The horrors of bringing wine to restaurants
Craig Lee/The Chronicle 2007
Hopefully, when you bring an extra-special bottle to a restaurant to celebrate, the waitstaff will treat it with extra-special care and attention.
On New Year's Eve, Geri Gilbert went to dinner at Caffe DiVino in Sausalito and brought along a bottle of 2003 Billecart-Salmon to help celebrate. She gave it to the waiter, but the wine never made it back to the table. Shortly after midnight, after missing the celebratory toast, Gilbert went to the bar to see about the wine.
Owner Elizabeth Nebot found it in the refrigerator, three-quarters empty.
Gilbert relayed this story in an e-mail to me earlier this week, stating that the owner didn't apologize or offer to compensate. Gilbert asked Nebot to replace the bottle, and Nebot agreed. She gave Nebot her name and telephone number and waited for a call.
However, as on January 11 she still hadn't heard anything, which is why she wrote me. I advised her to call the restaurant as a reminder, which she promptly did. She left her name and number with an employee and after two days still hadn't heard anything.
Yesterday I called DiVino to get the other side of the story. I left a message a little after 11 a.m. and when no one called me back by 1:30 p.m., I tried again and spoke to Nebot, who confirmed the story.
When I asked why she hadn't gotten back to the customer yet, Nebot said she was having trouble finding a replacement bottle of wine. She explained that she had just located a bottle at BevMo and planned to get it that afternoon. When I asked why she hadn't let the customer know she said, "It's been a busy time for me."
Screwups are inevitable, even in the best-run establishments; it's how they're handled that makes the difference.
Here's an example of how a situation was resolved in a more proactive way. Last month I was dining at La Folie when there was a loud crash in the dining room -- a serving table had turned over because a busser had overloaded the cart. On top was a bottle of aged Bordeaux brought in by the couple at the table next to me, who were celebrating their first night out since their baby was born nine months earlier.
"I think I just lost my wine," the man said as the waiters scurried around to clean up the mess.
Sure enough, their wine was a victim of the accident. The sommelier came over to apologize and said he would do his best to replace it. Shortly he brought over the best wine on the list (valued at about $1,000, according to chef-owner Roland Passot). He also brought another bottle of wine for them to take home.
The couple was disappointed, but they also realized the restaurant did its best to lessen their disappointment as much as possible.
The next day Passot said he called the man and apologized again. Despite the mishap, I bet the couple will return to La Folie.
| January 15 2009 at 05:06 AM
Comments
If the people at DiVino couldn't secure a $70 bottle of wine within a week of this unfortunate event, why didn't they comp their guest a more expensive bottle of a similarly styled wine? Maybe they need to branch out a little and stock their wine cellar with something other than Two Buck Chuck.
Posted By: LBIguy | January 15 2009 at 06:58 AM
Mistakes happen and Passot reacted in a positive way. As to the person in the other example, hey lady, you are in the HOSPITALITY business. Do you know what that word means?
Posted By: cvaldes1831 | January 15 2009 at 07:37 AM
Just for the sake of playing devil's advocate, and without standing up for DiVino which completely screwed up, might I suggest that bringing a bottle ofonly 5 year old wine that can be had at Bevmo is really just an attempt to avoid the restaurant's wine mark-up. There is a huge difference between that and the folks bringing in a Library wine from their collection to La Folie - the first is trying to save/avoid paying $10 and the second is really celebrating by choosing a great restaurant to accompany their treasure.
Again, the restaurant totally screwed up, but at what? Allowing the customer to BYO on a night they're trying to sell off their own inventory and seats are scarce and valuable? It's a little bit of bad diner karma coming back to them, combined with a disorganized restaurant screwing themselves over for no good reason.
Posted By: Restaurantguy | January 15 2009 at 07:44 AM
Restaurantguy - your take on the two different situations is spot-on.
Posted By: toddfre | January 15 2009 at 08:05 AM
"Horror" is what is happening in Gaza - losing a simple bottle of wine is simply perhaps disappointing.
The fact is that DaVino simply dropped the ball. How hard would it have been for the owner to at least call the customer back and let them know that she was having a hard time finding the specific wine and that they'd let them know when the wine was secured?
As far as the people from La Folie. . .that is a class act restaurant all around. I am sure it was sad for them to see such a fine wine wasted but at least the restaurant did what restaurants should always do. . they took care of their customer. That is our job - take care of our customers. So simple but really sometimes hard to do well.
