An Update to Check Please! And Hurry

In our previous post we proffered the question of eating at independent restaurants vs. eating at chain restaurants and the quality of food for the price you pay.

I was reminded of this recently as I dined at Steuben's on Monday for lunch. I sat at the bar and had outstanding service from the bartender. It was a perfect balance between attentive service and letting me work (they have free wi-fi!) and enjoy my lunch.

Let's talk about my lunch, a simple greek salad. Seeing the size of their salads I just didn't think I could put down the whole thing - that's when my bartender offered me a half size - PERFECT! I was hungry but not starving, so, this salad in all of it's crisp romaine and iceberg lettuce, tasty black olives, tomatoes and feta cheese with a very well balanced vinegarette was excellent - I almost wished I'd ordered the full size.

Monday was a beautiful, sunny day so I also enjoyed a flavorful ice tea with my salad. Price: ~$8 all in.

Now, most of you out there probably don't give ice tea a second thought but I will tell you there is an "ice tea factor" out there and it goes directly to the quality of food and service in the restaurant. Here is my theory, if a restaurant provides ice tea out of the beverage gun, just leave, seriously. Have you tasted it? Of course you haven't, there isn't a taste, well, maybe a hint of motor oil. My assessment is, if you can't brew hot water through a tea bag then why are you in the restaurant business? And for those of you who do and you can see through the tea, what's the point? It's light brown water with an over riding taste of lemon and whatever the water taste like. But, I digress...

Now, fast forward to Wednesday, when I was running around Denver like a mad women. And like most of us when we are pressed for time, I resorted to a fast food restaurant. I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and an ice tea (that tasted like coffe - ugh!). Price: $6.50 all in.

So, here is our point, for an extra $1.50 our meal could have been a meal that was head and shoulders above the fast food restaurant.

Have you been to Steuben's? It's a great place, it ALWAYS has people there, it's a wonderful neighborhood restaurant, the staff is great and better yet so is the food (and the ice tea).