The Worst Meal Ever

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

Yesterday, I went out to lunch with a friend and had a nice time with her. The experience was worse than awful.

 

I've had bad lunches at local establishments before, did not speak up while there because I didn't want them to think I was looking for something free, and posted privately on their FB pages. This time I was so mad. I told them while I was still there. The most I got was an "I'm sorry."

 

Here is the scenario.

• Seating was outdoors. This is a year-round thing there. Not just due to Covid.
• It was at a well-known local winery and bistro.
• I ordered a Caesar Salad with Chicken. They asked if I wanted it cold or warm. I said warm. It was dry and seemed left over and reheated, rather than freshly cooked.
• The server served, set plastic utensils and lunch paper napkins on our table and said "here's your silverware and napkins."
• I was totally spastic during my entire meal swatting the meat bees off my food. My friend ordered a French Dip and had no problems.
• A group walking by looked at me askance and I said I was swatting meat bees. They said that had happened to them. I said "don't order chicken."
• Finally, she my friend suggested putting a piece of chicken away from us on the table. That helped. They swarmed it.
• I was sipping my wine and almost swallowed a meat bee that was floating in the glass.
• We were ready to leave about then and used the restroom, which was in the winery. On the way, I put my glass with the meat bee on the bar. It was gone when I came out.
• I went out to the portico and noticed numerous hives in the corners.
• I went back in and told the pourer and a person behind a desk what had happened. She (person behind the desk) said "the hives have been there for a long time"  and said "I'm sorry."
• I went into the Bistro and told the "chef" the meat bees were a problem, which is why I put a piece of chicken on the table. He said, "they are a problem every year at this time.

 

At all of the local establishments where I've had bad food/service, I either posted later privately or told them, while there, what was bad and refused recompense. This was so bad that I hope to never go back.

 

Just venting and wonder what you would do. I'm thinking Yelp or a travel site slam.

 

 

[Capt. James H. Callahan]

Hmmmm. I'd be tempted to put on the dine and drive card.

JHC

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

Call the manager first and you don't get a decent answer, then go nuclear.  Write to the local papers, call the radio and TV stations, call the health department, go online, raise hell, and above all REFUSE ANY COMPENSATION.  You don't anyone to accuse you of doing it for personal gain.

 

 

Of course, you are too nice a person to do that, but I'm not!

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

Oh, yeah: and I wouldn't have paid for it.

[Pat Riot]

I would post a review on Yelp. 

[J-BAR #18287]

Since the chicken was the problem, ask if you could swap it for a French Dip.  Or go eat in the bar.  Or go to In and Out!  

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

11 minutes ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

Oh, yeah: and I wouldn't have paid for it.

You paid before getting served.

4 minutes ago, J-BAR #18287 said:

Since the chicken was the problem, ask if you could swap it for a French Dip.  Or go eat in the bar.  Or go to In and Out!  

Wow, I "shudda" thought of that. BTW there was no indoor dining,

 

[Pat Riot]

It’s funny, I have eaten at wineries in Sacramento, Los Angeles, North Carolina and Oregon and I have never had a good meal at any of them. I guess they think their wine is what is going to carry the day. I have really never liked wine so I was there more for the food. 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

2 minutes ago, Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217 said:

You paid before getting served.

Wow, I "shudda" thought of that. BTW there was no indoor dining,

 

 If I have to pay first I walk away.  Don't believe in that at all.

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

17 minutes ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said:

...call the health department ...

I did that once. The catsup bottles were obviously refilled (yucky labels). I've never been back; so, I don't know if it helped.

[Cholla]

I'm guessing the meat bees are yellow jackets. I switched to diet soda 30 years ago because I was tired of them drowning in my soda cans while working outside. I now deal with them every time I skin a rattlesnake. My solution is to skin them early in the morning while it's still cool and the yellow jackets aren't active. My recommendation is don't eat outside unless its cool and the yellow jackets are not active. They seem to be 10 times worse in the fall.

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

I'd never heard the term 'meat bee'. Looking it up, I see it is a term some places for yellowjacket wasps.

 

They can be the bane of outdoor dining in good weather, either at picnics or on the deck. But usually there aren't quite so many around!

[Marshal Hangtree]

Yellow jackets LOVE sugar.  Next time, order some syrup and pour it out near the door the servers use.

[Cypress Sun]

1 hour ago, Cholla said:

I'm guessing the meat bees are yellow jackets. I switched to diet soda 30 years ago because I was tired of them drowning in my soda cans while working outside. I now deal with them every time I skin a rattlesnake. My solution is to skin them early in the morning while it's still cool and the yellow jackets aren't active. My recommendation is don't eat outside unless its cool and the yellow jackets are not active. They seem to be 10 times worse in the fall.

 

I don't swat at yellow jackets. I don't like it when their buddies get involved the action.