Posted By: gourmand | January 15 2009 at 08:18 AM
I like that for a change we know the name of the offending establishment. This isn't typical for MB to disclose and I think--since the snafu was somewhat egregious--that the disclosure is warranted. And I for one appreciate knowing the name of the place.
.
Although I would have been livid in this situation, I agree with Restaurantguy. People who bring their own wine have always annoyed me just a bit. We all know what the markups are in a restaurant, so either suck it up across the board or cook yourself a special meal at home and enjoy that wine. It's an overall experience.
.
Besides, how many great wines have we discovered when dining out and following the recommendations of an expert?
Posted By: MonkeyBoy | January 15 2009 at 08:21 AM
And this is why I do not bring expensive wine to a restaurant. First because I had the experience once of someone not knowing how to remove an old cork and the cork fell into the bottle, leaving little debris in each pour of the wine. It sad but, I keep the good bottle for a special meal at home and I take time to decant it myself.
I am trying to collect name of fairly priced wine I can find in restaurant and store, if you have something in mind just added it to the list:
http://www.isabellemazzoni.com/Isabelles_site/One_bite_at_a_time%21/Entries/2009/1/3_What_happen_to_the_wine.html
Posted By: isabellemazzoni | January 15 2009 at 08:28 AM
I agree with Restaurantguy. If I'm working in a restaurant, and I see a bottle of cheap bev mo wine in the kitchen, I'm going to assume it's either the house wine or it's something I'm supposed to put in the marinara sauce. Or, if I have a drinking problem, I'm going to chug it down and assume that no one will notice. Also, I think it's bad form to bring wine to a restaurant unless you're a regular customer. I actually worked with a this dumbass who actually owned a wine *SATCHEL* that he would use to bring his own wine to restaurants. How many of you rolled your eyes as you read that sentence? Be honest.
Posted By: kurt_t | January 15 2009 at 08:28 AM
Caffe DiVino (bad). La Folie (good). But somehow, I'm not so sure that couple will return to La Folie if a $1000 bottle of wine still left them feeling disappointed!
Posted By: whozzat | January 15 2009 at 08:39 AM
While I understand Restaurantguy's sentiments, a quick Google search leads me to believe LBIguy's assessment that the wine in question was about $70 retail. That means it would likely be around $140-150 on a wine list and no longer an inconsequential amount. If these folks were trying to bring in a $25-30 bottle of bubbly, yeah, they're being cheapskates.
However, the main point that some people are drifting away from is that the restaurant made a mistake: one put in a solid effort into mitigating the problem, the other did so poorly.
Posted By: cvaldes1831 | January 15 2009 at 09:19 AM
I think it's a sign of management disconnected from staff when the restaurant welcomes wine brought in -- with or without corkage -- while the staff treat such customers with disdain. If the restaurant owners are in fact "trying to sell off their own inventory" then it is simple: do not allow wine from outside. Allowing the practice while simultaneously tolerating the staff's disrespect for the customer is a sign of absent leadership.
Posted By: jim94121 | January 15 2009 at 09:24 AM
Since when should the cost of a bottle of wine enter into the equation? Yes, it may be bad form to bring in a bottle of Two-Buck Chuck, but if restaurants are going to start judging what they consider a good or bad bottle of wine (especially based on the price) then they shouldn't allow you to BYOB.
Posted By: oaklandguy | January 15 2009 at 09:32 AM
Many years ago, I took my mother out to La Folie for dinner for her birthday. There was an accident and a bottle of red wine at the next table was knocked over and broken by the waiter, dousing the two of us. Not only did, the waiter, all the staff and Roland Passot apologize profusely, he comped us our wine and offered to pay for the dry cleaning. They were so gracious we laughed it off. The next day he called and offered to pay for the garments if the cleaners couldn't take care of it. We declined the offer and it is still one of our favorite restaurants. We recommend it to everyone.
Posted By: kkhart | January 15 2009 at 09:44 AM
Oh the horror of a restaurant making a mistake..in this case, more of a greedy one by the bartender or server who drank the sparkling in question and a majorly lame move by the owner to totally avoid the customer. She's not worth her sea salt....but this is hardly a horror as someone else mentioned, this is normal. Mistakes are made everyday in restaurants and other businesses...once again, today's subject is filler.
