Saturday, March 31, 2012
WEEK TWO BLOG ENTRY:
Write about anything that happened to you in a restaurant. Yes, it is that general. Just think of some time when you were in a restaurant and now have a memory of the experience for whatever reason. For example, I was in a restaurant in Little Italy in New York City once and the only other people in the restaurant were at a table arguing. He looked like Tony Soprano and she looked like his mistress…actually, from overhearing them, she was indeed his mistress but was trying to leave the “relationship.” It was a tense conversation. I did not look their way much. This was in 1996…I wonder if they are still “together.”
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When I was about seven-years old my grandma took me to a Thai restaurant for the first time. The restaurant was located in Redondo Beach and I remember how I could see the ocean from where I sat. Inside, the restaurant decor consisted of golden elephants, miniature Thai buildings, portraits of Thai royalty and long red drapes. There was soft Thai music that played in the background that accompanied the sound of a dishes and background murmur from the other patrons. My grandma ordered me the Thai tea, and after a little hesitation, I sipped it then fell in love with the extra sweet, creamy tea flavor. For the main entree, I new I wanted noodles so (with the assistance of my grandma) I selected from the noodle section the pa-kee-maw, which are spicy flat noodles with basil, other seasonings and your choice of meat. I ate everything on the plate. I instantly feel in love with Thai food at that restaurant. It was almost as if everything I had previously thought about asian-cuisine had been infused with a huge explosion of spice and flavor. My family and I revisited this restaurant a few more times later and each time I left satisfied and full. I still find myself wondering if that restaurant is still there because I would love to pay it a visit. That experience was seventeen-years ago and even today Thai food ranks high on my list. Every time I try out a new Thai restaurant the first thing I order is the pa-kee-maw and the Thai tea. I know that I can very rarely ever go wrong with that and my taste buds will thank me.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a very vivid, beautiful memory. I have eaten Thai food at American style retaurants numerous times, but I have only eaten at an actual Thai style restaurant once. I personally liked the American version better, however, I would like to try other Thai restaurants to see if it was simply because that particular restaurant was not that great.
DeleteI agree that this is a very beautiful memory. I have just recently tried Thai food and I liked the pad thai but I did not enjoy the the beef with curry over rice. However, the place I went to was a nice place and I would be willing to try different dishes they offered.
DeleteGreat story. I have to agree, those thai teas are addicting! Thai food is delicious, but the one thing that really sells it for me is the thai tea. I went to a Thai restaurant once, and after we had ordered our food, I told the waitress I wanted thai tea for my drink, and sadly, she said, "I'm sorry, we're out of Thai teas." I was shocked. I looked at my husband with a "we're leaving now" look! Sure enough, we left and went to another Thai restaurant.
DeleteWonderful story. I am a big fan of Thai cuisine myself, and the decor is definitely a big factor in my enjoyment of Thai food. There is something about sipping Thai Tea, chowing down on some authentic Thai curry, and being transported to another world.
DeleteThai Tea is another one of those staples as well. It simply does not feel right to dine in a Thai restaurant without downing an ice cold glass of Thai tea.
My family, along with a few other families from our church, had driven to Wichita, KS from Ark City, KS to see a play. I believe it was winter, so it was most likely a play about the birth of Jesus. I was around ten-years old, and I had a mean crush on our pastor's son. My friend also had a mean crush on this same boy. Both of their families had attended as well. When all of us got to the restaurant, we split into two tables, the kids at one and the adults at the other. Of course my friend and I sat as close as possible to this boy who we shared feelings for. The restaurant was decorated with taxidermy. Not only were there dead animals surrounding us, it seemed that it had been a while since they had been dusted. Needless to say, it was not the most appetizing sight. The boy, in ten-year old boy fashion, began to point out all of the animals. He was trying to gross me and my friend out. I cannot remember what food I was eating, but I began to feel ill. I was not even grossed out by what he was saying. I had been hunting before, so that sort of thing did not usually make me ill. However, I had to spend the rest of the evening in the retroom. I sat in there thinking about how my friend was getting to spend all that time with him "alone," but there was no way that I could leave my station. When the evening was finally through, the boy apologized several times because he thought he had made me ill. I thought seeing his face full of concern for me had been worth my evening on that restaurant toilet.
ReplyDeleteI'm in class right now reading this!!. That is a very funny story. I remember those days when I had crushes! At least you will not forget this experience.
DeleteThat is true. These are the stories we tend to remember. Those days seem like a long time ago.
DeleteI used to have a Thursday night ritual with a close group of friends. We would meet every Thursday at La Mina Restaurant to catch up with each other. It was two dollar margarita night. One night while we were eating enchildas mar y mar (shrimp and crab enchiladas with sauteed mushrooms, pico de galo, and a layer of cream cheese inside and topped with avocado slices)and while drinking our second pitcher of margaritas a fight broke out on the edge of the bar. We watched in shock as two guys attacked each other and broke the partician between the restaurant and the bar...it did not kill our buzz or kill our Thursday night ritual. Haha.
