FoodView: bring in the NOISE

RER 5.14.13

In the July 22 issue of New York Magazine, food critic, Adam Platt, exposes a current trend in restaurant culture in an article titled “I Can’t Hear Myself Eat: Why restaurants are louder than ever.” Perhaps the volume of the restaurant atmosphere has incurred slow growth, but it has currently reached deafening proportions, as Platt explains, “Why restaurants are so damn loud.”

Platt notes that the shift happened just over a decade ago, when restaurants morphed from what he calls “hushed, cocooned dining rooms” to “noisy bars, built for sound that happen to serve good, sometimes excellent food.”

Part of the rise in decibel levels was a way to raise funds and increase profit. Platt explained that the recession forced many New York City restaurants to enlarge their small bars in the front of the house to push more “profitable drinks.” We all know that drinks add up in a magical way that only drinks can. Somehow it is easier to be a little more conscious of prices when enjoying food, one appetizer instead of two, but it is so hard to decline a refill on a glass of wine, or resist that next delicious cocktail. And at some point, inhibition and sense are thrown out of the window as more drinks are consumed, resulting in more profit for the business.

This maneuver adds patronage, but also has the potential to transform expectations and clientele. Bringing the bar, meaning some times making the bar bigger or bar menu larger, to restaurants, not only changes the reason why people come, but also the function of the space. Bars are supposed to be loud and convivial, there is a mixing which was missing in restaurants past. Adding bars and drinks and noise changes the dynamic of the restaurant.

Expanding the bar or even the bar menu was a way of appealing to and drawing in a younger crowd, another market to get money from. There is a whole class of young professionals with money to spend (even in harder times), who are willing to indulge in luxurious food and drink. They expect and follow the trends, and sometimes trends are loud, overbearing and obvious.

Platt also points out in his article, the “snowball effect” of volume in restaurants, just like we see with drinks. And this is quite apparent in most situations; we see it all the time, even outside of the City. Loud music, small spaces and larger crowds, make for a noisier experience, and everything escalates with food and especially drink. A night dining out sometimes can feel like it turns into a shouting match, or a competition to be heard.

Success of a restaurant can now be measured in noise. In New York City eateries, noise levels are “regularly measured at 90 decibels,” according to Platt. 90 decibels is equivalent to a police whistle, heavy traffic, noisy home appliances, or the subway to name a few (see more here). Turning up the sound system is trendy, but it has become an occupational hazard.

Dining in a loud establishment can be difficult— the noise taking away from the symphony that could potentially be on the plate. There is distraction from the food, other outlets for attention and detail, but perhaps restaurateurs are trying to cultivate a different kind of experience in conjunction with their innovation in the kitchen. Sometimes silence and quiet can be seen as stuffy, old fashioned and tired, and at other times it can be seen as intimidating. But times have changed and good food has become an ongoing trend, because everyone is a foodie now. Restaurants were breaking from their molds and now try to cater to a larger margin of people, perhaps even a generation that thrives on noise and instant gratification.

 RER

7.25.13

RER 5.1.13

FoodView: FORBIDDEN photos

TA 4.17.13

A few months ago, there was an article in The Dining Section of The New York Times, exploring and investigating the rapidly expanding trend and topic of photographing food in restaurants. Helene Stapinski in “Restaurants Turn Camera Shy,” articulates the problem at hand and how restaurants and even other patrons are dealing with the sometimes annoying photographing of food at the table.

With facebook, twitter, instragram and the like occupying the eyes and the minds of people across age lines, this sort of snap and share phenomena has climbed to at times obnoxious heights. These social media outlets are enablers of instant gratification and instant sharing, not with just a few close friends, like those at the physical dinner table, but across followers and intangible web space. Just like taking pictures of outfits or creating text images, taking photos of food has become a cultural standard, and not necessarily an over share.

