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Served: The Ballsy Waitress
@mh330 - out of all the mean-spirited and petty comments that this post has elicited, yours has to be the meanest and the pettiest. Sure, people in other lines of work work harder and more is asked of them in terms of physical effort or risk, and education or some other qualifier, but please recall that these other people are compensated fairly and receive benefits such as paid vacation, holidays and health insurance. Servers get none of this, and if they are to get any kind of decent wage, must rely on the whim of whoever they serve, sort of like a seller on ebay needing good feedback.
I don't really support what Hannah did, because she said herself, the big tips even out the loss of the small ones, and generally a server does not get that many poor tips. But your cold response, and your attitude toward servers, makes me cheer for her and all the others who have to serve people in order to make a living.
People like you make me glad I'm no longer a waitress. And I got great tips.
Dear Serious Eats: 'Enough with the Damn Year-End Reviews!'
I like the year-in-review posts. I only became aware of Serious Eats about 4 months ago, so this is not all old stuff for me. Holli's angry post was the first sign of incivility that I have seen on a food site. Even if she was expressing an opinion shared by many other people, she didn't have to be so nasty about it.
"If allowed only ONE topping on a cheese pizza, it'd be _____."
Like nightowl and izatryt, sliced canned black olives.
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
A Return Visit to Royal Tavern, the Best and Worst Hamburger I Ate in Philadelphia
I'm a Philadelphian, and as far as hamburgers are concerned, I think they're best when they're simplest -- a non-intrusive bun, good beef, a slice or two of American cheese. That's the best part of a burger and all I really want. Sometimes a slice of tomato or a strip of bacon on top.
As for cheesesteaks, try John's Roast Pork http://www.johnsroastpork.com/. They have fantastic cheesesteaks and roast pork sandwiches, the best I've had.
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
@mh330 - out of all the mean-spirited and petty comments that this post has elicited, yours has to be the meanest and the pettiest. Sure, people in other lines of work work harder and more is asked of them in terms of physical effort or risk, and education or some other qualifier, but please recall that these other people are compensated fairly and receive benefits such as paid vacation, holidays and health insurance. Servers get none of this, and if they are to get any kind of decent wage, must rely on the whim of whoever they serve, sort of like a seller on ebay needing good feedback.
I don't really support what Hannah did, because she said herself, the big tips even out the loss of the small ones, and generally a server does not get that many poor tips. But your cold response, and your attitude toward servers, makes me cheer for her and all the others who have to serve people in order to make a living.
People like you make me glad I'm no longer a waitress. And I got great tips.
Dear Serious Eats: 'Enough with the Damn Year-End Reviews!'
I like the year-in-review posts. I only became aware of Serious Eats about 4 months ago, so this is not all old stuff for me. Holli's angry post was the first sign of incivility that I have seen on a food site. Even if she was expressing an opinion shared by many other people, she didn't have to be so nasty about it.
"If allowed only ONE topping on a cheese pizza, it'd be _____."
Like nightowl and izatryt, sliced canned black olives.
Eating for Two: Quinoa Chowder with Spinach, Feta, and Scallions
To balance out the conclusions of the study Dr Judson refers to, in which it is suggested that severely obese women might have difficulty conceiving, I would like to mention that there have also been studies which demonstrate clearly that underweight women, among them those who are constantly dieting in order to have the culturally-approved slim body, also have difficulty conceiving. The recommendation that came from those studies was that women should include enough fat and protein in their diets to maintain optimum reproductive conditions, something that cannot be done while dieting.
Serious Eats City Guide: Philadelphia (Way Beyond the Cheesesteak)
For Best Cheesesteak, I think John's Roast Pork can at least tie with if not surpass Tony Luke's. A few months ago, 10 celebrities, including Georges Perrier and several Philadelphia sports figures, voted John's Roast Pork the best cheesesteak (by a slim margin, admittedly). Here's the link if anyone wants to read about it:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20080421_Philly_celeb_judges_name_best_cheesesteak.html
Cook the Book: 'Chocolate Epiphany'
The piece of Venezuelan chocolate that I tasted in 1994 that changed my idea of what chocolate could taste like.
The Most-Stained Cookbooks
The two books I go to most often: Madeleine Kamman's 1978 paperback The Making of a Cook, and Anne Seranne's 1950 The Complete Book of Home Baking. Both books give me great results, every time. Madeleine Kamman spells out the processes for cooking all types of dishes, and when I follow her instructions the food turns out just as I hoped it would. In Anne Seranne's book, I have found recipe gems for some basic dessert foods such as layer cake and pie crust that are about the best I've found anywhere. Both books are stained and worn because they are so reliable.