ReplyDeleteThat's crazy! Honestly, I feel like that may have made your night that much better. I've never been in a bar or restaurant when a fight has broken out, so I guess I could say that I'm slightly jealous!
DeleteMy family and I used to live in Hayward, California and we would always go to a Chinese restaurant that was in town every weekend as a family. Every time we went my twin sister and I would always be excited to get our soda because it always came with little plastic straw decorations of animals. My father and mother would talk about funny incidents that have happened with family members. My sister and I would pick fights with our little brother because he would try to drink from our drinks. However, once the beef and broccoli, honey walnut prawns, chow mein, steamed rice and fried rice was laid on the table then everybody was happy. All the food was delicious and every time we went the food was always as great and to this very day I have not tasted any better chinese food. Hopefully, the restaurant is still there but either way every Chinese restaurant has not been close to winning my taste buds like that restaurant.
ReplyDeleteIt’s amazing how good food could make kids stop what they are doing and just enjoy the food. That’s how you know that the food is good, put it in front of two kids that are arguing and if they stop to eat, it’s good.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI know it's very true give them food they like and they will stop their grumbling.
DeleteYour description of the Chinese food is making me hungry. I remember always wanting to go to Chinese food as a child. Our parents like to eat Mexican food as well but we felt like it wasn't a treat since that's what we would eat at home. Lol
DeleteOne time, while eating at Que Pasa at the Marketplace with my, at that time Girlfriend, we couldn't help but notice an odd couple at the table behind ours. The man at the table was dressed very nicely in a suit and tie and the woman sitting with him had bright pink hair pulled up into pigtails, short jean shorts with leggings and a colorful t-shirt. Both the man and the women looked to be in their fifties, which made the women's outfit that much more awkward and inappropriate. As my girlfriend and I tried to enjoy our dinner we couldn't help but listen in on some of the "odd couple's" conversation. Just from the eves dropping we did, we could decipher that this was a blind date and it must have been the mans first date in awhile because he seemed to speak to the women with so much excitement and anticipation. We couldn't help but laugh at the awkward conversation going on between the two, so as they went on we brainstormed our own scenarios for the couple and began doing our own "voice overs" for them. We still laugh about that night.
ReplyDeleteMy boyfriend and I have also had a similar experience in a restaurant, however, we were sitting at the table right next to them so both parties can see each other. We could not believe how uncomfortable the situation made us feel because we were able to see how one was more into the other. We could not stop talking about them for the rest of the night.
DeleteThats funny, it makes you feel slightly awful for eves dropping and creating your own scenarios, but you just can't help it, it's too much fun!
DeleteWhat a funny experience that must have been for you two, but I could just imagine the experience for the man and his surprise of that lady being his blind date. I wonder if that must've been their first and last date, or if more dates continued after that.
DeleteThat is too funny. When I've been in similar situations before, I just think of it as "entertainment" to go along with my meal. I also wonder if this was the beginning of a flourishing romace.
Deletenow I want to find out how their story developed!
DeleteBeen there, done that. It's hillarious what kind of voice overs people can come up with!
DeleteI've been in this situation a few times. Sometimes the voice-overs we provide are much more entertaining and amusing than what must actually be happening!
DeleteI have to admit I like to eat out a lot, so I have many memories of eating out; but one stands out from all of them. As my husband and I were eating at a Mexican Restaurant, we were enjoying our food. We hear loud yells and a lot of commotion. We look around to see what was going on, and we saw three guys at the bar area making complete fools of themselves; these three guys were completely drunk and acting like fools. One of the guys thought he was at a club and started dancing by himself, the other two were cheering him on. We thought it was funny, but at the same time embaressing for them since they probably were going to totally forget of how silly they looked! That day was so funny we just can't forget about it.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a funny memory to have, I bet you guys were trying to hold in the laughter. That should really show a person not to drink more than they can handle in a public place.
DeleteI agree with the fact that people should only drink as much as they can handle. I recall a similar situation happening at a family party. Some of the guests were really drunk and began to dance in the middle of the dance floor with one another. The rest of the people were laughing hysterically because they were watching the older men dancing with each other. Although the rest of the people were having a great time I bet the men would have been embarrassed if they were aware of what was going on.