Some restaurants have come to accept the trend, modifying their service like Chef David Bouley, as Stapinski notes, allows his guests to take photos of their dishes in the kitchen, implying a better photograph. Some places take the middle ground and request no flashes, like the quiet galleries of many museums, so as not to destroy the experience. But some restaurants have taken even more drastic measures; banning photography in general. That is an ultimatum to rid diners of flahes, mini tripods and gadgets, while enjoying a meal. Some owners and chefs see it as distraction and disturbance, while diners (sometimes at the same table) see it as an annoyance.

As Stapinski mentions, there are those who are over the top in photographing dishes or food, as a sense of pride or maybe even a status symbol (read, I went to eat at this famous restaurant look at me).  But then there are also other people, minus the mini folding tripods or fancy flashes, that just care to capture the moment and create a visual souvenir.

And then, there is me. I do not go crazy (most times) uploading photos from my phone to facebook or instagram, but I do take a ton of photos, depending.  I do my best to be as least obnoxious as possible, out of respect of the restaurant and the people I am dining with. And then again, the people who share the table with me, respect me and know what I am doing. Taking photos of food at restaurants is part of what I do, for my blogs and for my career development. Sometimes taking photos of food can feel uncomfortable, depending on the atmosphere, the restaurant, the other people eating there as well as the details of the lighting. Sometimes it is this feeling that makes me limit my photos or amp up stealth mode.

But to ban photographing dishes at restaurants seems to me to be a stretch. It is denying a right for the diner to hold on to the moment through their own perspective and art. They are paying for the experience; the diner, the food, the service, and even the name, so why not be able to bring that home with you in the form of a photo. As long as it is done respectfully and courteously, there is plenty of justification for it.  I can understand that it can be annoying and disruptive, but so can someone talking on the phone in a restaurant or a less than polished staff. I can also understand that chefs could feel that these photos are stealing something, and taking away from the art they tirelessly strived for in presenting their dish and vision. Perhaps the restaurants want their patrons present, in the moment of their food experience, rather than documenting for enjoyment later and separate from the environment created for them.

To me, allowing people to take pictures of dishes, and in turn, by the nature of things, them posting the images online, would serve as excellent advertisement. I am of the opinion that nothing sells food better than a photo. One frame can encapsulate so many elements that chefs are trying to portray to their diners. I often skip over websites or recipes with no pictures of the food, because it leaves too much mystery. A really excellent photo can convey and acquaint the viewer with the many layers of food, from the ingredients to the textures, to the colors and the relationships on the plate. I think that a very large part of dining is the visual and the aesthetic aspect of food and the meal. I essentially think that we eat first with our eyes. The goal of my photos, wherever they are taken, is not only to artistically summarize but also inspire desire for the dish they see before them.

As long as taking pictures in restaurants is done in a classy, minimally disruptive manner, it should be acceptable. The way trends and culture is headed, instant shares and superfluous photos floating on the internet, are not going anywhere. Obviously there are two sides to this argument, what do you think?

RER

4.23.13

FoodView: THANKSGIVING menus

RER 11.24.11

I know Thanksgiving is over, but the fullness of food and family and good times still lingers with us. I am pretty sure some of us still have leftovers (I know we do, though it is almost the end of the line).

I have started to explore the creation of family Thanksgiving menus. Some people stick to tradition, the usuals and dishes that have been passed down through generations and generations, while other families constantly evolve and add and subtract. Some times these changes happen because of expertise or even prices of ingredients, and some times it has to do with the morphing and changing of the guest roster.

I already talked a little about the classics in my family here. But I got to talk to my mother further about how she developed our current Thanksgiving menu, as it has hardly changed in my memory. Perhaps the dishes have been the same, yet the mild modifications and alterations to each, have not severely impacted our holiday meal. Many of the things that we eat every year for Thanksgiving, like the corn pudding, turkey, sweet potatoes, greens, are the things that she ate when she was growing up as well. And even in her childhood, the menu of her family’s thanksgiving dinner did not vary tremendously from year to year.

