CLAUDETTE'S ETIQUETTE TIP OF THE WEEK Tips are a customer’s way to provide feedback about the service in a restaurant, and should be used to reflect quality. If service is inattentive, forgetful, rude or careless, leave a smaller tip to indicate your displeasure. Only in extreme cases should a tip never be given. By the same token, if you feel your server would go to any length to make you happy, a 20-25% (or greater) tip is advisable.  There is some debate in the restaurant world about whether or not it is appropriate to tip on wine. The answer is yes. Since sommeliers are tipped out a percentage of the evening’s gratuities, it is quite right to recognize their services by including the cost of wine when calculating a tip. If your sommelier has been particularly helpful, you might want to tip that person directly. Taking the issue a step further, what is the tipping etiquette if you order an outrageously expensive bottle of wine? Is the sommelier deserving of 15-20% of that bottle when the amount of work required is no more or less than with an inexpensive bottle? Again, the answer is yes. If you’re a big spender splurging on pricey wines, then you should tip like a big spender. Bon Appetite! Claudette Perkins