Ask Manuel – The problem with “miserly shirkers…”
A reader writes... Manuel, I am a huge fan and have been for a while, my long-suffering colleague and food freak put me onto the blog a couple of years back. If you ever get a moment I'd like some tipping advice please. I tip, I hope, adequately for regular service and heavy for [...]
An Ask Manuel Special!
Are we all good? Did we survive the dubious delights of the family Christmas? Hmmm? Good. Today for your amusement and education I offer you an Ask Manuel letter that was never sent though probably should have been. The letter is from a young professional woman who really should have known better... Dear Manuel, I [...]
Ask Manuel – Noisy Neighbours…
A reader, Victoria, writes, So you go for a lovely meal and the people on the table next to you are complete asshat gobshites. Do you, the diner, a) keep shtum and stew on it, b) tell them to shut up or c) expect the waiter to sort it? I shall Ask Manuel! Teh Grauniad [...]
Ask Manuel! – Name Badges…
A reader, Joe, writes with a good question, I have a waiting-related question...If the waiter/waitress in question is wearing a name badge, is good manners to use their name or is that considered too forward? Just struck me yesterday when I was reading an interview with Gary Oldman and he kept calling the waitress by [...]
Ask Manuel! – How to deal with a mardy faced waiter.
A reader writes, Six months out of the year, we vend at a summer farmer's market on the town green, and like many of our hard-working farmer peers, need a stiff drink and some decent food at the end of a 6-hour stint of dealing with tourists who file through our stand, insist on monopolizing [...]
Vouchers – Ask Manuel!
A reader writes, Dear Manuel, I was hoping you could advise. I note with interest that Belfast's premier chip-wrapping material, the Telegraph, is resuming its bargainous 'eat out for £6.95' voucher deal thing today. There's plenty of decent-ish restaurants listed in the area, including fairly swanky places like Aldens and other city-centre places like the [...]
Ask Manuel! The Problem with friends…
I awoke on Wednesday morning to find a spot on my chin. "That's new!", I exclaimed as I rubbed the crust from early morning eyes. It was both new and unwelcome. I'm 37 for Gordon's sake! Spots, like homework, should be a thing of he past. Am I going through puberty again? Because I could [...]
Ask Manuel!
A reader writes with a situation both horrid and yet so entirely predictable. That's right, belligerent waiter strikes again! Tim, a photographer chap writes, Picture the scene..[wavy dream lines] The wife and I are utilising one of our (extremely rare) days off to go and do 'things' in town (shouting at the bank manager, getting [...]
Ask Manuel! **Special Grooming Issue**
Saturday and all was well post our first sitting of about 100 ladies attending a religious conference nearby. We get this crowd every year and nothing, outside of Christmas, fills us with as much fear. We got it wrong one year, very wrong, and took more bookings from the conference than we could really cope [...]
Ask Manuel!
As I'm still off work whilst waiting for "Ouchy's" birth I am devoid of contact with the never ending gift that is your average restaurant guest. So I shall take the time to peruse my correspondence and answer some of your queries and conundrums. There will probably be another Ask Manuel later in the week, [...]
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