There was a restaurant now since closed that I saw this happen more than once. The bartender and some of the staff routinely subbed wines and drinks out of convenience, no, laziness. It wasn't a high end place so they could get away with it (until they went out of business). One time they had a contest to see how many different red wines other than his choice they could give a customer before he noticed. He never did. Of course, by your fourth or fifth glass of wine, who can really tell? These weren't subtle differences. If he ordered merlot, he got chianti, cabernet, Shiraz and a jug CA .burgundy.

One bartender refused to make fancy drinks even if he knew the recipe. You got the cocktail of scorn: vodka, pineapple and grenadine. His theory was that people were stupid and would accept anything red as legitimate. Rum runner, zombie, Singapore sling, crazy kangaroo, demon seed, all the same drink. Top with a cherry, orange slice and a sneer.

This was an aberration though. Did I mention that they went out of business?

Have long suspected this. Also consider the circumstances. You're out with family, friends, perhaps celebrating an occasion, are you going to stop and call the staff on this? Usually not. Realize that most restaurants don't do this but I have one specific one in mind. Also on occasion serves very weak (read watery) wine. Hmmm.......

CONSPIRACY THEORISTS,HUH?

SHOULDN'T WE CALL OLIVER STONE??

I know how you feel. One time I ordered a Riunite, but I'm sure the countergirl filled my plastic cup with Boones Farm instead.

I feel you. I know know how many times I've ordered a coke, and gotten a diet coke. It is one of the main reasons I tend to just drink tap water when I'm out (the other being that I actually don't like soda that much).

What about the coffee vs. decaf. When I was much younger I worked at a budget chain steak house. The rule was if you're weeded you can serve decaf instead of caff. but never under any circumstances do you give a person caff if they asked for decaff.

Hey, Buck? Are you near Pike National Park?

Sometimes it's best to simply order the House White...although I did that in one restaurant recently and what the sever brought was blushing pink. Turned out that the "House White" was White Zinfandel.

Hey, Buck? Are you near Pike National Park?

I am...maybe 20 miles north. What? Is some station back there running that story? (Because you are the second one that asked this morning.

Now THAT'S what I call Farm Town.

KDM, we've had a thread or two on that before. Seems more than one place in town serves everyone decaff. Which explains why so much of the coffee in town is so bad.

I've always wondered how often restaurants and bars refilled nice bottles of booze w/ cheap stuff.

If you brita filter some cheap plastic bottle vodka, you could pour it into empty bottles of Grey Goose, and i doubt anyone could tell the difference

Is some station back there running that story?

Actually, the front page of Sun online was running:

http://www.kdvr.com/news/kdvr-marijuana-growbuststory-072309,0,2776880.story

which has since been moved to the National news page.

(Linking skills haven't been functioning since the new blogware. I can't actually blame the blogware with a straight face, but I will make the observation.)

Just remember that one link seems to get past auto-publish, but if you do more than one link in one comment, you'll have to e-mail me to post it by hand. EL

Dan, it is totally illegal to re-use or refill any liquor or wine bottle. If the liquor board catches a restaurant or bar doing this it could resort in a hefty fine. Not to say it doesn't happen but better places don't do it.

Must be a slow news day in Baltimore.

I'm reading the comments last first, and I thought you were making a snarky comment about my post. :-) EL

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO YAGO SANGRIA?

A little while ago, at a hotel bar near Bethesda, I was sitting with some new work colleagues and ordered a glass of Ravenswood Zin. I was served a glass of white zinfandel, and even though I didn't want to make a bad impression with my new colleagues, there was no way I was drinking white zin. I had to get up and flag down a server.

I'm a server myself and yes it sometimes does happen. I can't recall seeing the bartender pouring a cheap and charging for a more expensive on though.

After all unless the bartender is worried about alcohol cost. What's the point. It's not his booze.

But,when the restaurant is balls to the wall, right or wrong, it wil happen out of convienance. Yes, I know that it's not what the guest ordered but every now and then a guest has to take one for the team.

Here's a chance for the D@L gang to make a difference and support law enforcement. Let's send these poor guys a couple dozen cookie and brownie recipes or their throats and lungs will be killing them:

"Jefferson County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Jacki Kelley said the marijuana would be burned."
Re: http://www.kdvr.com/news/kdvr-marijuana-growbuststory-072309,0,2776880.story

Yo, Bucky, I just thought of another feature for the street food vendor biz.

...it's not what the guest ordered but every now and then a guest has to take one for the team.

I know I didn't leave a tip. But every now and then the server needs to take one for the team.

jl reported: Jefferson County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Jacki Kelley said the marijuana would be burned.

Hmmm...what are the chances I'll be downwind from the Great Pot Bust Evidence Conflagration?

Yes, I know that it's not what the guest ordered but every now and then a guest has to take one for the team.

john,
you wouldn't by chance work at golden west would you?

oops that was me didn't mean to be anon.

Jefferson County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Jacki Kelley said the marijuana would be burned.

Some top notch police work. I understand 80 years ago Jefferson County, as part of their moonshine eradication program, disposed of some bathtub gin by diluting it with tonic water.

Good one, RoCK. I know a deputy. I'm going to use that with him.

How about being charged for a $12 glass that was open the day before and tastes like a $6 glass? I'll bet they think customers can't tell that difference either.

Michael A. Gray wrote Turned out that the "House White" was White Zinfandel.
That is just wrong--on so many levels.

As a restaurant owner and someone in a business who takes wines seriously, we do not make substitutes for a sold out wine without first asking the customer. We will always try for a substitute and taste the guest first to be sure it is acceptable. On occasion and most likely when we are slammed, we do make mistakes so always ask our guest to let us know so we can fix it.

I am surprised no one said this, but since you were charged for the cheaper, maybe the server placed the order in the computer wrong, hence you were charged for the cheaper, and originally got the cheaper. I know in a lot of chains, the waitstaff input the order, including bar order, into a computer and just pick up at the bar, instead of directly going to the bartender. When you confronted the waitress, she may have realized her mistake and just went to get the correct drink. My 2 cents.

Yes, I know that it's not what the guest ordered but every now and then a guest has to take one for the team.

John, a "guest" is not a member of the "team". The "guest" is the customer who pays your salaries and keeps you employed and never "has to take one for the team".

While we are on the subject of wine, Crush at Belvedere Square has a Monday night special. If you order food ($20 or more) you can get any bottle of wine under $100 for half price. My calculator said this was a better deal than wine by the glass, and they will bring you a bag to take the bottle home if you don't finish it off. Oh--and the gazpacho with crab was killer, too!

Hi Elizabeth,
Often times after a game of golf or tennis, with a little time to go before a dinner date at a different location, I love to sit and enjoy a glass of wine. With no need or desire to order a whole bottle, I look at the "by the glass wine list". After selecting one or two that I might be in the mood for, I always ask for which ever one would come from a FRESH bottle. Too many times, we are served a flat, dull wine that has been sitting for a while and lost all its fruit. Whether it's a crisp unoaked Chardonnay or a lively zesty Sauvignon Blanc, it's got to be fresh! If the wine arrives, and the aroma is hard to locate, ask them to open a fresh bottle or choose again. Life is too short to sip on a wine, or any drink for that matter and not enjoy. Cheers!
Georgia
www.thewineladies.com

The comment from Elizabeth goes to the bigger point. A bottle of Mondavi Napa Chardonnay that's open for even one day turns into Mondavi Northcoast, yet they still charge you for the Napa, which is akin to false advertising. Most restauranteurs just assume the customer doesn't know the difference.