The meal itself was delightful. The flavors and textures and plating were gorgeous, if a little on the meagre side, but that was to be expected in such a place. We were having a grand old time. Unfortunately, there was one element that completely fell flat on its face, as far as I was concerned:
The service.
The waiter was polite. Almost too much so. He was deferential to the point of seeming afraid to approach the table as we talked. When we asked his opinion on specific dishes, he didn't seem to have any, yet when someone at the table asked what his favorite items were, he told us something to the effect that everything was delicious.
And when asking us if we had made our decisions, he made the fatal (with me) error of saying something akin to "Have we decided on our dinner?"
Funny, I never thought to ask if he was hungry. I thought of asking another waiter if he could pull up an extra chair so that we could make it dinner for five.
What on earth was he so afraid of? Three lovely Texas woman? Me? Is that what made him shy away from the table so much that he couldn't manage to fill our wine glasses when they were going on empty? Was he simply less interested in us because we were more than likely not spending as much money as his other tables?
Sitting there in my plush banquette, I wondered to myself this question:
What the hell does it take to get a great waiter in this town? I have had so few. The only answer I could come up with is this:
Luck. Pure, unholy luck.
It doesn't seem to matter much what type of venue you are patronizing. High end restaurants are no guarantee of great service, though one's expectations are higher when there. Boulevard? I've had both great service and totally lack-luster service. Masa's? I was lucky enough to have someone I knew take care of me. We were the only people in the place that seemed to be having a good time. The French Laundry? Don't get me started. One of the best servers I have ever encountered in this city was at a little breakfast place in the Haight. I wanted to kiss her and give her all of my money. At least I had enough courage to do the latter.
Of course, I am a professional waiter by trade, so I tend to notice everything happening around me when dining out. It's an occupational hazard. I do not, however, think my standards are sky high. Nor do I think they are universal. My ideas of great service might differ from yours. Here are my particular needs and idiosyncrasies:
My ideal server...
• Is confident in his knowledge of the food and wine he serves.
• Has opinions.
• Is not afraid to either approach my table nor make menu suggestions.
• Is friendly and warm, but not over-sharing.
• Does not say "How are we this evening?" or "Have we decided yet?" He uses the plural "you."
• Does not tell me her name when she walks up to the table for the first time. If she is wonderful and engaging, I will ask for her name as well as give her my own.
• Does not try to sell me something right off the bat. Rather, he says "Hello."
• Lets me know if she feels I am ordering too much food.
• Asks me if the temperature of my wine is good and if I would prefer my white wine on the table or on ice.
• Keeps my wine glass filled, but does not over-pour.
• Is as kind to the table next to me as she is to me.
• Does not look disheartened when I order a bottle of wine that costs less than $100.
• Claims an undramatic responsibility for any mishaps. Mistakes happen. They don't bother me.
• Acts as if he cares about what he's doing.
• Makes me feel welcome.
• Makes me feel as if I am being taken care of.
Frankly, it's that last bullet point that I want the most. When I dine out, I just want to be taken care of. Not coddled. Not ass-kissed. Just taken care of.
I mean, this is the hospitality industry I'm talking about, isn't it?
