[quote=“stan”]I’m damned impressed with the way Bob Marshall handles, and reponds, to criticism and suggestions from patrons. Bob, be assured, next time I’m in Taipei, I’ll be in Carnegies. You’re doing great mate!
Stan - Hsinchu (Xinzhu)[/quote]
Thanks Stan. 
Bob
Former husband of food critic for the Arizona Republic newspaper: “The only qualification you need to do that job is to have a mouth.”
Mr. Reinhold,
Fair enough. However, the best way to make observations is to see for yourself rather than rely on third-party comments and hearsay which, I am sure you will agree is a rather loose way to construct and reinforce an argument. Referring to us obliquely as a ‘fancy restaurant’ is perhaps the nicest thing you have ever said about us for which you have my thanks. As usual, I can’t say I entirely agree with that epithet but nonetheless our food is good and well above the average and often far exceeding the expectations our customers have before coming here. That exceeding of expectations is the reason we have more than doubled the food side of our business in the last 12 months.
Anyway, in the spirit of enlightenment and to help you understand what we do, how we do it and why we do it, the offer of lunch is still open and I have reserved a table in here for 12.30 p.m. today should you wish to accept the offer.
I shall look forward to seeing you, should you accept and fear not; there is no need to wear protective headgear.
Best Regards,
Bob Marshall
General Manager
Carnegie’s Taipei
I went to Carnegies twice in July with two different sets of customers. This was the first two times that I have been to Carnegies and I have been in Taiwan for over 7 years. I guess I thought it was an old guys bar and the famous dancing on the bar actually is not my kind of place. Now I am an old guy, but still under 40.
With the clients from Manchester we sat outside and I had the Steak and Kidney pie to get in the spirit and I drank Belgian beer. The clients liked the place. I loved the food. The second client was from Germany and we drank Erdinger and had ribeye steaks. The steaks were excellent. The service was quite good. Both times we sat outside for dinner and drinks and left just as it was getting crowded at around 9:30.
So far the food, seems excellent and I will go back for that as I want to try other things on the menu to see if I can discover something that is sub par.
[quote=“Hobart”]
So far the food, seems excellent and I will go back for that as I want to try other things on the menu to see if I can discover something that is sub par.[/quote]
Thanks for the positive feedback, Hobart. I hope you fail in your mission to ‘discover something that is sub par’. 
A bit odd though to choose to go to a bar with the intent to find something that you don’t like! 
Cheers,
Bob
[quote=“TpeBob”] A bit odd though to choose to go to a bar with the intent to find something that you don’t like! [/quote]I am a critic and cynic. I can’t believe everything there is good. TGIFridays, Chili’s and even the ACC restaurants all have something that is not great on their menu (TGIF has a lot that is not great on their menu). My report was basically, so far so good. I am testing your place before I declare it the best western food in Taipei.
Disclaimer: This has nothing to do with Mr. Bob!
Sandman:
Actually, this is completely different from a “25 years of age and above” entry policy.
The sign that says, “We retain the right to refuse service to anyone” is basically about one thing: a subjective, case-by-case determination if a possible patron could endanger the safety of customers or detract from their dining/drinking pleasure.
Should someone try to enter an establishment who is very intoxicated, loud and appears belligerent, the management could take the initiative to disallow entry, for example. I don’t think this could be construed to be discriminatory.
On a lesser note, the management could also deny entry to someone who appeared unable to pay, but this is very rare (although I myself have been in the position of not allowing vagrants to be served food until they could prove they had money to pay).
The reasons for this policy are clear.
However, to deny entry into a food and drink establishment on the objective criterion of age
Well Wolf, in the UK there are all kinds of restrictions on entry to pubs and clubs, depending on the type of clientele they wish to attract and cater toward. No trainers (sneakers, basketball shoes, whatever you call them) is a very common one. No-one under 21 is another very common one (legal drinking age is 18 in UK), and no-one under 25 is fairly common too, especially at the more upmarket joints. This, at least in the UK, is SOP.
“Who would want to go to Carnegie’s on ladies night if you couldn’t see 18-year-olds dancing on the bar?”
Actual quote.
I’ve got a copy for you, Bob.
I was in there too some time over the last few days but I can’t remember anything. Effeeee, or however you spell her name, should get a medal. She was running around like a blue-arsed fly and happy as Larry. Not that I was looking at her arse, of course. Em, er.
Is that on the Alleycats door too?
Yep, a big one.
[quote=“wolf_reinhold”]However, to deny entry into a food and drink establishment on the objective criterion of age
“Who would want to go to Carnegie’s on ladies night if you couldn’t see 18-year-olds dancing on the bar?”
Actual quote.[/quote]
(That’s a fair enough quote. What’s wrong with girls dancing on bars ? I’ve just had an awful thought - you’re not Ian Paisley are you ?)
Here we go again. Wolf is being deliberately obtuse.
Almost every nightclub or bar with a queue for entrance has to have some door policy, and the vaguer and less capable of definition it is, the better. The purpose for this is to bar anyone they don’t like or don’t think will spend enough money. Getting people to pull out their wallets to prove they’re over 25 has been done in Dublin since I worked there in 1991. People are going to get arsey if you tell them they’re 17 (18 is the drinking age in Ireland) but not if you accuse them of being 24. As soon as the wallet comes out you have a look see if they’ve got any loot - if not they’re not getting in. Anyway, the rule first came about in Dublin because the bars were full of 13 year-old lads having four pints getting in a fight and then puking all round them. The punters with money, blokes in their 20s and 30s wouldn’t go to such places.
Of course the rule doesn’t apply to girls ! I tell you what, why don’t we have women over 25 and teenage blokes ? Who’s going to buy the drinks !?
And as for discriminatory ? Isn’t the whole thing discriminatory against the poor ? Shouldn’t everything be free ? What happens if you’ve got no money etc…?
A pub can put any conditions it likes on entry to the premesis, or refuse entry absolutely at its discretion without having to supply a reason.
Hexuan…er…yes…you are right. We must have been typing at the same time.
Bob
Talk about being obtuse…
Record fast service this Sunday, Blob. The extra floor staff made a big difference. Now all you need to do is add a complimentary bottle of Bacardi to the table decorations and it’ll be just the place to spend a Sunday afternoon.
The ‘no under-25s’ rule was introduced by Bob to try and keep me out. He was fooled by the fact that I act like an impoverished irresponsible student with nothing to contibute to his bar, and didn’t realise that actually I’m nearly 26.
When he realised his mistake he experimented with being unbelievably rude to me, but that didn’t work either, and now he’s stuck with the sign. He has also tried starving me, but that hasn’t worked so staffing levels have been increased in the hope of encouraging me to drink so much that I can’t afford to come back.
Bob, the only way to keep me out of your bar is to send that waitress home with me.
Mr Marshall whilst we are talking about age I will be 65 next month. Will I be able to get a discount on the entrance fee?