Waiters/waitresses are the world’s oldest influencers – they tell us what to eat (and drink) whenever we dine out. And we often take their advice without watching hours of their videos to determine if they’re trustworthy. We sat down with some of our local influencers to get to know the folks who influence our choices.
Joe Vales
Server & bartender, 5 years
The Horse & Hound inn,
South Salem
Do you consider yourself an influencer?
Not in the slightest. The term influencer kind of lost meaning in the last couple of years. But I do influence people’s decisions about what they drink and eat – that’s really about it.
What is your number one rule when making recommendations?
I always see what they’re in the mood for. If someone comes in looking for salmon, and I recommend a burger or ribs, that’s probably not going to go so well.
Best recommendation you’ve ever made?
Recently, a customer was deciding between the burger or roast beef, and I recommended that he get the pulled pork instead. He was blown away by how good it was.
What’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened at this restaurant?
This restaurant is haunted! When I was a middle school (his parents own the restaurant), these “ghost people” came and determined that we have a ghost named Abigail who is eight or nine years old. I’ve had a few experiences with her.
Back in July of 2021 around 11:30 at night, we were at the bar and all the glasses behind me started shaking randomly. We knew it wasn’t due to the steam heat because it was the middle of the summer, so the boilers were turned off. We have no idea why it happened.
Another example was during service one evening. I didn’t see it, but I heard it. Two of our servers were in the back waiting for food to come up. There was a glass sitting on a shelf, and it just jumped off onto the ground – it didn’t shatter or break. It was as though someone lifted it up and placed it on the ground. They both saw it happen.
What’s the coolest thing that’s ever happened at this restaurant?
Recently, a couple who got married here 50 years ago came back for their 50th wedding anniversary. And another couple got engaged here in November 2021, and they had their wedding party here in April 2022.
What’s your favorite dish?
The pulled pork sandwich. We make our own barbecue sauce in-house – it’s the reason we have Guinness on tap. It’s just so good. We slow-cook the pork so just melts in your mouth.
Gia Miller is an award-winning journalist and the editor-in-chief/co-publisher of Connect to Northern Westchester. She has a magazine journalism degree (yes, that's a real thing) from the University of Georgia and has written for countless national publications, ranging from SELF to The Washington Post. Gia desperately wishes schools still taught grammar. Also, she wants everyone to know they can delete the word "that" from about 90% of their sentences, and there's no such thing as "first annual." When she's not running her media empire, Gia enjoys spending quality time with friends and family, laughing at her crazy dog and listening to a good podcast. She thanks multiple alarms, fermented grapes and her amazing husband for helping her get through each day. Her love languages are food and humor.
