Mountain Views News          Saturday, July 30, 2011

GOOD FOOD & DRINK

10

 Mountain Views News Saturday, July 30, 2011 

Tipping 101


Our fearless leader Susan asked me 
to give her my favorite article before I 
headed out to my vacation in Del Mar, CA. 
It has to be the feedback I got on the 
tipping story from last year, so here goes….
We all know them, the people that just can’t 
bring themselves to leave a decent tip. What is 
the thinking behind tipping and what should 
be given, and when did it start in America? 

Tipping began to take hold in States in the 
late 19th Century after the Civil War. It was 
widely considered by many groups including 
the intellectuals of the day as an outright 
evil. Newspapers wrote vigorously against 
its vices. They reasoned that it established an 
aura of servitude, by offering a demeaning 
handout, or token. It implied a superiority of 
class and status that conferred on the lowly 
receiver of these offerings. There were groups 
such as bartenders that flatly refused tips as 
they considered it far below their status to 
receive these patronizing gifts. Now when 
someone says, “those were the good old days,” 
you may know what they mean. It many ways 
the objections did make sense at this time in 
America. 

What about the places where you have 
to tip in advance. This does not insure 
good service, does it? Only at a place like a 
Starbuck’s does this seem to make any sense. 
There are very few times that I have gone to 
a restaurant and actually tipped in advance. 


When determining a tip at a restaurant, 
what are you to consider before settling your 
bill and factoring a tip? At the restaurant 
you are tipping on the speed, accuracy and 
usefulness of the servers, and not on the food. 
Is tipping at a fancy 
restaurant different 
than tipping at a coffee 
shop? Many people 
believe it is. I feel like 
I stepped in something 
when I hear that said. 
They are to be treated 
as the same. 

Here are my 
guidelines for tipping 
but not necessarily the way I tip. I even 
give 10% for atrocious service. It seems 
with my picture in this paper, on my TV 
show “The Chef Knows,” that I might get a 
bad reputation from the Server Syndicate, 
and be labeled a “bad tipper,” which is a 
stigma that I carefully avoid. You on the 
other hand can wield far more influence 
than is availed to this restaurant critic. 


Here are my suggestions from the Coffee 
house to Spago..


Fair to medium service 12 to 14 %


Good to Better then Average 15 to 18%


Great Service 20%


This should be applied to the food and 
beverage total before tax. Can’t figure the 
whole percentage on tipping. Best way is to 
just double the tax. Which falls in the Good 
range.

Have Kids? Of course I do. Luckily mine is 
as clean and tidy as they make them but they 
are not all created like her. If your children 
make a mess, throw food and crayons on the 
floor. I always leave the busboy at least $3. If 
you don’t, well you could consider cleaning it 
yourself. 

Email me at thechefknows@yahoo.com with 
your thoughts. Join me every Saturday evenings 
on Charter 101 on The PBS OC thorough out 
the day.

TABLE FOR TWO by Peter Dills

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