Posted By: deanpaul1 | January 15 2009 at 09:45 AM
I agree with all the people who agree with RestaurantGuy. I think that unless it is truly a one-off kind of extremely special occasion or milestone with great sentimental value attached, taking your own bottle into a restaurant is somewhat tacky and classless and cheap. I don't understand why it has become such common practice in the Bay area? A while back I went for dinner with a new acquaintance who generally takes his own wine everywhere he dines. I was embarrassed that he had already decided that he felt he knew what I should want to drink even before he understood my personal preferences or had seen the menu, let alone know what I might order.
Posted By: maryposeur | January 15 2009 at 09:46 AM
isabellemazzoni - please MB doing something about this blog troll. She is annoying. Wasn't there an article about bringing wine into restaurants revolving around Napa and the wine makers and how do restaurants tip toe around not upsetting the diners, but also try to discourage the practice. I thought bringing a bottle was okay if a) it wasn't on the list and b) if you purchased another bottle at the restaurant?
Posted By: wahwah | January 15 2009 at 09:57 AM
Since the vintage champagne was brought for the New Year's toast it likely sat for some time in the fridge. An assumption was likely made by the person who popped the cork that it belonged to one of the staff. As such it was fair game. I would think it highly unlikely that an employee would knowingly take a customers wine, as a tempest would likely come as the customer demands her wine.
No question that DiVino was out of line. Also, we do not know if wine was selected from the wine list to go with dinner as the midnight toast was likely after dinner.
Posted By: bistroron13 | January 15 2009 at 09:57 AM
As to the thousand dollar bottle of wine, what is lost is greater than the money. What is lost is the past and potential experience and memory of the bottle. How did they get this bottle, did they win it, buy it, was it given to them as a special gift. So that memory is impacted. And then they take it to a restaurant and the staff deals with it in a careless manner and it gets broken. And the memory of that meal is impacted. The bottles potential was not realized. Really it being a thousand dollar bottle has little to do with it.
As to the staff drinking the bottle of wine, the words "horror" and "nightmare" come to mind, and it makes me sick in that way where all you can do is laugh and hope it never happens to you, as a diner or having to tell a table that, "Ummm the staff drank your wine" and someone thought "Oh look these customers gave me this great bottle of wine as a gift, I think we should have a drink of it now." I guess this cured that couple of bringing their own wine to a restaurant. Corkage is complex because places have allowed it and it got a life of its own. I guess if places didn't gouge on markup people would be more inclined to buy what the place has to offer.
Posted By: bayareaartist | January 15 2009 at 10:02 AM
I disagree that its not cool to bring a bottle of wine to a high end place. I dined at almost every Michelin star rated restaurant in the bay area last year. I bring a nice bottle sometimes to save the $150 plus. No, I'm not bringing it to Cyrus but I love to experience the food along with good wine weather its mine or the restaurants.
Posted By: tommytd78 | January 15 2009 at 10:07 AM
cafe divino is mostly just a coffee shop with a small food menu. who brings expensive wine there and expect la folie style service. yes they screwed up and had bad followup, but it's a coffee shop level of customer service.
Posted By: wsand | January 15 2009 at 10:15 AM
bayareaartist: if the memories around something as mundane as a bottle of wine are so important,then it should never be left in the hands of others. we are talking about a bottle of wine, no matter where or how they procured it, i hardly think it was a famly heirloom.
Posted By: whozzat | January 15 2009 at 10:31 AM
I don't think I've taken a bottle of wine to a restaurant in 40 years, and the last time was to a Chinese restaurant in the London docks that didn't have a liquor license. Having said that, DiVino obviously screwed up, and now the whole Bay Area knows it. Whether this (hopefully) isolated instance should be aired publicly is debatable, though, particularly as the degree of damage doesn't come close to the La Folie episode. I'm curious as to why the restaurants are being named here, rather than being granted the usual anonymity that we have come to expect. It seems a little vindictive to me.
Posted By: malcolm2 | January 15 2009 at 10:42 AM
Wow! If the management of the restaurant allows bringing in your own bottle, why shouldn't the diner bring one in? This apparent disdain towards people bringing in their own bottle of wine is just stupid. If the restaurant allows the practice yet doesn't respect their patrons, I would never go back. There's plenty of other restaurants who can have my business.