Serious Eats City Guide: Philadelphia (Way Beyond the Cheesesteak)
Tiffins ( Indian ) for best bargain lunch I would not touch with a pole. Too much hype and too little authenticity. Nothing Indian about it except the uncook like taste of its sauces and sweetishness of it., MSG comes to mind.
There are better bargain Indian lunches. Of course if you are a lazy SOB and rather stay put on ur butt then walk a block go for it, it does leave you full like a fool.
I give credit to its owner ( a Wharton grade ) whose marketing skills bar none is what makes the college a rave, another "Quiznos" franchise in the making.
But calling it Indian Cuisine....pluzze.
Serious Eats City Guide: Philadelphia (Way Beyond the Cheesesteak)
DiNic's was severely disappointing. It has absolutely nothing on Tony Luke's. Read more.
Serious Eats City Guide: Philadelphia (Way Beyond the Cheesesteak)
OMG. I did not realize Mr. Martino's was still open. Now I have to make a special trip there.
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
Hey, late to the party, but I have to say, the original of what J would say - "Hey, was everything okay?" (paraphrased) made me sit up and think of all the times I could have used that. What you wound up saying gives me pause if only because you directly say "Is this all you meant to leave?" which can put people on the defensive... otherwise, bravo!
PS Carding people made me uncomfortable initially as well. Eventually I got to know the signs of underage drinking fairly well, and if I did card you, it was a signal to the boss that there was an issue... We had to throw a guy out who seriously looked like he was going to reach over and punch me (!!!) for carding his - I SWEAR SHE LOOKED 12 and COULDN'T be more than 16 at most! - mistress. It was really disturbing because he was like 35 or 40 - not OLD, but uncomfortably old to be dating a girl who not only look to be just entering puberty but apparently was under 21 as she did not have ANY ID on her. Ick.
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
@Duncan 1205...what happened then???!!! Fill us in...
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
I think the time has come for waiters and waitresses to get paid a salary instead of having to 'beg' for tips. And don't tell me restaurant owners don't make enough money to support doing this. I know what the markups are. Instead of telling customers not to dine out if they cannot afford tipping, tell restaurant owners to close shop if they cannot afford to pay their staff!
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
@minonda, i would like to know what, specifically was mean-spirited or petty about my comment. Furthermore, i would like to point out that volunteer firemen (as many of them are) do not get a regular salary, benefits, or vacation days. I am *much* more grateful for the service they provide than the person who takes my order and brings food to my table. I would argue most people would agree with me on that.
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
Federally Mandated %10% WHAT??? I have been in the biz 30 years and have never heard of this. If that were true, half the country would be in jail. Any links?
IMHO, the risk of upsetting/embarassing/infuriating a customer is not worth the reward of an extra 3-5-7 bucks on one tip.
Regarding the folks who don't see asking for ID as a courageous thing, let me assure you it CAN be. 98% of everyone, even the just turned-21 crowd, is OK with an ID check. The other 2% can have a reaction ranging from open hostility to violence. I have witnessed shouting matches, threats and more over a simple ID check. Some people carry the attitude "I don't have to show my damned ID to anybody, now get me a drink!" Witness how many shootings occur because someone was denied entrance to a bar or restaurant. A guy I knew fairly well was killed here in Las Vegas in the mid-1980's who worked as a host for a bar/restaurant/nightclub place and it was over an ID check. One guy in a party of about 5 did not have an ID; his friends were going in anyhow. He gets mad, goes to the car, gets his 38 and kills the host. (Interesting this chap, who turned out to be 24, had his gun handy, but not his driver's license.) The point is when you ask for ID, some people get REALLY offended.
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
WOW. There is a lot of pent up anger over the tipping debate, but I would have to agree with Hannah on this one. Servers make a substantial amount LESS than other fields and regardless, they are there to SERVE you. Take your order, bring you food or drinks, grab the check, etc. This is usually what I base a standard 15-20% tip on. If the server is exceptionally friendly, fun or even throws in something useful (a round of drinks, great info about local happenings, etc) then I up it to 25-30%
Nothing pisses me off more than when people talk down to servers, boss them around, stay on their cellphones while ordering, or expect incredibly high demands without paying for it. Servers do not equal servants.
If you can't afford the tip, just don't want to pay up, or take the menu the way it comes, stay home.
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
If the customers had made an error and tipped too much, would you have brought that to their attention as well?
Served: The Ballsy Waitress
@wannabetvchef I'd like to know where you heard of this "federally mandated 10% gratuity" because I have never heard of it and it smells like BS. Links, please.
