Anjou -San Francisco - Warning!

[Videocat]

Last week my husband and I decided we wanted to have our anniversary
dinner at Anjou in San Francisco after being there a couple of weeks
prior and having a very nice meal and experience all together.

Tonight was a whole different story! The owner who was very rude to us
greeted us. And when she asked if we had a reservation (you could see
on her face she was hoping we would say no) we replied yes and gave her
our name. The restaurant was empty and we asked for a table up top. She
said "NO" and made us sit in a rather unpleasant area.

We asked our waiter what was up and he told us he noticed she was rude
to us and apologized for her.

We had a great dinner but we were getting madder and madder as we saw
well dressed people with no reservations coming in and being seated
where they wanted to be seated.

Meanwhile, an entire row of tables next to us were empty till some
other people she decided she did not like were seated next to us (about
4 inches away) That did it. We scarf fed our main courses asked for the
check and decided to leave.

Before leaving my husband decided he would tell the owner he did not
appreciate her "class" system of people and that we would never return.
The answer he got back was "okay", in a cheery voice and a smile.

This is just a warning, the owner has some sort of class system and if
don't fit what ever she expects you to look like forget it, you are
dirt to her. But the wait staff is another story they are great!

[notbob]

This is just a warning, the owner has some sort of class system....

So, what class do you think you are in that she was being rude to?
Non-white? Goth/punk? Mormons? H2B visa workers? Mimes? What?

Feeble minds want to know. ;)

nb

[Videocat]

Post by notbob

This is just a warning, the owner has some sort of class system....

So, what class do you think you are in that she was being rude to?
Non-white? Goth/punk? Mormons? H2B visa workers? Mimes? What?
Feeble minds want to know. ;)
nb

She sneared at us when we said we had a reservation. We were not
wearing the clothing she wanted us to I guess. Just came from work
(office attire) We are not older (mostly older people in there) We
asked to be seated in an area and she rudely said "no"

I don't know what this woman wanted but it was not us. The other couple
she did not like were dressed like us, so I guess we just did not have
on the duds she wanted us to. There is no dress code there and we were
not in jean.

Don't know what else to say. It's hard to convay.

[notbob]

Post by Videocat
asked to be seated in an area and she rudely said "no"

That's when you say, firmly, but politely, "I'd like to talk to the
manager, please." You then find out what the Hell is going on and why
you can't sit where you want. Then after you been satisfied you tell
them they can take their food and shove it and you're going to relate
this incident on every SFBA restaurant review on the web and then turn
around and walk out never to return. No one's food is so good as to
tolerate that kinda crap.

nb

[Videocat]

Post by notbob

Post by Videocat
asked to be seated in an area and she rudely said "no"

That's when you say, firmly, but politely, "I'd like to talk to the
manager, please." You then find out what the Hell is going on and why
you can't sit where you want. Then after you been satisfied you tell
them they can take their food and shove it and you're going to relate
this incident on every SFBA restaurant review on the web and then turn
around and walk out never to return. No one's food is so good as to
tolerate that kinda crap.
nb

I agree and there was no manager we were dealing with the owner. And we
did let her know we were going to make sure people heard about this.

Everything we said, was said to the owner and she did not care. Beleive
me will never go back even if the food is good :-)

[notbob]

Post by Videocat
Everything we said, was said to the owner and she did not care. Beleive
me will never go back even if the food is good :-)

"....a little bit of Paris in the heart of San Francisco...."

Well, there's the problem. Buncha damn snooty-assed frogs.
Shoulda' Zidaned her ass to a flambe!

nb

[Todd Michel McComb]

Post by notbob
"....a little bit of Paris in the heart of San Francisco...."

Great. Another tagline that's unclear on the concept.

[Karen]

Post by Todd Michel McComb

Post by notbob
"....a little bit of Paris in the heart of San Francisco...."

Great. Another tagline that's unclear on the concept.

I like the tag line. The "heart" sounds like love. The "little bit of
Paris" sounds like they're trying to sound "authentic," and
"welcoming," which is Paris-like, and it just sounds like that they're
saying good French food can be found right here at home.

