Decisions, Decisions

[TightEnd]

You go to a new steak restaurant.

only open a few weeks, and you want to investigate

a) your rib-eye steak arrives on a wooden platter

- do you walk out on the spot as they aren't using plates and this trend needs to be stopped?  

eg

Click to see full-size image.

b) your steak is ordered medium-rare and when it lands on your table, it is red and by even the most lenient intepretation on the raw side of rare.

- do you send it back?

c) As the food arrives at your table you notice that juices (possibly including blood) are leaking off the flat platter (if they used a plate with a lip,this wouldn't happen...) onto the wooden floor

- do you tell the waiter?
- do you tell the manager?
- do you go above the manager, perhaps to food standards?
- do you say nothing?

would b) or c) entitle you to money off your bill?

my dining companion and I had differing opinions on some of this....

 

[Doobs]

How red?  If the outside is sealed, I don't think I am that concerned?  I am way more wary of blood in burgers.  I am not sure medium rare is well defined.  I order medium-rare and there is quite a bit of variety.  I have definitely had them without the slightest hint of red.  Sending back depends on the place I am eating. If it is a 2 for 1 kind of place, I put it down as a self inflicted wound if well done; send it back if undercooked.  It it is a posh place, likely the opposite.  I rarely send stuff back, but am way more likely with pork, chicken.

Blood on floor is no concern of mine.  I don't ever use the 5 second rule.

On the plate thing, meh.  I have had food served on worse, but would definitely put me off returning.  Morons.

[Cavey007]

I'd like to say I'd definitely get the steak cooked longer. If it was then sent out not to my standards then I personally would just eat it but wouldn't begrudge someone expecting money off their bill for it

The rest of it. While I'd like to say walk out with no plates. It's a trend that does need to be stopped. But I'm out for steak. I'm eating my steak.

The juices? Well that's their fault. They provide a flat slate thing. Stuff is going to leak off. I wouldn't expect money off. But I don't go out to eat much and when I do I'm not fussy about things. I would expect them to sort the floor once I'm done eating though

Always difficult with steaks. Medium rare should be half pink, half cooked. And fairly soft. We were taught to put thumb your thumb to each finger. Thumb to index is rare, thumb to middle med rare, thumb to ring med well, thumb to pinky well done in terms of firmness of meat.

[celtic]

Firstly, It's not blood that oozes from a steak.

Secondly, never feel awkward about complaining if food isn't how you expect it. I got ridiculed once by Sicilian because I sent McDonald's chips back because they weren't hot enough.

I've never gone above manager level to complain about something or expected a refund or money off, as long as they have got my food order correct, and the right temperature. I just wouldn't go back rather than go above the manager.

[Marky147]

If the stone part of the platter is a hotplate, then I'd imagine the steak will probably get to where you want it by the time you're ready to dig in.

That said, just bang it on a plate, so I can crack on.

If it's a proper restaurant, I'd send my food back if nowhere near how I want it cooked.

Wouldn't expect anything off, as long as they got it right 2nd time.

As long as things aren't dripping on my clothes, I'm not bothered about the mess.

[Doobs]

On the plate thing.  This was the nut worst.

I got dragged to Jamie's Italian, and this is how they serve lamb chops.

Click to see full-size image.

I remember the bowl with the lamb chops to be smaller.  So small you couldn't even use a knife and fork to chop it up and everything else was in separate small recepticles, to defy any attempt at mixing them together.  

Where the feck do you even start?  I can see you can pick up the lamb chop with the bone, and after you have bitten a few bits off you can kind of dip it in the yogurt and then in the nuts.  But where do you mix in the onions and do you just pick up the leaves and eat them?  £18 to be absolutely humiliated in front of friends.

Absolute abomination of meal.  Did I send it back?  No sir.

I was 100% sure that is how it was intended to be served and it was definitely my own weak-willed fault for ending up in there.  
  

[Doobs]

On the plate thing.  This was the nut worst.

I got dragged to Jamie's Italian, and this is how they serve lamb chops.

Click to see full-size image.

I remember the bowl with the lamb chops to be smaller.  So small you couldn't even use a knife and fork to chop it up and everything else was in separate small recepticles, to defy any attempt at mixing them together. 

