As discussed yesterday, Yahoo ran a front-page story from creditcards.com on Friday discussing types of people who you cannot trust with your credit card. The Yahoo headline is pictured above and makes it clear that servers are on the list. While the actual article includes eight groups, the headline very clearly implies that you should […]
Faking It
As I was firing up the computer this morning, I received a frantic text from a friend. She has a first date coming up that she has been pretty nervous about. He finally picked the restaurant and from what she could tell, it did not seem like a place to order a beer. She decided […]
Introducing: Dining 101
When I started Foodie Knowledge, I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted it to become. I knew that I needed a home for all of my food related posts. The series of beef and smoked salmon dishes were obvious choices. I also knew that it would give me the chance to write more about the […]
Touched By A Server
Back in October, I did an interview with Helena Echlin from CHOW Magazine. The topic was whether or not it was appropriate for a server to touch a guest. I thought at first that it was a strange question. My initial instinct was that a server should never touch a guest. In the subsequent weeks […]
The Index
This index is designed to put all of the information available at Foodie Knowledge at your fingertips. Click on any of the links below to find the topic you are interested in. The best way to stay up to date on all posts on this blog is to become a fan on facebook. If you […]
Thank You Mister Robinson
(Note: I wrote this piece last week upon hearing this untimely news.) I never worked for Paul Robinson. To the best of my knowledge I never even waited on him. When I read today that he passed away on Monday it probably should not have affected me the way it did. Honestly, I am not […]
Food Allergies: A Responsible Approach
I have one hard and fast rule when it comes to waiting tables. No one dies on my watch. I have had several guests leave the restaurant in an ambulance, but none of them have died. It is a simple thing, but it helps me sleep better at night. I may not be changing the […]
Chef Nicolette: An Introduction
A few years ago I had the opportunity to work with a very talented and passionate pantry cook named Nicolette. She left not long after I started to attend culinary school. I advised against it. She has since graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and become an accomplished pastry chef. I asked her to […]
Designated Drinker: Egg Nog
(Note: With the Holidays around the corner, I thought this would be the time to share our resident bar expert’s Egg Nog recipe. Â I am surprised that more restaurants do not server this during the holiday. Â It is a easy sell and does more to put people in the holiday spirit than that tired old […]
The Great Debate (Introduction)
There are a number of topics about serving and restaurants that are open for debate. The opinions are generally split between those who have been in the industry and those who have not. It is very similar to the political process as it currently stands. Most people have chosen either the Server Party or the […]
Independent vs Corporate Restaurant Priorities
This morning I read an article regarding the rising costs of food and how restaurants will respond. In the article former server Charles Ferruzza finds a pair of local restaurant owners who say they will refuse to raise prices to compensate for the increase in costs. The owners discuss absorbing the costs themselves or reducing […]
About The Author
David Hayden was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri. He took his first serving job in 1996. Since that time, he has worked for over a dozen different restaurant companies. He has held both hourly and salaried positions at independent and corporate restaurants. He has waited on over 100,000 guests and trained hundreds of servers. He has been named "Best Server in Kansas City" the last three years by the local weekly paper.