But, that lady sounds like someone who gives the French a bad
reputation.

Karen

[Videocat]

Post by Karen

Post by Todd Michel McComb

Post by notbob
"....a little bit of Paris in the heart of San Francisco...."

Great. Another tagline that's unclear on the concept.

I like the tag line. The "heart" sounds like love. The "little bit of
Paris" sounds like they're trying to sound "authentic," and
"welcoming," which is Paris-like, and it just sounds like that they're
saying good French food can be found right here at home.
But, that lady sounds like someone who gives the French a bad
reputation.
Karen

Everyone that works at this place seems to be French except the owner.
She is not American or French. It's all kind of odd.

[Karen]

Post by Videocat
Everyone that works at this place seems to be French except the owner.
She is not American or French. It's all kind of odd.

She's crabby.

Karen

[Todd Michel McComb]

Post by Karen
I like the tag line. The "heart" sounds like love. The "little bit of
Paris" sounds like they're trying to sound "authentic," and
"welcoming," which is Paris-like, ....

Heh, well, maybe you're well aware of this, but Anjou and Paris are
in different places. I find the tagline rather amusing.

[tkloth]

Post by Karen
But, that lady sounds like someone who gives the French a bad
reputation.

The French already have a bad reputation. This just confirms what we
already suspected. There are too many great restaurants in SF. We don't
need to put up with this kind of attitude.

Tim K

[Ric]

I really hope that was just a poor attempt at humor. In these days of
"Freedom Fires" and other such jingoistic idiocy, it's hard to tell.

I travel to Paris every other year, simply because it is one of the warmest
and friendliest cities on the planet. For rudeness, nothing compares to NYC.

Having said that tho - I sure find it incongruous that this restaurant bills
itself as "a little bit of Paris in SF". SF is simply the best city in the
world, end of story. I would be more intrigued with a restaurant in Paris
that billed itself as "a bit of SF in Paris".

Videocat - you might want to consider writing an appropriately sarcastic and
pointed letter about your experience at this place to the owner, assuring
her that you will be publishing same letter in the Chronicle and elsewhere.
If nothing else, it will satisfy the need for revenge!

Post by notbob

Post by Videocat
Everything we said, was said to the owner and she did not care. Beleive
me will never go back even if the food is good :-)

"....a little bit of Paris in the heart of San Francisco...."
Well, there's the problem. Buncha damn snooty-assed frogs.
Shoulda' Zidaned her ass to a flambe!
http://youtu.be/25Rftjjfros
nb

[Videocat]

Post by Ric
I really hope that was just a poor attempt at humor. In these days of
"Freedom Fires" and other such jingoistic idiocy, it's hard to tell.
I travel to Paris every other year, simply because it is one of the warmest
and friendliest cities on the planet. For rudeness, nothing compares to NYC.
Having said that tho - I sure find it incongruous that this restaurant bills
itself as "a little bit of Paris in SF". SF is simply the best city in the
world, end of story. I would be more intrigued with a restaurant in Paris
that billed itself as "a bit of SF in Paris".
Videocat - you might want to consider writing an appropriately sarcastic and
pointed letter about your experience at this place to the owner, assuring
her that you will be publishing same letter in the Chronicle and elsewhere.
If nothing else, it will satisfy the need for revenge!
Good idea! Think I have some time this weekend :-)

[Jon Nadelberg]

Post by Ric
I travel to Paris every other year, simply because it is one of the warmest
and friendliest cities on the planet. For rudeness, nothing compares to NYC.

I haven't been to Paris, so I can't speak to that, although I have many
friends who have, and they say it's pretty rude.

I have, however, been to NYC, and I find the people there to be not rude
at all, but instead quite nice. This was actually quite surprising to
me the first time.

Where I see people as rude, though, is Boston. They really are actually
outright nasty to you. I'm not going back there again unless I have to.

[PeterL]

Post by Jon Nadelberg

Post by Ric
I travel to Paris every other year, simply because it is one of the warmest
and friendliest cities on the planet. For rudeness, nothing compares to NYC.

