20 RESTAURANT SECRETS THAT THE WAITER WILL NEVER TELL YOU
One of the most popular legends from the history of Russia says that one day in 1787 Catherine II was pleased to go see that the Russian Empire had won in the battle with the Ottoman in the region of the northern Black Sea coast. To conceal all the wretchedness of the provincial reality that would inevitably have met Catherine on her way to the Crimea, Prince Potemkin erected sham towns populated by residents shining with sham joy. This legend gave rise to the nominal expression "Potemkin villages", which is very convenient to use in all spheres of life, describing the beautifully draped degradation.
Being a waiter in a restaurant or cafe means simultaneously creating this outer gloss and literally seeing the whole kitchen from the inside. Ordinary visitors live on the "Potemkin" side, where a courteous and radiant staff tries to make a better impression on them. But there is a suspicion that it is unlikely that the waiters will enthusiastically react to the idea of going somewhere to have lunch at the weekend - they see enough at work. Thanks to the numerous anonyms that have opened the veil at the entrance to their lobby, you can find out what the caste of waiters live, what happens to the food on the segment between the kitchen and your table, how the waiters know how to take revenge, and what you need to do to become a welcome customer.
- 1 -
The waiters like all dishes from the menu. Everything is delicious, everything is fine, everything is a bright dream of a gourmet. Because it should not be different, and your questions about how this taste of this pasta bolognese or julienne is nothing more than a formality: pasta, and julien, and whatever else is the most popular dish in the restaurant . And if the waiter is courteous and offers you this or that item from the menu, it is done in the interests of obtaining bonuses from the supplier.
- 2 -
Do not rely on the fact that the vegetables in your salad came straight from the bed, and this salmon literally swam about an hour ago near the native Norwegian fjord. Salads can wait their turn for several days, made in the refrigerator one to one - you just need to give them a slightly more fresh look, and smoked meat in the solyanka remember their best days, but the heat treatment perfectly copes with their mustiness.
- 3 -
What is called a "Dish of the day", "Special dish" or "Duty dish" is most likely to be a stone's throw away from irretrievable damage, so the waiter's speech may very well be shining with poetic turns - if only you subscribe to this seafood soup.
- 4 -
Not with many products can improvise in favor of the cash register or his pocket as easily as with alcohol. Do not quash anything: portions of strong drinks pour a half times less, the old beer is shaken in a blender, the leftovers from the bottom of all forty bottles are served as a corporate cocktail, expensive vodka is hampered with cheap. The fact that the drinks are diluted with water and instead of two or three ice cubes a whole iceberg is puffed on, it would be possible to remain silent.
- 5 -
The account of the time that has passed since the moment of the order has already passed beyond adequate borders, and you start nervously looking around looking for your waiter. Having shared with him your anxiety, in return you will get a surprised face and a thousand apologies, and it is possible that quite sincere - the waiter could simply forget about you, which is, especially because of inexperience. But in most cases, blame the waiter is not necessary - your time is stretching the kitchen, including because the dish you ordered is not done in an instant.
- 6 -
When you are offered a lemon - refuse: before getting into your drink, he was in the hands of everyone in a row, but no one bothered to wash it.
- 7 -
When the waiter is too addicted to epithets, describing dishes, do not attach too much importance to it: herring has herring, potatoes have potatoes. Special was the myth of home dishes: as soon as you talk about home recipe, about man-made and homespun, about conscientious artisans in the fifth generation, the dish immediately becomes more attractive at times. Yes, the pie could be baked on some small cozy manufactory, but before this manufactory it is necessary either to get in the afternoon with fire, or the price at which you offer one piece is the cost price of the whole product.
- 8 -
Declared in the menu the calorie content of the dish can easily lie, so that the dish, for example, does not scare away those who follow the diet. And if you specify this information from the waiter, he will again send you to look at the numbers in the menu.
- 9 -
If you plan to visit this place in the future, it is better to make a good impression on the staff here - you do not have to guess, but they are very sympathetic people, if you behave like them. The best chance to settle in memory is provided on weekdays, especially on Monday and Tuesday. Call the waiter by name and take an interest in his mood, and if not from the first, then the second time you will be remembered as a good client.
- 10 -
Sometimes at the level of intuition, but you still understand that in the street cafe with the sign "Turkish cuisine" you are selling a shawarma Caucasian-illegal. Large forms inherit the principles of small: in restaurants with Chinese, French or Italian cuisine, chefs do not necessarily have to be Chinese, French or Italian.
- eleven -
In some restaurants, your waiters are also served by waiters, auxiliary workers, and the administrator. In the top of the interests of all this big and friendly company - creating for you supercomfort conditions, and generous gratuities will be your best gratitude.
- 12 -
As they say, and the walls have ears, and in the restaurant these ears are everywhere.Did you notice that the waiter hesitated next to the next table, making up for the lack of napkins, salt and spices? It is possible that you are telling something so interesting that it will be possible to share with colleagues in a smoke break.
- 13 -
If the waiter had a difficult day or he has a bad character, your time or your request can easily be neglected: order something and get a refusal, and it is possible that the waiter was too lazy to organize it for you - it's so easy to refer to the lack of food, ingredient or product.
- 14 -
Waiters - the real shoemakers without boots: busy in the food industry, they themselves are not well-fed people, and to dull the feeling of hunger at your expense has become a common practice. In general, in your food and beverages, other people's forks and body parts could have been visited, and on visiting events this happens an order of magnitude more often.
- 15 -
About those adversities that your food experiences before, during and even after cooking, you can only guess. In particular, the rule of three seconds, when you can not count fallen on the floor what is quickly raised, it became gold and international. And some raw and perishable products like fish do not interfere with lying on the floor and all day.
- 16 -
It is not only Mr. Case that is responsible for the hygiene of food. If the client is hamovat, ignorant, stingy about tips and does not change these habits, then he will be offered to settle in the most unprepossessing corner for all signals, where the whole time of this world is required for waiting for the order. Then his steak or sushi can accidentally get on the floor, and at the end of all, the order can spit, which is not the most spicy of the options - you would know what you can dilute the water for the hookah.
- 17 -
The sacred revenge of the waiter is terrible because it can be subtle and sophisticated.If it pleases, your credit card will not work. And this one too. And even this one, which is absolutely new. You are nervous, your image in the eyes of a companion or business associates breaks off at a peak, and only the waiter triumphantly goes to the sunset, having seen enough of your disgrace.
- 18 -
Employees will have less reason to wash your bones behind you, if you do not ask what they have on the menu the most delicious, whether there is beer in the bar that specializes in beer and collect will into a fist and order espresso instead of expresso.
- 19 -
So you enjoyed a great dinner, summed it up with a delicious dessert and coffee, and the service was beyond praise. You can say goodbye to the staff and leave. No, seriously, all the best, the waiters are already starting to look at you with displeasure - someone else can easily claim this table. And, in the end, you do not stay in the cinema after the credits?
- 20 -
And if you want to be 100% sure of quality service, look for recently opened institutions, where they struggle for a positive image with all their might.