Monday, March 16, 2009

Sunday Adventure

Linda wants to move to this county and plans to buy a house. She had a list of places she's interested in, so I rode with her this afternoon to look at them before she decides which ones to see with the realtor. We walked around the houses and peeped in windows. It was fun. I just love looking at houses and would have kept my real estate license renewed if that's all there were to it. Unfortunately, it's like being on call all the time and then learning about financing.

We stopped by to see my mother for a little while since we were in the area and then went to Papa Boudreaux's Cajun Cafe for dinner. It was delicious and just as enjoyable as before. They hire inexperienced waitresses and don't train them sufficiently. The chef has the kitchen staff plate the entree too soon. Both times we barely ate two bites of salad and a little bread before (poof!), the entree speedily appeared before its time. A friend's son works there as a prep chef and told her about that and said the chef rushes them to do this. Next time, I think I'll ask the waitress to have them wait until I finish my salad to bring my entree.


Maybe I'll have better luck than when I told her I'm allergic to raw onions and wanted the scallions removed. She said there aren't that many of them, and they're just green onion tops. Huh? I told her I'd just pick them off, but she took the dish back to the kitchen for them to do it. When she brought my food back, the whole scallion was still on there, but the chopped tops were gone. I said there was still an onion on it but that it was OK because I'd just take it out. She said the cooks told her it wasn't an onion but a garnish. What? I calmly told her it was a garnish that was an onion. She apologized and said she asked them about it and wondered. Strange! Great food and weird service. I'll go back because I like the food but would like to do some training!


We left the restaurant which is in the Ramada Inn, got in our cars, and Linda drove off. I started my car and it quit. I started it again and revved the engine, and it stopped running again. Thank goodness I joined AAA around a month ago! I called them, and they said someone would be there in a little over an hour. I went back in the lobby and watched Celebrity Apprentice with the desk clerk. I know her parents (who own the hotel) and remember her when she was in high school. She's a realtor now, so we discussed some things I wanted to know for Linda. It was a nice change to have someone to discuss it with while the show was on, so the wait was sort of fun.

The wrecker got there just as Celebrity Apprentice ended. I rode with him in the tow truck as he towed my car to the service center. I will need to call them early in the morning. Tina is going to drive me to my massage appointment, and I'll cancel some other things I was going to do. Hope nothing is expensively wrong with my car.

The day's activities lasted longer than I'd planned, but it worked out.

6 comments:

Unknown said...

Phew. I thought you were going to tell me about a fender bender. I am relieved. AAA up here promises within 45 minutes. I get the plus so they'll tow up to 200 miles.
We seniors luncheoneers got the same treatment the other day at a good restaurant- entree almost on top of salad/soup. Experienced young delightful waitress though.When she got to me, ( we were telling her about who was on who's tab)I told her mine was alone. "Oh good, then my lunch goes on yours then." I had the fried clams...they're either good or not...there's no in between and was happy.
If you get an aggressive chef like that, and ask that you not be served entree until finished with salad, he'll probably just put it under a heat lamp. Maybe better to take it while it's hot. I hate lukewarm servings.
Scallions are onions from one end to the other...what are they talking about? I liked the old salad bars with entree served by waiters.

David Dust said...

Sorry about your car. Hopefully it's something inexpensive and fixable.

Regarding the bad timing of apps/entrees in the restaurant: The servers are supposed to tell the kitchen when to "fire" (start) your entrees. They do this by keeping an eye on your table, and when you're about 1/2-way through the salad - they should tell the kitchen to start getting your entree ready. That way, your entree is on the table by the time your salad is finished.

In some restaurants - especially in one with inexperienced waitstaff - the Chef/kitchen will AUTOMATICALLY "fire" the entree's after a specific number of minutes. Heaven forbid you want to take your time at the table and have a conversation - your food is coming to the table regardless.

This makes me insane when they do this to me in a restaurant. I would have sent the entree back and told them I wasn't ready for it yet.

And that scallion thing - unacceptable. I know you were just being your normal, sweet, southern Auntie Flame - but that's ridiculous.

XOXOXOXOXO

Bob said...

Sounded like a good day, even with the "She said the cooks told her it wasn't an onion but a garnish" service, until you got to the car thing.
I. Hate. Car. Trouble.
But you gotta love AAA, because no matter how long they take to arrive, you feel so much better when they do..

Joy said...

Fortunately, I'm not dangerously allergic to raw onions. They give me a headache which I prefer to avoid by not eating them. I don't like them anyway, so that's not a sacrifice. Restaurants are more cooperative when you tell them you're allergic except in this case.

I think next time I'll just tell them at the beginning not to bring out my entree until I've finished my salad. The restaurant has a page on Facebook, so I think I'll send a private message with suggestions.

Thanks!!!! xoxoxoxoxo

Jazzy said...

So sorry to hear about the car trouble but relieved that if it had to happen it was there and where you had inside access, TV, and someone to talk with. Love AAA. My roadside service is through GEICO and it has been very good also.

Yesterday was great and really was a help. Hannah found another one I've got to check out. It was so nice driving around the country...clean air, open rolling land and the horses and cattle all a little bit of heaven.

The food was delicious at Papa Boudreaux's and I want to go back. We may have to start training the servers. I still cannot believe the onion-garnish and the fact that she wanted to argue about the fact that you are allergic to onions. Go figure!

Hope you have a good day. Again, thank you for yesterday it was a great help and lots of fun until I heard about the car. Glad it will work out with and affordable repair job.

Wonder Man said...

Yeah, AAA is very useful