Velocity stiffs the server to make "2-$30" work

[Robin Garr]

Velocity's Lisa Hornung tries to squeeze a meal at classy <b>Basa Modern Vietnamese</b> into her "2 for $30" concept this week, but sadly, although she praises this hot Clifton spot for its fare, she had to stiff the server to make the numbers work. She and a friend had one entree and one appetizer between them, forswore beverages other than water, then left the change from $30 on a $26.50 tab.

I calculate that to be a 13 percent tip, which would be merely unfortunate if it was done naively, but is worse than just chintzy when it's done by a writer for a public journal, even if its readership is on the pitiful side.

[url=http://www.velocityweekly.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070808/VELOCITY01/708080845/1065]<B>2 for $30</b>
It may be a challenge to eat cheap at Basa, but it's a tasty one[/url]

<b>Basa Modern Vietnamese</b>
2244 Frankfort Ave.
896-1016
http://www.basarestaurant.net/Basa.html

even if its readership is on the pitiful side.

I don't disagree about the tip, but did you really mean this phrase the way it sounds?

[Robin Garr]

I don't disagree about the tip, but did you really mean this phrase the way it sounds?

I'm not sure. How does it sound?

What I mean is that circulation numbers don't count for much with a free publication that's given away on news stands like Velocity and, to be fair, LEO. There doesn't seem to be much question, at least anecdotally based on response to their articles, that Velocity's shallow coverage results in very little reader impact, no matter what the numbers may show. (And I don't know what circulation they claim.)

OK, I claim a grammar infarction or something similar. I was hearing the readers were "pitiful," sort of individually and collectively, but not in terms of the circulation numbers or clout of the readers. I see what you meant. My bad!

[Robin Garr]

OK, I claim a grammar infarction or something similar. I was hearing the readers were "pitiful," sort of individually and collectively, but not in terms of the circulation numbers or clout of the readers. I see what you meant. My bad!

No badness involved, TP. I probably didn't express myself as clearly as I should have ... rather than declaring readership "pitiful" it might have been more accurate for me to suggest that the Gannett weekly's opinions in general and those on food and drink in particular are "not influential."

But that being said, it's particularly unfortunate that within the young-adult audience that's presumably Gannett's primary marketing target here, Lisa's screw-the-server example is likely to leave the impression that a 13 percent tip in a fine-dining restaurant is appropriate and right.

Let's be generous and hope that they see through the silliness of the way the gratuity was arrived-upon in that case.

In a cosmic sense I corrected for Lisa this weekend. I was at Sapporo on Friday night and, due to the incredible crush of people, sat at one of the grills instead of a table or at the sushi bar (which would have been our preference). When a family of very young kids sat next to us, I feared the worst and decided to have a rotten time. Our server, a young woman who refused to let my sullen attitude impact her approach to us, was wonderful. The dinner was very good (despite the overcooked lobster), and service was outstanding. I tipped 50%.

OK, that should have gone somewhere else (as a post), but we needed some good karma around tipping!

I've always wondered how many actually read Velocity. Their online polls are lucky if they reach 150 voters.

[Robin Garr]

When a family of very young kids sat next to us, I feared the worst and decided to have a rotten time.

Hey! Are you my long-lost twin?

Our server, a young woman who refused to let my sullen attitude impact her approach to us, was wonderful. The dinner was very good (despite the overcooked lobster), and service was outstanding. I tipped 50%.

OK, that should have gone somewhere else (as a post), but we needed some good karma around tipping!

Good for you, and thanks for sharing the story.

When a family of very young kids sat next to us, I feared the worst and decided to have a rotten time.

Hey! Are you my long-lost twin?

I won't say I've NEVER had similar thoughts, but not everyone has rowdy kids that will ruin your evening. I wouldn't blink an eye about taking my kids (ages 4,6, & 9) to Sappporo for dinner - they behave very well in nice restaurants because we have been taking them to nice restaurants since they were little. I choose to leave them at home when we eat at Sapporo because they LOVE sushi so much that it is cheaper to pay a baby sitter than to pay for all the sushi they would eat.

