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Posted: 07.19.2003 When I get what I want, I never want it again ![[the fortune]](http://www.tampatantrum.com/ispy/fortune.jpg) Last night we met Stacy and Dan for a lovely dinner at the new P.F. Chang's China Bistro in Tampa. It was a first-time thing for all of us. We've heard you left-coasters rave about them forever, but they're just making their way over here to the Sunshine State. So as I set the mood...imagine new rave-restaurant, Friday night, in the big city... [Sidebar: Dan and Stacy got there a few minutes before we did because we were stuck with the slowest clerk ever to run a cash register at Burdine's. She actually asked us, "Are you in a hurry to make your purchase this evening?" "Ummmm...no lady. We just put it on the counter for you to stress over. We can come back next week if that would be more convenient for you."] Anyhoo, they registered a table for four and were asked, "Indoors? Outdoors? Or first available?" Not realizing a monsoon was on its way, they chose "first available" -- and even that option that had an hour-wait attached. Shortly thereafter we walked inside, we all found a seat, and began to catch-up and chit-chat -- soon immersing ourselves in geeky conversation such as Battlestar Galactica and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. That's when the vibrator, errrr, I mean pager went off. So the four of us made our way up to the podium wishing and hoping and praying we weren't being given an outdoor table because the visibility outside was about 2" by this time. There were people at the outside tables already, but I'm sure they won't need to shower for at least a week. So the check-in girl grabs a 2-foot pile of menus to hand to the hostess, who whispers something to her. Then the hostess walks off -- without the menus and without us. Then she comes back. Then another comes up. By this time, we're wondering what in the hell is up. Soon they inform us that another couple just walked in and sat down at our table. Without a reservation. Without a hostess seating them. They just waltzed in the restaurant on a Friday night and expected service. But that wasn't the kicker. They didn't mistake the place for a seat-yourself kinda venue. Oh no. They refused to leave our table when asked. Flat-out refused. So then the staff was left arguing about what to do and who to do it. And still we stand there at the podium. Finally someone, somehow must have convinced them to get up because they were quickly ushered right by us. (Oh how Stacy and I wanted a piece of 'em!) Imagine if you will the quintessential Bon Jovi Joi-sey girl. (Not that there's anything wrong with that...) Hair up to there, dress down to there. And as they breezed past the podium (where the poor girl in tow was trying to get them to register for a table), the man actually had the audacity to open up the patio doors and say, "Can you seat us here now?" As the poor hostess stammered all over herself, she was quickly rescued by the woman who claimed there was no way she was going outside in the rain and humidity because -- horror of horrors -- her hair would go flat. And we were off to our table to miss the rest of the free show... Can you believe the nerve to just waltz in some place on a Friday night like that and seat yourself? Fortunately one bite of the Peking Dumplings and my mind went numb, never to ponder it again that evening!  Did you get the lettuce wraps? Oh god, now I want some. mmmm. ¤ ¤ credit: Joelle | 07.19.03 at 12:15 PM | link- -this ¤ ¤ Unfortunately, there are people like that and my family had a couple waltz in and take a table from us when I was younger. It sucks. All you can do is not let your dinner be a catastrophe, hope they don't enjoy their meal (OK, that's a little evil on my part but sometimes, you can't help it), and hope that it happens to them one day in the future. ¤ ¤ credit: Shawn | 07.19.03 at 12:17 PM | link--this ¤ ¤Nope Joelle -- there were so many things to try. We got the Peking Dumplings and Dan and Stacy got the Spring Rolls and Northern-Style Spare