To tip or not to tip, plus goat-themed dinner

Here is an excerpt from Craig LaBan's online chat:

Reader: After reading your review about Girard Brasserie I was left wondering if you were "supposed" to tip. In my opinion it has to be tip or not, that in-between thing is awkward for everyone.

Craig LaBan: I agree. It's just too complicated to say "tipping is not necessary" and then offer a tip line on the bill and say, "more is up to you . . . "

Reader: While many people are aware of the no tipping policy, your review made it seem as though the resto and server were hiding that fact and still expecting tips. Is that the case or just my reading?

C.L.: Well, "hiding" indicates some deliberate deception, and I don't think that's the case. The policy is written on the back of the menu, but not well-explained. If you're a habitual 20 percent tipper (as I am), then you want to know: Are these prices calculated to compensate for a 20-percent tip? If not, and it's about 15 percent (as the owner told me later), I'd add accordingly. But it's not explained. So when I asked the server "isn't tip included?" and she said "no," it was understandably confusing. Technically, she's right. There is no "tip" - the prices are just higher. The last thing I want to do is stiff a server. Yet I do want to know what I'm paying for, whether it's an equivalent menu price or a gratuity, or a combination of the two. It needs to be spelled out.

Reader: I went to the goat dinner at Kensington Quarters; their private dinner events are hands down the best deal in Philadelphia now, great food and great wine for $75.

C.L.: What were the highlights?

Reader: The cannelloni filled with tangy goat cheese and braised goat shank were masterful and the goats milk panna cotta was a great finish to end the night.

C.L.: Sounds great and the whole animal theme is very on-point for KQ's mission. Hope to see more as the year progresses.

Reader: We attended the Pelago Filipino pop-up at Noord last night. Good stuff and a bargain at $45pp for a 4-course meal. We asked if it was a precursor to a restaurant and they told us they are hoping. We told them be sure and open in South Philly.

C.L.: I saw a few photos posted on Twitter about this pop-up meal and thought to myself: Philly needs some good Filipino cooking. We really have almost none. So I'll be eager to taste it if/when Pelago becomes a reality. As a side note, I love how restaurants like Noord/Pizza Beddia are letting other food start-ups do test-run pop-ups in their places during the off nights. I saw Barbuzzo has opened a second-floor private dining space (à la Vetri's kitchen) and Rob Marzinsky (ex-Fitler Dining Room) is doing an event there. Very good use of spaces, and nice synergy for a collegial chef scene.

Reader: Any word on future Point Breeze restaurants? Sardine is great, but I need something else.

C.L.: I know a lot of people love Breezy's as a neighborhood standby for breakfast and lunch. But there need to be more projects as the area evolves rapidly. Cafe Ynez on Wash Ave. (and Kermit's Bakery, home of the hot pocket) are also good for the locals. Aside from ASB, though, I don't believe there is much in Point Breeze that is a destination, other than maybe Gennaro's Tomato Pie. But that's farther south, on Jackson St. I'll be curious to watch this area grow in the restaurant perspective. It's bound to happen.