Posted By: leisuregirl3 | January 15 2009 at 10:54 AM
I disagree with those who think bringing a bottle with you is somehow rude. Corkage is a way for someone to bring a bottle that they enjoy that the restaurant does not offer. The bottle of bubbly mentioned in the article may be the diner's favorite. If the wine you bring in is on the wine list, it should not be opened. I always offer my server a glass and add the value of my bottle to the total when figuring my tip. The price of corkage should be in line with the least expensive (or average priced) bottle on the list. I bring bubbly to restaurants frequently, not to save a buck, but because most restaurants carry a very lackluster selection of bubbly.
Posted By: madmike | January 15 2009 at 11:04 AM
Agree w Malcolm2 on this one: Often times when citing a reader's note about a certain restaurant MB will leave the name out. What changed? Was the owner rude to him on the phone? If the reason is that he can (and did) verify this actually happened, should he not also try to verify other instances? Seems like a bit of selective integrity to me. You're a critic in a major newspaper, Mr. Bauer, it behooves you to have some journalistic integrity, even on your blog. Shame on you.
And also, shame on the owner AND THE GUEST WHO BROUGHT CHEAP CHAMPAGNE TO GET AROUND PAYING FOR IT ON NYE. Bring something nice or buy it off of the list. And no, 2003 Billecart-Salmon, even at $70 retail, does not qualify. Not on New Year's.
Posted By: clarkkellogg | January 15 2009 at 11:12 AM
Boy, you bloggers really know how to drum up emotion!!! I have been reading all of these comments and trying really hard not to post a response- but, as a hard-working sommelier, I just have to! I tracked our corkage for the month of December, and we had about 200 bottles of wine brought in to the restaurant...200 bottles that could have come out of our cellar..I know that wine prices can be high, and I know that these are difficult economic times, but for a restaurant with a fair policy, that waives a corkage fee for each bottle purchased- it seems excessive...not to mention that we have lovely selections starting in the upper $20's. Imagine being a sommelier, who has worked all day in the cellar and on the computer, keeping the program up to date...You are very excited about some new offerings that are perfect with certain dishes on the menu - the restaurant opens and your first party of 8 comes in with 8 or more bottles in tow, giving no consideration to a wine program at all.It can take the wind out of your sails! Last week, a gentleman called me over to the table to comment on the absurdity of our wine pricing- I claimed that I had extensively researched the subject, and felt that we were more competitively priced than many restaurants in the Napa Valley- he went on to say that he entertains frequently, and named a couple of spots in Napa where he felt pricing was better- Before he left that evening, I had downloaded a couple of lists from the restaurants he mentioned, and found at least 15 of the same wines- not one bottle was more expensive on our list- in fact, most were $20-$50 less...If that is the perception of diners, what is the impetus for lowering prices??? Lastly,there were several comments about restaurant's getting wines that are not even available at retail...it's true!Many sommelier's try hard to bring exciting, different wines to the diner,(that is why we dine out right??) but it is increasingly difficult to justify building a great restaurant cellar, if you cannot deplete what is in it already...Believe me, I would much rather have bodies in seats, and would never dream of limiting the number of bottles brought in, or incrementally increasing the corkage fee on multiple bottles- what is that all about(?), but it seems that people know that, and frequently take advantage...
Posted By: gball | January 15 2009 at 11:27 AM
If restaurants would stop gouging people on wine, perhaps people wouldn't bring their own wine. If you have a problem with BYOB then you should have the balls to just not allow it at your restaurant. No wonder the industry is hurting.
Posted By: LoveSF2001 | January 15 2009 at 11:30 AM
sorry - I meant to post this comment on the "why not lower wine prices" blog!!!
Why didn't the diners ask for their champagne sooner??? maybe placed in a bucket by their table? if my wine disappeared for more than an hour- i would be suspicious- mistakes happen- if it were my restaurant, I would have taken care of their bill,and given them something comparable-
Posted By: gball | January 15 2009 at 11:33 AM
Scratch Caffe DiVino off my list restaurants to visit next time I'm in the Bay Area.
