To Tip, or Not to Tip

So, lately, I've been looking at articles and blogs about restaurants, and there's one thing I've noticed REALLY tends to rile up everyone and their brother.  This topic literally hijacks entire comment sections in articles about totally different topics.*

Tipping.

Some people say it's voluntary, other's say it's not; some people say that 15% is an "average" tip, other's say 25% is "okay"; some people get all kerfuffled and refuse to tip, citing that federal law requires all employees to make up the difference between "restaurant wage" and legal "minimum wage" for their staff, and for every person like that is a server who has only worked at places where the management refuses to do such a thing, and fires anyone who asks.  Some people tip, but will not leave so much as a piece of pocket lint for what they feel constitutes bad service, and others vilify those people for not leaving "at least" a penny, if not 10%.

Another interesting thing someone brought up at one of my recent family gathering was shared checks, wherein one party pays, but the other has a differing opinion on the tip given.  Some people admitted to leaving a tip when the person who picked up the check didn't leave one.  Others admitted to taking a tip off of the table and either returning it or - in the case of one now-shamed family member - pocketing the cash.  Interestingly, in the case of a credit card, the pro-tippers still tended to leave cash on the table, while those who disagree generally cross out the tip line.

So all of this brings me to my question: What is proper tipping protocol?

Now, before anyone asks me exactly how I feel on tipping, let me just get it all out of the way: I tip.  I have walked out without tipping once before, when I felt that a server did not treat me with any form of common courtesy (not even a smile!); it is not a habit of mine.  I do have a "usual percentage" that I try to stay around, but I'd rather not say what that is.  I wouldn't mind paying higher prices to abolish tipping - it seems so hard, to not know exactly what you'll bring home any given hour - but until that happens, I won't go out to eat unless I can cover my meal and tip.

I understand how some people get frustrated when they go out to eat, see a $20 pricetag on their meal, and realize they'll have to add an extra $4 to their bill for because that's now what's expected. For them, it seems like false advertising ib the menu, and I sympathize.  In this day and age, and within this city, though, people need to eat, and in order to eat, they need to work.  It's hard to insist on proper wages when management knows that there will be someone else out there willing to work for less than $3 an hour, while just being thankful for a job.  Unfortunately, the system has been so warped that we, the consumer, now have to pay what should be an extra (for recognition of good service) to help people make ends meet, instead of their employers doing it.

Here comes question #2: Do you have a tipping procedure?

Want to answer me?  Feel free to Tweet me:

Twitter.com/@FRestRevs

Or email me:

localflintrestaurants@gmail.com

Or visit the brand new Facebook page!

Facebook.com/flintmirestaurants

(*For an example of this, I recommend:

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2013/08/08/8-restaurant-surcharges-that-dont-make-sense-and-8-that-do/)

How a Farmers' Market Helps the Community

Ever walked into a grocery store - or any store, really - and just been overwhelmed by the selection of items on the shelves? Have you ever looked at a piece of meat or a vegetable and wondered how to use it, but no one seems to know?  Do you know from where your produce comes?  A lot of people, myself included, cannot always answer these questions in a positive way.  A lot of people just don't care, and want the cheapest price for the items on their grocery lists, and that's fine - we all have our way of doing things.

Some of us, though, enjoy being able to establish a rapport with our food providers.  Some of us want to know exactly what we're buying, where it's from, and how to use it, and we want a personal touch added to our shopping experience.  Some of us want to help the Flint Area become a more self-sustaining and viable community.  For those of us, a farmers' market is a dream come true.

Farmers' Markets, at their core, allow producers to sell their goods directly to a customer, without having to use a middle man, such as a grocery store or other store-front.  As such, the producer receives a larger cut of the profits than they would when dealing with a corporation.  On the other hand, they are required to ship their own product to the location of the market, as well as pay a small fee to sell there, meaning that the product may be more expensive than a big-box store.

Unfortunately, farmers' markets are usually only seasonal, due to the availability of appropriate weather.  Does that make them any less important?  Absolutely not!  People are more likely to get out in the summertime, and having an extra place to visit is always a good thing; if they can purchase a few veggies or a pound of meat, and help support those in our community, so much the be tter!  Why not help keep our hard-earned money in the community?

The Flint Farmers' Market even tries to help those who are on government assistance to be able to purchase local, fresh goods: some vendors can accept bridge cards.  Going one step further is their program, a State program known as "Double Up Food Bucks", which allows a consumer to double their available Bridge Card purchasing power, up to $20.  It's a wonderful thing for those of us on government assistance, and in this economy, everyone knows someone who could use that knowledge.

The Flint Farmers' Market is open all year: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-5, and Saturdays, 8-5.  Their location will soon be changing, as they plan to move downtown next year!  You can find more information about the Flint Farmer's Market here: http://flintfarmersmarket.com/

The FFM isn't the only market in the Flint Area!  There are also:

•The Grand Blanc City Farmers' Market (Sun 10AM-3PM, Wed 4-7PM)

cityofgrandblanc.com/NewsEvents/FarmersMarket/tabid/5439/Default.aspx

•The Linden Farmers' Market (Wed 5-8PM)

facebook.com/pages/Linden-Farmers-Market/115266028486885

•The Durand Farmers' Market (Wed 10AM-3PM)

local-farmers-markets.com/market/2420/durand/durand-union-station-farmers-market

•The Fenton Farmers' Market (Thu 5-8PM)

facebook.com/pages/Fenton-Farmers-Market/109982129029582

And those were just off the top of my head!  I'm sure there are more that I don't know about, all hoping to help those in their community succeed, one tomato at a time!