She gave some insight though into how our preparation of the turkey has evolved through the years. After a mild catastrophe one year, involving a dysfunctional oven and carrying all the various dishes to be cooked and warmed at a neighbor’s around the corner, it was decided that the oven was not the best avenue for all the dishes. This marked the beginning of our use of the outdoor grill for our smallish turkeys. The grill has been found to be much more reliable and allows more things to fit in the oven with ease. Even since we changed the method of cooking our turkey, the recipe for preparing it has varied, from a fancy Martha Stewart recipe involving coffee and a homemade bbq sauce, to the easy peasy brining method. This year, mom undertook the brining method, which left the turkey a little salty, but reduced the cooking time and maintained moisture.

There is always stuffing at our thanksgiving feasts, but my mother said that her famous cornbread stuffing came about after trying the recipe in the early years of my parents marriage, and liking it, adjusting it, being addicted to it, and keeping it on the list. This is a similar story to the corn pudding that is now a part of my favorite meal. My mom and even my dad grew up with corn puddings too, so that was a combination of two different family’s dishes. The corn pudding was not always a stable member of the Thanksgiving cast, until Mommie found the recipe we use now.

This is also true of the kind of sweet potato casserole we make annually. My mother grew up with sweet potatoes on her Thanksgiving table, but not necessarily the way we eat them now, laced with sugar, rum and butter, crowned with an ample amount of marshmallows. She revealed that this came later, after seeing how her mother in law (my grandmother) prepared her fancy sweet potatoes. It was this way that my father grew up with them, and so then I did too.

Our Thanksgiving is a happy mixture of dishes from my mother’s childhood and that of my father’s, keeping many of the traditional dishes with some modifications and personal touches.

My friend, who is of Cape Verdean descent, also has a mixed Thanksgiving, where her parents bring some of the traditional dishes to their table, along with some of the American Thanksgiving favorites, like turkey. This includes pastel (the Cape Verdean version of empanada), seafood rice, bacalhao, catchupa (Cape Verdean stew) and other favorites of the family (lasagna, mom’s famous shrimp and broccoli pasta). She mentioned that all of these dishes are not exclusive to the Thanksgiving holiday, like our corn pudding or cornbread stuffing may be, but they make appearances at many of the holidays and family get-togethers. These are the Cape Verdean crowd pleasers.

She also informed me that this year was kind of different, even though usually the menu stays close to the same most years. This year introduced more American elements as the family is morphing. So their Thanksgiving included some more of the typical things we tend to think of when dreaming of the classic Thanksgiving like mashed potatoes.

This goes to show that new additions to family and visitors adjusts and morphs the traditional Thanksgiving fare, just like I previously mentioned with my aunt bringing string beans. Not only is it different dishes, but members and visitors also include their specialties and favorites. Another of my friends mentioned that some things find their way on the holiday table because they are an expertise of a guest or a family member. And sometimes those items, like great rolls or fancy sweet potatoes, become a permanent fixture on the menu, taken up by another family member further down the line, passing on the tradition and recipe.

This is kind of like my boyfriend’s family. He patiently explained that this year was very different from the previous years, because all of his siblings were trying out new things. Typically, his mom made most of the fixings, the traditional ones (turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing… you know the drill), but this year there was an explosion of enthusiasm from the sibs and each contributed their own masterpieces, taking the weight off their mom. Some of the dishes added new favorites, like butternut squash lasagna and stuffed grape leaves, while replacing the foods that mom used to make, like the mashed potatoes and stuffing. The diversity in their dishes comes from family additions and also food interests.

Even the first Thanksgivings were not exactly how we picture them today. As I learned from Iron Chef America and Cooking Channel’s “Back in Time for Thanksgiving,” many of the things we eat today for Thanksgiving were hardly thought of then. The pilgrims and natives most likely chowed down on what they could find and what was available, like pigeon poultry, and corn breads, eels and other fishes, deer and other game. Lobster was a big part of early Thanksgivings in the New England area, and I know where I am from, we do not always see that. Just how price fluctuations and costs of food affect some current Thanksgiving traditions, availability of items played a large role in what was eaten early on.