Ribs. Then we all mixed and matched. But Lettuce Rolls are up next-visit, most definitely! I've heard nothing but good things about 'em... ¤ ¤ credit: robyn | 07.19.03 at 12:20 PM | link--this ¤ ¤Holy holy... the lettuce wraps. They are the reason for P.F. Changs, I swear. Well, that and their garlic snap peas... and their spicy shredded pork... ok. I need to order chinese today. ¤ ¤ credit: Joelle | 07.19.03 at 12:23 PM | link--this ¤ ¤HEY! Why didn't we think of that? We should have just seated our damn selves that night we waited for an hour AFTER our reservation at the Rain Forest Cafe!!! That's what we should have done, Robyn!!!! Damn ¤ ¤ credit: yvonne | 07.19.03 at 12:50 PM | link--this ¤ ¤Girl, you ain't lyin'! ¤ ¤ credit: robyn | 07.19.03 at 12:54 PM | link--this ¤ ¤Thing is all PF Changs have bar tables that you can get a full menu at. If you're in a hurry to eat next time, just surf the bar tables. Especially if it's just a twosome... ¤ ¤ credit: Kevin | 07.19.03 at 12:56 PM | link--this ¤ ¤yeah, we like to go to pf changs when we're low on cash but still want to eat nice. we get the wonton soup (to die for, with shrimp and pork and water chestnuts) for an appetizer, and an order of lettuce wraps each for an entree. ask for rice with it, and it's a cheap meal that's soooo yummy, and we get out for about $20 + tip. ¤ ¤ credit: halla | 07.19.03 at 01:07 PM | link--this ¤ ¤OK, I confess. We did that once. At a Ruby Tuesdays. I don't think it was on a Friday night, though. We were sitting at the bar waiting for our table and a table opened up and we waited like 15 minutes and they didn't seat anyone so we sat there. No one seemed to notice or care, though. They just came over and took our order. (I would have gotten up if they asked me to. Maybe they didn't ask me to move because it was safer than me falling off the barstool?) ¤ ¤ credit: Zuly | 07.19.03 at 01:13 PM | link--this ¤ ¤Kev, I never saw an open one at the bar the entire time we were there. The place was PACKED being new and a Friday night and all. And Zuly, a table open for 15 minutes is a bit different than the madhouse it was last night. I'd have probably done the same thing in that instance. :-) ¤ ¤ credit: robyn | 07.19.03 at 01:15 PM | link--this ¤ ¤Dude, I so would have just sat down with them and asked them if they'd heard the most annoying sound in the world (ala "Dumb & Dumber"), ate some of their food from their plates, then acted like a total mental patient until they got scared and left. But that's just me... ¤ ¤ credit: Ashley | 07.19.03 at 01:34 PM | link--this ¤ ¤Those bar tables are a bitch to come by. The reason you never saw one empty: The PF Chang Bar Table Surfer: The strategy is after checking in, if you spread out in the bar an stay near the ones who are finishing their food you can hop on the table the minute they leave. That's how the game is played at PF Changs and Outback. It can really be worth it though, turning a 2hr wait into a 5 minute wait. ¤ ¤ credit: Kevin | 07.19.03 at 01:43 PM | link--this ¤ ¤That's what drives me crazy about some people. The idea that somehow they are better than the others and they can do whatever they want, whenever they want. Can you image if those people become celebrities? Oh... good grief! ¤ ¤ credit: Be | 07.19.03 at 01:50 PM | link--this ¤ ¤I kicked someones ass once for doing that shit. Sure it ruined the evening, the girl left me, but man did it feel good to take dude outside, put the smack down on him and walk off. I bet he and that nasty thing he was with will never do that again....Ah, the good ol days in New York, when my dad hired a guy named Jimmy Sasperrini in his plumbing business, then one day, Jimmy took off. A few months later, he drives up in a sky blue caddy, steps out wearing a silk armani and I says to him I says "Jimmy! Where ya been? Why did ya quit my dad?" he looks at me scratching his chin and says "Eh, I got udda intrests" Oh, sorry, having a saprano's meltdown here ;-) -this ¤ ¤dood! I would have gone POSTAL! ¤ ¤ credit: ruthie | 07.19.03 at 02:52 PM | link--this ¤ ¤Wow, theres been a P.F. Chans