Out With The Wifey

Last night was one of few times I get to have a night off during the week. Usually I get only one night, but this week I have three(CELEBRATION!!!). With this night off from work, I decided that Whitney and I should have a date night. We hardly go out, so why not do it this time.

I wanted her to choose where we would go, but she didn't want to choose(this is how our relationship works). I gave a list of places we could go. They included J Clyde, Paramount, Jack Brown's, and The Southern Kitchen. Since we never been there before, she wanted to go to The Southern Kitchen. We have heard mixed reviews, so we wanted to see which side we would be on.

I got home first and changed into some more comfortable clothes(this just means changing shirts and shoes). She got home and completely changed clothes, and then we were off to Uptown.

Once we got into the restaurant, we had to walk to the front of place to the host stand(we entered from the back). He asked if we wanted to go to the bar because it would be quick service. We thought that would be a okay with us. We sat down at the bar and waited. And waited. It was about three to five minutes before the bartender came around. It looked like she didn't want to be there. :(

We looked around on the menu to see what we wanted. It broke my heart to see that they didn't have any beers on draft. Come on now!! This place is still fairly new, and there were no beers on draft. Anyway, I got me a Good People Brown and Whitney got some kind of strawberry cocktail(I forgot the name of it).

Once we looked around the food menu, we decided to get some of the Cajun Angels. It was an app with blackened shrimp that was wrapped in bacon with a BBQ sauce underneath. For what it was worth, I thought we would get more than what we got.

In my opinion, it was good but felt like something missing from the sauce. I know it was under Small Plates, but it was smaller than what I thought it would be.

Well our entrees should better, right? Ehhh. I got The Jackson, which was blackened shrimp with gouda grits topped with a cajun hot sauce and greens. Whitney got the Pimento Cheese Sandwich that had jalapeño honey fries.

 Just liked the appetizer, we felt like something was just missing from both of our meals. Now let it be clear that I am not saying that we did not like the food. We enjoyed it, but it felt like there was something missing from the whole experience.

Once we left there, Whitney had the idea of going to J Clyde for some dessert. YES!!! After a not so exciting dining, we know we could get some awesome beers and desserts from our favorite pub in the city.

We walked in and saw Amanda was working behind the bar. We sat in the back bar and started off with some beer. I got the Merry Widow from Fairhope, and the wifey got a tripel from Straffe Hendrik. Made both of our souls happy.

Then our dessert came around. We got the Young's Double Chocolate Stout Brownie that came with a scoop of Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Dear God!! It was soo amazing!! What did I decided to wash it down with? I got a Cappuccino Stout from Lagunitas. This was good as well.

I can say that we might not have started the night on a good foot, but it definitely ended the way it should. Will I go back to The Southern. We shall see, but it will be a while before I go back. J Clyde, on the other hand, I will see you later this week.

Service With A Smile

Disclaimer: The thoughts and beliefs of this post is strictly how I feel and no one else.

When you go to a restaurant, what do you usually go for? The food? Drinks? Atmosphere? Service? All the above? All of those are good reasons.

With me being a server, I always want to make sure you are having a good time. From the time you enter til you step out, I want everyone to feel like they are around friends. I also want to make sure that you have fun with me. Eating good food is good, but if you are not enjoying your stay then it's really not a good time.

Now, I've only been serving for close tons year now. I am no way saying that I am the best or greatest server in the universe. I just know what works for me. I always like to treat my customers the same way I want to be if I was in their situation. Treating people with respect and just making sure they feel comfortable is how I treat my people.

Now everyone that I have might not always be the nicest folks in the world, and that is okay. They will still get the same service from me no matter of they are rude to me or not. You will still a genuine greet and a big smile from me.

Now when you see me at work, I'm usually having fun. Sometimes it could be me singing to the songs, or it could be me dancing around the restaurant. I just want you to know that eating at a restaurant doesn't have to be so serious.

For me, getting a big tip isn't always the most important thing about the night. Don't get me wrong, I need to make money. It's when I know that my table loved the service that I gave them and leaves a comment card stating that, those are the things I like to hear.

So the next time you go out remember to have fun when you go out. Whoever your server is, be somewhat interactive with them, and always make sure to let them know how they did. Most importantly, remember that tips are usually the only way they make a living. So please make sure to tip your server(this includes bartenders if you are at the bar).

Enjoy your next food adventure, and hopefully I can be able to serve you soon!!