James Corden got skewered for his dining etiquette. How to act instead
Comedian James Corden is making headlines this week not for a hilarious joke, but for his alleged bad behavior at New York’s Balthazar restaurant.
Keith McNally, the prolific restaurant owner behind Balthazar and New York hotspots Morandi, Pastis and Minetta Tavern, posted on Instagram Monday that he’s banned Corden.
“James Corden is an extremely gifted comedian, but a tiny cretin of a man,” wrote McNally. “And the most abusive customer towards my Balthazar servers since the restaurant opened 25 years ago.”
McNally said he “86” doesn’t often see a client, but Corden does — and it wasn’t done for a laugh or in a good mood.
He shared that Corden complained to the Balthazar manager about a hair in his dish, who apologized, but that the comedian viciously took the complaint forward, demanding free drinks while threatening to leave negative reviews online. Then there was an incident involving an omelette where Corden allegedly “yelled like crazy at the server.”
Corden called McNally to apologize and his ban was lifted. “Anyone generous enough to apologize to a dead idler like me (and my staff) doesn’t deserve to be banned from anywhere. Especially not from Balthazar,” McNally wrote on Instagram.
The controversy got us thinking about restaurant etiquette. It’s acceptable to say something after you find a hair in your food and you don’t get what you ordered. But what is the best way to rectify the situation? We asked an etiquette expert:
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Keeping manners in mind makes all the difference when faced with a dissatisfaction at mealtime.
Jacqueline Whitmore, an etiquette expert and founder of The Protocol School of Palm Beach, tells USA TODAY that “honey can do more than vinegar, that’s the bottom line.”
“A lot of times when you’re rude, you draw attention to yourself and make other people feel terrible, and sometimes you make them look bad,” she said.
If you are friendly and direct, a situation can often be resolved in a restaurant. It’s important to understand that etiquette is situational.
Each staff and management system has different procedures, but their common goal is to keep guests happy. But “that doesn’t give a diner permission to be rude to the waiter,” Whitmore said.
Whitmore gave some pointers to four situations that can be unsatisfactory and can arise when eating.
Situation 1: It’s been a long time since you ordered food and it still hasn’t arrived.
How to answer: Start by raising the issue with your server, who will be your first point of contact. Ask politely about the waiting time and see if your waiter can see after the meal, you can express that your time is limited. Sometimes, Whitmore says, the manager steps in when the server can’t help.
What to expect: To make up for a long wait for food, Whitmore says she’s seen measures like a free dessert, a glass of wine, or even money off your bill — which you can ask for if you feel it would make up for your dissatisfaction. But you should never expect anything, she says.
Situation 2: You have made a reservation but upon arrival you are told that it does not exist.
How to answer: Whitmore recommends providing proof of reservation or making a note of who you spoke to about a phone reservation.
What to expect: If the restaurant is wrong they should try to make amends and rectify the situation by offering to squeeze you in or offering you a drink at the bar while you wait for a table to become available while the Communication channels remain open guest.
Situation 3: The waiter brings you the wrong food or your order is wrong.
How to answer: This situation is very simple, says Whitmore. “You just say, ‘I didn’t order that. Maybe someone else at our table did, or maybe someone else.'” After that, make sure your colleagues can start eating while you wait for your correct order.
What to expect: When Whitmore dealt with it herself, she was compensated with dessert for the mistake. But sometimes it’s just a matter of waiting – “hopefully not too long”.
Situation 4: Your server is rude to you.
How to answer: In that case, Whitmore says, it’s best to get management involved.
“You definitely want to either write a letter to management and discuss it with management in person, or you can always leave a negative review online. But that’s an unfortunate thing because this server relies on his or her customers for tips. And you can always show your appreciation by increasing a tip, or show your dissatisfaction by leaving a smaller tip. Often this has a greater impact than anything else.”
What to expect: The manager then takes on the server. The manager can also do something for you, but it is not guaranteed.