I haven't been to Paris, so I can't speak to that, although I have many
friends who have, and they say it's pretty rude.
I have, however, been to NYC, and I find the people there to be not rude
at all, but instead quite nice. This was actually quite surprising to
me the first time.
Where I see people as rude, though, is Boston. They really are actually
outright nasty to you. I'm not going back there again unless I have to.

Any big city will have all kinds of people, many rude, many nice. It
all depends on which segment you happened to interact with during the
short time you stay in that city. I would say NYC people are
"brusque", as quite often people in large cities are. Brusqueness can
often be taken as rudeness, esp. from people who come from smaller
cities.

[Jon Nadelberg]

Post by PeterL

Post by Jon Nadelberg

Post by Ric
I travel to Paris every other year, simply because it is one of the warmest
and friendliest cities on the planet. For rudeness, nothing compares to NYC.

I haven't been to Paris, so I can't speak to that, although I have many
friends who have, and they say it's pretty rude.
I have, however, been to NYC, and I find the people there to be not rude
at all, but instead quite nice. This was actually quite surprising to
me the first time.
Where I see people as rude, though, is Boston. They really are actually
outright nasty to you. I'm not going back there again unless I have to.

Any big city will have all kinds of people, many rude, many nice. It
all depends on which segment you happened to interact with during the
short time you stay in that city. I would say NYC people are
"brusque", as quite often people in large cities are. Brusqueness can
often be taken as rudeness, esp. from people who come from smaller
cities.

Yes, they were brusque. I took it as them being brusque, and not rude.

There is a big difference, to me, anyway.

[Shankar Bhattacharyya]

Post by PeterL
Any big city will have all kinds of people, many rude, many nice.
It all depends on which segment you happened to interact with
during the short time you stay in that city. I would say NYC
people are "brusque", as quite often people in large cities are.
Brusqueness can often be taken as rudeness, esp. from people who
come from smaller cities.

Peter's distinction is quite acurate. New Yorkers are not rude. They
are, however, a whole city in a hurry. The brusqueness is one of
manner, relative to the manner of a non-New Yorker. New Yorkers do not
typically take offense at each other's brusqueness.

"Yo lady! Order already!" from the fellow four people back in the
line, could just be New Yorkese for, "Ma'am, my first-born child is in
a desperate state of hypoglycemia, in a car double-parked in the bus
lane just outside. I am deeply sorry for rushing you at the counter
but this is an emergency. I would be grateful if you could place your
order quickly so that I can get her a chocolate souffle with the extra
sweet raspberry sauce that much sooner and thus get out there before
my child dies or I get a ticket, whichever might happen first."

New York brusqueness is just shorthand.

- Shankar (Other things being faintly close to equal, I would rather
live in Manhattan than anywhere else.)

[John Clear]

Post by Shankar Bhattacharyya
New York brusqueness is just shorthand.

I'm laughing over your description of "Yo lady! Order already!",
since I am from New York. The only problem with it is that people
in NYC don't drive. But you are correct in that New Yorkers aren't
really rude, they are just direct and to the point.

A friend of mine from LA sent me a cartoon years ago that I wish
I could find again. It was titled 'The Difference between NY and
LA'. The first pane was NY, and had one person saying 'Fuck You'
to another, while the thought bubble was 'Have a Nice Day'. The
second pane was LA, and and had one person saying 'Have a Nice Day'
to another, while the thought bubble was 'Fuck You'.

Pretty much sums it up.

John

[Guy Bannis]

Post by Jon Nadelberg

Post by Ric
I travel to Paris every other year, simply because it is one of the warmest
and friendliest cities on the planet. For rudeness, nothing compares to NYC.

I haven't been to Paris, so I can't speak to that, although I have many
friends who have, and they say it's pretty rude.

I've been to Paris a few times and always enjoyed interacting with the
French. Waiters, store clerks, museum workers, strangers on the street
all talk to me.

A friend who lived in Paris for several years was very surprised.

I tend to think it has to do with personality, not that I necessarily
have a friendlier one, but I seem to have a personality that meshes well
with the French.

