The Other Daily Grind

When I am in a restaurant, one of my great unstated expectations is that I want the wait person elementally to leave me alone. If they are unctuous and interruptive, I just chip away in my mind as regards any prospective tipping. They should have enough gestalt to know when I need them. (For a long time, I have advocated a flag system at restaurant table; I could put the flag up when something is needed, and if the flag is down it mean leave me alone.) When I am in a restaurant, I am either entranced in conversation or in the thrall of a novel.

Anyway, for a waiter to interrupt me with the effrontery of fresh ground pepper just makes me irritable, and non-orgasmically sneezy.

If I wanted spice, I wouldn't trifle with ground pepper (so insipid). I would be packing my own bottle of chili powder in my pocket. I have done this widely and severally.

Even on scrambled eggs at 2 a.m. at the nearby Denny's, I ask for, and get, a very hot chili sauce that I believe is based on the anse chili.

Maybe the problem is that I grew up in a city that is the US's biggest manufacturer of tabasco sauce (which really isn't so many Scoville units, and is vinegary).

People who love hotness and spice and everything nice, so to speak, along those lines, are really really encouraged to patronize the business that is the world's best for this: Mo' Hotta Mo' Betta. They don't send out catalogs by mail anymore, but they are alive and well and sweating online.

In a strange Mexican berg with a small restaurant and bar, I swear it was the house practice to put a bit of ground pepper into one's mug of beer. (This ain't fiction, as fiction has to make sense!) I did not complete said beer, as that intervention ruined it.

I thought black gold was Texas tea.

Oops, I got Texas Pete sauce mixed up above with tabasco. Sorry. They're both mild. I love them on French fries, but I also love malt vinegar on them (not at the same time).

Roadie: I really think you get a better cup of coffee if you grind it, one serving at a time in a Krups grinder. Really. Otherwise keep the beans sealed and cold. Grind it in a Krups grinder until an certain musical note is asymptotically reached. Put the powder in a cone, and decant water that just barely got to a boil, after having been very cold, because this oxygenates the water. Boiling the water deoxygenates it, and much of what constitutes the taste of really really good coffee is the PO2 of the water.

KSS~ milled coffee V. grinded coffee...according to the"experts at Starbux", milled is more uniform,therefore better....so I bought it...and paid 39bux for a coffee mill...the grinder was a gift in'82,and still used 3-4 times a week, well, till the mill.....now it does spices,and may I say,"well done!"

RY and KSS~ and all the Villagers who visit in the morning, greetings from the great vacationing beyond. In my case, that means freshly ground coffee beans for my morning cuppa. And I'm working on the fresh ground pepper thing. One step at a time as I was raised on the ghastly concoction known as Hamburger Helper.
 
I'll be back with regularity next week, once I'm working again. In the meantime, spending much loved time with my dear husband!

RY: But to my palate Stahhbucks is and has always been about coffee mediocrity.

You can grind with utter uniformity with a Krups----you just have to do it, and shake it a little up and down, until it musically reaches its highest note.

KSS we are in complete agreement regarding Starbucks & Krups. I have a second Krups which I use for spices. I was particularly taken with ypur comment regarding the musical note it reaches as I, too, listen for that note.

Bore da ~ Morning all, how did we get from pepper grinding to coffee grinding so fast? Do we remember the days before electric grinders when we had metal machines with a worm-screw thing inside and you had to turn the handle? Small ones for coffee and spices were fixed to the wall,  the big one for grinding meat was bolted to a worktop via a butterfly nut and you prodded whatever substance in there by use of a wooden spoon handle - folly to poke your fingers in! I remember using this grinder for making mincemeat, sausages, mincing fruits - you needed a degree in engineering to dismantle the thing for cleaning. Then there was, and still is in my kitchen, the diddy little Mouli mill, perfect for Parmesan cheese and a godsend to mums for milling down whatever the family were eating into an acceptable texture for baby weaning food. That is assuming healthy non-too-spicy food with fresh vegetables etc. The mortar and pestle is nice for grinding up a few peppers and spices to make a curry paste.

Haze: I wasn't born early on enough to know anything about those days. In the absence of a grinder, all I could possibly imagine doing might be using a mortar and pestle. I an't imagine that yield anything like usable coffee grounds even if an 800-lb gorilla did the m-and-p-ing.

