Caro on James is a sleek, trendy Italian eatery serving pasta, pizzas, cocktails, desserts, and brunch.

Its Sunday. I am heading out to this streamlined restaurant for brunch along with Debbie and local artist Megan Little.

Caro on James is located at 229 James Street North in downtown Hamilton. The atmosphere is cozy which allows the three of us to relax and have a great conversation.

Christina brings us the brunch and the lunch menu.

The three of us decide that we are going to split The 3 Little Pigs and The Omar Pizza with garlic dipping sauce.

The 3 Little Pigs is a fancy pepperoni with porchetta, robust tomato sauce, ricotta, and fior de latte cheese.

The fire pizza oven does the trick by accentuating the flavors and the honey glaze adds the right amount of sweetness.

The Omar has fried chicken, Carolina barbeque sauce, old bay corn, mozzarella, and cheddar and is drizzled with Gorgonzola. This pizza is out of this world.

Caro on James is a great restaurant to have a conversation with friends, delicious food, amazing service, and reasonable prices.

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Avanti Restaurant is located in Oshawa. The Trattoria is a family-owned Italian restaurant that offers amazing Italian food at an affordable price. At the core of Italian culture is food and conversation among loved ones, family, friends, and colleagues. I have been coming to Avanti for years as the food, ambiance, customer service, and all their offerings make me feel I am around friends. Avanti offers me an authentic Italian dining experience with Joel at the bar.

I love going to Avanti for its stone-fired pizzas and traditional Italian menu with a great vibe.

At the bar, Debbie tells Joel to create a cocktail, and he creates his magic.

Joel serves us some delicious warm bread with butter and we order the deep-fried and grilled calamari.

The grilled calamari with lime and balsamic vinegar is delicious. The deep-fried calamari is crispy and delicious.

The stone-fired pizza is delicious and gets us ready for the main course.

For the main course, Debbie orders the steak medium rare and I order the scallopini. Joel recommends having it with pasta. A match made in heaven.

What would a trip to an Italian restaurant be without having Tiramisu? Joel makes a cappuccino for me to wash down the dessert and for Debbie his coffee cocktail.

Avanti Restaurant never disappoints me. The cocktails are great, the pizzas and main courses are outstanding, the service is fabulous and the ambiance is to die for.

The wine list is awesome, the cocktail selection has every spirit included, the starters, main course, desserts and pizza variety will meet all your dietary requirements.

Go and visit them and ask for Joel.

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Introduction

After the COVID restrictions are lifted, we will all be dining out more often. I have outlined a few rules that will help you have an amazing restaurant experience.

Customer service is the main ingredient of an amazing restaurant experience. As customers, we expect the service to be friendly, personalized, be given suggestions based on our preferences, amazing food, out of this world presentation, dynamic ambiance, and great decor. However, as a customer, if you follow these strategies you will have a killer restaurant experience no matter what happens.

Make a reservation

A restaurant plans staffing, food preparation and everything else based on reservations. If you show up on a busy night without a reservation, chances are you will not get a seat. If you make a reservation and do not want to go, please cancel the reservation. Through reservations, the workflow is managed more efficiently and you get better service.

Check the menu online before visiting

It is important to check the menu online. In other words, you know if it has gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian or other options. As a result, you do not spend a whole bunch of time looking at the menu and are not sure what you want.

Be on time

Arrive on time. The manager has scheduled the reservations so that the service and kitchen have enough time to give you the best service.

The waiter is not your servant

It is important to know that the waiter is not there to meet your every whim and fancy. The waiter is there to make sure you have a great dining experience. Treat them with respect and you will get great service.

Go with a positive attitude

This is the most important aspect of going to a restaurant. Be positive. Go out there to have fun. Therefore, if you are looking to fill your Yelp or Trip Advisor review, you will not have a great experience. Do not go to the restaurant to take out your frustration on the waiter.

Do not ask to change the food

The menu is designed by the chef for maximum flavor. Do not ask to change the dish completely. Some modifications might be possible.

Spend money

Never go to a restaurant and be a scrooge. You see if a waiter is working from 5 to 9 pm, he is depending on having a guest from 5 to 7 and another from 7 to 9. Waiters work for tips. Waiters make below minimum wages. As a result, if you are just having a drink or a slight snack go to the bar instead.

If there is an issue let the server know

It is possible that many things can go wrong. If the food was not good or something is wrong, let the server know right away. The issue can be resolved. You will probably not be charged for the food, get a discount, get a free dessert or get a gift certificate for your next visit. But please do communicate.

The server and chef are human

The chef and waiter are human. Most chefs work sixty to eighty-hour weeks. The waiter is on his feet for eight hours and has probably not had a meal. Be patient, kind, gentle and considerate.

Tip well

I recommend fifteen percent to start with. The waiter has to give anywhere from five to seven percent of the total bill to the back house to be shared. Remember, waiters have good memories. Tip them well and they will go a mile to make your restaurant experience amazing.

Enjoy your visit to the restaurant, follow these strategies and you will have an amazing restaurant experience.

Photo Credits: Mojo Jojo  Louis Hansel  Persnickety Prints  Brooke Cagle Sasha • Stories Pablo Merchán Montes Adam Jaime Clay Banks Priscilla Du Preez Jonathan Borba Crew

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