[c***@gmail.com]

Post by Jon Nadelberg

Post by Ric
I travel to Paris every other year, simply because it is one of the warmest
and friendliest cities on the planet. For rudeness, nothing compares to NYC.

I haven't been to Paris, so I can't speak to that, although I have many
friends who have, and they say it's pretty rude.
I have, however, been to NYC, and I find the people there to be not rude
at all, but instead quite nice. This was actually quite surprising to
me the first time.
Where I see people as rude, though, is Boston. They really are actually
outright nasty to you. I'm not going back there again unless I have to.

I've been to Paris once, and NYC several times. No real problem in
either place with
people being *rude* as such.....

In NYC people pass coupons out on the street. But watch them carefully,
I ended up with an expired coupon, but had already ordered before I
found out. No biggie ($1 off or something like that), but one sometimes
wonders: was this a ruse just to get you into the restaurant? Did upper
management know that folks were out passing expired coupons?

In Paris I had a slight problem with a waiter that "forgot" that
dessert was included with a special combo ("formule"). No trouble
there, I just grabbed a menu and pointed out that dessert was indeed
included, and the bill was adjusted. But again, was this an honest
mistake, or did this place make a practice of zinging it to unwary
tourists?

Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice) was a mix of excellent service, and
I-don't-give-a-damn-if-your-food-is-cold joints....

[tkloth]

Post by Ric
I travel to Paris every other year, simply because it is one of the
warmest and friendliest cities on the planet. For rudeness, nothing
compares to NYC.

Not the usual take on France. Are you French? Are you fluent in French?
Do they realize you are an American? (I'm assuming you are an American.)

Tim K

[Bob Barnett]

Post by tkloth

Post by Ric
I travel to Paris every other year, simply because it is one of the
warmest and friendliest cities on the planet. For rudeness, nothing
compares to NYC.

Not the usual take on France. Are you French? Are you fluent in French?
Do they realize you are an American? (I'm assuming you are an American.)
Tim K

I just spent a week in Paris. The service and hospitality everywhere was
1st rate. And I knew 2 words of French.

[PeterL]

Post by notbob

Post by Videocat
Everything we said, was said to the owner and she did not care. Beleive
me will never go back even if the food is good :-)

"....a little bit of Paris in the heart of San Francisco...."
Well, there's the problem. Buncha damn snooty-assed frogs.
Shoulda' Zidaned her ass to a flambe!

So now "Zidane" is a verb?

Post by notbob
http://youtu.be/25Rftjjfros
nb

[notbob]

Post by PeterL
So now "Zidane" is a verb?

Where you been?

[PeterL]

Post by notbob

Post by PeterL
So now "Zidane" is a verb?

Where you been?

Not been running with the wine cheese and soccer crowd, I guess.

[Guy Bannis]

Post by Videocat

Post by notbob

This is just a warning, the owner has some sort of class system....

So, what class do you think you are in that she was being rude to?
Non-white? Goth/punk? Mormons? H2B visa workers? Mimes? What?
Feeble minds want to know. ;)
nb

She sneared at us when we said we had a reservation. We were not
wearing the clothing she wanted us to I guess. Just came from work
(office attire) We are not older (mostly older people in there) We
asked to be seated in an area and she rudely said "no"
I don't know what this woman wanted but it was not us. The other couple
she did not like were dressed like us, so I guess we just did not have
on the duds she wanted us to. There is no dress code there and we were
not in jean.
Don't know what else to say. It's hard to convay.

Can you give a few more details? What does office attire mean to you?
I sometimes work with programmers whose office attire means shorts and
t-shirt. On casual Fridays, they wear ratty shorts and t-shirts with
holes.

How many of you were there? Were you guys behaving nicely? Did you
arrive on time? Had you had a few cocktails before arriving? Inquiring
minds ...

Otherwise, all I really know is that you got what you thought was a
snear but you didn't get the table you wanted, which may have been
because the restaurant wanted to distribute customers more evenly. In
other words, nothing personal.

More dirt please!

[Videocat]

Post by Guy Bannis

Post by Videocat

Post by notbob

This is just a warning, the owner has some sort of class system....

