Imo, Le Coucou is better than La Mercerie. It’s not cheap, but there are some great bites there. I had a better experience with Le Coucou’s dinner than its brunch, though brunch wasn’t bad at all. Wine markups are all across the board, some pretty outrageous (Krug) and some not bad at all - we got a couple bottles of vintage Billecart-Salmon for a relatively good value for a restaurant of this type (just over 2x when I’ve seen this bottle go for 2.5-3x at several others). I really, really liked Le Coucou’s fried soft-shell crab with dill and the pike quenelles de brochet with champagne beurre blanc and fines herbes.
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Anyone got a recent pic of the lunch menu? Are they still doing the sandwich thing?
It’s the Boursin. Try some of that stuff straight and it’s super salty! I also think it may have seemed more undercooked because of the Boursin, too, but I wasn’t there so you are the arbiter to trust with that. I tend to agree with you that the PT omelet is over-rated and that the Boursin is a cheap trick that overstays its welcome.
I still like their omelet, but I can turn out omelets like without much fuss and I’d like to use less Boursin, a better cheese . . . or no cheese at all.
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Petit Trois (Highland only) has never made me happy.
Petit Trois (Highland only) has never made me happy.
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You’re right.
That’s terrible that you’re paying the “service charge” before tax…compounded by the dilemma on the general public who would not likely want to tip any more after an 18% charge.
Shit…I didn’t even read clearly. The last portion of the receipt says the entire service team shares the tip? So the person busting their ass and actually doing the work doesn’t even get the whole tip? Also, what about the counter seats? Service is usually taken care of by the kitchen team with maybe an assist from some FOH who refills water glasses…it’s been a while since I’ve been in. I forget how it works.
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This restaurant is out of my financial comfort zone. However, If I did dine there, I would surreptitiously ask my server if he/she was indeed receiving an “equitable wage.”
If the answer was “No,” I would never again give one red cent to the greedy, amoral owner(s) preying on sympathetic customers.
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I think the idea is that the 18% service fee is going to the general fund to pay the assumed better-than-average wages to bring everyone’s standard of living up, and then you’re free to tip additional ON TOP of the 18% if you’re a good person.
/s
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Petit Trois has had a service charge for years.
That’s the fucking law in California. The state also says that tips can go only to staff who directly serve customers, employers are forbidden to require employees to tip out. Employers can also get in trouble if they say the service charge is for health insurance and/or a living wage and use it for any other purpose.
Don’t go to Europe if service charges bother you.
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just keep in mind that this is L.A. and servers are going to be paid 14.25 plus tips which is much better than the rest of the country and at a place like Petit Trois they are going to walk out with 200 a night in tips plus hourly.
if this system allows ownership to pay hard working cooks a little better as well maybe it’s not such a bad thing. Although it is going to take a while to change minds on that
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The problem is not the service charge. The problem is the service charge and the audacity to include an additional tip line and a spiel on the receipt.
I don’t complain when I go to KazuNori.
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Honestly, I’d be happier if they just charged 18% more for the food. Then there would be no need to have any discussion.
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Yeah but that’s too reasonable and Americans at large can’t handle it.
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I honestly have no problems with this. I normally tip 20% of total bill including tax, so this would actually save me some money. I’m just not going to add any additional tip if it’s automatically added to the bill, regardless of what they call it.
My issue is more with the 3-5% heathcare or administrative fees that restaurants are adding and still be expected to tip 20% on top of that.
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Do Europeans tip?
We don’t seem to be handling the way they’re doing it now very well either, so…
How ‘bout a 20% service charge and no tip line?