ChefDeb---one of these days I promise to find out for certain what that note is. Perhaps B in the octave above middle C.

I am sure everybody knows a just-terrible joke:
"This coffee tastes terrible!"
"Well, it was ground this morning."

I have had chocolate and pepper, but in a sauce (mole poblano) which is wonderful on poultry.  And I like whole peppercorns when cooking chicken stock.  When we eat out, one of our favorites is a Pakistani restaurant where the chicken is bright red on the outside.  That's flavor!  I am not sure what kind of chilies they use, but it is delicious.  And I too use the little electric coffee grinder for spices.  Nice and fresh and full of flavor.  In fact, this morning I will broil a sausage patty - homemade from ground turkey and with much the same spices as in pork sausage except double on the peppers (black, crushed red and cayenne).  That and a couple fried eggs will do me fine.  Bore da, Hazel.

Maybe ChefDeb and others will back me up on this one - I get really annoyed by people who smother their food in pepper, salt and sauces before they even tasted it. What do they think I have been doing in the kitchen?

KSS, I am with you on waiters.  "Hi, guys.  My name is Sam and I will be your waiter!"  First, my wife is not a "guy."  Second, I do not care what is name is.  Third, he is not my friend, which seems to be implied; that relationship does not exist.  I don't mind one check-in from a waiter: "Is everything all right?"  I like my water glass filled, but not obsessively.  That I have drunk a half inch of water does not warrant it being filled.  And my biggest bugaboo is when empty plates are seized and removed.  That inevitably leaves the slowest person with the sole plate and an uncomfortable feeling that he is doing something wrong.  If I am asked, "May I remove that for you?", I always say, "No!"  One time in a Thai restaurant, we were nearing the end of the meal.  I had finished my entrée and was scrapping the sauce onto my rice from the small platter when the waiter seized the platter and tried to wrest it from my hands before I had finished.  I yelled at him, told him he was rude.  That, by the way, is an insult in the Thai culture which places a premium on politeness.  We have restaurants where we are regulars where they know to leave the plates alone.  It really does not take that much time to clear a table when the customers have left, and when you have empty tables to use anyway, it makes no sense.  And I agree that the great pepper grind is not always welcome.  Where do they get the pepper grinders that they use in places that do the ceremonial pepper grind?  They are frequently two feet tall, and look awkward.  They must hold a pound of peppercorns.  I swear the only place where I have seen really good waiters is in England in really good restaurants.  They clearly train their staff, not just hire them.

KSS - We are in total agreement with the interruptions by waitstaff.  At times it seems that they will be sitting down, ordering coffee and joining us.  Your flag system sounds perfect.  At Fogo D'Chou (sp?) a carnivore's delight restaurant in Baltimore, that IS how you summon the waiter.  You are given a card, and when you want his attention, you turn it to green, when you don't, it remains at red and you and your companion(s) are left alone.
 
Hazel ~ My husband is one of those people and it dri-i-i-i-i-i-ves up the wall, across the ceiling and almost out the door.  But he has other really fine attributes so I've kept him around.
 
Sorry, Villagers, I really do love Starbucks and their coffee.  And, since I'm the only coffee drinker in my house, we got a Keurig one-cup-at-a-time -- a fresh cup each time--so good.  My favorite?  Kona.  I do however keep coffee beans in the freezer for Sambuca.

Hazel, I agree.  My father claimed that he could smell the lack of salt.  His first move at the table was always to the salt shaker.  Even worse, and common in the US, is the move to the catsup bottle.  I even saw one guy smother his T-bone steak with the stuff.  I think it must be addictive for some people.  And others seem to have no taste buds.

The reason that pepper grinders in restaurants are so large is to keep them from being stolen. Really.

Nothing is more infuriating than the customer who adds salt pepper & cheese without tasting and then complains that its too salty! Asian chefs feel more superior about their cuisine than their Western counterparts because their food is fully seasoned and ready to eat. No knife for cutting required, no condiments needed unless its something like Singapore Chicken Rice where the condiments are the basis of the dish.

