AMA: The New Rules for Tipping
Every week I take your questions. This week, we talk about service charges, jet lag and tinned fish—among many other subjects!
Happy Friday from New York City! We received some great questions this week. Paid subscribers who would like me to answer questions about dining, cooking, travel or whatever (pro wrestling and guitars have come up a bit lately) can leave them in the comments section below.
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This week’s questions:
Taft
My city passed a ballot initiative to phase out the tipped minimum wage, and lots of restaurants now have service fees on their bills. Lots of them have added fees since the pandemic. I’m often confused whether I should tip on top of those fees, and I don’t always understand why I’m paying them. Do you have any advice?
Tim
I love tinned fish, especially mackerel. Do you have any favorite ways of using the oil from the tins?
Eben
Every time I see you, you’re in a different time zone. How do you deal with jet lag?
Julie
I'm trying to re-create the guava bread from Ani’s Bake Shop in Hawaii. It's got me stumped. The texture is tender yet glutinous with a oozy guava goo. Hard to find a decent Portuguese sweet bread recipe or decent Hawaiian bread recipe. Thinking babka may be close, or a stollen dough—any ideas?
Curly
One of my favorite dishes with sardines is "Fisherman's Eggs," have you ever tried it?
Shawn C
I’m not sure you can remember, but years back there was an episode you did in Trinidad (where i'm from). You highlighted a particular food vendor named Althea. I went to school with her before I left Trinidad and have been trying to find that episode, but to no avail. Where can I see old episodes of your shows?
Shawn G
So, are there any tinned fish that don't taste fishy? Or is that the whole purpose of tinned fish to give that fishy taste?
Ewa
My family is planning a trip to the area around Puerto Vallarta this summer. What should we eat?
As for tinned seafood & fish, I have you to thank and thus, a tip of hat on such delicacies, so big thumbs-up... actual about 10 months ago I was the AZ.com, and there was an "ingredients" video talking about a jarred tuna, and they make a fish sauce you really like, which ingredient video was it??? Smoked mussels, clams, anchovies, etc...
Tipping is a very issue because there are a ton of factors and considerations... to start, caliber or restaurant, premier, upscale, casual ( what degree of casual?), street vendors, food trucks, etc...
Then regardless of the caliber of restaurant, quality of the ingredients, meats, seafoods, poultry, any unique ingredients or sourcing issues... Then the quality a the service, wait staff, back of house, chefs and line-staff, etc... Unfortunately, the mood of the diners may play a factor... you had a crappy day, "I'm home honey... Worst day ever... I too dear, had a horrible day... so let's go out for dinner"...
>> I wouldn't want to be that night's serve....
Do all Substack come in chronological order? I’ve been a subscriber for over a year and March 29, 2022 #18 was never sent. I notified the powers that be previously and never received any reply. I don’t know how else to address the missing addition which was part of my subscription. Thanks in advance.