DeleteMy favorite restaurant in town is Benji's French Basque; it makes my mouth water thinking about it. Well, on top of Benji's being my favorite, some family friends work there and are related to the owner. Well, one time I went there with my husband and my then 4 year old and 2 year old - yes I was brave enough to work up the courage to bring my two rambunctious boys. Anyways, my 2 year old is too much of a big boy for high chairs (or so he thinks), so we have him seated next to me. Well, the whole time through dinner he decides that sitting at the table is way too boring and ends up getting up and trying to hang out and sit with other people at their tables. I had anxiety the whole time and couldn't eat because not only is it embarrassing just in general, but the fact that close friends work there, made it worse. Half way through dinner, actually I don't even think I made it half way, so let’s say 15 - 20 minutes later I grab him and waited in the car with him while my husband and older son finished. I swore I would never take him to another restaurant again. For those who don't have children or are reaching the stage of "terrible two's" all I can say is: Good Luck. Well, he is three now and fortunately for me he is finally able to behave better in restaurants. I still refuse to take him anywhere, but family friendly ones. Ha-ha, I think he has scorned me for life and I do not know if I will ever be able to take him anywhere, but family friendly restaurants - even when he does reach the age 25. Well, I guess that isn't as bad as the time I went to Red Lobster and a table away from us her son threw up ALL OVER THE TABLE AND HIS MOM. I just decided to write about my son because I remember it better than the Red Lobster one.
ReplyDeleteI do not have any children, but I have witnessed these situations before (both the one of your child and the kid at Red Lobster). I often wonder if I did have a kid, how would I react? Would I stick the embarassment and finish my meal Or would I pack up and leave at the firs sign of trouble. I think I would probably just stick it out. I feel that a child is going to have to learn at some point. I guess I would just accept the loooks of annoyance until he/she learned the proper restaurant behavior.
DeleteYes I have to agree, at some point they have to learn. However, this is my fault and I should only stick with family friendly restaurants where it would be more tolerated and where I could work on it with him. However, I do not think it is appropriate or fair to the other customers who are trying to eat a peaceful dinner and my son is trying to hang out with them. I wouldn't want to be bothered and certain restaurants are just not age appropirate for him (at the time). I am only human and he was two and it was my first experience taking him to a restaurant. We live and learn. Thanks for your post!
DeleteI remember a time when I was completing my undergraduate degree, two of my classmates and I went to a Jack in the Box during class brake. My classmates and I walked in the restaurant having a conversation as always. We continued to talk, while waiting for our food and getting our drinks. Since we were fully involved in our discussion, we did not notice the other people in the restaurant. In a matter of seconds, a female customer that had been waiting for her food began to get loud and grouchy. She started screaming at the employee and demanded her order “now” she was shouting disrespectful words to the employee and manager. The manager tried to apologize and offer her money to be reimbursed to her but the customer declined and said that all she needed was her food and go on about her business. As she was speaking, one could see her level of irritation increasing. The employee that was taking orders seemed fearful and the manager was desperate to keep the situation from escalating. As we were all witnessing, we realized that she had no reason to act the way she was and her attitude was unnecessary. An older couple was the first individuals to say something to her, followed by my two classmates and myself. The woman responded by saying that her and her attitude were none of our business. The older couple continued by telling her that they did not appreciated her negativity and obviously she was having a bad day but she certainly did not have the right to take it out on others. The woman then said she did not want her food or her money after all and left the restaurant.
ReplyDeleteOh wow, As bad as this sounds I have also experienced something like this and let me tell you I would feel embaressed if I were her. The sad thing is that you see this every where not only in a restaurant, but at a super store at a apparel store; it's just so sad how society is. Restaurants are busy and one must understand that when eating out you can't have it as fast as you want, their are people in front of you and your food does have to cook right.
DeleteManagement did a great job at staying calm because that situation could have easily escalated if both parties were angry. Sorry you had such an unpleasent experinece.
I have a vivid memory at a restaurant a few years back that I will never forget. Approximately 2007 my ex-husband and I went to Chuys restaurant on Wilson road here in Bakersfield, CA. My ex-husband is African American and I am Caucasian. We decided to go to dinner one night and at that time have never been to Chuys. We walked into the restaurant and I had a very uncomfortable feeling when we entered. When I began looking around it was almost as if I heard a pin drop. Everyone in the restaurant was staring at us and made us both feel unwelcome. We proceeded to sit at the bar to order a drink; there was an older Caucasian male sitting next to us. The bartender asked for our ID’s and we gave them to him as he requested. He glanced at my ID and gave it back to me right away; he kept my ex-husbands ID and was examining it longer than expected. He returned the ID and told him “your ID is fake and I cannot serve you here”. I was a little shocked at first, and tried not to see this as a racial comment. My ex-husband proceeded to show the bartender his older ID because he just recently renewed it, so he can compare the two. The bartender refused to compare the two ID’s and returned the ID back to my ex-husband. The man that was sitting by us decided to speak up and pull his ID out of his pocket to show the bartender they had the same ID’s. The bartender refused to examine his ID and said “I’m going to have to ask you two to leave.” I was so embarrassed and just appalled by the obvious racial discrimination. I have never experienced this type of racial discrimination. It was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had. We simply just walked away and discussed it in the car. I will never forget this restaurant outing.
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe people acted liked. It's not even shocking that you two were married and who cares about your racial identities. People are so close minded and hateful. To think this happened only a few years ago, I would have hoped that America has progressed enough, from past decades, to realize that skin color does not matter. But then again, this is Bakersfield and even though it is California, people in Bakersfield are still not as open minded.