I too can smell lack or abundance of salt..equally sugar. and oh yes, the ketchup. I was interested when I lived in Amsterdam to see a bottle of Maggi, or what we know as Kitchen Bouquet, on every table so I suppose most cultures have their own "ketchup." But there is no cuisine that does not benefit from freshly ground black pepper. Whether your palette goes to the spicy or mild chart, black pepper is a sublime accent. When my son was little he disliked it so I switched to white pepper for home cooking. After a while my husband said "He has to get over it, I need you to include black pepper again." I do usually use both as well as red etc depending on the dish.

Ground pepper is the punctuation of delicious food.

Lynn830, thank you thank you for the "Hi guys" comment!!  It just grinds me (so to speak) when the wait staff say that -- if you have to be generic, why not say "Hi folks"  or just a simple "Good morning" Good afternoon" "Good Evening"; and I hate the hovering.  ugh.

ANDY---I have become a grudging fan of Starbucks Iced Coffee. I still resent having to put up with the quasi language and the attitude of the "Baristas" (seriously?)if you say "large iced coffee with milk & sugar" and they come back with "oh venti with whole milk, fat free or soy? How many pumps of sugar."
Why is "grande" SMALL? Oh see, don't get me started.........about the Keurig,
got one for a gift and can't live without it. Use it for tea water or hot water for dripping my espresso or for a cup of Dark Magic. Its so convenient its upped my caffeine rate by about 200%!

LYNN I am 100% with you on the table clearing. You have no idea how difficult it is to train waiters and bussers to wait until everyone is finished eating before even thinking about removing the plates.

I have a sudden craving for Steak Diane with Green Peppercorn....

Chef Deb -- I obnoxiously and stubbornly order "medium, please" and since I don't hear (unless, of course, someone says "have you lost weight?" or "you don't look your age" -- mistaking immaturity for youthfulness), don't have to get aggravated over their translation.  And yes, I've learned to love my Keurig and my caffeine has upped too -- but I found that if I drink coffee until my hands shake, then I drink wine until they stop, it all evens out in the end.
 
Galgito -- the "hi guys" gets me and now that we're the seniors, we're referred to as "so cute" -- ugh! and arghh!
 
Lynn - Ah the ketchup bottle.  I once told my husband that was definite grounds -- that taken before a judge, I would get the house and car; he would get the kids.  He even put ketchup on my 8-hour tomato sauce and my mother's chopped liver! ! ! !! (She told me not to marry him.)   Doesn't do that any more but I can't get the salt away from him.

I made a very simple fruit salad the other night---banana, fresh supremed orange and apple---and sprinkled some ginger and black pepper on it.  YUM!!!                       

Air-water--light-heat- Essentials to us but shelf life killers- Fresh Ground usually fresher and more flavorful in most things but time and money and choosing my daily battles has me not worrying about too much and very little about people at the next table or busting some server's chops unless behavior is extreme or food is inedible. The exception being if they follow me out and bitch about their tip then the gloves are off. I'm just thankful that pepper is no longer used as currency. That would be a pain to carry around and the pink mild impostor is okay as a one trick pony but black in cheesecake would be a deal breaker. Pepper tea okay but better served in a Bloody Mary.

Ah, Steak Diane....what a lovely thought.

My favorite pepper is Balinese Long Pepper which is very hard to grind but is well worth the effort. It is not actually a true pepper, but the flavor is peppery. It is a great a addition to any recipe I cook.

MISS BLUE..................I'm coming to your house for dinner tonight!
 
I worked as a waitress in college. I was a really good one. To me it was an intuitave thing, I treated my customers the way I love being treated in reastaurants. That being said, it really is the job of the restaurant to train their waitstaff. We have many great restaurants where we live. It's a small town, but a town of food lovers. Surprisingly the service really does vary. It shouldn't, but it does.
 
Waiters, most of them, are hardworking and want to please. They don't make lots of money. Unless a waiter is openly rude I would never be curt or mean to one. Many of the things that people expressed as getting on their nerves; I understand, but it takes nothing to be kind and gracious to your waiter. I always tip way over because I am grateful to have a job and enjoy life and go out to eat. Be kind, realize that your waiter may not know better, but he/she is trying their best.
 
I knew I loved my husband when I saw the time he took to be kind to waiters and service people. That is how I would secretly tell a young man or young woman to really make a judgement call: go out to eat several times, see how your dining partner treats people. Go to a convenience store or a grocery store. If he/she has no time or is too good to be kind in these situations....................run away as fast as you can.
 
