Restaurant etiquette

[Sparky]

Oops sorry i do also know a millionaire or two and seriously they are ALL just very nice, warm and friendly people and that is all i ever look for in the company i keep. Life is too short to waste time dealing with nasty people

 

[Belladonna]

And so say all of us!

 

[eleanor]

Totally agree, Sparky!

Lets just remember how we came into this world and how we will leave it! As for class - well how is that defined? Money does not bring with it class necessarily nor does the job someone does. People are people and can be measured in various ways.

 

[debz1]

Ah, but do you meet up with the bin man too?!!

We once hitched a lift on the bin cart after a very late (early) one in Chivas about 15 years ago!! Chels sang American Pie all the way home and the bin men loved it (the only ones who ever have )

 

[eleanor]

Brilliant story Debz - I wonder why American Pie?

I'm a poet and didn't know it lol

Actually to get back on thread, One of the nice things about PP is that it is such a relaxing place to just be yourself. If that means walking around the town in shorts then thats just fine as long as they are Stella McCartney - just joking, mine are from George in Asda!!

 

[BonysLad]

We once hitched a lift on the bin cart after a very late (early) one in Chivas about 15 years ago!! Chels sang American Pie all the way home and the bin men loved it (the only ones who ever have )

That's not true, Deborah .

Loved every note he sang in Nostalgia that night !!!!

But , if you can recall, Colin did say he couldn't sing it before 2.30 a.m. cos they didn't want the place emptied too early !!!!

Wish he had cos would have saved me from the stretcher and the clinic !!!

Bonyslad xxxx

 

[ray]

Los Zarzales

May 2009

Not strictly a restaurant review but an interesting aside:

We had just got back from Palma on the last bus quite late in the evening and did not even have time to get off the bus for a quick shower and change. Therefore, in retrospect we were probably a little bit too dishevelled looking for this fine looking establishment. We certainly got this impression after we got the snootiest of filthy looks from a Camilla Parker-Bowles look-alike on a nearby table. I swear I saw her mouth “My God” under her breath. You know the sort: Over-dressed, dried-up old prune that looks like she is all dolled up for a night at the opera with a half a gallon of slap on her face. Her dress was not so much a tent as a marquee, in a hideous bright turquoise colour with a tonne of (probably fake) pearls around her withered old neck. Gok Wan would have had a job there, I’m telling you. Thank goodness my wife saw the “Just about to launch a verbal volley” look on my face in time and managed to calm me down in time before I gave it back in spades. If there’s one thing that really gets my goat (and the rest of my menagerie), it’s snobbery.

We were certainly not what I would consider scruffy. My son and I were both wearing shorts (of a reasonably smart variety), and we had spent all day travelling to Soller and back from Palma and were naturally tired, hot and sweaty, but a quick visit to the boys’ room before we sat down ensured we looked at least reasonably acceptable. Actually, come to think of it I was brown (or deep red at the very least), had two day’s stubble and probably looked like a cross between Mickey Rourke (Circa Year of the Dragon / Angel Heart, and not the post-alcoholic plastic surgery years, I hasten to add) and the anti-hero from a Spaghetti Western (in shorts). Not too bad in a rough- and-ready way girls, honestly! My son looking very much a mini-version of a bronzed, blonde haired surfer dude (his Mum’s looks and his Dad’s brains – thank the Lord it ain’t the other way around!).

I dunno, maybe Camilla was just aghast at my wife’s very low cut top (it was a very hot day after all) and sun-browned breasts. The old Senor who chatted to us all the way from Palma back to PP didn’t seem to mind, though. I thought the old boy had nodded off on a few occasions as his head seemed to be edging nearer and nearer to them as if dragged by some unseen force.

It just goes to prove there are no greater snobs than certain members of the English middle-class (that’s what she was, although she would probably like to think otherwise. You can’t buy class, love, and you sure as hell ain’t got it). Personally, I just can’t get my head around that particular mindset. Strange how I can go anywhere (and I mean anywhere) in London and not feel at all uncomfortable or out of place, and I was really surprised to get that sort of reaction here. After all, whilst being an extremely nice (even genteel) place it’s not exactly an exclusive resort, where everyone dresses to the nines every night, is it? Granted, Los Zarzarles may be considered to be one of the more up-market venues, but as I said before we were dressed reasonably for a hot Mediterranean night, it was a relatively late hour and there were only a few others in the restaurant (none of whom even batted an eyelid). Anyway, Camilla and her pale husband (poor old sod) had finished and left before we ordered our mains, no doubt hurrying home to write a very strongly-worded letter to the Daily Mail or its Mallorcan equivalent. She probably uses the story as an ice-breaker at tedious dinner parties somewhere in deepest middle-England, where she and her phoney friends still rue the passing of the Generalissimo.