Posted By: Slotman | January 15 2009 at 11:36 AM
I have to agree that bringing a bottle of wine to a restaurant is not wrong. If the bottle is notable, not on the restaurant's selection and not something easy to get then there should be nothing wrong with it. I also agree with those saying that if restaurants were to stop robbing people at 3 times the wholseale price, bringing a bottle I know to be good versus spending $30-$40 for something I haven't tried before is deinitely more attractive. I can either bring a 1997 Cinq Cepage that isn't on their list and pay $30 corkage or I can pay $250 for a 2003 Silver Oak..I'd go with the Cinq Cepage.
Posted By: dk2463 | January 15 2009 at 11:38 AM
We occasionally bring wine to a restaurant and it has absolutely nothing to do with 'saving a few bucks.' We're busy. We rarely have time to enjoy a proper sit-down dinner together, and as a result we've accumulated some rather spectacular wines that probably wouldn't go well with a Wednesday night Lean Cuisine eaten on the fly. Our solution is to take that excellent bottle of {insert favorite wine here}, the one which probably currently retails for $100+, which we bought together, which has meaning for us, which has sat in a carton in the garage for nearly five years, which IS NOT OFFERED at the restaurant, and we take that bottle to the restaurant we've been meaning to try so we can finally have dinner together - and finally have chance to enjoy that wine we've held onto. We start with $12 cocktails. We have our wine opened. We accept the $20-30 corkage fee. We finish with digestifs. Maybe the corkage is waived, maybe it isn't (it's not a factor). But either way, you couldn't call us cheap. We're simply trying to maximize our experience (and time).
Posted By: getsnarky | January 15 2009 at 11:53 AM
What kind of employees does this restaurant hire that allows them to pilfer expensive Champagne?
Posted By: random1 | January 15 2009 at 12:03 PM
wow. snooty snooty. someone brings a $70 bottle and is called cheap. no wonder we're in a recession.
Posted By: sfreader1 | January 15 2009 at 12:03 PM
I applaude GBall's post. There are exceptions for special wines/occasions but bringing in wine just to save money smacks of being cheap and more importantly can deprive the diner from the full experience. I enjoyed a great meal at the bar at A16 not long ago and a big part of it was exploring different tastes from their list, which even by the glass includes a lot of interesting and uncommon wines. I felt sorry for the clown who dropped a cheap bottle of Rosenblum Zin on the bar and asked for it to be opened. The well-trained servers put on a game face - it is the service industry after all - but it was clearly disappointing to see someone not even willing to look at the list or try something different.
Posted By: Grubjunkie | January 15 2009 at 12:21 PM
So is DaVino going to sue for libel for this blog entry?
Posted By: cheapeater | January 15 2009 at 12:32 PM
restaurantguy, so bringing in a bottle that "only" costs $70 means the person was asking for it to be drunk by the staff? That makes no sense.
If the restaurant has a corkage policy, they should respect whatever bottle of wine the person brings in. Having a policy and then having an unwritten rule of what can and can't be brought in is just stupid.
Also, it is not the mistake that was bad, but the way it was handled. It seems like the owner was just hoping these people would go away. I don't think it was just a coincidence that she happened to be going out the buy the wine right after MB called.
Hopefully, places like this will be hit hard by the recession. When you don't respect the customer, you don't deserve to stay in business.
Posted By: pascale | January 15 2009 at 12:38 PM
Getsnarky - Ditto. That is my sentiment and experience exactly (minus the Lean Cuisine bit).
To the lot of you who are ripping on people who choose to utilize the corkage policy at restaurants who allow it, I bet you would criticize people who don't dress like you, spend money like you, eat where you eat, drive the same kind of car as you and raise their kids like you. It's called diversity. It's a great thing, trust me.
Are you that insecure in your own choices that the rest of us have to fall in line like choice clones to lend credence to your life?
Posted By: cmonnow | January 15 2009 at 12:46 PM
My guess is MB used the restaurant name because he was able to confirm the story; that's just good journalism.
Posted By: notatest | January 15 2009 at 12:49 PM
What a bunch of snobs! Bringing wine to a restaurant (regardless of the wine's price) does not make you cheap. Ever read the Millionaire Next Door? It makes you SMART with your money. Wonder why celebrities make a ton of money and wind up bankrupt in a few years?
Because they blew it trying to impress everyone else and the restaurant staff they'll probably never see again.
One most occasions, I buy what's on the menu and love great sommeliers and owners with thoughtful wine selections. Learn lots from them.
