It Takes Two to give good Service!

I had a great night on Saturday serving and this was not because I was busy. It was not because I got 50% tips. It wasnt because I made $500 dollars. It wasnt because I was out of work by 12am and had enough time to go party with my friends. It was because I had great guests sitting in my section the entire night. People that were passionate about food and  had a real understanding of service. People that allowed me to take charge of their experience and make decisions, what I thought was the best for their experience. This is what service is about and you need the guest to partake in this so that you are able to deliver an experience they would remember. These people left having a great night and praising me for the experience that they recieve and I look at each of them and said, "You need good guests to give good service."

Poco Loco

This past weekend  i went to a Mexican restaurant/bar called Poco Loco in Roslyn. I love Mexican food and i had a gift card so i decided to check it out.

Once you sit down the waiters bring over chips and salsa. And take your drink order. The food is amazing. Anything that you can order on the menu comes with a whole bunch on different choices. Once we got the food we sat there in amazement with how good the food was. The wait staff is constantly coming over and making sure everything is ok, and that everybody is satisfied. Although i had a gift card it is only right to still tip the waiters. They definitely deserved it because they were always awake and alert to our table.

Even though it is a little pricey it is more then worth it. If you love Mexican food as much as i do this is definitely a place to check out.

Jade Dynasty

Jade Dynasty is a well known Chinese food restaurant in the town of Merrick.  It is located off Merrick Ave right near Outback.  The structure of the restaurant and the designs and tiles on the floor are all exquisite.  They even have a sushi bar inside the restaurant.  The service is excellent.  Waiters and waitresses prompt on time and ask you questions that they should ask.  It is always great service so I leave a great tip at the end of the meal.  The food comes out all at once and I have never had to send a meal back to be cooked differently.  The food is great too!  I like getting chicken meals.  I usually go with chicken lo mein, sesame chicken, chicken with broccoli, and/or sweet and sour chicken.  All are excellent choices while going to this Chinese restaurant.

Restaurant Etiquette

STOP!

• Stop taking your crying 3 month old baby to the restautant.
• Stop taking your own bottle of wine to the restaurant and get mad when they charge you a cork fee.
• Stop acting like you are the only guests in the restaurant and be mindful of the tables around you.
• Stop eating half of your food and then decide that you don't like it.
• Stop disputing the gratuity, especially when the service is great.
• Stop taking advantage of  'the guest is always right' idea.
• Stop showing up to restaurants fifteen minutes before the close.
• Stop complaining about the noise in a restaurant that is known for a big bar crowd.
• Stop going to the bar the order half price drinks and take them back to your table to drink.
• Stop stealing silverware and restaurant equipment.
• Stop blaming your waiter for food that you dont like.
• Stop having your children run around the restaurant like it is their room.

Minado Resturant

I recently went to this Japanese resturant called Minado. It is located on Glen Cove Road in Carle Place. I love asian food and i like some kinds of sushi. Going into this resturant i knew it was known for its Sushi. The food all in all was good, i just didnt realize that it was going to be that much shushi. This is an amazing place for someone to go to if they love all kinds of sushi and fish. Although this place is a little pricey it is worth it because all of the food is gourmet made. It is buffet style.

The service is amazing compared to other places. You are always being taken care of and your drinks are always filled without them even asking. All of the plates were taken away right when you are finished with them. Because of the danger of raw fish there are steps that must be taken to make sure that there is safety involved. Every fifteen minutes there is an employee who goes around and takes all of the old utensils that are used to grab the sushi and put into your dish, and replaces them with new ones. That's the first time that i have even seen this done before.

La Strada

La Strada is an Italian restaurant in Merrick on Merrick Ave.  My family and I have gone to this restaurant a few times now since it  opened 3 or 4 years ago.  The service isn't as good as other Italian restaurants that I have been to.  It takes the waiter/waitresses a long time to take your order once you are seated.  They take too long to bring out the food.  My father once asked for extra pasta sauce on the side with his meal.  They didn't bring it out with his meal, and he had to wait an extra 10 minutes to get the sauce.  I asked for another soda, it wasn't brought out until my meal was done.  No one comes around asking how the meal was either!  Besides the not so good service, the food is delicious.  I usually get Penne A la vodka, or the Veal Marsala.  Excellent choices for this restaurant.  There Dessert Menu includes many cheesecakes, pies, brownies, cakes, ice cream.  Really good choices for dessert too!

Tipping!!!!!

Tipping is a major issue in this industry. Most people do not understant the importance of tipping accordingly and now I'm going to make it clear.