[quote="
I won't say I've NEVER had similar thoughts, but not everyone has rowdy kids that will ruin your evening. I wouldn't blink an eye about taking my kids (ages 4,6, & 9) to Sappporo for dinner - they behave very well in nice restaurants because we have been taking them to nice restaurants since they were little. I choose to leave them at home when we eat at Sapporo because they LOVE sushi so much that it is cheaper to pay a baby sitter than to pay for all the sushi they would eat. :lol:

Gretchen, I applaud you for taking the time to teach your kids how to eat out. My father was in the restaurant industry most of my childhood and often included us kids in when dining out, even in thevery best restaurants in Chicago and other cities. I quickly learned that sitiing up in my chair and saying please and thank you at every opprotunity resulted in a great show (flaming swords!, wagons loaded with roast beef!!, lobsters fished out of tanks!!!- It was the 60's) and anything I wanted to eat. It is a lesson that has served me well.
Of course I understand Robin's point all too well- I was splattered a few weeks ago by a 4 year old's chocolate pudding, and instead of an aploogy the mother told me I shouldn't sit so close to their table.

I have always had the good fortune of having my children and now my grand kids to behave properly in restaurants, at least after they were two.

All that is necessary is to teach the proper use of utensils. Knives, forks, spoons, and of course, duct tape.

Yeah, one of the two of them should have thrown in an extra buck and some pocket change. I'll bet it was going on a credit card and she just rounded it off at $30 bucks.

It does set a pitiful example for a "How your server is paid" discussion.
Perhaps it goes well for their readerships Pitiful inabilities to relate to
the urban dynamic. or some such

[Robin Garr]

Gretchen, I applaud you for taking the time to teach your kids how to eat out. My father was in the restaurant industry most of my childhood and often included us kids in when dining out, even in thevery best restaurants in Chicago and other cities. I quickly learned that sitiing up in my chair and saying please and thank you at every opprotunity resulted in a great show (flaming swords!, wagons loaded with roast beef!!, lobsters fished out of tanks!!!- It was the 60's) and anything I wanted to eat. It is a lesson that has served me well.
Of course I understand Robin's point all too well- I was splattered a few weeks ago by a 4 year old's chocolate pudding, and instead of an aploogy the mother told me I shouldn't sit so close to their table.

I applaud Gretchen, too, and of course I was kidding (sort of!) as I assume, from his self-deprecatory wording, that TP was joking (sort of) also.

You make a great point though, Gary: I attribute both my foodie nature and my love of the restaurant scene to my parents, who weren't really all that adventurous about dining at home but who thought it was important that my brother and sister and I learn how to enjoy restaurants ... and how to behave when we were there, try everything on our plates, and consider it all a great adventure. I still recall being taken to some very fancy places, especially on trips, and particularly being presented with my first whole lobster at the fancy Bookbinder's in Philly when I must have been all of 10 years old.

and of course I was kidding (sort of!) as I assume, from his self-deprecatory wording, that TP was joking (sort of) also.

Uh, well, yeah, sort of ...!

OK, it's a well-documented fact that several people on this board consider Velocity to be a waste of paper. Please bear in mind, however, that it is NOT intended for the Boomer demographic--it is intended for MY demographic (granted, I am on the very top end of it), and as far as I hear, we like it just fine. I take it for what it is--a sort of super-sized Scene, and have read every single issue since it's inception. I find it a valuable resource for certian things and a fun and easy read. After taxing my brain abstracting topics such as economic theory, operations research, financial accounting, etc., all week long, I really look forward every Wednesday to reading and thoroughly enjoying my copy (as well as the latest LEO). I don't know what the readership number are, I only know that if I don't get a copy before Saturday, I have to go to 3 or 4 places to find one, whereas I never have a problem finding a copy of LEO. I'm not opining anything by this, just stating facts. Bash it if you must, but I personally would sorely miss this publication if they quit printing it.