Serious Eats City Guide: Philadelphia (Way Beyond the Cheesesteak)
Revisiting an old post for my first ever trip to Philly, coming up. Great! Now all my research is done. And we're equidistant from BOTH gelato locations. SO excited. yay!
Serious Eats City Guide: Philadelphia (Way Beyond the Cheesesteak)
The Italian Market is still there, and is still called The Italian Market even though it now has significant hispanic representation. You can still find all of the Italian specialty stores, however they have been joined by any number of interesting taquerias. Worth a trip!
"If allowed only ONE topping on a cheese pizza, it'd be _____."
Mushrooms. Thick sliced, and placed raw on the pizza before baking, so they're all nice and chewy.
"If allowed only ONE topping on a cheese pizza, it'd be _____."
Hmm... if I have to choose just one, I would have to say mushrooms.
I would also swap the cheese for some spinach, or perhaps pineapple...
"If allowed only ONE topping on a cheese pizza, it'd be _____."
can i request fresh mozzarella cheese?
then i think i will take some feta cheese at my topping along with it. mmm feta.
"If allowed only ONE topping on a cheese pizza, it'd be _____."
im boring pepperoni
"If allowed only ONE topping on a cheese pizza, it'd be _____."
I'm a big fan of jalapenos and pineapple together. Spicy + sweet = goodness. But that's over the one topping limit.
Ummm.... where the heck is FastFoodCritic? Anyone? Hello...
"If allowed only ONE topping on a cheese pizza, it'd be _____."
I have discovered the perfect pizza, by the way. Kalamata olives, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and mushrooms. YUM!
"If allowed only ONE topping on a cheese pizza, it'd be _____."
@cassaendra--first glance I thought "poop" was your topping of choice too...I'm glad that's clarified
...Now that I've read some other toppings--I might swap-out tomatoes for anchovies [probably if i'm 'in the mood'; haven't had that in a while!]
"If allowed only ONE topping on a cheese pizza, it'd be _____."
I am a traditionalist - pepperoni.
"If allowed only ONE topping on a cheese pizza, it'd be _____."
This thread got my pizza motor running yesterday. I decided I needed a slice for lunch. So I boogied on over to my favorite local place, Tony A's, and stood in front of the the pizza counter and tried REALLY hard to select one with ONLY 1 topping. Couldn't do it. I stood there for such a long time, the guy behind the counter didn't think I would ever pick-a-piece-a-pizza. I ended up with my usual, Florentine. Topped with mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes. Into the pizza oven it went and came out extra crispy and hot! I topped that glorious piece-a-pizza with crushed red pepper, a bit of garlic salt and Shazam! I was a happy, happy camper.
But ~ There was one thing about my pizza................
Serious Eats City Guide: Philadelphia (Way Beyond the Cheesesteak)
Mmmmm.... Capogiro. I used to work about 3 blocks from the west location, and I still miss it. I'd take the long way home just to stop!
To me, the best water ice is Italiano's, way down in South Philly on Shunk between 11th and 12th. The peach is to die for! Real bits of peach, with the nice sweetness of the fruit, not overwhelmingly cloying. I'd gladly recommend ANY of the fruit flavors, and of course they're better when in season.
And I'll always break with the crowd and say the best cheesesteak I've ever eaten comes from a street vendor's truck in front of the State Office Building at Broad and Spring Garden. Not the busy truck either, the smaller truck further from Broad. There's nothing special to it... I think they even use American Cheese (which should be bizarre, but it's not). But it's always amazingly tender and making my mouth water just thinking about it. I must have gained 10 pounds in the year I worked there just because of those cheesesteaks.
Another Gem is Mixto on Pine. They specialize in South American cuisine with some AMAZING pork dishes. Their paella is definitely the best in Philly, and their house sangria is perfect.
Serious Eats City Guide: Philadelphia (Way Beyond the Cheesesteak)
The best water ice has to be Rita's!
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About minonda
Location: Philadelphia PA
About:
Favorite foods: scrambled eggs, homemade chicken soup with noodles, pasta with butter and grated Romano cheese, cheeseburgers, my grandmother's meatballs and sauce, yellow cake with vanilla icing, potato chips.
Last bite on earth: Scrapple, scrambled eggs and home fries (although really, if I knew it was my last day on earth, I wouldn't have an appetite).
I'm a Philadelphian, and as far as hamburgers are concerned, I think they're best when they're simplest -- a non-intrusive bun, good beef, a slice or two of American cheese. That's the best part of a burger and all I really want. Sometimes a slice of tomato or a strip of bacon on top.
As for cheesesteaks, try John's Roast Pork http://www.johnsroastpork.com/. They have fantastic cheesesteaks and roast pork sandwiches, the best I've had.