So, what class do you think you are in that she was being rude to?
Non-white? Goth/punk? Mormons? H2B visa workers? Mimes? What?
Feeble minds want to know. ;)
nb

She sneared at us when we said we had a reservation. We were not
wearing the clothing she wanted us to I guess. Just came from work
(office attire) We are not older (mostly older people in there) We
asked to be seated in an area and she rudely said "no"
I don't know what this woman wanted but it was not us. The other couple
she did not like were dressed like us, so I guess we just did not have
on the duds she wanted us to. There is no dress code there and we were
not in jean.
Don't know what else to say. It's hard to convay.

Can you give a few more details? What does office attire mean to you?
I sometimes work with programmers whose office attire means shorts and
t-shirt. On casual Fridays, they wear ratty shorts and t-shirts with
holes.
How many of you were there? Were you guys behaving nicely? Did you
arrive on time? Had you had a few cocktails before arriving? Inquiring
minds ...
Otherwise, all I really know is that you got what you thought was a
snear but you didn't get the table you wanted, which may have been
because the restaurant wanted to distribute customers more evenly. In
other words, nothing personal.
More dirt please!

We were dressed is nice clothing, nothing ratty, dirty or otherwise
(there is no dress code though)

There were 2 of us. And yes we were pleasant. We walked in smiling and
even kidding around with the bartender (he was by the front door) when
arriving becuase we were spot on, in time.

No we were not drinking.

There was more to this than not receiving the table we asked for it's
the way we were told we could not have it.

This is a hard situation to convey but every met someone that you
thought "oh how rude" and as the time together went on it got worse?

Also the restraunt was empty when we arrived and as people came in we
saw they did not have reservations and were asked where they wanted to
sit.

Hope this answers what you are asking.

[Icono Clast]

Post by Guy Bannis
Can you give a few more details? What does office attire mean to you?

===========================================================
Date: 05-20-95 (03:22) From: ICONO CLAST To: DREW SHELL
Subj: Carnelian Room
-----------------------------------------------------------
TO}dress

IC> Business wear is fine.

Drew Shell:
DS}Different people have different opinions on this, so what do
}YOU mean by business wear?

Look at a bank or insurance or sales or office clerk where people
deal with the public.

DS}jacket and tie are required. Is this really true?

I don't know. That's how I normally dress when I go out to dinner.

DS}What about a tie with no jacket?

Were I in charge, I'd not let you in. I think it's ridiculous to wear
a tie without a jacket beyond the confines of one's home or office.

DS}Are they at all flexible about this?

I don't know. They shouldn't be. I hope they're not. This is San
Francisco, not Daly City or Los Angeles!

DS}I'd love to go there, but even when I get really dressed up (dress
}shoes and pants, fancy shirt and socks, suspenders, stylish tie,
}etc) I don't wear a jacket, and I don't want to deal with hassle
}of getting all the way up there and getting turned away.

Well, maybe it's time you learn to dress like a man who's at leisure,
not at work.
Customers are as much a part of, and just as important to, the
atmosphere in a restaurant as the decor, service, and food. Do your
part for me just as I do mine for you. I'll be damned if I want to
see how you keep your pants up while I'm having dinner (or any other
time, come t'think of it).

-- ________________________________________________________________
A San Francisco glutton who says: "You serve it, I'll eat it!"
http://geocities.com/dancefest/ -<->- http://geocities.com/iconoc/
ICQ: http://wwp.mirabilis.com/19098103 -------> IClast at Gmail com

[bizbee]

On 14 Sep 2006 23:13:59 -0700 in

Post by Videocat
She sneared at us when we said we had a reservation. We were not
wearing the clothing she wanted us to I gues

so... sounds to me like you're guessing about all this. Of course,
that is unless you were dressed like a couple homeless people and
<know> that's why. Oddly, I suspect there's something we aren't
hearing here.

[Videocat]

Post by bizbee
On 14 Sep 2006 23:13:59 -0700 in

Post by Videocat
She sneared at us when we said we had a reservation. We were not
wearing the clothing she wanted us to I gues

so... sounds to me like you're guessing about all this. Of course,
that is unless you were dressed like a couple homeless people and
<know> that's why. Oddly, I suspect there's something we aren't
hearing here.