The ideas and connotations of the Thanksgiving holiday have been conflated with food and over indulging. In reality, it is that, but it is also a moment for family and friends, celebrating traditions old and new. Food is just a great platform to bring these people together and reflect on bounty and blessings. Thanksgiving will always remain one of my favorite holidays, and I can’t wait to create my own Thanksgiving menu and see how it evolves.

 RER

11.29.12

RER 11.24.11

FoodFacts: PUMPKINS

RER 10.16.12

Yup, it is deffo fall. Not only are the spiced pumpkin lattes and pumpkin muffins indicators, but the scattered pumpkin Halloween decorations taking over the streets are also a sign. The grocery stores have been ambushed with these fall gourds of all different sizes and colors. There are pumpkin seeds toasted and untoasted, pumpkin pies and pumpkin flavored seasonal items, creeping throughout the aisles. Yup, it’s fall and the pumpkins have invaded.

Pumpkins, are giant (well sometimes giant) fruits, coming from the species cucurbits, and have their origins in Central America and Mexico.[1] As a member of this cucurbit family, pumpkins are gourds. Some of their plant relatives are cantaloupe, cucumbers, honeydew melons, watermelons and zucchini.[2] 

The name of this large squash fruit, comes from the Greek word “pepon,” meaning large melon. This Greek word was then transformed and nasalized by the French, creating the word “pompon,”[3] after their discovery in the New World in 1584 by the French explorer John Cartier. This name was then translated into the English language as “pompions” and since then has evolved into what we have come to say, “pumpkin.”[4]

This giant fruit/gourd, indigenous to the western hemisphere, has been growing in North America for more than five thousand years now. But the cultivation of this orange fall fruit has spread to six continents.[5]  The only continent that cannot support pumpkin life would be Antarctica, but even the very cold Alaska can grow pumpkins.[6]

Out of all the pumpkin production in the United States, Illinois harvests the most fruit, nearly 12,300 acres.[7] And according to University of Illinois Extension, between 90 and 95% of processed pumpkins in the USA are grown in Illinois. That is HUGE! (speaking of huge, the largest pumpkin ever, noted, was brought to a fair in Massachusetts in September of this year, weighing in at about 2000 pounds –over a ton![8]). Other than Illinois, the top pumpkin producing states are California, Ohio and Pennsylvania.[9]

Pumpkin is one of those warm- season vegetables, so it is a tender and petulant plant. They are really temperamental, because the seeds do not germinate well in cold soil and they are damaged by frost, but if the pumpkins are planted too early, there is no way the large fruit would make it all the way to Halloween (which is its life goal, duh).[10]  The petulant pumpkin seeds should in fact be planted between the last week of May and mid June. According to History.com, the pumpkin plant takes between 90 and 120 days to grow, and should be picked when they are a bright orange color, which in October (which is what the pumpkin growers hope for),[11] and about 80% of all pumpkin supply in the United States is available during this month.

Pumpkins like most every fruit, comes in a large array of varieties; in taste, look, color and size. The fruits can range from intense orange red all the way to yellow, and back again. The different shapes and colors are the tell tale way of discerning the specific variety of pumpkin you are looking at, like the Cinderella pumpkin (the basis of the carriage for a famous Disney princess…guess who), or the Hybrid Autumn Gold, or even the Standard Orange.[12]

These gourds are mostly made up of water, about 90%,[13] which make them a very water loving plant, similar to their relatives (ahem… watermelon). Pumpkins are also pretty nutritious, though, unlike the plantain or apples even, pumpkins are not currently considered a food staple. This might have to do with their very limited growth season. About one cup of cooked pumpkin flesh is about 49 calories (without salt), 2 grams of protein, about 3 grams of fiber, and 12 grams of carbohydrates.[14] This amount of pumpkin has the same number of grams of fiber of a small apple. Pumpkin seeds are also a good source of copper, magnesium, protein and zinc.[15]

RER 10.16.12

What oh what can we do with pumpkins?

