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Mark Wilson

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Posts by Mark Wilson

Presenting a Bill

Feb 15

Posted by Mark Wilson in Blog - Life as a Waiter

There are a few potential sensitive spots that relate to bill presentation;

1.  A BILL SHOULD NEVER BE PRESENTED UNLESS REQUESTED BY A CUSTOMER!

2.  Don’t retrieve the bill too quickly, unless it is obviously ready to be paid.  This can seem pushy and some guests take their time in paying!

3.   Always return any left over cash to the table - don’t assume it has been left for a tip.

A good waiter will always know where their tables are up to.  This form of anticipation is important for any good, professional service.  If desserts have been ordered or menus offered then it is a [read more...]

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2007 Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz

Feb 15

Posted by Mark Wilson in Wine

After having talked about the Coonawarra Bin 128 in the previous review I thought it was best to discuss another of the Shiraz that we tried - The Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz.

The fruit was selected from vineyards across South Australia including the Limestone Coast, McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek and of course the Barossa Valley.

After experiencing the cool climate  2008 Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz, which I thought was very good, I was much more at home with the warm climate full flavoured Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz.  The 2007 growing season also challenged the viticluturists with some searing heat and low rainfall but [read more...]

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Farewell the Customer

Feb 14

Posted by Mark Wilson in Blog - Life as a Waiter

Saying goodnight is just as important,  if not more important, than greeting them when they arrived.  It is the last thing they remember about your restaurant.

At lunch you can use a more relaxed tone such as, ‘thanks for coming” but at night a more formal approach like, ‘thankyou, and good night’ will work well.

Don’t forget to return any items such as coats or bags.  It is also a good opportunity to hand them any information regarding menu changes or upcoming events.

It is important to remember that the customer must always feel well looked after by you.  Saying goodnight has the same [read more...]

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2008 Penfolds Coonawarra Bin 128 Shiraz

Feb 12

Posted by Mark Wilson in Wine

It is that time of year again.  The annual release of the Penfolds Bin range.  Yesterday I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak of the entire range plus a few little extras.  We are now starting to see some of the 2008 season’s fruit come through in some of the wines.  Overall I think Penfolds’ fastidious vineyard management prevented any damage to the grapes and they have come out with great intensity and wonderfully ripe flavours.

The 2008 Coonawarra  Bin 128 Shiraz is a great example.  It is a deep, dark purple and quite restrained on the nose with [read more...]

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Apple Blossom Cocktail

Feb 9

Posted by Mark Wilson in Cocktails

Ice cubes, 30ml apple schnapps, 30ml vodka, 15ml white crème de cacao, 15ml cream, Freshly grated nutmeg.

Half fill a shaker with ice and add all liquid.  Shake and strain into a grand martini glass and sprinkle nutmeg over top.

More Cocktails…

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You Gotta Know it to Sell it

Feb 6

Posted by Mark Wilson in Blog - Life as a Waiter

Why do people go to restaurants or any other eatery?

Most of them do it to get out of the house or away from work, or to entertain (show off to) others.  So providing a place where they can come and relax, as well as enjoy good food or beverages while being served by well informed and happy staff is the secret.  The staff will make the night and the rest is just filler - which is of course very important, but no matter how satisfying the environment or the food or the wine is - it just isn’t the same if [read more...]

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Remember Names

Jan 29

Posted by Mark Wilson in Blog - Life as a Waiter

A good server should always remember customer names as well as likes and dislikes. 

A customer that frequents your venue should be greeted by their name and with respect.  It depends on the type of restaurant that you work in whether you call your guest Peter or Mr Jones.  The customer feels important when you remember their name and if you can remember where they like to sit or what wine they drink you are in good shape for a healthy dose of that instant gratification thing or even a nice fat tip!

Remember that remembering names is a discipline not a [read more...]

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Dealing With Customer Complaints

Jan 28

Posted by Mark Wilson in Blog - Life as a Waiter

Complaints are an every day occurrence across our industry.  Some are justified and others not.  The one thing we must accept is that they occur.  Dealing with complaints is no different than having good food knowledge or knowing your wine list.  It is just another skill all good waiters & managers should have.  Once you have knowledge of how to deal with complaints you can take control of them and not take them personally.

When a customer complains, ensure that you listen very carefully, not just with your ears but also with your body language.  It is much better to have [read more...]

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Always have a Succession Plan

Jan 13

Posted by Mark Wilson in Blog - Life as a Waiter

So we see the year come to an end.  With it came Christmas parties, end-of-year get togethers, family catch-ups, general booze ups for the festive season, Christmas carols,  holiday celebrations, new years eve parties and any other excuse that all savvy food & beverage outlets could come up with to drive business.

With this extra business of course comes drunken secretaries, booze fuelled labourers, half-pint-Harry’s, intoxicated mums that haven’t drank in 6 months but decided the 3rd glass of champagne was the best choice at the time?, cheesy one-liners and all the other juicy bits that we are privileged to see [read more...]

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Mount Gay Extra Old Rum

Nov 25

Posted by Mark Wilson in Spirits and Liqueurs

If you asked a random person where the oldest operating distillery in the New World was, very few would know it was Mount Gay Distilleries in Barbados.  Operating since 1703 it is also one of the oldest operating in the world.

With this in mind we wanted to review a wonderful expression from this distillery.  Mount Gay Extra Old, or XO as it is more commonly known, is a rich, warm, translucent, caramel colour.  The nose has typical Caribbean scents of citrus & banana and more complex oak characters.

The palate backs up your initial assumptions of quality and style.  The same [read more...]

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