Cabbagetown

[Admiral Beez]

That's cool. My 30th birthday present was a Triumph TR6 for 24 hours in Norfolk...the blokiest car ever built!

Brit car fans have to visit the British Car Show at Bronte Creek every September. http://www.torontotriumph.com/BCD/

I came somewhat close to buying a Triumph TR4A at that some one year.... IMO the front end is nicer than the TR6's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bhQbPU8tdk

 

[UserNameToronto]

Lovely TR4!

You might enjoy this article, which traces the development of the TR4 into the TR6: http://ateupwithmotor.com/model-histories/triumph-tr5-tr250-tr6/view-all/

The TR6 I had was green. A bit newer, a bit heavier, a bit more of a blunt object than the TR4 in every way. The 2.5L straight six was more powerful than I was expecting. Bloke-y.

 

[junctionist]

I think we can all agree that British beer is a great option...

...when Germany and Belgium aren't on tap.

Canadian and American craft beers are the best, and they're available in most bars these days. St. Ambroise, Dieu du Ciel, Central City, Bell's Brewery--there are so many amazing beers made on our continent.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Canadian and American craft beers are the best, and they're available in most bars these days. St. Ambroise, Dieu du Ciel, Central City, Bell's Brewery--there are so many amazing beers made on our continent.

Outside of Molson-Creemore, I don't think I've intentionally had a big Canuck beer (Molson/Labatt - now foreign owned) beer in perhaps 15 years. I drink perhaps a score of beer annually, so I want the good or at least special stuff. Who drinks Labatt Blue?

 

[UserNameToronto]

Who drinks Labatt Blue?

Good question.

I think in some ways style matters more than country of origin.

Continental beer tends to tilt towards the lager style - Molson Canadian is not so different from a US Budweiser, Dutch Stella, Italian Peroni, Irish Harp lager, German Lowenbrau, Czech Grolsch. They're all fizzy, yellow, and served cold. Many beloved Belgian style beers - Leffe, Chimay, Blue Moon, or Dieu en Ciel - are tastier variations on the lager theme.

It's the British though who invented the ales, especially the cask conditioned ale I love so dearly. Darker, sans carbonation, best served room temperature or very lightly chilled. I've had lovely cask ales from Britian & Scotland, but also Italy, Japan, the US and Canada. The "American IPA", basically an English-style IPA with extra hops, is my standby. Amsterdam's Boneshaker would fit this style. Great Lakes Crazy Canuck Pale Ale would be another. I'd much rather have one of these "domestic" Canadian ales than an English mass-produced lager.

 

[gabe]

Canadian and American craft beers are the best, and they're available in most bars these days. St. Ambroise, Dieu du Ciel, Central City, Bell's Brewery--there are so many amazing beers made on our continent.

So many amazing beers we can't buy in Ontario. I was in the States a few weeks ago. American craft beers are now taking over the beer section in the grocery stores. It wasn't that long ago you had to go to a specialty store to buy craft brews. We beer lovers in Ontario will NEVER get to experience the amazing craft beers from across Canada and the US, as long as Ontario has a (foreign owned) beer store monopoly.

For a lot of these small craft breweries, it's not worth the hassle to ship beer to Ontario. There is too many obstacles getting their beers listed at the Beer Store and LCBO. It's also expensive. They have to pay ridiculously high listing and stocking fee's to get their beer on Beer Store and LCBO shelves. This current system in Ontario only benefits the big 3 breweries.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Okay, maybe I'm just too particular about things.... Today I took my family out for breakfast. I thought we'd try Johnny's G's on Parliament St. I had misgivings as on my last visit the cranky woman running the place was none too friendly or provided good service. Anyway, I walk in, and there's several empty tables, the waitress doesn't even say hello, but looks at us like we're a big pain, and in a sarcastic tone says "well, you'll just have to sit here". Well, no we don't, so we turned and went instead to Chew Chews, which always has great service (yea Russell) and great food, at least for breakfast.

What is it with service providers today? If you want me to spend my money at your establishment, unless you're a monopoly selling essentials, you have to earn it.

 

[nfitz]

What is it with service providers today? If you want me to spend my money at your establishment, unless you're a monopoly selling essentials, you have to earn it.

I don't think there's anything different with the service providers today than 50 years ago. I think what has changed is the horrid sense of self-entitlement that many customers have, where they think that the restaurant and store staff have nothing better to do than make inane pleasantries and stroke the egos of their clientele.

Go to the UK and see how they treat you in restaurants there! Particularly 20-30 years ago.

If anything this is far less of an issue today than it was in the past.

 

[Hank]

I don't think there's anything different with the service providers today than 50 years ago. I think what has changed is the horrid sense of self-entitlement that many customers have, where they think that the restaurant and store staff have nothing better to do than make inane pleasantries and stroke the egos of their clientele.

Go to the UK and see how they treat you in restaurants there! Particularly 20-30 years ago.

If anything this is far less of an issue today than it was in the past.