But, sometimes your being smart. For my birthday this year, we hosted 12 people for dinner on a Monday night. Believe me, having a large party in there meant more to them then the extra bucks from wine mark up. Yes, a Monday night because it was my actual birthday - I know all about freshness.
That wine can sit a few more days or hours but that food can't. They were happier to sell the food and pay the staff. No, we didn't bring expensive wines but I wanted nicer Champagne than $40 will buy. Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label is my favorite and you can't get it in most restaurants and you can't get it for less than $100 a bottle for non-vintage. I'll take my corkage fee anyday to get what I want and happily stick it my bank account.
Posted By: peninsulafoodie | January 15 2009 at 12:58 PM
I once worked at a hotel/restaurant/bar that had the fortune of having a ton of convention business. The bar staff was in the middle of a major, major busy rush, when a man came with an old, pricey bottle of French red, and wanted us to pour it for his daughter on this, her 21st birhtday (it was the same vintage as her birth) before they had to leave for dinner elsewhere. Being what it was, we wanted to service the client properly, decant it, etc. We had to literally search the basement to find another decanter because we were out of just about everything (including a seat for them). He rewarded our attempt to care for his wine by screaming at us for taking too long and left with it unopened. So much for trying and making the corkage worth the while.
Posted By: stkmstr415 | January 15 2009 at 01:00 PM
What if a couple brought in a bottle of Boone's Farm Strawberry Hill because that's what they drank on their first date thirty years ago? So what? It may be icky stuff, but it brings back good memories FOR THEM. That sort of thing doesn't hurt anyone.
Posted By: cali__chef | January 15 2009 at 01:11 PM
I agree with most, if a place allows corkage they should respect the bottle and customer no matter if it is 2 buck chuck or a $1,000 bottle. I think what peninsulafoodie said about the mean patron is a fact of the job, I have worked in the food industry and mean patrons are very discouraging. We will respect the patrons and they should treat us like humans, this restaurant screwed up I think a comp of the check would have been sufficient since it was a wine that could be purchased at a Bevmo.
Posted By: nicksaysthis | January 15 2009 at 01:32 PM
Just buy the wine there. Cheapskates
Posted By: deadamerica2 | January 15 2009 at 01:42 PM
There is a salient fact in the DiVino story that you all should really take into account when judging the patrons that lost their bubbly:
1) DiVino is a cafe that serves food, not a restaurant that serves coffee. It is about the size of an SUV, and with the sidewalk seating may have 10 tables. Or maybe not.
2) If you brought a retail $70 bottle of champagne to a full-service restaurant, it would probably be in a misguided attempt to save a few bucks off the wine list and you should be spanked. At DiVino, it is probably far better than anything they offer for New Year's eve, and I think they just have Prosecco the rest of the time. I'd bring my own just because they might run out.
3) If you went to DiVino for New Year's eve, that means you live within a few block's radius, drink coffee there more than once a week, and are personally known by the owner and staff. That guy who said he'd "cross it off his list" for when he visits must be using the yellow pages.
Posted By: harlin | January 15 2009 at 01:46 PM
The only times I've brought wine is when the winemaker is with us; and the bottles he brings are super-special. We share a glass with the restaurant owner, chef and waiter. That's a good time, folks: everyone is included in a unique experience and it's gracious, grown-up fun. No corkage fee either. Then buy more wine from the sommelier. This war between the kitchen and the table is absurd - a little goes a long way - it's a two-way street. It's supposed to be fun.
Posted By: itsaspork | January 15 2009 at 02:29 PM
Harlin -- Slotman lived in Marin County way long before you arrived. Slotman can remember when the best restaurant in the County was "Le Chateau," which is now an electrical substation on the east side of Hwy 101 and Lucas Valley Road. And Slotman doesn't need to use the Yellow Pages to select his restaurants.
Posted By: Slotman | January 15 2009 at 02:31 PM
Slotman are you Bob Dole in disguise?
Posted By: wahwah | January 15 2009 at 02:52 PM
My apologies to Slotman - The idea that someone from even another zipcode would plan to visit DiVino seemed pretty silly. And full disclosure: I live in SF, but my brother-in-law might well have been one of the NYE revelers at the caffe.
Posted By: harlin | January 15 2009 at 02:54 PM
A couple going out to celebrate that they contributed to overpopulating the planet. Lovely. Meanwhile, thousands dead in Gaza and the economy goes over a cliff.