DeleteI can’t even imagine the humiliation and anger both of you must have gone through. A few weeks ago I also witnessed racial discrimination at a Mexican restaurant. I had overheard a Caucasian man loudly complaining about how spicy his food was. He was very upset and began cursing and saying discriminatory things about Mexicans. It is definitely upsetting to know that racial discrimination continues to exist.
DeleteThis is horrible, I am so sorry you had to experience that. I would never forget something like that either. What ethnicity or racial background was the bartender?
DeleteDrivera; Those customers obviously are completely ignorant enough to come to a "Mexican" restaurant and want cultural food but not with the authentic taste it is supposed to have. Most Latin people know that Mexican's eat a lot of spicy food and I'm not Mexican but my boyfriend's family is and I know I cannot handle spicy like they can. Thus, if the Caucasian man does not like spicy then he should have stated to his server to put spices on the side. Instead of making himself look like a total rude idiot and making unnecessary commentary.
Those are terrible stories I'm sorry you had to experience that type of discrimination. I work in retail sales and have witnessed and experienced racial discrimination but never have I seen it in a restaurant. If I ever did I would definitely never go back.
DeleteIt's sad that even in this day and age there is still so much racial discrimination going on! I am so sorry that you had this experience.
DeleteThanks everyone for your comments about my story, it's good to hear other people react to this. The bartender was Caucasian Jocelyn but it has made me a much stronger person, and has allowed me to instill in my children to not see color.
DeleteYears ago, I was fortunate enough to take my first trip to New York with my family. It had been our first time visiting New York so I was shocked when I witnessed how busy and chaotic the city was. We decided to go to a diner called Big Nick’s the following morning for breakfast. When we walked into Big Nick’s I couldn’t believe the amount of people that had been crammed into such a tight space. The loud noise of everyone’s conversations overwhelmed the diner. As we patiently waited to be seated I stood amazed as I watched the waitresses run around the diner and the chefs dash back and forth across the kitchen. We were finally seated by a friendly waitress that introduced us to the menu that had to have had over 100 items. She quickly took our drink orders and before she could scurry away we asked her if it was this busy every day. She giggled and explained that that was the way New York was all day, every day. We explained that it had been our first trip to New York and before we could tell where we were from she smiled and said, “ You all must be from California.” My family and I all stopped and glanced at each other wondering how in the world she knew that. She continued and claimed, “You guys are way too calm, happy and nice to be from around here. You can’t be from anywhere other than from California!” We all laughed because we couldn’t believe she was able to distinguish so fast that we were from California. That was definitely one of the most memorable moments that I had experienced at a restaurant. Until this day, I can’t believe she knew that. I will never forget that waitress and our experience at Big Nick’s.
ReplyDeleteThat's too funny! My first time in New York I was shocked at the prices. But there is definitely a sense of urgency there even in the restaurants. I think New York is great, but I love California...
Deletelol I guess people can really tell if you're not from that certain area just by the way you act or dress. By the way you're telling me you're story, I can tell New York is a busy.
DeleteThat is awesome. I always thought that New Yorkers hated us, but from your story it is neat to hear an outsider view of Californias (whether bakesfield or not) and see that it in fact is positive! I think the reason people might hate California is jealousy - we have no major weather to worry about and are close to awesome beaches! Our winters are mild and we so many different cities, attractions, and sites to see. Thanks for your post!
DeleteI'm so jealous. I have always wanted to go to New York to eat at the various restaurants. This place sounds like it would be great place to eat and watch real New Yorkers in action.
DeleteOne time at Denny’s about two years ago, my friends and I headed to eat since it was a tradition to go eat after a football game back in high school. This occasion was for the rival game between the two high schools in my town; even though we had already graduated from there a couple of years ago it was still nice to attend. Denny’s was the place where I was able to hang out and catch up with friends that had moved to a different school and to reminisce about the high school days. It must’ve been around seven or eight of us having dinner and laughing about our inside jokes. Once we finished having our dinner and talking about what has been going on with us we had gotten up from our table and had decided to go pay. As we were waiting to pay, we hear one of the waiters say who ordered the banana split without the banana. My friends and I just look at each other and start laughing. We have never heard of such a thing of someone ordering that. Till this day we still mention that day, why even bother getting a banana split without the banana why not just get ice-cream. Looking back at it now it was very nice because it would’ve been one of the last dinners the group would have before my friend Jessica moved away to live somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad always said that it's better to eat at a restaurant with a full parking lot than at a restaurant with an empty parking lot. He said that it not only reflects the good food and service,but also with more customers the food does not sit in the restaurant as long. Well, many years ago, me and a friend took a cross country trip to Florida. We drove straight on most days, just stopping to eat. We were somewhere on a desolate road in New Mexico and we were starving. There weren't too many restaurants in sight or even a drive thru. Finally, we come to a family style restaurant with a glowing "open" sign. My friend was super happy to finally sit, relax and eat. As we approached the parking lot, I could not help but notice: no cars. Remembering my Dad's words, I cringed inside. We went in anyway and hoped for the best. When we got our sandwiches, it was no surprise, they were terrible. I thought that maybe someone was pulling a trick on us, but the food was really just that bad. From flat sodas, wilted lettuce, and suspicious cold cuts; bad news. Lesson learned, I now do the parking lot test to any new restaurant.
