Lopez’s Gulf-inspired menu that included Shredded Medley of Cabbage Salad with Jerk Pork Tenderloin Medallions and Cornbread Croutons, Andouille Sausage Stuffed Chicken Breast topped with Shrimp Étouffée, Low Country Bread Pudding, Bacon Wrapped Green Beans and Popcorn Okra Garnish. Dessert included Beignets, a Chicory Coffee Station and Cordials.

The Annual Banquet is the main fundraiser for the Memphis Restaurant Association. The money generated from the banquet helps cover general operating expenses that allows the Association to continue their educational programming and governmental services for their membership and the Memphis restaurant community as a whole.

The Memphis Restaurant Association is the premier support organization dedicated to the success of the restaurant industry and community. We provide useful, accessible tools, educational services and governmental representation to promote the stability and growth of our members. The MRA is the restaurant and foodservice business advocate for the Mid-South, providing a forum for owners, managers and employees to come together to provide Memphis with the necessary tools for customers to choose the greatest places to eat out. Since 1947, we have been serving as the foundation that allows the industry to maintain its high standards.

Memphis Restaurant Association
P.O. Box 770027
Memphis, TN 38177
901-488-4745
www.memphisrestaurants.com
###

Media Contact:
Kimberly Carlson 901-488-4745
Kimberly@memphisrestaurants.com
Or Deni Reilly 901-289-3870
deni@majesticgrille.com

365 Memphians, Day 33: Chef Kelly English

Via IloveMemphisblog.com
Wednesday, February 2nd
33 / 365

Meet Memphian no. 33, Chef Kelly English. He’s the owner and head chef at Restaurant Iris, one of Memphis’ swankiest eateries. He was kind enough to answer a few questions about food, Memphis and his hidden talents.

Name: Kelly English

Occupation: Chef/Owner Restaurant Iris

Hometown: New Orleans, LA is where I was born, but now Memphis is my hometown.

Neighborhood: Midtown

My favorite restaurants in Memphis (other than my own) are: That is a really tough question. My wife and I are always in the mood for Las Tortugas. Out East, we love Andrew Michael and what Jose has done with River Oaks. In Midtown, we find ourselves at Bari, Bhan Thai, Tsunami or the Beauty Shop. Downtown, we go to the Trolley Stop, Felicia Suzanne’s or McEwen’s. For barbecue, we go see Eric at the Bar-B-Q Shop.

My favorite thing to cook is: Fresh avocado on rye toast with salt and pepper only. Delicious.

The best part of my day is: It is a close race between seeing a customer smile as they take a bite and kissing my wife when I get home from work.

It’s Monday morning. Most likely, I’m: Having coffee and chicory and getting ready to start prepping for dinner.

My favorite thing about my neighborhood is: I love the diversity of Midtown.

When friends from out of town visit Memphis, I take them to: Las Tortugas

I’m working on: the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, of which I’m part of the Founder’s Council. The AFWF is going to be a four-day celebration in May of almost everything Southern, sponsored by Food & Wine magazine. I am looking forward to giving everyone there a taste of what is great about Memphis.

My hidden talent is: I can remember lyrics verbatim to just about any song I hear more than once.

The last book I read was: The Food Lover’s Companion, I obsessively read it over and over, cover to cover.

I love Memphis because: Memphis not only gave me my wife, but also welcomed me with open arms and allowed me to share my passion for cooking.