Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Pacifico and Shepherd's Pie

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/yahoolatestnews/stories/071508dnbusbennigans.56211560.html?npc

So Bennigan's is going to offer menus in Spanish. I'm not sure I get the point. Isn't the one thing that most people know in another language food? I may not speak the language in a country that I'm visiting. But I can tell you, I sure as hell will know how to order before I get there. Or I can at least look hungry as I point at something random on the menu. Of course in Asia you kind of take your chances doing that. But isn't that what travel is for? (For the record, fried scorpions are tasty. Pickled duck feet are not.)

And Spanish? I couldn't hold a conversation to save my life, but I can work the hell out of a menu. You don't have to know how everything is prepared. (Though I can spot camarones al mojo de ajo from 50 paces.) You just have to know "pollo" = yes, "lingua" = no, "carnitas" = hellz yes, "tripas" = back away from the table and nobody gets hurt. From there, I find that pointing, smiling and tipping well take care of any other problems.

So I think maybe the Bennigan's folks may be a little delusional. "Hey, why aren't there any Mexicans in our restaurants? I know! They can't read the menu!" I think possibly it's more likely that Mexicans don't like over-priced, greasy, fake Irish food served by the surliest, most incompetent wait staff on the planet. But that's really just a guess on my part. Y'all go ahead with the menu thing. That could work to.

2 comments:

WashingtonGardener said...

Um, doesn't Bennigans ALSO have menu photos? I think they are grasping here. Perhaps our Hispanic neighbors do not eat there because maybe the food stinks, huh?

FirePhrase said...

I'm wondering what they're going to do for the servers who are suddenly taking orders for pollo and carne guisado. I'm guessing they arent' going to pay the wait staff more for being bilingual.

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