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My budget in this economy only allows me to buy at Dollar General, HEB and Walmart.
That's cool...this post is just for fun anyway..not like we can change anything.....don't feel bad....the DOLLAR STORE is even out of my range....
i need a 5 and dime store......I CAN scrape two nickels together!...and thats about it!
BTW, anyone looking for a functional "Fart Jar"?....they do exist, you know!........and come in quite handy as well!...Monkey Fart Jars available as well!
I will NEVER patronize Dennys. It was the first family restaurant we were introduced to in Texas - no silverware on the table; the appetizer and entree brought out together and nothing to eat the food with. When I politely asked for the silverware and for the entree to be taken back so it would be hot when we were ready for it - the waitress returned with silverware and slapped it on the table (it was dirty) later the same food was brought back out to me glistening wet and hot (ever seen glistening globby french fries and green beans?). It looked as if someone had spat in my food! My husband didn't want to make a scene, so we resolved it by agreeing we would never bring our family back to another Denny's.
I have heard of fast food servers spitting in food, but this was the first and last time (I hope) that I would receive food at a dining restaurant "glistening" with saliva!
When my children were very young we ate at home; when they had the basic manners of knowing how to sit and eat at the table, we introduced them to eating out at restaurants where it was quiet. Children won't learn how to behave at a proper restaurant by going to noisy establishments like Chucky Cheese, Denny's and similar type restaurants - too many examples of badly behaved children, yelling loudly, screaming and grabbing the silverware and clanging it or throwing it. Children learn by example and observation. Expose them to a pleasant restaurant and guide them in table manners while eating out - and you can take your children anywhere. I can't recall my children ever complaining about the food they ordered from family owned small restaurants like Mario's in Houston; Galveston or all you can eat buffets for Chinese/Italian/Seafood or basic home cooking like Cracker Barrel which are within a family budget if eating out. A rule was, choose something you like and try a mouthful from my plate of something new that you haven't tried before.
I will NEVER patronize Dennys. It was the first family restaurant we were introduced to in Texas - no silverware on the table; the appetizer and entree brought out together and nothing to eat the food with. When I politely asked for the silverware and for the entree to be taken back so it would be hot when we were ready for it - the waitress returned with silverware and slapped it on the table (it was dirty) later the same food was brought back out to me glistening wet and hot (ever seen glistening globby french fries and green beans?). It looked as if someone had spat in my food! My husband didn't want to make a scene, so we resolved it by agreeing we would never bring our family back to another Denny's.
I have heard of fast food servers spitting in food, but this was the first and last time (I hope) that I would receive food at a dining restaurant "glistening" with saliva!
When my children were very young we ate at home; when they had the basic manners of knowing how to sit and eat at the table, we introduced them to eating out at restaurants where it was quiet. Children won't learn how to behave at a proper restaurant by going to noisy establishments like Chucky Cheese, Denny's and similar type restaurants - too many examples of badly behaved children, yelling loudly, screaming and grabbing the silverware and clanging it or throwing it. Children learn by example and observation. Expose them to a pleasant restaurant and guide them in table manners while eating out - and you can take your children anywhere. I can't recall my children ever complaining about the food they ordered from family owned small restaurants like Mario's in Houston; Galveston or all you can eat buffets for Chinese/Italian/Seafood or basic home cooking like Cracker Barrel which are within a family budget if eating out. A rule was, choose something you like and try a mouthful from my plate of something new that you haven't tried before.
Well, Denny's helped me get through college. They paid regular minimum wage instead of the tipped minimum and after nine months of employment you get health insurance (at least at the corporate stores back in the 80s)
My son knows how to behave at restaurants despite watching other kids behave poorly. From the time he was able to talk, and therefore ask me why do other kids get to (fill in the blank). He's heard in response "It is not my job to see that those kids grow up to be functional adults, but it is my job to see that you do so you live by my rules". But I digress as this isn't a thread about child rearing philosophies.
Yes, I did once see a fellow wait person spit in someone's food. I was horrified. It is the only time in ten years of the restaurant biz that I ever witnessed it though.
Well, Denny's helped me get through college. They paid regular minimum wage instead of the tipped minimum and after nine months of employment you get health insurance (at least at the corporate stores back in the 80s)
My son knows how to behave at restaurants despite watching other kids behave poorly. From the time he was able to talk, and therefore ask me why do other kids get to (fill in the blank). He's heard in response "It is not my job to see that those kids grow up to be functional adults, but it is my job to see that you do so you live by my rules". But I digress as this isn't a thread about child rearing philosophies.
Yes, I did once see a fellow wait person spit in someone's food. I was horrified. It is the only time in ten years of the restaurant biz that I ever witnessed it though.
Was the spitter at Denny's?.......maybe it was the person that spit in Schnaiy's food
We need something funny, like people talking on Helium from youtube...
BTW, Helium causes permanent brain damage..though these folks in the videos don't have to worry about that..no brains to ruin...
BTW, where in the tarhill are we goin' with this thread?......next thing ya know we'll be talking about jesse jackson spitting in food platters as a strapping youth in south carolina...