I am not guessing about this. The waiters noticed what was going on as
well. If you read back you will see this.

Our waiter was apologizing to us for the her because he was embarrased.

[PeterL]

Post by Videocat

Post by bizbee
On 14 Sep 2006 23:13:59 -0700 in

Post by Videocat
She sneared at us when we said we had a reservation. We were not
wearing the clothing she wanted us to I gues

so... sounds to me like you're guessing about all this. Of course,
that is unless you were dressed like a couple homeless people and
<know> that's why. Oddly, I suspect there's something we aren't
hearing here.

I am not guessing about this. The waiters noticed what was going on as
well. If you read back you will see this.

The "guessing" part is the "why" of the equation, not the "what". You
are guessing as to why (you think it's how you dressed) it happened the
way it did.

Post by Videocat
Our waiter was apologizing to us for the her because he was embarrased.

[PeterL]

Post by Videocat
This is just a warning, the owner has some sort of class system and if
don't fit what ever she expects you to look like forget it, you are
dirt to her. But the wait staff is another story they are great!

I don't get any sense of why you are seated "differently" from other
diners, or whether it's how you look that determines where you were
seated. Simply not enough information, lots of conjectures.

[Jon Nadelberg]

Post by PeterL

Post by Videocat
This is just a warning, the owner has some sort of class system and if
don't fit what ever she expects you to look like forget it, you are
dirt to her. But the wait staff is another story they are great!

I don't get any sense of why you are seated "differently" from other
diners, or whether it's how you look that determines where you were
seated. Simply not enough information, lots of conjectures.

Yeah, I don't really understand what was wrong with the owner, why she
behaved that way.

Not to say that what you say didn't happen, but it just sounds totally
bizarre that a businessperson would do this.

What might have been the reason for her to do this?

[Videocat]

Post by Jon Nadelberg

Post by PeterL

Post by Videocat
This is just a warning, the owner has some sort of class system and if
don't fit what ever she expects you to look like forget it, you are
dirt to her. But the wait staff is another story they are great!

I don't get any sense of why you are seated "differently" from other
diners, or whether it's how you look that determines where you were
seated. Simply not enough information, lots of conjectures.

Yeah, I don't really understand what was wrong with the owner, why she
behaved that way.
Not to say that what you say didn't happen, but it just sounds totally
bizarre that a businessperson would do this.
What might have been the reason for her to do this?

I really have no idea, but she did not care either. It took some
courage for us to confront her and she did not care.

I only posted this so if someone wants to go there, they will know this
could happen to them.

Been there before, she was not there and everything was perfect.

[Happy Guy]

I say torch the dive. Wait for her to be there though. Cheers.


On 14 Sep 2006 22:13:55 -0700

Post by Videocat
Last week my husband and I decided we wanted to have our anniversary
dinner at Anjou in San Francisco after being there a couple of weeks
prior and having a very nice meal and experience all together.
Tonight was a whole different story! The owner who was very rude to us
greeted us. And when she asked if we had a reservation (you could see
on her face she was hoping we would say no) we replied yes and gave her
our name. The restaurant was empty and we asked for a table up top. She
said "NO" and made us sit in a rather unpleasant area.
We asked our waiter what was up and he told us he noticed she was rude
to us and apologized for her.
We had a great dinner but we were getting madder and madder as we saw
well dressed people with no reservations coming in and being seated
where they wanted to be seated.
Meanwhile, an entire row of tables next to us were empty till some
other people she decided she did not like were seated next to us (about
4 inches away) That did it. We scarf fed our main courses asked for the
check and decided to leave.
Before leaving my husband decided he would tell the owner he did not
appreciate her "class" system of people and that we would never return.
The answer he got back was "okay", in a cheery voice and a smile.
This is just a warning, the owner has some sort of class system and if
don't fit what ever she expects you to look like forget it, you are
dirt to her. But the wait staff is another story they are great!