[Porsche-O-Phile]

I hardly ever go out to eat anymore. Part of that is a deliberate effort to eat and live better (and let's face it, most restaurants serve mass-produced, processed garbage) but part of it stems from the observation that service really seems to have taken a downturn in the last few years. It seems like places are understaffed more, use more "temporary" help more often (not the best knowledge of menu / selections, young, inexperienced, don't care), etc. I get the sense that "training" to most restaurant managers means browbeating their waitstaff into pumping overpriced drinks and gooey deserts when they're not really wanted rather than actually serving the customers, being there when needed, keeping peoples' glasses full, being knowledgeable about selections, etc. A good night out with good food and good service is a real treat - it's sad it seems to be getting so hard to come by these days...

It takes a lot to get me to complain to a restaurant manager (I worked in the industry for a few years and if someone ever got a customer complaint - deserved or not - it meant you were getting your hours slashed next week at best and might be sent packing at the end of your shift. I reserve "manager talks" to the most egregious situations as a result knowing it'll likely come down on someone else's head but I've had to do it more than once in the last year - year and a half, and even then I feel a little guilty about it.