If I owned a restaurant...

[Rougarou]

8 minutes ago, TEWKS said:

 

Bike tour guide?  That should come along with some pretty cool pics, I would think.  My in laws were told and thought for the rest of their living days, we went on a bus tour of Europe. Nope!  

 

Nah, no bike on that, it was the wife, youngest daughter and me.......although I soooooo wanted to ride the roads.

[szurszewski]

3 hours ago, Living the Dream said:

 

So, the little restaurant that I posted above, after I have my 'kraut, I go to relieve myself.  There's a little window to the parking lot and I notice a beautiful Ferrari sitting outside.  Well, I'm in Europe, maybe more prevalent.   Several hours later, after the trek up to the castle and back, I'm back in the restroom, the Ferrari is still there.  I query the tour guide as he knows the owner.  The response was, "He sold his Jaguar and Porsche to get the Ferrari,.....I guess selling sausages is a good business",.......it's all about the location.

 

been there once. Don’t remember a Ferrari - or any cars - because I was too busy ogling all the shiny new bikes.

[Rougarou]

15 minutes ago, szurszewski said:

 

been there once. Don’t remember a Ferrari - or any cars - because I was too busy ogling all the shiny new bikes.

 

 

My trip was 2015.

[Ken S]

On 1/5/2020 at 1:59 PM, szurszewski said:

...and now I’m really regretting having not taken you up on the offers to visit!

Yeah, Josh, the best time to go to this homestead is winter or spring.  The Iditarod dogsled race goes about a mile from the cabin, and when the racers go by in early March, there's a huge snowmobile tailgate party along the Yentna River.

[szurszewski]

9 hours ago, Ken S said:

Yeah, Josh, the best time to go to this homestead is winter or spring.  The Iditarod dogsled race goes about a mile from the cabin, and when the racers go by in early March, there's a huge snowmobile tailgate party along the Yentna River.

 

Late winter would be my pick - don't know why anyone goes in the summer - too many bugs! (LOVE sled dogs, but not a big Iditarod fan, though last year was exciting as Pete K. is Laura's old boss's son).

[Indy Dave]

John, no doubt the people in the tables next to you had any idea they were failing to live up to your expectations while they were dinning out. It's their time and money and they were 'minding their own business' - not disrupting others. This wasn't a dinner party with invited guests.

 

Things change, for better or worse. We all grew up listening to older generations complaining about what we were doing (the people demanding that kids learn to write cursive is a current example ).   We are not destined to continue the cycle. I get what you're saying, but at the same time   .

 

It is what it is, and whatever . .

 

 

 

 

[wbw6cos]

Now, get off my lawn!  

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

On 12/31/2019 at 12:00 PM, John Ranalletta said:

I miss the ambiance of the old-time pubs and steakhouses where strangers became friends for the evening or the NY delis where many strangers sat at long tables and actually talked each other.

 

There's a ramen restaurant in Ann Arbor (Slurping Turtle) that has long tables like this:

 

 

Masako and I have eaten there a few times, and they often try to seat us on opposite sides of that long table - which means we are physically far from each other and close to strangers, and end up shouting our conversation to each other (the generally noisy environ doesn't help).  We usually ask for a booth, or to sit side-by-side at the sushi counter, where we can converse more quietly and privately.

 

At the opposite extreme is Ichiran Ramen, a popular chain in Japan (now also present in the US).  You walk in the door, put money in a vending machine to select your items, and receive a ticket that specs your order.  Then you go sit at one of these isolation booths:

 

 

Soon after you sit down, the short curtain in front of you opens; through the low window in front of you, you see the faceless kitchen worker's midriff and hands, and you surrender your ticket.  Several minutes later, the curtain opens again, your meal is placed in front of you, and the curtain lowers once more.  This is your entire view while you dine:

 

 

I've been to one of these where the side blinders could be folded back so you could converse with a dining partner - but I've also been to another one where the side blinders were permanently installed.   The basic idea is get in/eat/get out, which I guess is how a restaurateur pays the rent in Japan...

 

 

 

 

 

[Indy Dave]

I remember a noisy place with a longgg table - the company was good though.

 

 

 

 

 

[Rougarou]

3 hours ago, Joe Frickin' Friday said:

 

 

At the opposite extreme is Ichiran Ramen, a popular chain in Japan (now also present in the US).  You walk in the door, put money in a vending machine to select your items, and receive a ticket that specs your order.  Then you go sit at one of these isolation booths:

 

 

Soon after you sit down, the short curtain in front of you opens; through the low window in front of you, you see the faceless kitchen worker's midriff and hands, and you surrender your ticket.  Several minutes later, the curtain opens again, your meal is placed in front of you, and the curtain lowers once more.  This is your entire view while you dine:

 

 

I've been to one of these where the side blinders could be folded back so you could converse with a dining partner - but I've also been to another one where the side blinders were permanently installed.   The basic idea is get in/eat/get out, which I guess is how a restaurateur pays the rent in Japan...

 

 

 

 

Reminds me of the Love Hotels that are prevalent in Japan.  Walk in, choose a room from the vending machine, and your path will light up to your room.  Vending machines are in each room for various items.  You never see an attendant.