Saturday, March 13, 2010

Mahna Mahna and Bubble Gum Steak at the wilted Tulip...

Oye! Service, service, service could make any horrifically awful food ten times better as pity for the poor earnest shmucks serving the shlop; this always translates in a decent tip, to say the least. Thus, the equation: poor service + shlop ultimately results in = awful dining experience. Mahna Mahna (names changed for anonymity and an excuse to embed this video ) was paying for parking, a lesson learned from brunch last week and a surprise $60 parking ticket...eep! but I digress... so I ventured in to The Tulip on Coxwell Av and Queen St. E. farely comfortable as a "rough and tumble" dive (from http://www.urbanspoon.ca/) familiar from 2 other uneventful visits. 'Twas busy in ye olde restaurant, so I waited patiently to be seated, I asked for a booth and was told to sit even without the table being cleared from the previous diners who had left. Mahna Mahna arrived and we scoured the menu for their famous Steak and Eggs breakfast ($10) and I settled for the Spanish Omelette($9) marinara sauce and sauteed vegetables...how can you go wrong, you ask.... After 15 min of waiting for the bloody table to be cleared, I piped up and asked the server who had seated me to please clear the table and we are ready with our orders, clearly this was not allowed and the gentlemen waiter (who looked about 13 and was matched with the manners of a tween) greeted us coldly with, "If you had waited to be seated like we told you, we would have cleared the table for you, what do you want..." EXCUSE ME, IF YOU WANT PEOPLE TO COME BACK TO YOUR ESTABLISHMENT THERE'S SUCH A THING CALLED, UM, RESPECT!!!! Double ugh! The steak was chewy, home fries boiled and then crisped and the Spanish Omelette reminded me of Campbell's vegetable soup with an overhelping of celery?! enveloped in milk-diluted eggs. Please, oh please, if you can go somewhere else, please do! Next!

2 comments:

  1. at the Tulip?! wow, it's been a while since i've gone and usually it's quick to be seated and fed and the food is moderately good. the wait staff has changed quite a bit over the years and as i remembered it, they were normally polite. but that was years ago. in your case, such jerks! may i suggest the "Beachside Grill" at 1922 Queen St E. on Queen and Elmer? they don't serve steaks there as the Tulip does but they offer excellent value for excellent breakfast, all day long (unlike, the Tulip) with excellent service. oh yes, and plenty of seating. sometimes you do have to wait, but you usually get seated fairly quickly. and the owner is very friendly. :)

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  2. I know! How unfortunate eh? I enjoyed the Tulip immensely the first couple of visits. Beachside Grill is also a fantastic suggestion, from my days in the beach, thank you!

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managing mid-life... by revisiting reviews!

 Ugh, I'm out of practice!  I was reminded of my gallivanting and good eats blog by a dear friend from yesteryear and thought it best to...