Kindness doesn't use up precious time from ANYONE. Also, how do they respond to animals (dogs especially) and children??????????????? AND, how dogs & children respond to THEM???????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I am darn sure that my favorite men from this site pass w/ flying colors...............
 
The summer before last my mother & I were having lunch at our favorite restaurant in Charleston, SC & the waiter was SO extremely rude that I told the owner. I'm sure he was having a bad day, but his behavior was beyond the pale. When we went back last summer he was great. That was the only time I have ever complained.

On topic................I do love freshly ground pepper..................mmmmmmmmmmmmmm................................
 
I need to really read CHEFD's posts....................

@ Hazel, I remember those meat grinders - my mother had one that she used quite often when I was a little girl. Sadly, I don't still have it but, it helped her make fabulous meatloaf and sausages.

Starbucks - ugh....why, oh why do they insist on creating that over-boiled/burned coffee? Give me Peet's! As for pepper, I think we've only just begun and it's very exciting, especially with chocolate. And, I liberally pepper the skillet before I add olive oil and heat up the pan before cooking meat, even bacon.

@ Carol - fruit salad sounds lovely! Gonna steal that idea. Thanks

BEBE--you are always heroic! Waiters are so underrated--it really is a skill. It helps a lot of they were taught manners at home...but many weren't! and TOMMY I know you didn't really mean it about giving the waiter a hard time for inedible food---he only delivered it. However, if he is not grracious about fixing the situtation (not charging you or replacing it or getting the manager) then its okay to be miffed.

Great salad--sliced oranges, sliced red onions, black pepper & olive oil.

+avacado

I've tried the multi colored pepper and the white pepper. Not a fan
I'll stick with the black pepper.
My favorite gadget for grinding pepper is my battery, lighted pepper mill.
It's a great thing for folks who have problems with the hank grinders.
 
I also hate the "Hi guys" when my girlfriends go out to eat. Especially in an upscale place.
 
Another pet peeve is a chipped dish. I once got a dish with such a large chip in it I sent it back to the kitchen. How many people put something on that dish and no one thought it needed to go in the trash. The waiter should never taken it to the table. And this was a 4 star place?

My Mother and I both still have our grinders. You know the one you clamp on the table.
I mostly use mine for ham salad.
 
The biggest problem with them is keeping the grinding discs from rusting. I oil mine after cleaning and them wrap mine in a paper towel.
 
Then I wash them again before I use them.
 
My family thinks I have OCD when it comes to cleaning cooking equipment. I have to take the used blender, mixer, processor, etc, completely apart and go at it with a tooth brush that I keep in the kitchen.
 
I don't want garlic and anchovy paste from my Caesar salad dressing in my chocolate malt.

Hand crank grinder. I really need to use that spell check more often.

CD- Yep. Just joshin'. I rarely shoot the messenger but indifference is at times provocative. These days the server may be an MBA and has lots of accurate trivia to dispense. And I eat anything that doesn't eat me so inedible has not been a problem. I eventually married my server from The Jolly Ox, a buxom coed at the time who endured my staring at her winchiness while serving my prime rib. I am still tipping (large) decades later. Using that pepper grinder was a sensual event I have not forgotten. Now as a school teacher, I ask her to remove her glasses and shake her hair ala Teacher's Pet.

If I want a mind reader capable of anticipating my every need, I will book a ticket on the next transport to whatever planet these rare planet inhabit.

If I wish to eat out, I will be appreciative of the earnest attempts of the waiters and waitresses to be of service to me/us as well as to an incredibly diverse customer base of all shapes, sizes, wants, needs and eccentricities that they wear like secret signet rings but prefer not to politely communicate them to those they demand individual service from.

Except for this high unemployment economy we find ourselves, I doubt that it is the highly educated folks that strive to fill these very intense jobs where their pay is dependent on the attitudes, and meeting the often exacting and every changinging ambiguous criteria presentd by each customer.

Of course they are not all the eager saints and lap dogs we hope they will be... But for the most part, they work very hard and try to please.....their usual customers as well as total strangers that they will probably never see again.