ReplyDeleteFather knows best. I hope you realize that you have a wise dad. He is right if a restaurant has a lot full of cars that means that they have a lot of customers and it makes sense to think the food would be fresher.
DeleteWhen I read this I couldn’t believe it because my dad has always told me the same. Whenever we see a restaurant that has full parking lot he says, “That must be a good place to eat.” So when we try new places to eat we always do the parking lot test just like you.
DeleteElaine Souvannakham
ReplyDeleteWeek 2 Blog
The one place I love to eat is at Bakersfield’s Olive Garden. When my husband and I cannot decide where to eat, we go to Olive Garden. One afternoon, when my husband and I were having a late lunch, we were seated next to a party of 8. The people looked like they were about 20-30 years old. They were celebrating a friend’s birthday who was seated in the center of the table, and she was wearing a birthday ribbon along with a short skirt dress. They were having general discussions, laughing, and smiling. Then as the birthday celebrant stepped away for a moment, I could hear one of the girls talking about the birthday celebrant’s attire, and how it’s embarrassing to be seen in public with her. She told the group of people that she “would not wear a red hoochie dress if her thighs were that humongous and had cellulites!” The group of people laughed hysterically at her statement. Then one of the other girls responded to her and said, “We have to be nice, it’s her birthday.” Their jokes went on and on until the birthday celebrant got back to the table, then all of them were pretending like everything was fine. That was about a year ago, and today I wonder if they are all still friends.
Oh my gosh, I seriously can't believe I just read that! People are so ruthless, and it was her birthday! Seriously, that is probably one of the worst stories I have ever heard. I wonder if they are still friends too. Hmm...you think their true colors finally shown through?
DeleteThat is terrible! She definately did not choose the best of friends. Imagine if she had heard them say something and how she would have felt. Maybe she shouldn't have been wearing that or maybe she didn't know that she shouldn't have worn that but if they were indeed, good friends, then someone would have taken her to the side and let her know.
DeleteI remember my first time eating at Prime Cut for my 21st birthday. I had invited my friends and family members for a night of karaoke. Some of the people in my party were young(19-30 years-old) and a few were a bit older(40+), but a majority were under the age of 30 and only my mom and a friend from work were over the age of 40. I remember walking into Prime Cut and seeing a lot of middle-aged people. It was awkard! Not to say there is anything wrong with middle-aged people, but when your young just turning 21, you don't want to take your friends to a bar with a lot of older people, you want to be surrounded by people your own age. Again not hating on the elderly. There was not just the obvious age difference that made the night awkard, but the music being played was mostly country, not to say that there is anything wrong with country music, but almost all of my friends and family members listen to hip-hop, rap, and r&b; with the exception of a few who like hispanic music. And last but not least the food was awful. I ordered a chicken sandwich and the bread was really soggy(almost like it was soaked in water) and there was literally no seasoning to give the food flavor. I will say that the people, both attending and working, were really nice and social, but Prime Cut just is not for me.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most interesting experiences I have ever had in a restaurant was in San Diego at a vegetarian restaurant called “Sipz.” I went to San Diego for the first time 2 years ago and fell in love with it. Sip was great from the beginning to end. I went with my family and my husband at the time and we ordered so much food. Being from Bakersfield, I had never seen a restaurant that was fully dedicated to being vegetarian, and even had many vegan items. It was Asian fusion cuisine, but no meat was allowed inside the restaurant. They had vegetarian chicken, pork, beef, fish, and even shrimp! I ordered my favorite thing to drink, thai iced tea, which was amazing. We also ordered two hand rolls, and I ended up getting the broccoli beef. I haven’t eaten meat in a very long time, but my family does, and they agreed that it was the closest you can get to eating meat without actually eating it. The experience was so much fun because we had spent the entire day in Balboa Park, and we were so hungry. Us all starving made the food that much better. At the end, we got mango and sticky rice, and a vegan cheesecake for dessert. It was all amazing. I’ve been back several times since then, and the food is always great. I loved having that special experience with all of my family. I discovered my favorite restaurant that day, and frequently find myself craving the food.
ReplyDeleteOne night, my wife and I went out to have a dinner at olive garden restaurant. It was a Friday night about eight years ago before we have our ten kids yet, actually four. We were nicely dressed and happy, enjoying our first year of marriage and celebrating my wife’s birthday. Once we walked in, a male waiter greeted us and asked where we would like to set. When we did not show any preference, he seated us in a nice romantic corner. He was very excited handing us the menu and reciting all types of drinks they offer, then he asked “what can I get for you to drink?” My wife said water and I said regular Pepsi with no ice. It was it for him he frowned and in tedious voice said okay! Nevertheless, we understood the reason for his weird behavior. He assumed that we, as a beautiful girl and a handsome young man going out on a Friday night, would order all kinds of drinks and lose our minds which will lead to a nice tip in his pocket. However, instead of giving him hard time or complaining about his attitude, we continued treating him nice and gave him a big five-dollar tip.