Wait...what? Being pleasant and polite is now considered "making inane pleasantries and stroking the egos of their clientele"? I wasn't at Johnny G's this morning and don't know what happened, but nothing in Admiral Beez's account suggests that he expected the server to make pleasantries or stroke his ego. It sounds like he just expected to be greeted politely and courteously.

Making excuses for bad service, as you did, just encourages more bad service.

That all being said, I agree that service today has improved over years past, in general (other than at the highest-end restaurants). Customers now expect more and generally get it, as they should. Are there jerk customers? Sure. But I think it's also becoming clear that the customer experience matters just as much at the local greasy spoon as it does at Splendido.

 

[nfitz]

Wait...what? Being pleasant and polite is now considered ...

His key point was to imply that there's something about servers today. And yet both you and I believe that it's improved.

Expectations have changed, and service has not worsened, if anything it has improved. That was my point. I think you read too much into my comments.

Sometimes I think people expect way too much. It's like those complaints you see that the bus driver didn't smile and say hi, when you got on the bus. I'd sooner the driver be paying attention to the traffic and pedestrians, and not worrying about being subjected to a complaint because they weren't chatting with the passengers.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Wait...what? Being pleasant and polite is now considered "making inane pleasantries and stroking the egos of their clientele"? I wasn't at Johnny G's this morning and don't know what happened, but nothing in Admiral Beez's account suggests that he expected the server to make pleasantries or stroke his ego. It sounds like he just expected to be greeted politely and courteously.

Making excuses for bad service, as you did, just encourages more bad service.

I'd just ignore this poster, as I mostly do. He's already been banned at least once this year for outrageous posts.

I don't think my expectations are unrealistic, and I certainly don't want nor need an ego boost. Speaking only from my experience, IMO service in retail and restaurants has worsened since I was a younger adult. But regardless, let me clarify that past vs. present is not my main point. Forgetting the past, but looking at the present day, with discretionary spending, debt and economic well being arguably on the minds of consumers, I would argue it makes sense for a retail store or restaurant to welcome its customers and to use use good service (and of course good products) to encourage them to spend more.

 

[DSC]

I don't think my expectations are unrealistic, and I certainly don't want nor need an ego boost. ... I would argue it makes sense for a retail store or restaurant to welcome its customers and to use use good service (and of course good products) to encourage them to spend more.

I agree 100%. We have lots of choices now and if I get bad service (or bad food) I will simply go elsewhere next time. A few weeks ago I went into Morning Glory on King East. It used to be great but this time there was one other customer and two staff who talked to each other and a visiting delivery guy and totally ignored me. After 5+ minutes I had not even been given a menu or asked if I wanted coffee so I got up and walked out and won't be back.

 

[Admiral Beez]

I agree 100%. We have lots of choices now and if I get bad service (or bad food) I will simply go elsewhere next time. A few weeks ago I went into Morning Glory on King East. It used to be great but this time there was one other customer and two staff who talked to each other and a visiting delivery guy and totally ignored me. After 5+ minutes I had not even been given a menu or asked if I wanted coffee so I got up and walked out and won't be back.

And the staff were probably glad you left so they could continue their chat uninterrupted by the need to earn their keep.

 

[gabe]

Okay, maybe I'm just too particular about things.... Today I took my family out for breakfast. I thought we'd try Johnny's G's on Parliament St. I had misgivings as on my last visit the cranky woman running the place was none too friendly or provided good service. Anyway, I walk in, and there's several empty tables, the waitress doesn't even say hello, but looks at us like we're a big pain, and in a sarcastic tone says "well, you'll just have to sit here". Well, no we don't, so we turned and went instead to Chew Chews, which always has great service (yea Russell) and great food, at least for breakfast.

What is it with service providers today? If you want me to spend my money at your establishment, unless you're a monopoly selling essentials, you have to earn it.

I would have done the exact same thing as you. There is more than enough restaurants around that are friendly and welcoming to customers.

One thing i dislike about restaurants, is when they make you feel you’re lucky to be there. I worked in the restaurant industry for years. All the managers and owners i worked for, all stressed how important friendly service is. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a small little restaurant or a high-end restaurant, hospitality is key.

 

[nfitz]

One thing i dislike about restaurants, is when they make you feel you’re lucky to be there. I worked in the restaurant industry for years. All the managers and owners i worked for, all stressed how important friendly service is. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a small little restaurant or a high-end restaurant, hospitality is key.

Absolutely. My only point is that things haven't gotten worse - seem a lot better to me than the 1970s for example. And far better than the UK.

Today poor service is unusual enough that we actually are surprised by it. Compared to 40 years ago there's a huge increase in the number of places to eat, and service has had to improve, or else you just won't be around for long.

He's already been banned at least once this year for outrageous posts.

Not true. I've had a single suspension (for one week) in the last 6 years related to a joke I made, that apparently others didn't think was as funny. In the same time period, I've received two other warnings - one recently for simply repeating a 4-letter word another poster used. And one in early 2011 for pointing out that Rob Ford appeared to be a racist. Though I don't see why this needs to be discussed here.