I feel fortunate to be able to dine out. I do not derive any satisfaction from holding the power of the tip over someone's head. Nor joy from kicking small dogs

I think I can appreciate a good cup of coffee, but I'm not very particular. I remember years ago I went to dinner at a friend's house and she had a grinder that went on for minutes.  Then she made the coffee. It was really good. But at home?  I buy pre-ground fair-trade stuff.  Also, I'm on decaf now, so am I really a coffee drinker?  I'll even take instant in a pinch.  I know a lot of people who are very particular about their coffee--what's with that really expensive stuff that comes out the other end of some small animal?  What people will do! The only coffee I really don't like is weak coffee that tastes like dishwater.  And the Starbucks lingo? I don't go there because I'm too intimidated by the language (that and the price for a small cup of coffee!)
CD I love your comment that black pepper is the punctuation of delicious food. I'll probably borrow that from you.
 
Lastly, I think in Europe waitstaff are trained not to remove plates until everyone is done eating. That's the norm over there, at least it used to be. I've always thought it was an American thing that people didn't want dirty plates in front of them.  My husband always clears the table when we have a dinner party, and he is usually a fast eater. He often starts clearing up before everyone is done--I've had words with him about that  and I think I have corrected that bad habit. I can't be too hard on him, because he does a wonderful job of cleaning up!

I grew  up in New Jersey where the "guys" thing was the norm.  Then I started working for a TX based company and guys has been replaced by all.  You all is so much better than you guys.  It's gender neutral and sounds much nicer.
 
I hope you all have a wonderful New Year and prosperous 2012.

I Marjorie -- backatcha -- all the beauty and goodness of life in the new year

Clearing the table----my mother had any waiter in the universe beat, hands down!  She would, especially at larger family gatherings, start clearing and stacking all the plates in front of her after she had had her own one serving of everything while encouraging everyone else on to thirds and fourths!  And then, while the rest are valiantly struggling to down the not necessarily coveted extra servings she would start gathering empty plates in front of her.  It's unappetizing to watch the gravy congeal on a now-onto-the-sink-plate, I'm here to tell ya'.  And then after all the dishes were finally done.....she would complain about how s-l-o-w-l-y my brother in law ate.  And he really, reallly still does....so I guess he wasn't doing it just to bait her.   She couldn't just sit and wait and talk.  If she tried her 'motor would run'---the bounce the leg quickly thing that denotes impatience and/or nerves.    So....I guess waiters taking empy plates somehow doesn't faze me.

I have been lucky, very lucky, to be able to sail with Crystal Cruises - and boy, do they have the most fabulous waitstaff ever!  After only one interaction, you're always addressed by name and each staff member remembers everything about what you like - your favorite drink, do you want bread, do you like salad, do you prefer the raspberry or the strawberry coulis, ice or no ice, potatoes or rice, Earl Grey or English Breakfast, clear now or clear later - it's all just this side of clairvoyance and absolutely incredible! 
 
One flaw, however - they do insist on performing that stupid pepper mill dance.  Bleagh!

Bebe ~ My father worked in a restaurant/deli for most of his working life.  When my brother and I were teens and going out on our own, he made sure we had extra change to leave a decent tip.  He told us that the waitresses made very little money and relied on those tips and so we've always been pretty heavy tippers.  Now that having been said, a tip is for good service and though I never follow through on it, I'm tempted every now and again to let the tip reflect the service.  I don't have it in me though. 
 
We eat out a lot and so become familiar to many of the wait staff.  At Christmas we feel it's time, just as other services, to let them know we appreciate them -- it's in the form of a tip.
 
One of our daughters while in college was a waitress at Phillips in Ocean City.......it was a great experience; she made a lot of money for that summer.  And yes, she treated her customers as she wished to be treated when she was a customer.

PL..................and that is the reason that you are in the "men we love" hall of fame................of course you would not hold a tip over someone's head, you are not a petty person. You are good and kind & it shines through in your posts. I just told my husband that I love you. He said, "That's nice. Do you want a soft pretzel?" I will never forget my first waiting experience. It was a crowded Friday night & the restaurant/bar was swarming w/ people. I completely screwed up this guy's drink order & he yelled at me. I cried. The table I had finished waiting on gave me $80.00 on the way out.
 
Kindness is the bees knees & you got stung good!
 