Is that a trick question? Because there are like a zillion uses for pumpkins, inside and out…

As another one of those fall staples, pumpkin finds itself in million different recipes and uses that all (well almost all) scream out autumn. Pumpkins feed people as well as some livestock on farms.[16]

The seeds can be scraped and separated from the pulp, and roasted (and salted) for an excellent snack. The seeds once a little roasty in the oven are very meaty, and earthy at the same time. They are very large and make excellent salad toppers, or snacks to crunch on. I can remember in childhood, after slaving away at carving a pumpkin either at school or at home, we would toast the seeds, salt them and eat them while they were still warm. Fond fall memories.

The inner meat of the pumpkin is an ingredient in a large variety of food stuffs. A main and memorable thing would be pumpkin pie. Orange, wet, pulpy meat is the foundation to the filling of this fall time favorite, a star of the Thanksgiving dinner, or a great autumn treat. Along with the inside of the pumpkins are the soothing spices that smell of fall and a sense of cozy tostiness. Though, in the early colonial era, pumpkins were still a main component of pie, only they were used as an ingredient in the crust![17] The origins of pumpkin pie also probably came from the colonial times, when the colonists would slice off the top of the fruit, remove the many seeds, and fill the interior with honey, milk and various spices. This pumpkin vessel would be baked on hot ashes, and consumed as a sweet dish.[18]

The colonists were not the only ones back in the day that revered the massive vine fruit, but the Native Americans had several uses for the pumpkin, both nutritional and medicinal. Though it was the Native Americans that first introduced the multipurpose pumpkin to the pilgrims (I know I keep envisioning one of the first Thanksgivings, Native Americans and colonists alike, swarming around a cornucopia of pumpkins, turkey and corn…active imagination, I know).[19]

Through the Native American farmers’ use of sustainable agriculture, the pumpkin squash was cultivated and used as a food source, as well as other items throughout their culture. They roasted pumpkin strips over fire sources as food, but they also flattened similar pieces, dried them and made them into mats. [20] The Native Americans also used the flesh of the pumpkin in a large variety of ways, from boiled to baked, to dried or roasted. Dried pumpkin would be ground into a kind of flour, which also had many uses. They also used the hollowed out gourd as bowls once dried, and the seeds had medicinal value to the Native Americans.[21]

RER 10.16.12

 Oh dear, but I digress (kinda).

The popularity of pumpkin pie and what seems like the relative difficulty of acquiring the fleshy meat of the fruit (though I have not tried it in ages, this year might be the year for me), has generated canned pumpkin filling, as well as canned pumpkin.

These two advents are used also in a whole host of things. I remember when I was really young (like second grade) I had a cooking class as an afterschool activity and we made pumpkin pudding. I was so obsessed and proud of how well I made it, that my parents indulged me and let me make it as dessert for a few Thanksgivings running. It was super easy, but also super delicious, and relied on canned pumpkin. Check out this really easy recipe or this mildly more difficult one. Guess which I made…

Another fall time favorite of my family involving a super large can of pumpkin, would be the warm pumpkin soup. Now, I will be honest, I am not a soup lady, mostly because I do not find them too filling and I just do not see the comfort that people generally get out of them. But this pumpkin soup grew on me. How could it not?  Finished off with a swirl of cream, and garnished with a dollop of sour cream and chives. Yum. Now that is fall. This soup is heavy, sweet and savory all at the same time, spicy and substantial enough to almost call a meal. This recipe is the closest I could find to the one my mother uses when she whips up this fall dish.