This has actually been niggling away in the back of my mind for a year, and I am finally getting it off of my chest. (Apologies for the mixed metaphor).We didn’t let it spoil our evening at the time and were we served subsequently by a delightful young woman who was effortless charm personified. From reading the restaurant reviews I assume that this was the much and justifiably vaunted Yolanda. I actually experienced the best single dish of the entire stay, but that’s a story for another time.

It would be interesting to hear of any other incidents like this one (from any perspective, and in this restaurant or any others). I’m certainly no class-warrior (first-class worrier, more like) and don’t have any particular chips (or indeed, potatas bravas) on either of my shoulders, but things like this really get my back up. Rant over. My God, I’ve just seen how much I’ve typed – sorry!

I was thinking for this year maybe a nice linen jacket, smart jeans, clean (strategically unbuttoned) white shirt to compliment my tan – what do you think?

Also, can anyone tell me why they always look like Parker-Bowles?!



P.s. – My sincere apologies for offending anyone else who may bear more than a passing resemblance to Camilla (or “Horses-a***” as she is sometimes called).

Brilliant, i'm going to quote from you all year!

 

[ray]

Totally agree, Sparky!

Lets just remember how we came into this world and how we will leave it! As for class - well how is that defined? Money does not bring with it class necessarily nor does the job someone does. People are people and can be measured in various ways.

Yes, you can put a suit on a pig but it doesnt stop it grunting

 

[Smiddy]

Ah, but do you meet up with the bin man too?!!

Every morning about 2 am, usualy something along the lines "Turn it down a bit guys, trying to get to sleep here"

 

[Belladonna]

Quote; I was thinking for this year maybe a nice linen jacket, smart jeans, clean (strategically unbuttoned) white shirt to compliment my tan – what do you think?
Unquote.

That will do nicely sir!

 

[Sparky]

Every morning about 2 am, usualy something along the lines "Turn it down a bit guys, trying to get to sleep here"

Smiddy it is now around 6am, don't know if they are wearing linen jackets and smart jeans though .

 

[Belladonna]

LOL! Well THAT would totally confuse matters wouldn't it!!

 

[debz1]

Brilliant story Debz - I wonder why American Pie?

I'm a poet and didn't know it lol



Eleanor its the only song he knows all the words too...ALL 12 minutes of it!!!

BL after that night NOTHING would have saved you from the stretcher and the clinic....sorry

 

[PaulB]

Glad to see my post is now being taken in the spirit it was intended. I totally agree with all the comments here about how PP is very relaxed and egalitarian, and that's why we like it. We are all just people of all types, shapes and sizes who enjoy the good food, wine and atmosphere; which is why this incident stuck out like a sore thumb. Of course, it didn't really wind me up that much at the time, and I just shrugged it off and we had a laugh about it. The Mr Angry / inverted snobbery act in the post was just that - an act to give it a bit of spice and people a laugh. Some saw this immediately and others didn't.

Ray - you may quote from me all you like. Just send all copyright infringement fees to paulb@scargillsnakes.com

 

[Sparky]

I think a good rule of thumb in cases like this is, read your post before you submit and if you think it might offend someone then change it before you submit it.
However if you are offended by a post you can use the "Report" facility and let the moderators deal with it, instead of posting personal abuse.

Respect is the key

 

[JH02JLH]

And it's never a good idea to post your email address...attracts a lot of spam!

 

[Gommar Goffer]

Sparky - I can't find it on my keypad - which button is it?

 

[PaulB]

Sparky,

Point taken, but if you are using sarcasm or ironic humour it is very difficult to see how this may be interpreted by others. I hate using those emoticon things or whatever they are called as I like to let my writing speak for itself. (No criticism of those who do). For example, the British sense of humour (and understatement) is often very misunderstood by Americans (and increasing numbers of British), who take you at a literal level.

JHO2LH - this is not a real email address!!

 

[Sparky]

Sparky - I can't find it on my keypad - which button is it?

GG, there is a triangle with a "!" in it in the box on the top of each post, click on it and leave a comment. The moderators will then receive a notification and will deal with it. It is confidential so you don't need to worry.

 

[Belladonna]

Sparky, I may be wrong here, but I think GG was joking re the key thing - responding to your "Respect is the key"!? (emoticon junkie )