That's not practical for any party larger than 2. If the waiter needed to serve martinis to a table of 6, that would be at least 2 and probably 3 trips to the bar. Since good manners dictates that we do not partake until the entire party has been served, my martini is slowly warming up whilst waiting for yours to be brought from the bar. Also walking whilst holding a martini glass from the stem is difficult to do without sloshing martini everywhere, and holding by the bowl leaves fingerprints on my drink and warms up the drink. I know not everyone is going to drink a martini but you get the drift here. There's no way *other* than a tray to transport multiple beverages from bar to table unless you don't mind your waiter looking like the St. Pauli Girl, and I don't mind that in a pub but not in a formal, upscale dinner.

Don't get me started on arm service for plates. I truly appreciate a waiter who can perform arm service for entrees for a party of 4 but for every one who can do it, there's at least a dozen who *think* they can do it but end up with tie, boob, or finger in dinner.

Was it Daniel? I hope not I have reservations there for next week.

Actually, in this context, the "peons" in restaurants would probably have enough authority to offer dry cleaning and to comp something. After all, it's not exactly uncommon to drop stuff on people.

Outtolunch, I can understand your not naming the restaurant, although I wish you would. At the least, I hope you will go to one of the many online restaurant rating services and provide your feedback. One such site is NewYork.Citysearch.com and follow the links to NYC restaurants and ratings.

Tony,

Just to clarify, I'm not the OP.

"That's not practical for any party larger than 2. If the waiter needed to serve martinis to a table of 6, that would be at least 2 and probably 3 trips to the bar. Since good manners dictates that we do not partake until the entire party has been served, my martini is slowly warming up whilst waiting for yours to be brought from the bar. Also walking whilst holding a martini glass from the stem is difficult to do without sloshing martini everywhere, and holding by the bowl leaves fingerprints on my drink and warms up the drink. I know not everyone is going to drink a martini but you get the drift here. There's no way *other* than a tray to transport multiple beverages from bar to table unless you don't mind your waiter looking like the St. Pauli Girl, and I don't mind that in a pub but not in a formal, upscale dinner."

Trust me, in a past life I've served many a table of 6+ people and never needed a tray. Unless you're eating in a barn (my assumption is not since we're talking about a real restaurant here) then you don't need a tray. Your 6 martinis don't magically get made all at once. They get made one or two at a time. Unless you're physically picking the martini off of the tray (which you should not be doing) then you're going to have finger prints on it. The waiter has to pick it up to put it on the tray and also take it off. You'll likely end up with 2x the fingerprints really. Sure there is no way to transport multiple beverages, but there are multiple waitors in the place and the waiter can make more than one trip.

"Don't get me started on arm service for plates. I truly appreciate a waiter who can perform arm service for entrees for a party of 4 but for every one who can do it, there's at least a dozen who *think* they can do it but end up with tie, boob, or finger in dinner."

More than two plates really should be left for banquet service. Those who bring out 6 dinners on a tray have had those dinners sitting under a hot lamp the whole time. They kitchen doesn't magically produce 6 plates at once unless you're all eating exactly the same thing. It's better to have the meals brought out as they're made.

Writing from the perspective of international travel since the late 50s, 3 years in Europe with the Navy, steady business travel since 1965 (most of it admittedly in the US), a Hell of a lot of resturant dining over the years, and nearly five years as the restaurant critic for a newspaper of modest circulation out in the sticks, my response would have been simple (unless already placated by a servile manager craving pardon)....

1. Finish dinner.

2. Take check, hold it in the air, and announce to all and sundry that Hell would freeze over and several squads of police would be required for me to pay it after having a tray of drinks poured over me. In case all don't hear the first cries, cry more loudly the second time.

3. Pull a "Joe Welsh" (the Boston Lawyer who bearded Joe McCarthy): "Have you no shame, you paltry poltroon (in other words, make a big scene, for after all, the staff and manager will be there tomorrow and I won't)"

4. Get up and walk out with a stony glare, in essence daring the swinish innkeeper from attempting to detain me for a civil debt (which the last time I looked in the US, or most states therof, not subject to jail time.

Illigetimi non carborundum! After all, you're the customer.

why wouldnt it be considered theft of services?

cheers

It is. A women near Seattle was arrested after she complained about her terrible haircut (it was quite awful when I saw it on TV) and after arguing with the manager for a while she told him that she was not going to pay and left the salon. They called police, she was arrested and taken to jail for theft and the salon is not backing down - bad haircut or not and she will have a criminal record.

If you had read the original post and followups by the OP, he makes it pretty clear that this was a business dinner where he really didn't want to make an a$$ of himself in front of his clients/co-workers/boss/vendor/whatever.

It's not just the food, it's the customer service.
 

Without naming the restaurant, how we ever know which place to avoid? Accidents happen all the time, it's how management handles them that determines whether I'll go back or not.

Just this weekend, I went to PF Chang's for dinner after my exhausting return trip from OTP. It's was also a birthday dinner for my teenager, New Year's celebration, etc, all rolled into one.

We're exceedingly boring, and have our favorite dishes, and rarely change them. We've eaten at 10 or so different ones around the country, and know what to expect. One dish, Szechuan Beef is always nice and crispy. It came to our table, and while still tasty, was just not crispy, and that certainly detracts from the dining experience. While not upset, we did mention it when the server came to ask how things were.

We didn't know how long it would take to get another one (they were quite busy), so we just passed on getting a replacement. 30 seconds later, one of the duty managers came by, and talked with us, saying he had been told that the beef wasn't right. He promised it would come out quick (5 mins or so), so we took him up on the offer.

It came out perfect, and in 5 minutes, no less. When we got our bill, they had taken it off the bill and given us the birthday dessert we ordered gratis.

In over 100 visits to any of the Fleming restaurants (PF Changs, Z'Tejas, etc), I've never left feeling dissatisfied.

And for those keeping track, this was the PF Chang's in North Scottsdale. I always enjoyed the original chef at the restaurant on Camelback. The new place by the waterfront is okay, but not the same as the original. :)

found the article

http://www.komotv.com/news/4648586.html

her haircut doesnt look that bad.

....and having a tray of drinks poured on you can be either "battery" or "provocation". As for "theft of services", when the service includes the unordered tray of drinks atop one's head, even the police are unlikely to be willing to make an arrest. There are a number of potential criminal violations which could put the resturant at great risk for potential liabiliy far greater than the cost of dinner.

After all, the resturant certainly has the right to sue for a civil debt.

....as for making a scene in front of clients, what of the clients' perception that their host was a whoosh (anda wet one at that)?

I would expect that they would get the impression that he maintains his cool when problems arise, rather than acting like a buffoon every time something goes awry.

LOL.

Ugh, the restaurant manager simply signs a complaint, the police have little choice in the matter. Of course no arrest is required.

ROTFLOL!! OK, like what? Don't quit your day job, counselor.