Before
I get into what this is all about I want to talk about restaurant
servers first. Over a month's time I was waited on by over 24 servers
and none were so bad that we could justify leaving less than a 15% tip
and most deserved the 20-25% we left ! Yes, having been a
professional server for 38 years I may be too easy but then again for
the same reason I may be too tough on new servers. Only twice were there
mistakes made but that was the kitchen's fault as I looked at what the
server put into the computer and I saw what the cook sent out. It is
very easy to get good service and all you have to do is 1) smile back at
the server when they approach the table 2) acknowledge their "Hello" 
3) Order/know exactly what you want and if you don't know what you want
listen to the server--no, they are not trying to get rid of last
night's food that the chef has put on special nor will they
automatically suggest thehighest price dishes and, yes, use those magic
words "Please" and "Thank You"--a server can make the difference between
a memorable and a bad meal.

Okay,
now on to what this blog is about. In February (in case you didn't know
it--how could you not?) I celebrated my 19th Leap Year birthday and
part of that celebration was that I wanted to eat in 19 restaurants that
I either heard about, saw advertised or was serving food I wasn't
familiar with. The array of places went from steak houses to restaurants
serving Southern cooking, Brazilian, Peruvian, Vietnamese, Southwest,
Seafood, Asian food not to mention other countries and various places
known for their ice cream.  We went to 5 star restaurants and
restaurants that weren't given stars yet. There was the $196 dinner
check for 2 restaurant and the $25.45 lunch restaurant.

There
were 2 of my favorite restaurants, a couple of new ones that I want to
go back to, more than I can say I will never go to again. There were
those with ocean views and those with a cozy ambiance. Some were stark,
notning more than a storefront with a mirror added while a few had been
other restaurants before and new decorations were added to the old.

Some
restaurants had been in business for many years and some had just
opened recently.  Most ran very smoothly while 2-3 had a few bumps in
the road from giving to getting an order.

I
did not get to all 19--still have 2 more to go--but will get there
soon. I don't/didn't count the ice cream parlours because that was more
of an addition to after a meal then being a meal. 

Over
the next couple of weeks I will be reviewing the restaurants telling
you what I liked and what I disliked about them and why I will return
(with you?) to some and not go back to others.

By
the way, just to get started, the biggest rip-off was Morton's
Steakhouse and not all because of the $196 check but I will get into
that after I review the best new/old restaurant I discovered!

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"Greater than the tread

of mighty armies

is an idea

whose time has come."
Victor Hugo  1802-1885  French Poet and Writer