Apryl Foster

New Evidence in Apryl Foster case.

Recently some unfortunate news has come about in the case of the missing waitress Apryl Foster. A quick backstory is that Apryl was a young waitress working in the Tampa-Bay area in Florida when she went missing. It has been said that she only had one drink before she got into her car and was never seen again. Until recently some two boaters hit a car that was submerged in the lake and saw it on their underwater camera. After the car was pulled from the lake, the body of Apryl Foster was found inside. There is suspect of foul play from witnesses stating that she left with a mystery man.

Immediately after reading this story I put myself in Apryl's situation. How many times have I been hit on at work by some skeezy dude that has asked me to go with him? The answer is always simple. NO. Just no. Service industry folk work in an environment where anyone can be a client. I have served bums off the street a beer if they're a paying customer. That being said, not every bum is a serial killer. But we work in an environment where alcohol is encouraged. Going home with someone that you have just met is never something that is encouraged though.

New evidence in the Foster case shows that maybe she was not abducted. Witnesses are now saying that Apryl had more than one drink and was seen drinking heavily. There is now footage of her car being drove in to the lake. The tables have now turned. This case has went from an abduction to a drunk driving accident. After commenting on the Tip Me Over and Over Facebook page, fans had some comments of their own.

Melissa Dolbert stated, "It definitely sounds like the cops know something that they don't want the public to know about."

Stacy Morris stated, "Sounds fishy to me."

Kimber Brase Lockstone added, " I don't feel like there is the whole truth being told in this story! I feel like there is more to the story police are either willing to say or willing to look further into! I find it odd that one video shows her car parked for over 50 minutes, then a claim that the gate was tampered with, but they want to say it's a DUI! It's not adding up!"

All of our fans are right! Things aren't adding up. It is very unfortunate no matter what the circumstances are. We at TMOO cannot stress the fact that you should never drink and drive. And if you're going to hook up with a stranger at a bar, be smart about it. One night stands happen. We have all had one. But in cases like this, maybe it's best just to call a cab and go home. Condolences to her family and loved ones. 

RIP Apryl Foster. 

-TMOO

Happy Hour Adventures Part 2

My favorite blog to post! Happy Hour Adventures! This is where a guest and myself head out to a recommended Happy Hour in the city of San Francisco and give our review. This week we headed out a place called Chino in the Mission District. The food theme is asian fusion so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Let me start off by saying that as soon as you walk in, you are surrounded with pops of neon pink and lime green decor. Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough" was jamming from the speakers and I couldn't be happier. 

It was busy but nothing crazy. We walked right in and sat at the bar.  I, of course ordered a hibiscus margarita which was delicious per usual and my friend ordered a beer. (They have plenty to choose from on tap.) We ended up ordering the dumplings and shrimp fried rice. The rice was a little dry for my taste but the dumplings were on point. The best part of the meal came when the bartender placed 4 little jiggly cubes in front of me.

 I looked at him with confusion and said, "What is this?" He told me that those were their famous grapefruit jello shots covered in sugar.  I hate jello. HATE IT. I can't stand the taste and I can't stand the texture. But out of respect for our bartender I ate one. They were delicious. Almost too good. Before I knew it, I was eating another one.  I think I mentioned to my friend that this is the jello shots they do at Harvard. 

The atmosphere is what it's really all about here. The food was great and the staff was very friendly. The one thing I took away from this place was the grapefruit jello shots though. This is what a restaurant in  San Francisco is all about. They take simple things and make them better. And of course, organic...

Here is a link to their web site. I highly recommend it. 

CHINO SF

Ask for Tara. Tell her TMOO sent ya!

Fear of Saint Patricks Day

Saint Patty's day is coming up and do you what this means?! Drunk amateurs flooding the bars.

Back in the day, I loved St Pats. I didn't miss it for anything. My friends and I would run out and by cute little shamrock shirts and put green in our hair. By the end of the night, we were complete shit shows. It's a good time for sure but not when you are on the receiving end of St Pats Day. If you work at a bar, this is a real life nightmare. I should also throw in that I work at an Irish Pub. KILL. ME.

Picture this: 150 people jam packed in to a tiny little pub. Most of them inebriated from countless Irish Car Bombs, Jameson whiskey and Guinness. Mix in the fact that its a holiday that is based around drinking and you've got to work in the middle of all of it. Serving food and slinging drinks all in the hopes that you HOPE customers will remember to tip. Most holidays in the service industry can go one or two ways.

1.  You're going to get your ass kicked. That goes without saying. Hopefully you will have some awesome people who realize how busy you are and feel sorry for you. If not, you are going to have so many customers that no matter what they're tipping, you're making money. This is the best case scenario.
2. You're going to get your ass kicked. People are going to be so drunk and oblivious that they forget they are in an establishment and treat it like shit. Drunk people trash the place or better yet a fight breaks out. (My personal all time favorite.) 