CHEFD................not heroic, but really understand that people try and they may get it wrong, but at the end of the day we all will live. But being mean to someone or stealing their livelihood; it's not kosher...................you are correct........manners taught at home transfer well on the job.
 
ANDY................that is a nice story and explains why you are who you are. I know what you mean and I don't have it in me either. And I bet your daughter is lovely too!
 
INTUATIVE.................duh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For restaurant people 15% is a BAAAADD tip, right Beebs & Andy? Thats the lowest I can go and I can't remember the llast time it happened.

CD ~ Yes, these days 15% is not considered a good tip.  We usually round up and go from there, considering it a part of eating out.
 
My daughter was serving some men at Phillips.  They were drinking heavily, but it was an "all you could eat" crab night so the tips usually weren't too good.  These guys gave her $100 bill and told her to keep the change.  She told them she couldn't take that, convinced it was the alcohol and gave it back.  They insisted, telling her that her service was great and she earned it! 
 
She learned early on to share part of her tips with the busboys and the bartender, both of whom got short-shrift.  And so they in turn looked out for her.  She got friendly with the chefs so that her food would be ready and she could serve promptly.  It was an interesting experience at a popular beach restaurant involving a lot of thought process in handling the job.
 
We have great respect for anyone working for a living.  Times are tough.  I too judge people by how they treat those who are performing a service for them.  Our kids were taught to say "please' and "thank you" for anyone doing something for them and I'm not happy to report that they're teaching their children the same.

Chefdeb, that has got to be a quotable quote," Ground pepper is the punctuation of delicious food".

BTW, what is a decent tip in an American restaurant? In this part of the world, Asia & Australia, a 10% may be built in, and tipping is generally not expected. An ex Aussie colleague told of being chased down the street after dining in America, the waiter demanding to know if he was not pleased with his service.  In truth, it just hadn't occurred to him.

Talking about the pepper dance, my favourite restaurant show-off is that of the  Teppanyaki chef,
...

Bebe!! That is exactly what I tell my boys too - watch how their potential partners treat service staff. One of the things I like to do is to thank them by name if they are wearing a name tag. I'm no pushover though, my colleagues say I have a "Telstra voice" when I need it.  It came about when they heard me in the office dicing up the personnel of my telecommunication company. I hadn't realised it, but the whole office had gone quiet, listening in awe...haha....

assie ex collegeau

what about the bussers in the "all you care to eat style" (almost typed sty) restaurants?  actually, I like some of these places,and will try almost everything-once...   I still leave a buck or two....afterall, I may leave 8 or 9 dishes,napkins,and assorted silverware...

RY ~ We still leave a tip as well, after all, someone brought you your drink and continually cleans the table. (No pepper mills making the rounds there though.)

SF: I hope what you meant is "Aussie ex-colleague." Ah, reading your penultimate post, I see that's nearly what you wrote there. Maybe Dr. Freud was slipping on something at 2136.

I once had a colleague who is an infectious disease physician, and she always said of herself, "I'm the pepper in the soup."

As regards tipping in US restaurants, my understanding is that a waitstaff's wages for the year, as disclosed to the IRS are (a) whatever they are paid on an hourly basis (meager, certainly) plus (b) tip income. The latter is supposed to be an accurate summation in lofty theory, but in mundane practice, it is eight per cent of the check total. Thus in actual fact, if you DON'T tip at least eight per cent in a restaurant, you have really really stiffed your waiter. You have had a transaction with them that genuinely cost them money.

Speaking of wages, I always snicker at Peter Cook's line when he starred as he who Tommy might refer to as Old Scratch, alongside Dudley Moore, in the original "Bedazzled." Moore is frustrated with his life, and makes a deal with the devil as regards the granting of wishes. Cook, commenting about his line of work on earth says, "It's hard to find good sinners nowadays. Must be the wages."

My wife and I have eaten twice at St. Michael's Manor in St. Albans, Herts.  The first time, the wait staff was English and had been trained to a "T."  Soft spoken, attentive, not hovering, knowledgeable.  The second time, the wait staff was mostly Russian with hesitant English and bad training.  I am not sure they got the concepts.  Now that I think about it, I agree that clearing a table early is not common in Europe.  I've never understood the logic of it - does it really take that much time to clear a table at one time?  Chef Deb, it probably is the case that many of the wait staff cannot be trained.  They have no interest - it is only a paycheck and not a profession.  It has been a busy, but productive day.