           

Popular fall flavors often include pumpkin, whether it is that spiced pumpkin latte people are going crazy for (literally... check out refinery29’s article on the matter), or pumpkin doughnuts that are clogging dunkin donuts. Or even the pumpkin muffins, cakes, cheesecakes, pumpkin scones that make an appearances during this time of the year. I must admit, pumpkin is a great fall flavor, and can replace and be an addition to most any baked favorite. Though pumpkins can be sweet, they do have an earthiness to them that creates a savory balance (and maybe less guilt, on my part) to many baked goods.

Pumpkin, in its crazy popularity has recently brought up the question, “Is pumpkin the new bacon?” New York Times Magazine explores this in a piece from earlier this week. Check out the article. This year is apparently the one of the most active for the pumpkin on seasonal menus, in foods, desserts and drinks. The connotations that surround pumpkins, their organic and farm grown characteristics, perhaps have driven their appeal this year. Though what may have pumpkin in the title, might not actually have pumpkin in it, but all the spices and accessories to make pumpkin that delicious familiar taste we are used to.[22]

Not only do we cook with it and eat it…. We carve and decorate with it. The pumpkin has made its way into the popular culture of Halloween, through older traditions brought to America from Europeans. Back in Scotland and Ireland, turnips and other root vegetables served as Jack O’ Lanterns to frighten away evil spirits (check out this website to learn more). Immigrants from England and these countries found that pumpkins were perfect canvases to create the terrifying faces of Jack O’ Lanterns, and abandoned previous food stuffs.[23]

And now there is no escape from the Halloween season, which seems to last from late August (when Ricky’s and Spirit pop ups, pop up) to middle November (when Target, Walgreen’s, CVS and the likes run out of discounted candy and decorations), which inflates the pumpkin to its current fall glory!

Don't forget to check out my sources page for more on pumpkins and spooky Halloween facts (well not really that spooky).

RER

10.17.12

RER 10.16.12

---

[1] Illinois University Extension “Pumpkin Facts”

[2] History.com “Pumpkin Facts”

[3] Illinois University Extension “Pumpkin History”

[4] History.com “Pumpkin Facts”

[5] History.com “Pumpkin Facts”

[6] www.pumpkin-patch.com “Unusual Pumpkin Facts”

[7] Pumpkinmasters.com “Halloween Facts”

[8] www.pumpkinnook.com

[9] Illinois University Extension “Pumpkin Facts”

[10] Illinois University Extension “Growing Pumpkins”

[11] History.com “Pumpkin Facts”

[12] Illinois University Extension “Varieties”

[13] Illinois University Extension “Pumpkin Facts”

[14] Allaboutpumpkins.com “Pumpkin Facts and Information”

[15] Wikipedia.org “Pumpkin”

[16] kids-learn.org “Cool Facts About Pumpkins”

[17] Illinois University Extension “Pumpkin Facts”

[18] Illinois University Extension “Pumpkin Facts”

[19] Allaboutpumpkins.com “Pumpkin History”

[20] Illinois University Extension “Pumpkin Facts”

[21] Allaboutpumpkins.com “Pumpkin History”

[22] Felix Salmon "Pumpkin Is the New Bacon." NYMag.com.

[23] History.com “History of the Jack O’ Lantern ”

not just nourishment: SERVICE counts

RER 9.23.12

Restaurants and dining are not just about the food— never was and never will be. An extremely important element of the dining experience is the service. To me, this could make or break a restaurant; no matter how much I love the food, if it is slow  service or I get an attitude from the wait staff, I would rather not go back, but dream of the tastes.

Just last week I wrote a FoodView about how high end and famous restaurants are tracking their customers to better serve and pamper, as well as to create an experience reminiscent of the corner joint. This, though intrusive at times, is a pure demonstration of the importance of service in terms of a restaurant’s survival. A good dining experience with knowledgeable, friendly and accommodating staff, results in good memories and a return visit. This should be the goal of every location, the return of the patron.

