I heart my bartender

I bartend at this wedding hall near my house sometimes. It's open bar. I would think people who are drinking for free would at least be kind of enough to drop a tip. Do you people not know that this is how some people make a living? Most of the money we are making comes from the tip you give us. $1 per drink is the normal. Anything more is greatly appreciated. It's open bar, come on, you can't fork over $1? If you tip your bartender more than $1 per drink he/she will most likely remember what you are drinking and have it ready for you before you even reach the bar. He/She might even have a few free shots with you. He/She won't give you the crap we keep in the speed rack. He/She might even make you look cool in front of the girl you are trying to hook up with. He/She might not give you dirty looks when you turn around and walk away.

Another thing I hate are kids at weddings. No I don't think your kid is cute. Yes when you come with your kid and ask for an orange juice for him/her you should tip. Yes if your kid comes alone to the bar you should equip him with some dollar bills to tip us. No your kid shouldn't be having 7 cokes. Yes your kid is annoying because he keeps coming back for virgin pina coladas. Yes your kid is super annoying because he is drinking all of my mixers and eating all of my marachino cherries. Please people teach your kids to say please and thank you.

I know it is open bar but no I will not give you a whole bottle of Hennessy.

Ladies I know you don't like carrying your purses but coming to the bar all drunk without your purse and asking for a malibu baybreeze and not tipping is not cool. Just because you have a vagina doesn't mean the world caters to you.

Yes I will gladly pour shots for your party of 10 rowdy guys. I will even have one with your insistence. And no that shot I just poured for myself doesn't count as my tip.

Be kind to your bartender. For those who drop a $5 or $10 without asking for change thank you. You don't know how much we appreciate it!

Spoil Me

My good friend brought this all the way from Paris just for me! How lucky am I? How jealous are you? Le Bordier Butter isn't available here in the US. That's because Jean-Yves Bordier makes them in small batches by hand in a small shop in Brittany. He use the best cream from select herds of Holstein and Norman cows that graze in pastures not far from Rennes, in Brittany. The cream is allowed to sour for 36 hours to develop its flavor. Every batch is finished using a wooden device called a malaxeur, which grinds the already churned butterfat particles at a very slow speed to yield an extra-smooth butter. He learned this skill from his grandfather and father. Each piece is then cut from a freshly made motte and shaped by hand with wooden paddles and carefully wrapped in wax paper. My favorite flavor is beurre aux algues. Flecks of green and purple seaweed, harvested by Bordier's friend, add just the right amount of salt and subtle umami flavor to the already sweet and creamy butter. I can just imagine how good it is in L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon's delicate scallop dish. Me I just cut it up like charcuterie and layer it on top of a slice of good baguette. Now I know what heaven is like.

CAKE

I'm thinking about cake this morning. This year for my birthday I would like a cake or slice from each of the places that I love!

Strawberry Shortcake from Dubois
Green Tea Cake from Yeh's Bakery
Cheesecake from Eileen's Cheesecake
Green Tea Millefeuille Cake from Lady M
Lemon Cake from Del Frisco Steakhouse
Chocolate Cake from ?

I'm still on the search for my favorite chocolate cake. Since I lean more towards fruity light flavors I usually tend to buy those and I don't give a chance to the chocolate cakes. But I do love me some chocolate cake. I'm looking for one that is not too sweet or heavy. Something with a chocolate cake layer, dark chocolate mousse, and ganache. Does anyone have any suggestions? Leave a comment and let me know where you get your favorite cake!