Ruth's Chris score

I just booked a Ruth's Chris shop with you-know-who for January. This company gives a $200 reimbursement (not nearly enough, but that's a whole other post). So I went on the Ruth's Chris website and purchased a $200 gift card. For that I got a bonus $40 gift card. That will cover a round of drinks at the bar, pre-shop. Bonus card only good Jan, Feb or March so i will only do this deal once.

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Thanks! This prompted me to check you-know-who and snag my FIRST Ruths’ shop, AND I bought myself the gift card deal as soon as I got it - so DOUBLE thanks!
So you say the $200 won’t cover the tab - any ordering tips?

So you can use gift cards at the restaurant?

Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product. Eleanor Roosevelt

@non sequitur wrote:

Thanks! This prompted me to check you-know-who and snag my FIRST Ruths’ shop, AND I bought myself the gift card deal as soon as I got it - so DOUBLE thanks!
So you say the $200 won’t cover the tab - any ordering tips?

Check your local location as some have a prefix menu that will keep you close to the tab. Some also offer early dining and discounts. Each restaurant location has its own specials/pricing.

We usually order 1 prefix dinner, they have 2-3 different price levels based on the entree you order, so we can fulfill the shop required items and then we order any other item we like for the 2nd entree.

I did one and with the pre fixe menu, we spent just over $18. There was a second entree, salad, and dessert as well as the pre-fixe menu, and that included the tip but bo alcoholic beverage.

I have logged in daily for months and haven't seen these once. Maybe they don't even make it on the board. I'm in SoCal

They do seem to have the fixe menu, and it looks like I can stay in budget with it - noice!

Back to the OP: I think you can use both the $200 card, AND the $40 bonus (if the meal is in January), at the table, right? You don’t need to use the bonus at the bar beforehand, though it’s a nice way to get a drink “off the radar” before work.

I'm dying to try this restaurant, but the closest one is 1 1/2 hours from me. It's about halfway between where I live and where a good friend of mine lives, so I might arrange to meet her there. If only I could find the MSC! I think I might know who, but I've never completed the sign-up process with them. I start, then forget to finish. LOL.

I learn something new every day, but not everyday!
I've learned to never trust spell-check or my phone's auto-fill feature.

Be careful with those bonus cards the restaurants give out when you buy gift cards during the holidays. Most of them are not considered gift cards which are allowed on mystery shops usually. If you use them incorrectly you will not get reimbursement for your expense so in this case you would be reimbursed $160. Check with your scheduler and read the fine print on the bonus card carefully as often they show up on your bill as a free item. I have never gotten one from Ruth Chris but most I do get show up like a comped item would.

I-know-who. I Don't really do restaurants but I love puzzles! That was a good one.

That’s a good point about possible penalization for using the GC. I was thinking of using it if I was going to exceed the $200 budget at the table by $40, which would happen if I buy a bottle of wine…
… which reminds me of another question: can I buy a bottle of wine?: it says “2 drink max”, and I wonder how many glasses each they consider a bottle to be. Really it should be encouraged, because it’s acting like an authentic patron would (only a shopper would order 2 wines by the glass each, when they could just buy one bottle).

@non sequitur wrote:

That’s a good point about possible penalization for using the GC. I was thinking of using it if I was going to exceed the $200 budget at the table by $40, which would happen if I buy a bottle of wine…
… which reminds me of another question: can I buy a bottle of wine?: it says “2 drink max”, and I wonder how many glasses each they consider a bottle to be. Really it should be encouraged, because it’s acting like an authentic patron would (only a shopper would order 2 wines by the glass each, when they could just buy one bottle).

I would not buy a bottle without checking with the scheduler. Typically a bottle is at least three glasses. We typically buy glasses when we go out for dinner because both my husband and I like something slightly different. I may drink a white with my salad or appetizer and a red with my meal or I may want to try a couple of different things to see which one I like better.

For the fine dining I have done they have never allowed a full bottle of wine. They are usually interested in knowing how the glass was held when delivered, the timing of delivery which may be very different for a bottle, while sitting at the bar if that is part of the job also how they pour it. Glasses of wine have gotten smaller over time just like ice cream half gallons! so I am thinking there may even be 5 glasses in a bottle. The standard pour these days seems to be 5 to 6 ounces which would give you 4 to 5 glasses in a bottle. And if you have to do a bar visit first you have already used up at least one of your allotted 4 glasses for 2 diners.

I was told when I helped a family that owned a restaurant in France that you don't hold a wine glass by the glass if you're not drinking it. You hold it by the stem or the base. That way there are no observable fingerprints on the glass itself for the customer.

@sandyf wrote:

For the fine dining I have done they have never allowed a full bottle of wine. They are usually interested in knowing how the glass was held when delivered, the timing of delivery which may be very different for a bottle, while sitting at the bar if that is part of the job also how they pour it. Glasses of wine have gotten smaller over time just like ice cream half gallons! so I am thinking there may even be 5 glasses in a bottle. The standard pour these days seems to be 5 to 6 ounces which would give you 4 to 5 glasses in a bottle. And if you have to do a bar visit first you have already used up at least one of your allotted 4 glasses for 2 diners.

I have done 2 fine dining shops which required purchasing a bottle of wine with dinner. I don't drink so the two glasses the server poured were wasted. They sealed the remaining wine in the bottle which I give away to my daughter.

Not my circus - Not my monkeys @(*.*)@

~Polish Proverb~

Yes that is how every fine dining job I did wanted it held...by the stem. Now the have those tumbler wine glasses some places.

@wrosie wrote:

I was told when I helped a family that owned a restaurant in France that you don't hold a wine glass by the glass if you're not drinking it. You hold it by the stem or the base. That way there are no observable fingerprints on the glass itself for the customer.

I live in one of the most expensive markets on the east coast and was able to keep it a few cents under the $200 budget by ordering 1 meal from the pre fixe and modestly from the rest if the menu. Was even able to order an extra, non required drink! I think the pre fixe is really the key there as it includes so much and knocks out most of the requirements. But still, if you go a bit over, Ruths Chris for the price of a night at Applebees is still a bargain IMO. Great find with the gift card deal! Wish I eould have thought of it!

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