Alrighty InTheCut, I think the thread conversation was digressing due to the examples given re: mom and pop restaurants versus chain restaurants like Denny's.
I have to say, given the choice of having to endure the attitude of a waiter rolling his eyes at a customer question about the menu versus the actions and attitude of a waitress not setting up a table properly, bringing out two courses together and then spitting in the food - it's a no-brainer.
I do like ATXIronHorse's thought about patronaging businesses based on merit and not sympathy. Mom and Pop restaurants would always be a merit choice! Always, reserving the right not to return if the food and/or service is not acceptable. Here, I have to agree with InTheCut, once the small owner businesses vanish, you no longer have any choice but to go to a national chain. I believe the lack of competition would leave the consumer at the mercy of these conglomorates!
I like the fact that we don't have any national chains in my local community, except for Sonic. The locals must feel similarly, because there are more small businesses springing up, we like the convenience of the location and the personal service you don't often find at the Big Box Stores.
I think one statement settles this once and for all....
The only thing separating Austin from Dallas/FW and Houston is the eclectic small biz atmoshere and vibe..take that away and you HAVE Dallas and Houston....just a smaller version of the same....The only reason one would relocate to Austin as opposed to those two other cities with far larger job opportunites and pay is atmosphere and vibe.....
Do Home Depot, Target, and Super Wal-Mart contribute to that vibe?
When my children were very young we ate at home; when they had the basic manners of knowing how to sit and eat at the table, we introduced them to eating out at restaurants where it was quiet. Children won't learn how to behave at a proper restaurant by going to noisy establishments like Chucky Cheese, Denny's and similar type restaurants - too many examples of badly behaved children, yelling loudly, screaming and grabbing the silverware and clanging it or throwing it. Children learn by example and observation. Expose them to a pleasant restaurant and guide them in table manners while eating out - and you can take your children anywhere. I can't recall my children ever complaining about the food they ordered from family owned small restaurants like Mario's in Houston; Galveston or all you can eat buffets for Chinese/Italian/Seafood or basic home cooking like Cracker Barrel which are within a family budget if eating out. A rule was, choose something you like and try a mouthful from my plate of something new that you haven't tried before.
This isn't entirely true.
When my son was young (VERY young), the two of us would go out for lunch at McDonald's, where he practiced "restaurant manners", and when the other kids were misbehaving, it was pointed out that those were NOT restaurant manners.
Once he had a good handle on behaving himself at McDonald's no matter what was going on around him, we moved up to a cafeteria. (This was a BIG treat to him, getting to see the food and pick what he wanted and sit at a real table!) Once he proved himself there, he earned the right to go to a family restaurant. And so forth, until he was quite capable of behaving for the length of time that it would take to eat a meal in a nice restaurant. (This whole process took a couple of years at most.)
Thus, no one at nice restaurants was exposed to "kid in training"; by the time he reached that stage, behaving was automatic.
Our rule regarding trying new foods was two bites. The second bite was to find out what the food REALLY tastes like after getting over the "shock" of the first bite. If you still didn't like it, you didn't have to eat it.
He's grown up to be a gourmet cook who can comport himself well in just about any gathering, so the exposure to the little hellions at McDonald's doesn't appear to have done any harm.
When my son was young (VERY young), the two of us would go out for lunch at McDonald's, where he practiced "restaurant manners", and when the other kids were misbehaving, it was pointed out that those were NOT restaurant manners.
Once he had a good handle on behaving himself at McDonald's no matter what was going on around him, we moved up to a cafeteria. (This was a BIG treat to him, getting to see the food and pick what he wanted and sit at a real table!) Once he proved himself there, he earned the right to go to a family restaurant. And so forth, until he was quite capable of behaving for the length of time that it would take to eat a meal in a nice restaurant. (This whole process took a couple of years at most.)
Thus, no one at nice restaurants was exposed to "kid in training"; by the time he reached that stage, behaving was automatic.
Our rule regarding trying new foods was two bites. The second bite was to find out what the food REALLY tastes like after getting over the "shock" of the first bite. If you still didn't like it, you didn't have to eat it.
He's grown up to be a gourmet cook who can comport himself well in just about any gathering, so the exposure to the little hellions at McDonald's doesn't appear to have done any harm.
We have 'restaurant manners' at home. We all sit down for dinner, no one yells, or runs around. Everyone uses the right piece of silverware. We wait until everyone is done. Once the kids were at the age of reason...5 or 6, we took them everywhere, and never had a problem. We don't eat at MCD, BK, Dennys- for us it's either home or fancy, although we do take stuff home. It is hard to explain to kids sometimes why 'that man is yelling' at the table, or why 'that lady is putting on her makeup' at the table....ha ha.
It's not hard to explain at all (and, no, my children didn't behave as hellions at home, either, but "restaurant manners" is a step up because you're exposed to other people who don't know you and vice versa). Simply say that they are not behaving appropriately and that, sadly, some people never learned how to do so.
I had too much respect for my fellow diners who had chosen to pay for a fancy restaurant experience to take tiny ones to someplace where those fellow diners would have expected an adult experience (perhaps paying for a babysitter so that they could have that). That, too, is something that I consider to be part of good manners.
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