This unfortunately is not always the case. Sometimes the wait staff can get in the way of the dining adventure— rudeness, brusqueness, or attitude in general can really dampen the mood at a restaurant. Most times adventures with this kind of staff, repulses me and does not make me want to go back, or tell others to try it out. Just the other day (more about this later), my food was essentially tossed on the table, causing the pretty presentation to tumble and other things on the table to clatter. On top of that we had a waitress who’s manner was so short and distant, we could hardly get a question in. That kind of interaction stayed with us throughout our meal, and lingered more than the flavors of the food.

There have been countless times where my table has essentially been forgotten; no waiter, no water, no nothing. I remember in my very short stint working at a Johnny Rockets, the manager who was training me impressed upon the importance of being attentive to the diners, frequently asking them if they need anything, just checking in. It really surprises me that being ignored happens so much. It would also surprise me that in some kind of training this would be left out. Every restaurant, no matter its sizeor fame should insist on customer service as a good business practice.

Though sometimes it is not necessarily the server that initiates an uncomfortable dining experience through attitude. There have been several hosts or hostesses at various different kinds of restaurants and locations that have given off the vibe that the clients are beneath his or her service. This involves being ignored or given attitude or a roll of the eye or even a shortness; none of which you would expect from one in a costumer service position. This is truly disheartening because most times, the hostess or the person at the front, is the first encounter with the restaurant, the first impressions. I have always thought, that in most spheres of life, the first impression is extremely important. There can be redemption, but it also can be ruinous.

Sometimes it appears that the wait staff as well as the hosts, all the people that are supposed to be the faces and represent the brand of the restaurant, are more involved in each other than the customers or even the restaurant. I have noticed that this generally occurs in lower end and more chain like restaurants, but it is not foreign to up scale places. This is how customers get forgotten and ignored. It also does not look good to the customers, who in essence should be the main focus of the staff.

I also have had really really great experiences with servers being considerate and understanding. Friendliness, eagerness and willingness to serve and accommodate make meals better and smoother, and even more enjoyable. Even asking “how is everything?” or “do you need anything else” makes a big impression on me. Even if it is not genuine, the care is there. They care for their livelihood (the tip) and they were trained correctly.

On a trip to Atlantic City, my boyfriend and I encountered some really great service examples. We were eating at a Mexican restaurant, Dos Caminos, in the Harrah’s Casino Resort, and the diner started off shaky with shady behavior from our hostess, but our waitress redeemed the meal. From the moment we were seated and our waitress came over, our dining experience vastly improved. She was friendly, warm, and encouraging. She was extremely open to answering questions and adding amiable suggestions. It did not feel rehearsed or programmed either; it was like she wanted to be there and wanted us to enjoy our time there. After ordering our dishes, tasting the appetizers, and starting to chomp down on our mains, we encountered a problem. The dish I ordered was too salty, salty to the point that I was unable to eat it. It was unpalatable. We got the attention of our server and alerted her of the problem. I told her the issue and she was concerned. She apologized, took away the dish and asked if we wanted it remade or something else instead. We did not take the offer, already pretty full from our drinks and appetizers but expressed our appreciation. A few minutes later, with the dessert menu, our waitress brought over complimentary drinks. When the desserts we ordered came to our table, the waitress informed us that they were on the house.

Even in a place like Harrah’s where people usually come for vacation and are not regulars, the waitress believed in customer service and keeping us happy. This was not necessarily a place where people return over and over, but I know that next time, despite not being completely satisfied with my dish, I would return. The actions of our server made the outing much better. Our appreciation was also expressed in our tip to the waitress.

Tipping now has become difficult. Servers expect a certain percent and we are told what we are supposed to give, but the tip should be a reflection of service. Like my friend pointed out, we all work for our money, and so should servers. Good service deserves a good tip, whereas bad service, on the part of the server (bad food or long waits are not always the fault of the person who brings us our plates) does not merit a high tip.

