Foothill Flavours

A cautionary tale: forewarned is forearmed.

By Antoinette May Herndon

Suppose your husband’s birthday was looming large. And suppose your plan was to surprise him with a gathering of friends and family. At the same time, suppose you were certain that a home venue would make the surprise element virtually impossible.

Doesn’t it make sense to pick a favourite restaurant and invite well wishers to a no-host dinner? In theory, this was a great idea. In reality, not so good. The best laid plans of mice and men off times go awry, or some such.

I selected the restaurant—a go-to place when Charles and I want a romantic just-the-two-of-us evening. We had never been there before with friends or family, but I anticipated that all would be as pleased with the place as we had been.

Next I invited the guests and arranged for them to be at the restaurant a few minutes before Charles and I arrived. Some were strangers to the others, but all managed to meet and greet one another. New friendships were forming as we arrived.

The eight of us went inside and were seated at two adjoining tables. All well and good. We could see and hear everyone. The ambience was lovely, summery trailing vines and flowers, soft music playing in the background, etc.

The menu looked great with lots of enticing dishes from which to choose. It was hard to decide—everything looked so good.

But wait, as we perused that beguiling menu, the first unpleasant surprise popped up. One couple had planned to share an entree—hardly an unusual occurrence in these calorie conscious days. It turned out that, though they could share an entrée if they chose, they would still have to pay for two portions.

How do you feel about that house rule? For us, it not only raised eyebrows but a few hackles as well. The next unpleasant shocker was that even though we were technically sitting

at separate tables there would be only one bill for the eight of us and only one credit card accepted.

We were not only nonplussed by these Draconian rules but downright annoyed. None of us had ever experienced anything like them. Our instincts were to leave, but it was eight o’clock, Saturday night. How long would we have to wait somewhere else? We decided to piece it out the best we could. A few I.O.U.’s exchanged hands. No one had to wash dishes. Such surprises aren’t the end of the world but they can certainly put a damper on an evening. I decided to check out just how common these policies are. Who imposes them and who does not? Also, how do various local restaurateurs feel about the subject? Since I thought you’d like to know, as well, here’s a random sampling.

Leah Divine, a server at the popular Diamondback Grill in Sonora, has no problem with splitting anything. “Couples often come in and want to share a dinner. That’s OK with us. They eat one dinner, they pay for one dinner. It’s also fine if members of groups want to pay individually. Why not? We’re here to make people happy.” (93 South Washington St., Sonora. Phone: 532-6661.)

Valerie and Brian Offi’s Villa D’oro Restaurant in Twain Harte is lively, a transplanted trattoria popular with locals and tourists alike. Their policy is to serve separate checks whatever the size of the group. Villa D’oro charges $4 extra for a split dinner. (23036 Joaquin Gully Rd., Twain Harte. Phone: 586-2182)

Google the Magnolia Café in Murphys and you’ll get nothing but raves. Let me add my own: Owner- chef Devon Shires really knows how to run a restaurant. Yum’s the word. There is no charge for a split dinner, but a twosome can each enjoy an individual side for $2 extra. That’s $2 a couple, not $2 each. There’s no limit to individual credit cards no matter the group size. (64 Mitchler St., Murphys. Phone: 728-2186.)

Dave Albert and Doralee Rees, who own and operate the White Water Grill

and Saloon at the Hotel Leger in Mokelumne Hill with Doralee Rees, insist that the customer is always right. “We would never charge a couple extra for sharing a dinner,” Dave says. “If one dinner is enough for two people, that’s what they pay for. And, as for credit cards, if 50 people come in, each wanting to use their own card, we’re more than happy to handle it for them. The important thing is that guests enjoy themselves. (8304 Main St., Mokelumne Hill. Phone: 286-2401)

“Accepting individual payments from a group is really no problem for a properly trained server,” says Annette Reiser, dining room manager at Stanley’s Steakhouse in Jackson. “The same is true of extra plating. We always allow guests to share their food at no extra charge. In most cases we divide the food for them in the kitchen and bring it out on separate plates; but if it’s something with a large bone—like a pork chop— that can’t be divided, we’ll just bring an additional plate and let them portion the chop as they wish. (2 Water St., Jackson. Phone: 223-0500)

Lisa Giannini-Lee of Giannini’s in Pine Grove has a unique arrangement that makes sense. Hers is a multi- course Italian dinner house. Lisa serves a polenta board, soup, salad, pasta and an entre. After one order, additional table guests pay $7 each. Separate checks are issued on request.

(I’m going to share a secret with you. Giannini’s is my all time favourite Foothills restaurant. 19845 State Hwy 88, Pine Grove. Phone: 296-7222.)

Perhaps you’re wondering just which restaurant launched me on this quest. It was Susan’s Place in Sutter Creek. They make no allowance for a shared order—share if you like, but you still pay for two orders—and though seated at two separate tables, only one credit card was allowed. That being said, we all enjoyed our dinners and the service was excellent. Obviously, restaurants have the right to establish their own policies, but it improves the dining experience for customers to know the rules in advance. Forewarned is forearmed.