Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Back in olden times...

Sneak peek of the August MidMo cover shoot!


 See, my camera is still making everything look all misty! Did I get olive oil inside it or something?  These are the devils on horseback from Bows Collective, paired with a delicious riesling. They are dates, stuffed with an almond, wrapped in bacon, steeped in mystery.
 Here is the cleverly named 104 degree salad from Masullo.  He's done it again.  It's a salad of delicately cubed jicama and watermelon, tossed in a chili lime dressing.  So refreshing and it has a really fun texture.
I forget which  pizza this is but it's one of the ones with ham and fontina.  The bomb.
 If you have too many zucchini may I suggest quick zucchini pickles?  Salt some thinly sliced zucchini and onions, then cover in ice water for a half hour or so.  Rinse, heat up some vinegar, sugar, and spices, let that cool and...
Voila!  Miller doesn't really like them, but I do.

How much do you guys tip?  I was just listening to an economics podcast about tipping and when you think about it, it's really weird.  I started reflexively tipping 20 percent years ago when my server friends all did so but sometimes that even creeps up to 25.

22 comments:

Caroline said...

i love zucchini pickles! i pickled watermelon rind this weekend and they are SO GOOD, although i've never had them before so i'm not sure how they stand up. but i love 'em.

i tip around 20% all the time, unless i have poor service. the only time i tip over 20% is if i can tell my server is having an awful day (and likely to be shafted on their tips by other customers), or if i am dining with a group and the tip ends up large just fucking LEAVE IT ALREADY if everyone is happy with what they paid.

and even with really poor service, i still aim for a minimum 15%.

Anonymous said...

I just think they're a little too vinegary! Tame that shit!

And wait, the 5% tipping that I learned from my dad isn't right?

-miller

Anonymous said...

I tip 20% regardless of service. And I always worry that one day I'll realize that 20% has become the new 5% and I've been tipping like an old person without realizing it.

-Michele

Anonymous said...

restaurants should just add 20 percent to the price of a dish and then we don't have to tip. i like this about france.

and then, if you tip on top of that, it's saying something; wow, damn good service, etc.

NM

Anonymous said...

I always leave 20% in the A&P Liquor tip jar.

-miller

DJ Rick said...

Not meaning to brag, but since you asked.....Unless the service is bad, I'm down for 20% or more. Sometimes, when the meal is super-cheap, or you're just there for dessert, but the service is great, you gotta kick down 33-50% just so it adds up to something appreciable to your server. When I take my young broke friends to Yummy Juice, I pad the tip so they don't look so bad.

Anonymous said...

Even since I made the transition from just getting by to yuppie, I've always erred on the upper side of 20%. When I worked food jobs, those good tips really do help at the end of a shift.

Here's my question. Does anyone tip when they pick up food for take out? I usually pay with plastic and I always feel like maybe I should just be throwing in a dollar on the tip line when I sign if it's an establishment that I really like and the folks are always nice.

Jed

Stephen Glass said...

20 percent. Or 18-20 percent, pretty much; whatever comes out to a round figure. And a dollar a drink, or more if it's slammed-out busy.
Having dated a bartender/waitress for more than a year and knowing tons of servers/caterer/kitchen folk, they always get after me to tip like 25 percent and up. That tip money just seems to move around those people in a big, neverending circle.

Anonymous said...

I use to always leave a tip at Rickshaw when I was picking up to-go food because I loved them, and they always offered me water or sometimes even soup while I waited. Otherwise I rarely do. I figure the tip is for the service, and if I'm picking up there is no service. Hmmm, does this make me a jerk?
Also, the man reason I love running a tab at a bar is I can leave one reasonable tip at the tend of the night instead of leaving a $1 each time which is an awful lot for a $2 or $3 drink. I don't mind so much when it's fancier. Or I'm at a casino. I always tip alot at casinos.
Wow, I had alot to say about this.
jamattack!

DJ Rick said...

Takeout tipping it totally circumstantial.
If I'm looking for a major hookup, and I have the opportunity to let the server see me put the tip in the jar, I will tip majorly. I've gotten double meat and double cheese by doing this, so of course, it was worth it!

Most of my takeout is for efficient unfriendly takeout from Asian or Mexican order-at-the-window or counter-type places where you're gonna get the same service regardless. And especially where these places are usually owner-operated, I don't feel like a tip helps anyone very much. Least of all, MYSELF!

I gotta bahn mi from Duc Huong today. What's 20% of $2.75 anyway?

DJ Rick said...

And when I say I'm looking for a hookup....I'm talking about extra fillings, toppings, etc. Not the DTF, NSA, PNP kinda deal. Now that I've dragged it down a level, BBWs do make better sandwiches than skinny people generally.

Anonymous said...

Slammin' Hook Up On Demand.

Jed

Anonymous said...

I once received a penny tip when I waitressed at the Rubicon. I had 20 tables and I was the only server with no busser, so I'm sure it was the worst service. But still, that sucked! But I also got some crazy good tips there after serving multiple pitchers of barley wine.

I always leave 20%. I do about 10% for takeout/delivery and $1 for every drink, even if it's just a can of beer.

The one that gets me is self-serve coffee. I'm sporadic on that. Sometimes I leave nothing, sometimes a $1, which seems way too high.

Margs

Anonymous said...

Hey, that was me that left the penny. Sorry.

-miller

DJ Rick said...

I remember when I was pizza-man, there were a few times when some asshole would say "Keep the change" with a shit-eating grin, and that change was a penny or three.

The thing is....That asshole's next pizza might give new meaning to his next shit-eating grin.

Don't incur the wrath of food service folks or you might regret it!

beckler said...

can I have you on record saying you shit on a pizza?

I will be in LA the next few days. Expect a Monday post.

beckler said...

if you want to know more I will be constantly updating my facebook status and tweeting my location.

DJ Rick said...

I didn't shit on a pizza, but I can confirm that many terrible things went into pizzas that were shipped to repeat customers with rotten attitudes. Not by my hands either....but when we shared stories about customers, the kitchen staff was very sympathetic to us and often exacted revenge on our behalf.

captcha (believe it or not!):
apizza

Anonymous said...

So what you're saying is you shit on a pizza?

-miller

DJ Rick said...

How about a full cup of spit from the shift manager's chewing tobacco mixed into the sauce?

KW said...

Have you ever made the zucchini pickles with turmeric from the Zuni Cafe cookbook? They are excellent. I make them and change up the spices a fair bit, but I love that they are bright yellow. In fact now that my zucchini are producing I will have to make some.

beckler said...

yeah, that's what this recipe is, except without the turmeric. if you google "zucchini pickles" i think it's the first thing that comes up