I am hoping that with this post that I may be able to enlighten a few of you lucky readers out there to remember that people are working when you come in to a bar on Saint Patrick's day. Remember to be courteous. If you order drinks, its going to take longer to receive. Don't get made because your Long Island Ice Tea is taking a long time. It's coming. Another thing. Take off your backpack. If you're in a crowded bar and you walk in with a back pack, you're taking up way too much space. Leave it at home people.

Also, remember to have fun but be smart at the same time. When people know that they're going to be drunk people pouring out of the bars and on to the streets, they notice. A lot of muggings and pick pocketing happen around St Patrick's Day so remember to keep your belongings on you. Also, WATCH YOUR DRINKS ladies and gents. Do not set your drinks down and don't take something that has a fizzing pill in the bottom of it.  

To sum up, I love Saint Patrick's Day. I really do. If you go out, remember that the people working are getting their butts kicked so you can have a good time. Tip 20% if you have good service! Your server or bartender will love you and you'll probably get some free shots out of it.

Cheers!

-TMOO

To tip or not to tip?

This week with TMOO, I discovered another position in the service industry that is not at every restaurant. I am talking about hired entertainers. Some of these entertainers can be singers, violin players, maybe the occasional balloon animal guy, and whoever else may cater to the establishment. (No pun intended..) The reason why I wanted to acknowledge these people is because not everyone knows to tip them. Not only that, but not everyone does tip them after they provide their service.

I ventured out to San Francisco's Mission area to a great place called Puerto Alegre. I had been here once before with some friends because their margaritas are off the hook good. So is the guac......MOVING ON. While I was there a couple of mariachia singers were walking around and singing to the tables. This went on for a few minutes and everyone stopped to watch them play. They were very good needless to say. After they were done, they walked around with a bag to every table saying "Tip? Tip?". I wasn't sure how to take this. Is it rude for them to so bluntly walk up to a table and put someone on the spot for money? I mean, we didn't order mariachi singers with our tacos so why should we have to tip them right?

I get it. They provided a service but the service was not requested. However working in an industry where you live off tips, I understand the struggle. So I coughed up 5 bucks and put it on the table. They said thank you and then I was stuck with them at my table singing for the next 5 minutes. It was fun. We had a good laugh. Thank god there were margaritas.

Below is our famous mariachi singers. Bless their hearts...

Mariachi @ Puerto Alegre SF


I would love to hear other people's thoughts and opinions on this matter. Please feel free to let TMOO know!

Happy Hour Adventures

Greetings everyone! This week I discovered a restaurant in San Francisco's Cow Hollow district that has a great happy hour. Now, this normally wouldn't be a big deal but the place is very chic and looks like its overpriced. However the happy hour is unbelievable!

Unami sits off of Union Street and after walking by it a few times in the past, I was certain it was not going to be a place I would ever spend money in. The vibe is very uppity and trendy. Not my usual scene to say the least.  After their happy hour came highly recommended, it was time I tried it. So I grabbed a girlfriend and we headed down. As we walk up, there was already a line starting to form. The place opens at 5:30 pm which is when HH starts. It also ends 1 hour later at 6:30 pm so there's not a lot of time to spare.  As the doors open, the crowd comes flying in the place. The bartender handed us the menu and I couldn't believe it when I saw $5 dollar sushi rolls. The cocktails were great and the appetizers were cheap and delicious as well. The sticky bun bacon cheeseburger sliders are something that I will have dreams about for the rest of my life.  The sushi was very Americanized but tasty. I think our bill was around $50 bucks but for the amount of food and drinks we had, it was very reasonable. In one hour, I had managed to eat 2 rolls, 2 appetizers and 2 signature cocktails. It was a lot in a short about of time but I highly recommend Unami for Happy Hour.
http://www.umamisf.com

For more information on Unami SF, click the link above.

Cheers!

Lemme Introduce Myself.

Welcome to Tip Me Over And Over. This is a place where you can get helpful tips and advice on your dining/drinking experience. I myself am an experienced waitress and bartender for over 10 years. I grew up in the industry. My parents owned one of the hottest restaurants/bars in my hometown until I was 13 years old. I was waitressing when I was 10 years old.  At the ripe age of 19, I became a bartender.  It is what I know and love.  (Yes, it's legal in some areas to bartend under the age of 21.) Although it may not be the most glamorous job in the world, it is thriving and there is no denial in that. No matter what people eat and drink. People eat/drink when they are happy and people eat/drink when they are sad. This is a place where you can get the most out of your experience as well as develop an appreciation for server life.