Hey, all. I'll be out of the office most of Friday in Sussex County.
Lots on the agenda, including sampling spinach - yes, spinach! - ice cream. I plan to chase it down with a few other flavors, namely one called - wait for it, wait for it - "Better Than Sex."
Did that grab your attention?
Exactly.
I'll fill you in on greater detail in Wednesday's Life section.
IN OTHER NEWS:
- Eric Ruth checks out area meat markets in Friday's "Taste" column. Butcher shops, that is. Sorry. Maturity isn't one of my strengths.
- Beer and wine sales in Delaware grocery stores? I hope so. That was one of things I liked about living in the D.C. area. One less trip can be very nice.- Venice in Wilmington? OK, this I have to see since Venezia is one of my favorite cities. Are you ready for a bellini?
- Just saw a funny Craig's List Help Wanted ad: "Need breakfast cook and line chef at very busy downtown Rehoboth restaurant. Must be a morning person, hard worker and team player. Drama free, please."
- New pho restaurant - Pho Cali on Kirkwood Highway next to the Pathmark is supposed to be open NOW.
- And finally a reader called and asked about the short recipe for tzaziki (Greek yogurt sauce) that ran in last Wednesday's Life section. No, dear reader, it did not have garlic. That was a recipe from Food Network star Ellie Krieger, whose version is different than what some think of as traditional tzaziki. But here's a recipe with garlic. (Sorry, I didn't call you back - you didn't leave your phone number.)
Onto the mailbag. Remember: You ask. We answer. Every Friday. Email questions to me at ptalorico@delawareonline.com.
CIAO, VINCENTE'S
QUESTION: Hello Friends! After a year of retirement, we are proud to announce our Grand Reopening for the new Vincente's Restaurant! We are now located on 5914 Kirkwood Highway. [Just pass Del. Park and across from All Saints Cemetery.] Our phone number is 302-543-6451 to make reservations. You can also visit our website.
We look forward to seeing you!!!
Sincerely,
Vincente
ANSWER: Thanks, Mr. Mancari. OK, Vincente fans you know where to go for the Italian "talking menu" and tableside caesar salad.
TABLE FOR FOUR? YOU MAY HAVE A WAIT, SIR.
QUESTION: Hi, I thought I would relay a story. Three weeks ago, my wife and I went to Capers & Lemons at 6 p.m. for dinner with no reservations. When we got there, it was mobbed and we were told it was an hour wait. We left and dined elsewhere.
Last week, it was my wife's b-day and I asked her where she wanted to go and she stated, "Let's try that Capers & Lemons place again, but let's get reservations this time." I called them to make a reservation for 4 and was told over the phone they ONLY take reservations for tables of 5 and nothing less. 5? OK. I told the person over the phone that I thought this was a poor rule in a down economy. After speaking to my wife, she chose to go to Okura instead. (Japanese restaurant in Hockessin.)
The Okura meal was excellent and we spent over $200 on that meal. Needless to say, we will not be going to Capers & Lemons at all in the future. I have never heard of a minimum of 5 reservations rule. Is this new or common? We dine out fairly regularly and have never run into this. Love the column.
ANSWER: Hi Bruce. Thanks for the email. Yes, I actually have heard of and been to quite a few restaurants that do not take reservations for parties of four and under. Why? I suspect it's because some people are very late for reservations, don't show up for reservations or bother calling to cancel if they can't make a reservation. A table held for a reservation is lost money for the eatery, especially if many other people are waiting. I guess the thinking is that a party of five or more has less of a chance of canceling. Since it opened, Capers & Lemons has been a very popular eatery. The times I've been there has always been a wait.
Glad to hear you had a good dinner at Okura. I'm a fan of their sushi.
Restaurateurs, care to weigh in about no-reservation policies?
QUESTION: Hi, Pat. Love your column!
Having stuffed ourselves overly full with this visit, next time we plan to pace ourselves and leave room to try the Baklava and Turkish Coffee.
5 comments:
Capers and Lemons is so worth the wait or even an early dinner or great lunch. The food is amazing and service is excellent. One of our favorite places to dine now.
Tzatziki is popular these days! I've been making a ton of it as part of my diet. Here's my post from this week.
Christophers Crabcakes at the Farmers Market located in Boothwyn PA are the best crab cakes for the money.
I think it's poor business to not take reservations for however many are in your party. Two or 10. When we realize that's a places policy, we simply call back, tell them we have however many they need to make a reservation and then ooops.. the rest of our party didnt show. They're still losing out, but losing more business by making folks who didnt want to have dinner with another couple plus 1 eat elsewhere. I'm not visiting capers and lemosn anytime soon thats for sure!
As a chef, the reservation policy/phenomenon is a huge issue. I just came across an extremely introspective blog post and I really enjoyed all the comments.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/mbauer/detail?blogid=26&entry_id=41521
Personally, a lot of my decisions (staff, prep, ordering) are more easily made when I have a general idea of how many covers a given night will bring. I have never understood why one wouldn't want to make a reservation for any party of five or more, even if it is just a courtesy call on the way to the restaurant.
Post a Comment