Posted By: leggy_marxist | January 15 2009 at 03:00 PM
hey gball - quit yer cryin!!! how pathetic.....you must have grown up always getting whatever you wanted.....
Posted By: louderthanwords | January 15 2009 at 03:23 PM
leggy_marxist: Let me guess. When Mother's Day and Father's Day comes around, you spit on your parents because they were selfish enough to add to the overpopulation problem themselves with your birth? Shame on them!
Posted By: cmonnow | January 15 2009 at 04:16 PM
You should never bring a bottle of Bubbly into a restaurant. It will get too shook up in transit. And you should also only bring wine to a restaurant where you know, and have established a relationship with, the wine buyer. Restaurant guy...as a fellow Somm, here is some advice: The customer may not always be right, but the customer has the right to be wrong. Quit whining about customers that don't fit your idea of who you want to wait on. Have fun with the ones that do, give the ones that don't the same excellent service, and fageddaboutit, 'N Kay? If you still have a job 6 months from now, consider yourself lucky. I predict that more folks will start buying retail and eating at home.
Posted By: umpqua_bound | January 15 2009 at 04:21 PM
BTW - That's Tony Cha in the photo - MB, you should have identified him. Is he still a Somm at Michael Mina? He is a great Somm.
Posted By: umpqua_bound | January 15 2009 at 04:25 PM
thanks umpqua_bound, i was wondering who that was in the pic.
as to why MB decided to out this particular restaurant & not others, i think they must've royally done something to piss him off personally.
Posted By: magazine | January 15 2009 at 04:50 PM
As another poster already noted, if restaurants did not mark up their wine so ridiculously, people would not have the impulse to bring their own. Add in the cost of tips, and restaurant wine becomes pretty damn expensive.
At most restaurants we go to, the cheapest bottles on the wine list are $30+ (i.e. $40+ after tip), so we usually have a glass or two before we go out and just drink water at the restaurant.
Posted By: mfw13 | January 15 2009 at 05:40 PM
I figured Slotman was Rickey Henderson, wahwah.
Posted By: brian7906 | January 15 2009 at 05:52 PM
I never bring wine to a resturant. If I have it in my cellar I already know what it tastes like. What I want to do is taste something I don't know about. I've seen to many *PYAs' carry a bottle of Screamin Loon or Swimming Eagle or something into a good resturant, label out, announcing to all and sundry that he is going to share a "taste' with the owner......*Pretentious Yuppie A**h**e.
Posted By: f1guyus | January 15 2009 at 05:57 PM
You can do BYO because the restaurants allow. Yes, it is your right to do so , absolutely. You should not be ashamed of yourself.
But...
1.When the restaurant see a bottle in your hand, they may smile but inside of their mind, they are deeply disapointed in you as a client, and pray that you are generous enough to order at least something from their wine list.
2.Europeans say 'Doing BYO at Fine Dining is against Gentlemanship nor proper to do so. American say 'Hey,it is not against the rule so why not save some bucks?
Posted By: Bellydancer | January 15 2009 at 05:57 PM
Bring back SPANKING (or waiters, that is !)
Posted By: sometimeswhy | January 15 2009 at 05:59 PM
umpqua_bound, Mmmmmm, enjoy the Pinot Noir.
Posted By: f1guyus | January 15 2009 at 06:01 PM
People get all mad over stuff like this? No wonder we have wars.
Posted By: TheBabbler | January 15 2009 at 06:37 PM
@f1guyus: "I've seen too many 'PYAs' carry a bottle of Screamin Loon or Swimming Eagle or something into a good resturant." LMAO! Screaming Loon. That's choice. Almost worse than hauling in the 2-buck chuck. Jeez.
I've had the experience of being on a date and the guy "brought" the wine to the restaurant without telling me first. It's so presumptuous. Why not just decide what I should order, too?
Posted By: leggy_marxist | January 15 2009 at 07:01 PM
Profit margin on alcohol is much higher than on food. Sad, but true, and most restaurants would have a hard time staying open (and being able to offer the same level of dining experience) without your dollars spent because of their bar and wine cellar. Rich dad may agree that bringing your own wine to dinner makes you smarter, but there is no economic growth in a vacuum. Rich dad would also probably tell you not to give your valuables to strangers for handling.
Posted By: tislet | January 15 2009 at 07:32 PM