Sisters

The Port St. Joe lunch scene is funny. Please allow me to give you a breakdown of the restaurants we have and the people who frequent them. As a note, these are not in order of preference.

1) Sisters Restaurant - a local cafe that serves one hot meal and a salad/sandwich menu. Good food, even better sweet tea. Free dessert with any purchase. Clients range from the social "elite" as they like to think of themselves, to the working-class roofers.

2) Peppers - the quintessential Mexican restaurant. Standard Mexican menu and quite good. Quick and easy lunch for business people if you don't mind smelling like an armpit all day. Clients are mostly 8-5 workers: city, county government, teachers, etc.

3) Provisions - a local grill/bistro/cafe with an upscale special of the day. Very impressive salads and sandwiches. Clients are mainly the "I don't get dirty at my job" people. Bankers, Insurance, Tennis moms, etc.

4) Sunset Coastal Grill - the only "finer" dining in the city. A beautiful location, building and view. Nice menu and very broad. Seafood, sandwiches, salads, platters, etc. Clients are mostly older. Not too many working business people as it takes up the full lunch hour to the minute. Some menu items are really really great, while others are a bit lacking.

5) Dockside Cafe - the restaurant at our local marina. It's basically outdoor dining - well sorta. The menu is limited. Things are served in baskets or plastic picnic plates. It's a great place if you've just come off the boat and are a drinker as it has a very extensive bar. Very pricey for what you get.

6) Great Wall - the local Chinese buffet - enough said. Clients are people who like buffets.

7) Fast Food - including Subway, McDonalds, Burger King.

I may be missing a few, but this just about sums it up. So, every place I have listed is typical restaurant. Either seat your self or someone will do it for you. Sarah and I really like to go to Sisters. A great family owns it. It's really good food. It's clean and friendly. Here's where I get confused......

Some people that go to Sisters "help themselves" to whatever they want. We'll call them the "helpers". They make their own drinks, get their own refills, get their own desserts, etc. Sarah and I don't do this. The owners and workers do not see these "helpers" as an annoyance. It almost seems like it is welcomed. I don't know if your supposed to just act on this entitlement yourself or are you supposed to be given the go-ahead. Sometimes I feel awkward thinking that the owners think that I'm demanding to be waited on. I'm not. I'd be perfectly happy getting everything myself.

So I got even more confused today and almost embarrassed because while Sarah and I were waiting for someone to get our drinks, this guy walks up to the drink station and says, "which one of these is sweet and unsweet?" He was clearly asking about tea. The owner pointed out which one was which to him and then he said it......"my mama didn't raise me to be waited on."

I felt like he was looking at me saying it. Kinda like..."Get off your butt and fix your own drink." I mean, I don't want to act like I own the place. I don't see a ton of people being "helpers", in fact, it's only a small group who do. Meanwhile......as we're waiting for someone to bring us dessert, one of the wait staff comes over and say, "did she get your dessert order?" I said, "yes". Then she says, "you know, if you need something you can just get it yourself or yell at us and we'll get it".

Panic!

Have they been talking about us because they think that we think we need to be waited on hand and foot? Was one of the owners like..."can someone go tell those two pretentious 20-somethings that they're mama don't work here and if they need something they can go get it?" I mean......my mama doesn't work there, but the only restaurant I've ever felt that entitled to do that in is the one we used to own. Sigh.

So now, I'm more confused than ever. If I start becoming a "helper" are people going to say, "why are they helping themselves?" The place is much too busy at lunch to ask for direction on the level you must reach before you acquire "help yourself status". I don't know what to do. We eat there about once to twice a week. What do I do?

I'm certainly not above doing it. I mean, I'll help myself. It'll actually save me $3.00 on a tip, right?

What would you do?