The New Woodshed

[Biggd]

Manners and respect have all taken a slide since Twitter was invented. Now people say and do what ever they want without retribution.

[joey2665]

Originally Posted by Biggd

Manners and respect have all taken a slide since Twitter was invented. Now people say and do what ever they want without retribution.

Well said. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having manners and respecting others. Oh and by the way manners and respect do not cost any money.


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[jeffk]

While I might wish that people would dress well and leave the kids behind at a high end restaurant, I don't think there are many places left that actually enforce that. That has been true for a couple of decades now. Such places either gave up on rules or went out of business.

There was a restaurant in Derry, NH called Promises to Keep. The restaurant was the height of elegance, service, and food preparation. The setting, grounds, and room were beautiful. Men wore jackets and ties and the women wore nice dresses. Ill behaved children were nowhere to be found. There was staff for greeting, pouring water, seemingly every step of the meal. They were all dressed well, knew their jobs, and knew how to be polite and friendly. Each course was to die for, no matter what it was. You were guaranteed an excellent experience.

Sadly, one day we were seated and I noticed that a patron nearby was wearing a ratty old pair of sneakers. I was saddened as I recognized they no longer enforced a dress code. The plethora of service people were gone. It was still very good but that certain "je ne sais quoi" was gone. I had a sense of something special lost, never to return, like a death of a grandparent.

The restaurant soon became a event venue and by the ratings it has, a successful one.

I have only been in one other restaurant, in San Diego, that approached dining in this way and that is a loss. I'm sure there are more, probably some quite exclusive or limited access like a club, that function like this but wherever I go I look for them and cannot find a public restaurant that provides such a dining experience. Yes, many excellent places to eat but Promises to Keep spoiled me.

[Hillcountry]

Originally Posted by jeffk

While I might wish that people would dress well and leave the kids behind at a high end restaurant, I don't think there are many places left that actually enforce that. That has been true for a couple of decades now. Such places either gave up on rules or went out of business.

There was a restaurant in Derry, NH called Promises to Keep. The restaurant was the height of elegance, service, and food preparation. The setting, grounds, and room were beautiful. Men wore jackets and ties and the women wore nice dresses. Ill behaved children were nowhere to be found. There was staff for greeting, pouring water, seemingly every step of the meal. They were all dressed well, knew their jobs, and knew how to be polite and friendly. Each course was to die for, no matter what it was. You were guaranteed an excellent experience.

Sadly, one day we were seated and I noticed that a patron nearby was wearing a ratty old pair of sneakers. I was saddened as I recognized they no longer enforced a dress code. The plethora of service people were gone. It was still very good but that certain "je ne sais quoi" was gone. I had a sense of something special lost, never to return, like a death of a grandparent.

The restaurant soon became a event venue and by the ratings it has, a successful one.

I have only been in one other restaurant, in San Diego, that approached dining in this way and that is a loss. I'm sure there are more, probably some quite exclusive or limited access like a club, that function like this but wherever I go I look for them and cannot find a public restaurant that provides such a dining experience. Yes, many excellent places to eat but Promises to Keep spoiled me.

Promises to Keep has a special place in my memory as my ex-wife was the hostess there. The owner’s were friends of ours and you are correct in saying it was once a special dining experience. Of course, all things change and so did “Promises”
I even got married to my 2nd wife there! (While it was still a special place!)

[newposterguy]

I don't recall anyone saying their dinner was ruined over a stranger wearing a hat, just that societal norms and decorum have declined.

It is well within a restaurant's power to post and enforce basic dining etiquette standards, and for those who are not dressed appropriately or have small children to be steered into the pub.

I guess it boils down to expecting people to do the right thing, and as a society, we fall short on some of the basics. If you have ever had the table next to the blowhard loudly talking on a cell phone at a restaurant or a child allowed to cry for longer than fifteen seconds, you know what I mean.

[Biggd]

Originally Posted by newposterguy

I don't recall anyone saying their dinner was ruined over a stranger wearing a hat, just that societal norms and decorum have declined.

It is well within a restaurant's power to post and enforce basic dining etiquette standards, and for those who are not dressed appropriately or have small children to be steered into the pub.

I guess it boils down to expecting people to do the right thing, and as a society, we fall short on some of the basics. If you have ever had the table next to the blowhard loudly talking on a cell phone at a restaurant or a child allowed to cry for longer than fifteen seconds, you know what I mean.

Dress codes in schools and in the work place has changed so it's to be expected in a restaurant, IMO. Even in the Woodshed where it's in a resort area.

[mcdude]

Originally Posted by newposterguy

If you have ever had the table next to the blowhard loudly talking on a cell phone at a restaurant

.....and having the most ridiculous conversation. I get up and move if possible. What ever happened to bringing your phone conversation outside or to the lobby?

[FlyingScot]

Originally Posted by mcdude

.....and having the most ridiculous conversation. I get up and move if possible. What ever happened to bringing your phone conversation outside or to the lobby?

A better approach:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtdpJlZ07u4

[Phantom]

Now THAT's funny ………

Thanks for making my afternoon & giving me a great idea for the next time!!

[gillygirl]

Originally Posted by jeffk

While I might wish that people would dress well and leave the kids behind at a high end restaurant, I don't think there are many places left that actually enforce that. That has been true for a couple of decades now. Such places either gave up on rules or went out of business.

There was a restaurant in Derry, NH called Promises to Keep. The restaurant was the height of elegance, service, and food preparation. The setting, grounds, and room were beautiful. Men wore jackets and ties and the women wore nice dresses. Ill behaved children were nowhere to be found. There was staff for greeting, pouring water, seemingly every step of the meal. They were all dressed well, knew their jobs, and knew how to be polite and friendly. Each course was to die for, no matter what it was. You were guaranteed an excellent experience.

Sadly, one day we were seated and I noticed that a patron nearby was wearing a ratty old pair of sneakers. I was saddened as I recognized they no longer enforced a dress code. The plethora of service people were gone. It was still very good but that certain "je ne sais quoi" was gone. I had a sense of something special lost, never to return, like a death of a grandparent.

The restaurant soon became a event venue and by the ratings it has, a successful one.

I have only been in one other restaurant, in San Diego, that approached dining in this way and that is a loss. I'm sure there are more, probably some quite exclusive or limited access like a club, that function like this but wherever I go I look for them and cannot find a public restaurant that provides such a dining experience. Yes, many excellent places to eat but Promises to Keep spoiled me.

I got married at Promises to Keep. A friend opened up the wedding card she was giving us and wrote a bigger check because she thought it was so lovely!


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