Anticipation is an underappreciated trait of great servers

• Kitchen Profitability
• A check at the right time can be as sweet as dessert.

We all inherit some traits that we wish skipped a generation. My grandfather was known to say, “We go now,” as soon as he was finished eating, regardless of whether the rest of us had put our forks to rest. So, for me, patience at the end of meals is a learned skill.

That’s why I have to tip my cap to the servers at Teocali (2512 Holmes), who on Friday night navigated a dining room full of ticking children and managed to nail the most crucial moment in the evening by bringing the check at the exact moment I needed it.