ReplyDeleteBack when I was about ten years old, my parents and I would always eat out very late at night. Our penchant for 3AM dining would lead us to frequent a lot of the Denny's chain restaurants in town. At this particular restaurant, the hostesses were extremely busy, and scuffled around trying to take many customer orders. We were extremely hungry and ordered three piping hot plates of sandwiches and steaks. Fifteen minutes had passed, and we were eagerly awaiting our meal. Thirty minutes had passed, and we were fidgeting in our seats. After an hour had passed, they brought out two plates. My father, shocked at the terrible service, asked the waitress whether our third plate would be brought to our table. “You guys ordered a third plate?” She asked. My father blew his cool and stormed out of the restaurant, dragging my mother and I with him. The diners who were seated around us started breaking out in a clap, and to this day I have no idea why they had clapped at or for us. This was not my worst experience at a Denny’s however, as many more terrible experiences were in store for me in the future.
ReplyDeleteOne day my husband and I went out to eat to Black Angus which is a great place. We sat in the Bull’s Eye Bar area, we were having a great time. We were about halfway through when we noticed a really young kid, I would say about two years old, running around. I understand that people take their kids out but they should really behave. When I looked around I saw the kid’s parents laughing and drinking having a great time which is okay but the kid wasn’t just running around he was talking to people being really laud and just being kind of annoying. I am very tolerant of kids because I have kids, but I could tell that many people where getting bothered. When the kid came to our table I talked to him in a firm voice and told him, “you are not supposed to touch other people’s things and you are not supposed to be running around. Go sit down with your parents”. As soon as I said that the little kid went straight to his parents and didn’t move. I did feel kind of bad but I think that parents have to pay attention to their kids. Those parents didn’t even notice or maybe they didn’t care that their child was going around bothering people. I know this little story makes me sound like if I’m mean but I think kids have to be taught how to behave and it starts when they are that young.
ReplyDeleteI too grew up in Northern California and my grandma lived in San Ramon. Once a month, my grandma would take my parents, my brother, and I to this little hole-in-the wall Chinese restaurant across the street from her apartment. I remember that is was such a treat for us to go out to dinner and I so loved that Chinese restaurant. Each time we would go, each of us would pick put an entrée. I always picked the Chow Mein and my mother would pick the Chinese Chicken Salad. It was the most wonderful Chicken Salad I have ever had, even to this day. So many times that I have been to a Chinese restaurant, I order Chicken Salad, and it is never the same as the salad from when I was a child. Memories have a way of making things much greater, in this case, tastier than they may have actually been. I think that the memories of spending those dinners made that salad taste better than it actually was, and that is why I have never been able to find another one that tastes as good as that little hole-in-the wall Chinese restaurant.
ReplyDeleteEver since my husband and I have started having children, going to a restaurant is never as relaxing as it used to be. We used to be able to go out for a nice dinner with no kids and be able to take our time enjoying eachother and not having to argue with the kids about what they do or don't want to eat, their behavior, etc. and now, the only plus side of a restaurant is that I don't have to cook dinner or wash the dishes afterward. These days, we have 2 of our own, 2 foster children, and a set of twins on the way; counting all six will make 3 boys and 3 girls ages not born yet to 2, 3, 4, and 5. A couple of weeks ago, we were going to Target and dinner at Denny's afterward. Before we left Target, everyone went to the bathroom. Not too long after we got to Denny's did the 4 yr. old need to go again. So, I take her to the bathroom, again. Halfway through the meal, the 4 yr. old wants to wash her hands because they got sticky. People are already looking at us with the 4 rambunctious kids and now they get to watch me waddle to and from the bathroom (for those of you who don't know, pregnancy brings on a special walk called a waddle; like a penguin) thinking that we must be crazy, or that we need a hobby. Then, as we are finishing, they all have to go yet again to the bathroom to wash sticky hands; making this the third trip at this one place. The whole experience was a little exasperating and a view as to what we were to come to expect as normal.
ReplyDeleteHaving children is so much work! I can't imagine how much it would be with six! I have children of my own, so I know what it is like going out to eat, or anywhere for that matter!