here for as long as I can remember. Well 4 years since thats as long as I've been here. Florida must be the last state on the list. How rude of those people! I always do the bar table surfing myself unless there are more than 4 of us. Sometimes you can get lucky. ¤ ¤ credit: jay | 07.19.03 at 03:59 PM | link--this ¤ ¤Some people just don't understand the concept of a line. ¤ ¤ credit: sean | 07.19.03 at 04:08 PM | link--this ¤ ¤We always get the lettuce wraps - they are to die for. I get the honey glazed shrimp and it's quite delicious. Mmmmmm. ¤ ¤ credit: Kymberlie R. McGuire | 07.19.03 at 05:08 PM | link--this ¤ ¤Now that could have gotten interesting in a state like *this* one where concealed weapons are the norm. Dare I say somone would have been hopping away with their one good foot? ¤ ¤ credit: Kitty | 07.19.03 at 06:24 PM | link--this ¤ ¤it's happened to me, I hate it so much - I made a big deal over it once too with the people who took my table at Cheesecake Factory. PF Chang is soo good, It's sometimes a hard choice for me since its right next to Cheesecake Factory :D ¤ ¤ credit: mike | 07.20.03 at 02:59 AM | link--this ¤ ¤It seems there's more of those jerks around than there used to be. Not just in restaurants either. They usually drive an Audi, Lexus or BMW. ¤ ¤ credit: Hondo | 07.20.03 at 02:00 PM | link--this ¤ ¤You want to talk geeky? I run 3 Battlestar Galactica fanlistings AND I'm trying to get up to Atlanta for DragonCon end of Aug because guests include from BGalactica, Richard Hatch and Boomer Jefferson, Jr. [with rumors of a last minute addition of Dirk Benedict] and from Buck Rogers, Gil Gerard and Erin Gray. LOL Terrible, eh? I just love classic sci-fi [ok, new stuff, too]. I've never eaten at PF Changs, myself, though I may have to try it based on the raves I've just read. For chinese in Orlando, I usually eat at Kim Wu's by Universal Studios. ¤ ¤ credit: Michelle | 07.20.03 at 10:00 PM | link--this ¤ ¤I cannot believe someone had the nerve to do that! Oh, and they aren't kidding about the lettuce wraps. Chicken wraps...get the chicken. Speaking of chicken, Changs Spicy Chicken is the best! Oh! If you like real cheesecake, try theirs. Mmmmmm..... ¤ ¤ credit: Camille | 07.20.03 at 10:49 PM | link--this ¤ ¤Sounds about right for PF Changs. Hope the food was good! ¤ ¤ credit: Da Goddess | 07.20.03 at 11:52 PM | link--this ¤ ¤what a bunch of felgercarb! ¤ ¤ credit: mikey | 07.21.03 at 11:38 AM | link--this ¤ ¤Arggggg!!! I can't believe the gawl.....really....and what a disgrace to all BonJovi-esque women out there ;-) Hey, I have big hair....it just can't be helped sometime (thick, curly, you know)...AND....Bon Jovi still gets my heart racing.....yeah I know.....I am a geek.....Anyway..degrading to us real women! -this ¤ ¤I completely believe that. I was at Outback with about 8 ladies from work. We were finishing up and getting our checks in order when some late teens girl comes over to our table and asks us to leave because their "party" was waiting for our table. The server and manager were just speechless! So we took an extra 15 minutes getting out. LOL ¤ ¤ credit: Mandie | 07.21.03 at 09:08 PM | link--this ¤ ¤Unfortunately, I can imagine. As a former hostess, I can saying being a hostess is the shittiest job in the restaurant. The restaurant I worked at had indoor and outdoor seating, with up to a 3 hour wait for an outside table on nice weekends. And people would do that shit all the time. And that wasn't even the worst job I've ever had. ¤ ¤ credit: theresa | 07.22.03 at 01:32 PM | link--this ¤ ¤I laughed so hard reading all this. I worked at PF Changs in Maryland for over 2 years...it was complete hell in some cases. Believe it or not, people do that "take any random open table" shit ALL THE TIME. I have the worst temper in certain situations and I just can't stand when people think they're better than someone else. Just had to vent. Welp..I've got an interview @ The Boston location on Thursday..man I suck. ¤ ¤ credit: Lisa | 08.17.03 at 10:31 PM | link--this ¤ ¤
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