@Greginchina
I think that the introduction of wired internet was more a business-minded response to tables being used for extended periods of time by internet users who spent relatively little money than a tacit agreement with the anti-EMR minority. Entirely reasonable, in my opinion.

Regarding the smoking ban issue, i'd say that the idea is worth experimenting with.

I'm a non-smoker myself, but i am generally speaking tolerant of those who choose to smoke. However, i find Colin's original point about the staff very compelling, and i can think of other groups (families with children; people who like to taste their food as the chef intended; sportspeople) who might also be in support.

A counterargument to banning is often heard: that a polite request to a smoker that they cease/move is unlikely to be refused. I think this argument is weakened here, due to language barriers existing between Salvador's clientele, and due to smoking being so endemic in this country that such a request might not be understood even if language barriers are not relevant.

Good luck with the one day experiment. May I suggest that it is clearly signposted, every day (not just on the day in which it is enforced), with the signs appearing in advance of the ban to allow as many people as possible to alter their plans if needs be, and that it is enforced rigorously.

there's an easter egg hunt at the Green Lake hotel brunch - one for the children i think though...

i saw some hot cross bun type things at Metro the other week, but, as i usually have no idea of the impending arrival of easter, i put this down to a bizarre coincidence...

www.gokunming.com/en/item/yun_366/

Ishmael's point about consistency is very valid - i eat out a lot (err, all the time), and i frequently choose what i will eat at a place before i show up there - so having the kitchen keep it pretty much the same from visit to visit is important

back to the original point of the thread - has anything actually changed at Chapter One yet? i have yet to venture back

i did my fair share of working in F&B places back home. almost without exception, if there was a slack moment in a shift, i'd be directed to a fridge or similar, to clean/clear. i accept that keeping a kitchen tidy and clean can be a challenge at the best of times, but when i find a roach in my food, and the chef's the guy sat reading a newspaper at the bar, it makes me feel like more could be done.

i think this is symptomatic of Chapter One's recent decline - it feels like no-one's really making an effort. add to this the fact that the space is far from bad, and the location is excellent, and i'm left with this disappointed feeling about the place that hardly encourages me to visit.

on the recent occasion (yes, singular) i dropped in for a beer, service was acceptable, the beer was cold, and well priced. all this looks positive, and i believe that with a bit of effort, Chapter One can be resurrected - a good thing for everyone. good luck Piers.