....Like Korthal, love our battery/lighted Williams Sonoma salt and pepper grinders...Just makes the process more fun....Have peppercorns, will grind.....Use white pepper in oyster stew and white dishes.....love the pepper jolt in almost all meat and veggie dishes....can't say I'd like it on sweets or chocolate....Not fussy about coffee, but my son got Peet's from me for Christmas, and he says it is his favorite....I usually get the classics and what works a kind number on my budget....That's ok...It's hot, morning mojo, and gets me going.....No, y'all can have the fancy peppers....No big thang.

Bebe, I am sitting here with an 'awe garsh' sappy smile on my mug. What a sweetheart!

Was it an Aunt Annie's soft pretzel? I love her almond pretzels with caramel dip......

I think it is a bit presumptuous to assume that waiters and waitresses that "just do it for the paycheck" don't also take a great deal of pride in performing the job that pays their rent, helps feed their families, or pays their tuition.

I was raised, as were most of the folks I associate with; to always give your best effort at whatever your task may be.

I was not aware that there was even a "professional" association of waiters. I must have missed that when choosing my major...... But even if there is such an elite class of waitstaff, I bet they are just as likely to spit on the food of those folks that treat them poorly and give them the 'high hat' treatment as those that are merely doing it for a paycheck by performing a service.

I think I'm in the wrong neighborhood today....

SkyWalker...I'm with you. I love Peets...been drinking it since 1968. Switched to decaf in the 80s and Peets is the only decaf I've had that tastes like coffee! I make it really strong, so that may make the difference.  
 
 Bebe, You said it all so beautifully and you're right on my wavelength. I too was a waitress...mostly cocktail...so I know what it's like to wait tables and I always overtip.,,,in fact I have a friend who is quite cheap when it comes to tips...and I just don't understand it and I told her her she was never a waitress or she wouldn't be so stingy... but it embarrassed me when she took me to lunch, so I slipped the waitress a few more dollars to make up for her meager tip.. Like you, I believe I was intuitively good at my job.  I do cringe a bit when I hear hi guys, but let it pass..  
 
At least 20%  
 
Recently, my son was with me when we saw a woman I know, so I introduced them. She was surprised to know he was my son, as they had worked together at Pebble Beach on several occasions....like the U.S. Open and the Concours d'Elegance (the Ferrari tent)....he was a bartender. Anyway, she told me that of all the bartenders, for all the years that she worked there, he was the only one who had ever shared tips with the wait staff...she said he was so nice, thoughtful and generous...I couldn't have been any prouder.

SPRING a DING a DING...............................good to see you. What a great thing to teach your boys. I am not surprised.
 
PL.....................It's the Superpretzel box from the freezer section.................they are so incredibly good. If Aunt Annie's pretzels are the ones from the mall, you are correct.............they are delish. No, you are not in the wrong neighborhood today. I'd say some others are...........................
 
JANE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what a nice treat to wake up to your post! You are one of the ones who get it. Yes, anyone who has waited tables understands. I have several women teacher friends and we will get together after school sometimes for tea & a nosh at the little local place in the town where we teach. We have been doing this for about 6 years and they were horrible tippers. Did not say please or thank you much. I went out of my way (it was kind of like a mini training workshop in my mind) to be REALLY nice to the waitress & leave very generous tips. Slowly, but surely they started treating them better & tipping better. It is to the point that I am not at all embarassed to eat w/ them. And these are some great gals, not jerks.
 
Love the story about your son. I truly do believe that you get back what you put out. That old line, "What goes around comes around," will be painful for some. My husband would die to go to the Concours d'Elegance.............he is a car lover. What a wonderful mom you are! That has to be the greatest feeling for a mother........hearing someone praise the kindness of their child.
I will have to try Peet's. I have been splurging & making a mid morning espresso and it is such a lovely feeling to be free!

Bebe..........so good to have this chat with you. Love it!  It's funny, because I had mentioned my son to her before, but she hadn't realized Joe was the Joe that she had worked with....so it was a very nice meeting and it did feel great. My husband is also a generous tipper...in fact he is just generous all around....a very good heart.

JANE: Obviously you did something right.
Good on you.