DeleteI really enjoy eating out with my friends and family. I have four brothers and we all love sports. Some of us like different teams but we all enjoy watching a great game. For some reason my brothers and I never really settled on a team for football. So, when we watch a game we just enjoy the great plays. This is where my restaurant story begins. My brothers and I wanted to get some pizza during a game. We decided to go out. My olderbrother had been talking about this pizza place that was really good. When we got there we noticed a big screen TV and realized we made a smart choice. Not only was the food good but the game was great. The Steelers were playing the Niners. This restaurant must have been a hangout spot for Steeler fans because almost everybody there was wearing Steelers jerseys. When the Steelers started getting touchdowns and interceptions we started cheering for them. My brothers and I aren't Steeler fans but we dislike the Niners. I thought it was pretty cool how a lot of people there didn't know us but they still gave us high fives and talked to us about the game. Whenever a Steelers player would do a great play, they would get excited and just clap and cheer. It was a really cool experience. I never saw these people again but I still remember some of their names and their faces. It was amazing to see how passionate and loyal they were about their team. This makes me want to start my own tradition with my brothers.
ReplyDeleteMy boyfriend and I were at the restaurant Chili's about a year ago. We were waiting for our table when we notice a family sitting near the entrance with a little baby who couldn't have been more than 6 months old. She was so cute! But, she had a terrible cough. The family would just sit there and ignore the coughing. This was about the time whooping cough was coming up and you would see all the commercials about it on television. We thought the poor baby had whooping cough because it would not stop coughing at all. We felt so sad that the baby was coughing and we couldn't do anything about it.
ReplyDeleteI am a Chili's fan and eat there often. I too have had an experience at Chili's where the table next to me had not just one but two sick kids. The children were pretty young, I would say 3 and 5 years old. The poor kids had running noses, awful sounding cough and so much congestion! The children seemed miserable. I sat there and wondered why the parents would bring if they were so sick!
DeleteThe Palace restaurant was a swanky hub for the higher class folks in Porterville during the 1990's. Hector inspected citrus for a packing house half an hour away from the city, but he wanted to experience a steak that would make him feel like the manager of a bank or a top realtor. He walked through the glass doors, his black Pappas & Beer t-shirt, faded Doc. Martin boots, and 49ers cap, gave an upward nod to the Hostess with an overly-confident smirk upon his five o'clock shadow. "How many?" the hostess asked. "Just you and me." Her perky smile faded as she led him to the counter seating near the grill. Spices, and grilled steak sifted toward him so strongly, he couldn't contain revealing his eagerness to eat through the use of inappropriate body language gestures that yielded several disdainful glances from those in the party the next table over. He ordered a medium rare steak and baked potato with no cheese, stuffed the maroon flower shaped cloth napkin centerpiece into the crew neck of his shirt, took the largest of his four forks into one fist and his pocket inspecting knife in his other fist, and leaned back in his chair. When the waitress arrived with his steak, he squinted his eyes, made a slurping sound, looked up at the waitress and asked if she could bring him some A1 sauce. "I'm not sure if we have that sir, but I'll go ask our chef." Hector had devoured his baked potato by the time a 5'5" hispanic man with a turtleshell back, wide chest, and hair coming out of the space between his white v-neck t-shirt and gold chain necklace waddled furiously toward him. "Hey man, my steak ain't good enough for you or what?" "Don't worry about how I eat my steak. Go back to the kitchen." "Go back to Rustler's. You can have your A1 there. This ain't a poor boy's steak. How many times has my steak been named the best in the county? Eight years in a row. And you want to come in here and ask for A1 sauce?! Go home Old McDonald, or you eat that steak and learn how to appreciate good food when you see it."
ReplyDeleteI wrote this based on a true story. I didn't have any interesting restaurant experiences to tell about, but I knew somebody that did.
- Sabrina
I know there has been times when I've gone out to eat with friends or family and I thought to myself I'll never forget that meal because it was hillarious or just unforgettable. I can't think back to any of those moments right now except for one. I remember having a meal at a restaurant near Pismo Beach. What makes it memorable isn't necessarily the food but the person I was with. My family and I would go to Pismo Beach every weekend during the summer. My sister and I would take off to the shops and take walks on the pier and on the beach. We were always determined to discover new shops and new things to try. We came upon a pizza place. The food was good but the conversation was much better. I remember laughing a lot. I also remember we could hear music playing from a bar close by. The live music from the bar sounded good and we always wanted to go there. She's heading to UC Santa Barbara so I don't know when we will head to Pismo Again.
ReplyDeleteI have many fond memories of dinning out with my parents as a child.As a family we would take a trip to LA a few times a year, and every time we went we would pick a restaurant that would interest us. I remember on trip, my mom wanted to go to a sushi bar. The restaurant had received excellent reviews and many people she knew had been there. I that time in my life, I wasn't even sure what sushi was. As we drove into the parking lot, I could see the place was busy. I remember many people standing outside. We waited to be seated. I used that time to take a good look around. People around me were all in business suits and ties. The place almost looked tropical, with plants everywhere. There was a huge fish tank next to us as we waited that my brother seemed to be entrenched with. We were seated at this table with other people to whom we did not know. I picked up the menu to see if I could read it. The entire menu looked as if it was written in a different menu. My mother offered to order for me. She ordered the California Role, and a crab role for me. When the food arrived, I wasn't sure what to think but I was going to be brave either way. I took as big bite, and to my surprise I really ended up liking it. Now, every time I travel to LA I look for the sushi bars.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was thinking about any experience at a restaurant the only thing I could recall was an instance from a couple years back. One weekend my family and I decided to go to McDonalds for lunch and it turned into an unpleasant situation for some of us. Once our order was ready and we were all settled we began to eat. After a couple of minutes later my older sister began to notice a weird taste in the meat. She then uncovered the hamburger and realized the meat was under-cooked with blood still present. She started to feel sick and we did not know what to do right that moment. She immediately got up and walked to the cashier and showed them the hamburger. The manager then apologized and offered a refund and a free meal. It was more than apparent that my sister would not want another hamburger at that instant. Although I felt awful for her, I ate my hamburger calmly and enjoyed it. I guess everyone makes mistakes but in the food industry workers should be more careful.
