Service With No Smile

A friend of mine started seeing a therapist. I do not know all the ins and outs of therapy, or why she is going. She did tell me however that the therapist twice told her, "You seem like an anxious person."

Is that not the same as walking into a barber shop and being told, "You seem to have hair."

Why the fuck do you think I am here?

What about when I am standing in line at the coffee shop and the barista asks, "Can I help you?"

Fuck yes!

Now get on with the real question Mr. Obvious, "How may I help you?"

I expect great service at any restaurant. I will be satisfied, however, with adequate service. Do not make me wait for my menu. Ask if I am ready to order. Make sure my food arrives within fifteen to twenty minutes of taking my order. Ask if I need anything else. And do not make me go on a treasure hunt to track you down when I want to pay and leave.

Bad service will get you a ten percent tip. Rude service will get you nothing. You are not entitled to a tip, it has to be earned for providing at least the basic pleasant service.

Warm Beer Cold Food Bad Service

A number of years back, I went with some college friends into a local Canadian style eatery called Miss Chomedey. It was the typical Italian/ Deli/ Grill combination full service family restaurants with a liquor licence. It was a small step up from your usual diner.

Sitting in one of their booths, likely eating the cheapest thing on the menu, perhaps grilled cheese or the bambino pizza, we proceeded to drop some quarters into the old fashioned mini jukeboxes that sat atop the booth table.

25 cents for a song. Let's liven up this sleepy lunchtime crowd, we said.

Three quarters went into the jukebox and nothing happened. We pressed every combination of buttons. I may have even punched the machine too.

Ghost in the machine? No, it's a country jukebox

We called the waitress over and explained what had occurred. "We lost three quarters", we said.

To which she replied, "Oh the machines don't work."

"What do you mean they don't work. There are no signs up."

"No", she replied, "they haven't worked in a long time." And dismissed us as if her answer justified everything.

"Can we have have our change back?" We persisted.

"We lost three quarters."

"No, she said, "you shouldn't have put them in the machine, they are lost."

Disbelief led to anger. But I still managed to sputter out, "And when you are looking for your tip, you know where to find it. It's in the machine."

Les Enfants Terribles- Restaurant Review

Les Enfants Terribles is a finely and stylishly decorated restaurant  in the Outremont district of Montreal. The name of the restaurant translates to Mischievous Children - the book of the same name was translated to The Holy Terrors.
Open since 2008, this Bernard Street eatery sports a busy and noisy atmosphere, with a brunch, lunch and dinner menu.

Mini chorizo pogo

This busy restaurant suffers from poor acoustics, creating a terribly noisy atmosphere to the point we were unable to hear conversations at our own table. The noise pollution takes away from the ambiance of an otherwise pleasant setting.

Overall, the food was very good quality, in both presentation and taste. Large portions and a lengthy wine list would satisfy most foodies. The bilingual and courteous servers provided their suggestions and provided very good prompt service.

Lamb Burger

The drink orders took a very long time to arrive. Very long time. Each and every time we ordered. This was likely due to under-staffing at the bar, only one person was on duty. The food however, arrived promptly.
I ordered the Lamb Burger. The tendency for lamb burgers is to be dry, in this case, Les Enfants Terribles served a burger of the perfect consistency, juicy and tasty, topped with goat cheese, tomatoes, onions and arugula.

The two ladies at the table shared the small Mac and Cheese dish and ordered a salad each. The Macaroni was rich and filling and the small portion with a side salad is perfect meal. My appetizer, the mini chorizo was tasty and as well presented as it could be considering it was called pogo. Calling it a pogo takes away from the otherwise classy presentation. To sum it all up, the food and service above average and if you plan to go, make a reservation to assure prompt seating.

Five Guys Named Moo

All Dressed Cheeseburger

Five Guys Burgers and Fries has opened in five locations in and around Montreal to little fanfare, advertising by word of mouth. Setting up in Old Montreal, the West Island, the South Shore and Laval as well as in Dorion, the boys picked their prime locations for an early breakthrough into the Montreal market.
With over 600 locations in the United States and now 60 in Canada the guys are making their mark. First thing you should know, Allergy alert! As per their website, Five Guys uses peanut oil only. And nothing is frozen, they also only use fresh ground beef.

There is nothing new about Five Guys. They serve hamburger joint burgers and greasy fries with a selection of fountain drinks. The Old Montreal location was hopping busy and the staff were friendly and helpful, answering all of my questions.
I ordered a cheeseburger, fries and a Coke and had plenty to eat. The food is fresh, the portions were big and I was full. Unfortunately, I wanted less food. Personal preference aside - I like my meat more well done - the hamburger was not anywhere near the best I have ever tasted. The fries were soggy and drenched in oil and under-cooked. A sign that the oil was not at the correct temperature. Or is this their style?
If you are looking for a burger joint burger with greasy fries at double the usual price than Five Guys is for you. Let's call it a 5 out of 10 for Five Guys.