Where the feck do you even start?  I can see you can pick up the lamb chop with the bone, and after you have bitten a few bits off you can kind of dip it in the yogurt and then in the nuts.  But where do you mix in the onions and do you just pick up the leaves and eat them?  £18 to be absolutely humiliated in front of friends.

Absolute abomination of meal.  Did I send it back?  No sir.

I was 100% sure that is how it was intended to be served and it was definitely my own weak-willed fault for ending up in there. 
 

I get that nobody is likely to be that arsed about this other than me, but just realised that dish at the end with polenta "chips", is exactly the crappy recepticle I got my lamb chops in when I went there.  My memory is fading, but the pot was about a third of the length of a lamb chop. 

Here is the extreme close up of the polenta "chips" in the piss pot.  It was way smaller than it looks.

Click to see full-size image.

I am fairly sure that Jamie expertly chips his piss pots to make them more "authentic".

Still irritates me now, and I am guessing this was 3 years ago. 

ANyway, move along, nothing to see here, as you were.

[nirvana]

On the plate thing.  This was the nut worst.

I got dragged to Jamie's Italian, and this is how they serve lamb chops.

Click to see full-size image.

I remember the bowl with the lamb chops to be smaller.  So small you couldn't even use a knife and fork to chop it up and everything else was in separate small recepticles, to defy any attempt at jmixing them together. 

Where the feck do you even start?  I can see you can pick up the lamb chop with the bone, and after you have bitten a few bits off you can kind of dip it in the yogurt and then in the nuts.  But where do you mix in the onions and do you just pick up the leaves and eat them?  £18 to be absolutely humiliated in front of friends.

Absolute abomination of meal.  Did I send it back?  No sir.

I was 100% sure that is how it was intended to be served and it was definitely my own weak-willed fault for ending up in there. 
 

Should come with an empty plate and assembly instructions.

I'm definitely sending the steak back for a another couple mins in a pan

[Marky147]

Never been to one of his gaffs, and definitely won't be now

[Woodsey]

The wood plate thing happened to me the other week, problem was the food got cold really quickly unlike it would on a hot normal plate, did put me off going back.

Deffo send back if not cooked correct, sent a steak back twice a few months back, hope there wasn't too much gob in it when it arrived the third time.

Wouldn't care about the juices too, although if it was blood it's probably getting sent back for not being cooked enough.

If they get it right in the end I wouldn't care about money off, maybe if there was a horrific delay because of it it might be a nice gesture. But if it was suitably poor I probably would suck it up and just not go back.

[RED-DOG]

I always have a polite rational word with the manager if something is not to my liking. It's very rare that we don't end up resolving things in an amicable fashion.

[Cf]

I would say

"Excuse me I ordered medium-rare and that is verging on blue. Can you cook it more please. Also whilst you're at itbcan you be sure to let it rest before serving and also put it on a plate instead of this ridiculous board thing."

Assuming they do that I wouldn't expect any money off.

[ripple11]

I would speak to the waiter and ask for it to be cooked as requested. Not ideal of course, especially if your companion is happy with their meal and starts to eat.
Any manager worth his salt should notice /be told, come over and apologise and offer some sort of complimentary drink / half price steak etc.....more so with a new restaurant.
If nothing is done/said before the bill....I would offer valuable feedback to the manager before paying.

[MANTIS01]

a) Your food looks well-presented and anyway optimum crockery choice is a minor consideration in the grand scheme of an evening's entertainment. If I was your 'dining companion' I wouldn't enjoy you flouncing out because of a wooden board really.

b) If your food isn't cooked to your liking ask for it to be cooked to your liking. What other possible answer is there?

c) Steak hasn't been rested properly so when asking for it to be cooked for longer ask for it to be rested properly. Sending your dish back has the potential to fuck up the dining experience because you will now be out of sync with your companion so some small recompense should be expected. I would settle for a couple of after eights or something at the end.

This is a normal everyday occurrence which should be taken in your stride and enjoy the evening. I can't imagine talk of reporting to food standards or complaining to the manager increases the chances of sexy times with your 'dining companion'?!? 

[Cf]

I suppose food standards comes into play if there is meat juices dripping onto the floor of the restaurant whilst food is being carried around. Doesn't sound ideal.