[J.D. Daily]

4 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

It’s funny, I have eaten at wineries in Sacramento, Los Angeles, North Carolina and Oregon and I have never had a good meal at any of them. I guess they think their wine is what is going to carry the day. I have really never liked wine so I was there more for the food. 

There is a Winery in Livermore CA that has has a restaurant which has high end dinning.  In the 38 years I lived in the tri-valley I only ate there twice.  Pricey!

 

The CA Gold Country is Yellow Jacket territory.  Some years are are worse than others.  When camping where they are a problem it helps to hang an uncooked bacon slice on a string above a pan or pot of water with a couples drops of dish detergent in it.  Place it away from your dinning & seating area.  I have been stung on my tongue & on my tummy by these pests.

 

The establishment should hire an exterminator to find the nests & eliminate them.  You don't need to hire one that has a license to deal with protected honey bees.  A few years ago I had to deal with a hive that had nested in the walls of my family's Tahoe cabin.   They had used a hole in the T&G knotty pine siding drilled by woodpeckers.  The exterminator said I was lucky that it wasn't a honey bee hive.

[Null N. Void]

I don't have the list handy, but there's one that talks about stinging, flying insects.   The worst were yellow jackets.   It said "They like your food, and will fight you for it!"

[Rye Miles #13621]

5 hours ago, Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217 said:

Yesterday, I went out to lunch with a friend and had a nice time with her. The experience was worse than awful.

 

I've had bad lunches at local establishments before, did not speak up while there because I didn't want them to think I was looking for something free, and posted privately on their FB pages. This time I was so mad. I told them while I was still there. The most I got was an "I'm sorry."

 

Here is the scenario.

• Seating was outdoors. This is a year-round thing there. Not just due to Covid.
• It was at a well-known local winery and bistro.
• I ordered a Caesar Salad with Chicken. They asked if I wanted it cold or warm. I said warm. It was dry and seemed left over and reheated, rather than freshly cooked.
• The server served, set plastic utensils and lunch paper napkins on our table and said "here's your silverware and napkins."
• I was totally spastic during my entire meal swatting the meat bees off my food. My friend ordered a French Dip and had no problems.
• A group walking by looked at me askance and I said I was swatting meat bees. They said that had happened to them. I said "don't order chicken."
• Finally, she my friend suggested putting a piece of chicken away from us on the table. That helped. They swarmed it.
• I was sipping my wine and almost swallowed a meat bee that was floating in the glass.
• We were ready to leave about then and used the restroom, which was in the winery. On the way, I put my glass with the meat bee on the bar. It was gone when I came out.
• I went out to the portico and noticed numerous hives in the corners.
• I went back in and told the pourer and a person behind a desk what had happened. She (person behind the desk) said "the hives have been there for a long time"  and said "I'm sorry."
• I went into the Bistro and told the "chef" the meat bees were a problem, which is why I put a piece of chicken on the table. He said, "they are a problem every year at this time.

 

At all of the local establishments where I've had bad food/service, I either posted later privately or told them, while there, what was bad and refused recompense. This was so bad that I hope to never go back.

 

Just venting and wonder what you would do. I'm thinking Yelp or a travel site slam.

 

 

I would do everything I could to let people know about this !

[Matthew Duncan]

1 hour ago, J.D. Daily said:

The establishment should hire an exterminator to find the nests & eliminate them.  You don't need to hire one that has a license to deal with protected honey bees.  A few years ago I had to deal with a hive that had nested in the walls of my family's Tahoe cabin.   They had used a hole in the T&G knotty pine siding drilled by woodpeckers.  The exterminator said I was lucky that it wasn't a honey bee hive.

California (I'm guessing) has several laws against extermination.

[Waxahachie Kid #17017 L]

Are yellow jackets on the endangered species list? Of course, it may be where you live.  

Around here, my hobby is hitting their nests with the long range spray.

I think I would have returned to the place, with a can of that spray, and eliminated the nests, since they don't seem to know how to do it, or care to do it.

I made a deal with yellow jackets, wasps, hornets, and stinging scorpions....they stay out of my sight, and away from me, and I won't eliminate them.

Nothing worse that watching, helplessly, as your five year old grandson is pelted with several of them, because he unknowingly got too close to the nest.

 

Some people are simply too (fill in the blank) to own, and run a business. 

Rule one...if you don't put yourself in your customer's place, you won't get any repeat business.

Rule two...never underestimate the power of someone's word-of-mouth, about your place of business.

Rule three....you never get a second chance at a first impression.

 

 

[J.D. Daily]

4 hours ago, Matthew Duncan said:

California (I'm guessing) has several laws against extermination.

Oh yes.  There are several herbicides & pesticides that require a license to buy. & others that are illegal in CA.  I have CA friends that buy agricultural strength glyphosate (Roundup) when they visit.  If you have land that requires controlling weeds you can usually get a permit to use the stuff from the county ag dept.  Even with the permit the cost is 2 to 3 times what it is in farm & ranch supply across the border in NV.

[Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646]

Is napalm considered "overkill"? Where stinging insects can get at me I dont think so. Same-same for bad service

 

Imis

[JP McLintock]

21 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

It’s funny, I have eaten at wineries in Sacramento, Los Angeles, North Carolina and Oregon and I have never had a good meal at any of them. I guess they think their wine is what is going to carry the day. I have really never liked wine so I was there more for the food. 

 It's all about atmosphere, local winery here is the same, all show,  and food barely better than a school cafeteria.

 

The best food seems to come from plain little restaurants.

[Waxahachie Kid #17017 L]

You know Miss Allie...most of us have never met you in person, and we have only crossed paths here on the SASS site.

But a lot of us think you are aces.  Most everyone makes a difference in this life. The rare few make a positive difference, and you are one.

To many of us, you are like our little sister, and it does really tick us off when someone is not nice to you, or treats you with disrespect, at a

restaurant, or where ever.

Keep up the great work, as a Moderator, and a Saddle Pal....and we thank you for being there.

You are an undeserved gift, Little Sister.

 

 

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

Kid,

 

Thank you so much.

 

I am not a moderator. BTDT though.

 

 

Allie

[Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438]

26 minutes ago, JP McLintock said:

 It's all about atmosphere, local winery here is the same, all show,  and food barely better than a school cafeteria.

 

The best food seems to come from plain little restaurants.

 

Keep in mind that I am an out-of-state tourist in CA, but I have had some absolutely delicious meals served at the restaurant at the Chandon winery in Yountville.  I suppose that the free-flowing wine may have influenced my judgment, but the food was marvelous and the service was impeccable.  

 

I once unknowingly ran over a yellow jacket nest at my folk's home in White Plains, NY.  After they finished with me, I was flat on my back for three days with 12-14 stings.  I avoid them like the plague.

 

LL

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

5 minutes ago, Loophole LaRue, SASS #51438 said:

 

Keep in mind that I am an out-of-state tourist in CA, but I have had some absolutely delicious meals served at the restaurant at the Chandon winery in Yountville.  I suppose that the free-flowing wine may have influenced my judgment, but the food was marvelous and the service was impeccable.  

 

I once unknowingly ran over a yellow jacket nest at my folk's home in White Plains, NY.  After they finished with me, I was flat on my back for three days with 12-14 stings.  I avoid them like the plague.

 

LL

I had lunch at the Mondavi winery restaurant. It was wonderful. Very classy.

 

I've been stung by wasps twice. Once at a Cowboys match in So. CA and the other time at a friend's house in Oregon. Wow 12-14 stings sounds terrible.

[Matthew Duncan]

5 hours ago, Waxahachie Kid #17017 L said:

You know Miss Allie...most of us have never met you in person, and we have only crossed paths here on the SASS site.

But a lot of us think you are aces.  Most everyone makes a difference in this life. The rare few make a positive difference, and you are one.

To many of us, you are like our little sister, and it does really tick us off when someone is not nice to you, or treats you with disrespect, at a

restaurant, or where ever.

Keep up the great work, as a Moderator, and a Saddle Pal....and we thank you for being there.

You are an undeserved gift, Little Sister.

 

 

I agree in aces!

[J. Mark Flint #31954 LIFE]

Under these circumstances the correct course of action is to order a piece of fish and surreptitiously  hide it in a plant or ceiling

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

I forgot to mention that they had two large ponds that reeked of algae. So, I doubt anyone would notice the fish smell.

 

[Seamus McGillicuddy]

I guess I’d be asking why they built a restaurant in a bee sanctuary.  If it’s not a bee sanctuary then why is it filled with bee hives?

 

Seamus

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

They looked like mud dauber nests.

 

They were in a very tall portico.

 

[Red Gauntlet , SASS 60619]

12 minutes ago, Seamus McGillicuddy said:

I guess I’d be asking why they built a restaurant in a bee sanctuary.  If it’s not a bee sanctuary then why is it filled with bee hives?

 

Seamus

 

Yellowjackets are wasps. I don't believe that anybody has yet suggested a wasp sanctuary.

[bgavin]

Ugh.
I will pass if they force me to eat outside... in the fire smoke, in the heat.

Allie, we stopped at the Ione Hotel today.
They are open for indoor dining, and still have their 16 oz prime rib on Friday and Saturday nights.
It comes with ALL the fixin's

The piano player and sax man are there every Friday night from 5pm.
Piano is solo on Saturdays, same time.

Our group is planning another trip to Ione (40 miles for us) for this dinner.
We did it a year ago, and 100% delighted... came down for the Preston Castle haunted house.

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217]

Many of the places in Amador county are open for indoor dining.  It was clear and not hot up here Tuesday

[MizPete]

8 hours ago, Imis Twohofon,SASS # 46646 said:

Is napalm considered "overkill"?

Not for yellow jackets.