ReplyDeleteOne of my friends had moved away and after about a year came into town for a visit. As I worked at the movie theater in town at the time, it worked out best to hang out late. A group of about eight of us got together and went to Denny's. We were seated in the middle of the restaurant, and our drink orders were taken. People were seated all around us and their orders were taken immediately. After fifteen minutes, we still had not gotten our drinks. After half an hour, the people around us had received their food, but our table continued to be ignored. Most of the group had not noticed how much time had passed as we were all too busy noticing, but after about forty-five minutes of no service, we all looked at one another and asked "Were we forgotten?" We got up and walked out. No one even noticed us leaving.
ReplyDeleteIt was really frustrating because they were the only place in town open late where all of us could hang out and visit without having to worry about keeping our noise level down. I sent an e-mail to the Denny's headquarters, I was immediately contacted and given two complimentary meals. I never used them, though, as every other time I had visited the service had been terrible.
That sucks that your group was ignored. This has happened to me a few times at restaurants and it is very annoying. My friends and I go to Denny's often, because like you said it's the only place opened late. We were ignored a few times but because we were too busy talking we didn't realize, and when we did we'd just call the waitress and wait again. Even though we didn't walkout we did leave no tip, because our waitress was not very attentive. I understand that the workers are busy, but I don't understand how they forget a group with so many people in it.
DeleteA few months ago I went to a little Mexican restaurant with my aunt and uncle, even though it was pretty late at night we still decided to go. When we got to the restaurant my aunt suddenly got very sleep, but she decided to still order food because she though it would pass. Since it was a Mexican restaurant we were brought chips and salsa, when they brought us this she was still awake but she began to fall asleep for quick intervals. My uncle and I found this to be hilarious, she on the other hand did not. When I noticed she was getting mad I stopped laughing. My uncle, however, would laugh then look away when she’d look at him. I eventually started laughing at him because I couldn’t help myself; that’s when she became more alert and realized what was going on and yelled at him to quit making fun of her. After she yelled at him to stop all he said was “oh hush up and go back to sleep so me and Abby can go back to having fun.” Even though she heard him she didn’t say anything. When the waitress brought us our food she noticed that my aunt had fallen asleep, she started to laugh a bit then composed herself and asked if we’d like a box for my aunt’s food, right when we were going to say yes my aunt suddenly woke up and said, “no it’s fine I’m going to eat it right now.” We were there for about two hours and the whole time it was just my uncle and I talking, because my aunt had finally fallen to sleep. Even though we were laughing the whole time she never once woke up. Finally it was time to go, so we woke up my aunt and once she realized she had fallen asleep she apologized to us, and my uncle told her “there’s no need to apologize we had fun just laughing and talking without you there,” and since that sounded pretty mean I added a “no offense” then laughed that way she’d feel better. I have no idea what we were laughing and talking about, but either way this was a great restaurant experience for me.
ReplyDeleteI feel kind of sorry for your Aunt, but while I was reading your post I couldn't help but giggle a little. I don't know that I would have been able to keep myself from laughing either.
DeleteLast August I went to Berkeley for the annual McNair symposium and my now fiancé met me there after flying in from Philadelphia. We managed to find a place that served Hawaiian cuisine. It was a small place, but the food was fantastic. It was the first time I tried kalua pork. We found a table outside and we sat down to eat. I picked up my phone to make a phone call that I never thought I would be making. I nibbled on some pork and cabbage as I waited for my mom to pick up. I thought I should have been too nervous to eat, but oddly I was not. My mom picked up and after a short greeting I asked her if she was driving and she said no. I asked if she was sitting down and she said yes. I then asked her if she was ready to have a son in law and in a way typical of my mother she calmly replied “sure, why not.” I couldn’t help but laugh. I poked at my dinner for a few minutes as we talked about wedding stuff and she told me how happy she was for the both of us. We hung up and I continued with dinner. My fiancé and I talked about who we were going to tell first and when would be the right time to make the announcement, and then decided to go see a movie. The little restaurant in Berkeley was unassuming and small, but I will never forget that place, the phone call I made, or the amazing food we ate.
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