First of all: Servers make less than minimum wage;servers get paid $5.15 per hour and that is more for tax purposes. I personally havent recieved a check that has money on it in the last 5 years as that is where the government take their taxes from which usually leaves me with a void check.

Secondly: Servers have to tip out food runners, bartenders and bussers on every shift that they work. So if you give a waiter a 20 dollar tip on a 100 dollar bill, the waiter probably get to keep 12 dollars out of that twenty after they are finish tipping out to all the other departments that assist them.
NB:  That tip out does not change based on their tip so if they get a bad tip they might end up paying to serve you!!!

Third: Tip well especially when you realize that a server is going above and beyond for you as this is not the norm and that waiter will remember you the next time and continue to take very good care of you.

SO PEOPLE TIP ACCORDINGLY, PLEASE!

El Pio Resturant

Although i'm not peruvian, I love peruvian food. There is a new resturant that opened in Glen Cove. I was introduced to this by a friend. I personally am not very open to ethnic and new food, but this is definetely a place that everyone should try atleast once.

This restaurant is a small cozy place. It is a family place and you mostly see the same people going there all the time. The service is good. Nothing special. But the food definitely makes up for it.

The food is in my opinion amazing. There are so many different things that you can get. There's fish, beef, chicken and anything else you can imagine. The spices that they use are so different and unique to anything else that I've tasted. Even the rice which is such an easy and common thing to make, is different and tastes amazing.  This is a place that i would recommend to anyone that likes to eat.

East Bay Diner

East Bay diner is located in Wantagh on Merrick Road.  This diner is one of the best diners I have ever been to.  This diner does business 24/7.  As you sit down, a waiter or waitress comes up to ask what you want to drink. 

Then they give you time to decide what you want to eat and come back and take your order in a timely fashion.  The food is great diner food.  They have excellent food at an excellent diner.  If I am there during the morning, I usually get chocolate chip pancakes.  During lunch, I usually get some sort of wrap.  All the wraps are a great choice.  For dinner, I usually get a cheeseburger with fries, also a great choice.  I recommend this diner to anyone who wants to have a great meal with great service.  It is also very good to bring your family out for a bite to eat.

Popei's Clam Bar

When many people hear Popei's, they think of the fast food and fried chicken. My family and i have discovered a seafood resturant located in Bethpage called Popei's Clam Bar. When you first see this resturant you probably wouldnht think twice about going into it. It is in a small shopping center and by the looks of it you would think it only had about five tables. After dining there for the first time, i have a very strong feeling that your opinions will change.

Not only is the food amazing, but the service is first class. Once you are seated you are tended to right away. Everything that is on the menu is equally good. All the seafood is fresh and cooked to order. The food is a little pricey but it is definitely worth every penny.  The waiters and waitresses have always been in good moods and happy every time we go there.The place is always busy and never has a slow night so i would recommend making a reservation in advance.

My family and I always recommend this place to anyone that asks us our opinion. It is more then worth the trip.

Bella Note

Bella Note is an Italian Restaurant located on Merrick Road, in Bellmore.  My family and I have been going to this restaurant for 3 years now.  We usually go for special occasions like; birthdays, anniversary’s and just to have a good meal.

The Owner and the staff provide excellent service.  They are on time and on point when it comes to taking your order and bringing you the food that you ordered.  You don’t wait more than 20 minutes to get your food.  The waiters/waitresses and owner come up to each table to make sure that your meal is good and if you are having a good time at their restaurant like every restaurant should do.

I usually get the Veal Marsala, it is amazing.  The Marsala sauce they use for the veal is to die for.  The pasta and other entrees are fantastic as well.  My family and I always rant and rave about the restaurant.  For an Italian restaurant, the meals are a little pricy, but the food is exceptionally good.  I recommend this restaurant to everyone, especially if you love Italian food and great service.

Service, Service, Service!

The food and service industry is a big part of our culture and we can say that the average American eats out atleast twice a week. Whether it be fast food, 'mom and pop' food or fine dining, the culture of eating out is a part of our lives. This goes along with the importance of good service. Most people are now more aware than ever before about quality service which can make and break an experience.

Good food can be recieved badly if it poorly served and average food can be recieved as above average with excellent service. As much as food the food is the star of the show service will make them continue to come back and definetly make them regulars. People in the industry need to realize how important service is and stay on top of giving the best possible experience to their guests. People have many options when it comes to eating out so its the little things that separates the restaurants that are doing well especially in today's economy.