If you happen to know of any other Farmers' Markets in the Flint Area, you can contact me via email or by Twitter: 

localflintrestaurants@gmail.com

OR

twitter.com/FRestRevs

Hot Diggity Dog - It's "National" Hot Dog Month!

Around here, if you ask a "Flintstone" about Flint, there are three different topics that will probably be brought up:

1. The crime/violence in the city.

2. GM (good or bad, depending on the person).

3. Their favorite coney island.

Flint residents definitely know a thing or two about a "real" coney.  We know that the only coneys worth eating are made with Koegel brand dogs, covered in thick sauce that is more the consistency of taco meat than chili, and topped with mustard and onions.  We know that a Detroit coney is a great hot dog, but the soupy topping is a chili sauce, not a coney.

This month is considered "National" Hot Dog Month, and I am planning on visiting as many coney islands as I can, including, of course, Angelo's.

If you have any places you think I should visit, feel free to contact me at:

localflintrestaurants@gmail.com

Or

twitter.com/FRestRevs

Why Are You Doing This?

I'm not an expert, and I don't claim to be one.  I have no culinary experience, outside of my own home - hell, I've never even worked at McDonald's.  I'm just your average person who thought maybe other people would like to read some unprofessional reviews about Flint-area restaurants/food joints, and maybe find a new place to love.

I admit it, I do look up to those shows on the Travel Channel, like "No Reservations" and "Bizzare Foods".  I love how they've taken their passion and made it into their career, and I would love to do something similar.  I won't lie, a part of me is doing this for me.

I'm also interested in showing a better side of Flint, outside of the violence and drugs that the rest of the nation seems to think is the complete Flint experience.  I want to showcase the sense of community we have, and our fierce "Flintstone" pride, our individual backgrounds coming together to create unity from diversity, and what better way to do that than highlighting our food industry?  After all, in so many cultures, having a meal with someone is a nearly-scared experience, a ritual which requires both hosts and guests to know their parts.  It forges a bond that makes the participants, even for a short while, unable be shaken from its carb- or meat-induced camaraderie.

There are other important parts of Flint, I know, and believe me when I say that I will try to touch on as many of them as I can.  Ultimately, I'm hoping to show to the rest of Michigan - and the rest of the United States - that Flint may be down, but we are not out.  We are a strong set, ready to bounce back as a whole, already turning ourselves around in some areas, and someday Flint will be a different, better community.

~Local Flint Restaurants

Localflintrestaurants@gmail.com

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/FRestRevs

Disclaimer!

I would just like to say that I am not going to rate the restaurant/experience in the traditional sense, even though that was my original intent.  I don't want people saying that I ruined their business because I don't like the food.  I will also revisit places that I "Would NOT recommend" after a few weeks/months, to see if it was a one-time issue, or if I just don't like the place.  Just because I don't like the place doesn't mean that it needs to close - I'm trying to encourage my audience to try new things by trying them, too, and passing along not only my experiences, but the mere existence of new places.  I am NOT a professional - I just like food.

Remember, if you want to contact me for any reason, my email is localflintrestaurants@gmail.com, or you can find me on Twitter: @FRestRevs

Introduction

Hello, and welcome to Flint Food, your home for local restaurants!  This is pretty self-explanatory: I go to restaurants in the Greater Flint Area (including the Owosso, Fenton, and Lapeer areas), and I'll share my experiences.  On occasion, I may also talk about different kinds of food, including fast food, coffee shops, and seasonal things like ice cream parlors, as well as recipes and home cooking.  I will also post about special events in the area (Back to the Bricks & Curwood Days, for example) and I will also try to plan "theme" weeks based on them, and other holidays.

Most of my posts will have a set criteria, which I will list here, along with their descriptions, for your convenience. I will repost the criteria every time, but not the explanations.

1. PRICE: Less than $5 average item price-$; Less than $10-$$; Less than $15-$$$; $16+-$$$$
2. CUISINE TYPE
3. WAIT TIME TO ORDER (includes reasons for delay, and ordering type)
4. WAIT TIME FOR FOOD: Will post if ordered straight off the menu (or with items/toppings removed) vs. custom orders
5. STAFF IMPRESSIONS
6. FOOD IMPRESSIONS/TASTES
7. DRINK SELECTIONS (serves alcohol?)
8. SATISFACTION
9. WOULD COME AGAIN?
10. NOTES (including kid-friendliness)

I will try to be as thorough as possible, and include pictures of my food as well. I'm currently working on my first post; in the meantime, you can email me your favorite places at localflintrestaurants@gmail.com, or tweet them to me at @FRestRevs!