Anniversary comments

Happy Anniversary to Jim & Ramona's Restaurant Journey!

We are 8 months old today, and we think some general comments about restaurants are in order.

First of all six things we hate about restaurants:

6. Restaurants which allegedly serve "Philly Cheese Steaks" then insist on adding bell peppers. Hello? This is our last notice: Philly Cheese Steaks do NOT ever, ever, have bell peppers. Some will add sweet peppers on the top, but never mixed in with the meat. This is your final warning! Knock it off!

5. Birthday songs by a crowd of servers who clap and cheer. Very annoying! Why aren't they taking care of their tables?

4. Servers who stop by every five minutes to ask if everything is okay, followed by a manager, a regional manager, the company president, the hostess on the way out, and the young person who holds the door. I exaggerate, but only a little. Keep your eye on the table, our glasses full, and we will let you know if something is amiss.

3. Screaming, unruly, misbehaving children. Now in some family restaurants this may be okay, but not anything above fast food. If your children can not behave in public, leave them home, or better yet, stay home with them until they can behave like civilized individuals.

2. Loud country western music. Yes, I know it is no longer "country western," but then again it is no longer music either.

1. Lemons. Restaurants and food establishments that do not have lemon to go with the tea, or bring one flimsy piece and keep refilling the glass thinking that small slice will last for the weekend, and lemons full of big, thick, ugly seeds that get trapped in the straw. YUCK!

Second of all, five things we love about restaurants:

5. Soft music in the background, and we do mean background. There is nothing more annoying than have to talk over some caterwauling fool. Jazz, classical, soft pop, all are great and really help relax diners.

4. Attentive waiters who neither hover over the table, nor ask us every five minutes if they can get anything for us. Likewise we love it when the chef and/or owner visit our table.

3. A menu that changes from time to time. A variety of food keeps us going back. Sometimes a stable constant menu is a good thing (Cheddar's for example), but a fine restaurant needs to vary its selections.

2. A varied wine list that has a good representative selection of French, Italian, South African, South American wines. Can't somebody in this town get Iron Horse Cabernet from California?

1. A bowl with several nice, fresh, seed-free lemon quarters for our iced tea.

-Jim & Ramona