The service of a restaurant is one of the main things that sticks with me. Even if the food is awful and the coffee is cold, an attentive and personable server can make all the difference. Sometimes going out to eat is more about the experience than the food. I believe that the wait staff should be making an effort to create relationships with the patrons of the restaurants of their employment. These relationships bring people back. Perhaps restaurants do not need to go as far as giving their waiters a whole dossier of intelligence on a customer, but giving the correct training and emphasis on customer service doesn’t hurt. Both restaurants and their wait staff (at all levels) need to realize the benefits of good service and reliable customer relations from a business standpoint.

RER

9.24.12

FoodView: Give me the DEETS...

Apparently, this is not anything new, but upscale restaurants are keeping tabs on their patrons. At one time waiters and maitre-d’s took notes directly onto the reservation books or kept information on file in their memory, but now there is technology specifically designed and to aid this recording and tracking of customers. As usual, technology is making things bigger and better, but also maybe more complicated and intrusive.

Susanne Craig explores the methods of intelligence collecting, as well as its importance in her article in the Dining section of the New York Times early September. The article “What Restaurants Know (About You),” looks at how restaurants keep files on their customers. This creates “highly personalized hospitality.”[1] Restaurants are making it their business to get to know its clients, some times in the most intimate ways, in an effort to make the dining experience extra personalized and smooth. This includes individual tastes and preferences, spending habits, even tracking profession.

According to Ann Shepherd (vice president for marketing at OpenTable), as Craig points out, this is called the “Cheers’ effect.” You know, where everyone knows your name. Knowing these details about patrons and potential customers, creates an atmosphere of familiarity, even if it is the first time visiting. It produces a place where everyone is friendly and knows you, a place where you can be comfortable, and enjoy things how you like it, like your local corner spot.[2]

In the ever-growing industry, with restaurants appearing all over the place at a high rate, this kind of personalization of service and the dining experience, gives restaurateurs a competitive edge. According to Craig, restaurant managers and owners believe that this kind of gathering details and information about customers can make or break their business. This is even highlighted through a quote of Clark Wolf, a restaurant consultant; “’The ability to know and read your customer is critical for staying on top, particularly in power restaurants.’”[3]

This also appears in most every area that relies on customer service. As in retail, from low to high end, building relationships, through trust and individualization, is key to maintaining business. It is these relationships, forged through honesty and getting to know the customer as a person, which make that customer return and continue to patronize the business.  Also, there are systems, whether it is the point of sale system or other methods that track purchases as well as personal information. In retail settings this can help with determining where to potentially open another store or even what products are the most popular. This links to keeping notes on customers in restaurants, as it is all to build stronger and reliable relationships. It appears to be a good business practice to uphold quality and standards, as well as creating an environment that invites people to return.

Technology is making it easier (or more difficult depending on who you ask) to note and maintain the details—from major, like names and allergies, to the minor like ice preferences. As well as things like anniversaries, birthdays, spouses. Websites that we use all the time to make reservations such as OpenTable, give restaurants insight into who will be dining with them. In order to use those sites, you must create a profile and that profile is automatically shared with the restaurants. Although this profile created with signing up with the site is the bare minimum—email address, and area—the user can also list likes, as well as make notes of favorite restaurants.

 A New York Post article, “Is Your Restaurant Spying on You?” from December of 2010, brings up how OpenTable allows restaurants to find out more information about their customers, even if they do not make reservations with the website. It becomes a searching tool, where managers can type in a name and search the client. Carla Spatos and Brian Niemietz reveal in their article, that managers and owners of restaurants are likely to Google patrons, to find out even more about them. They call this “online sleuthing.”[4] Owners go as far as following twitter accounts, searching through blogs and other profiles, all the get the inside scoop to better serve.

Some headwaiters and restaurant owners believe that there could be excessive notes, and that that can overwhelm and prove not to be useful at all. This has become especially true when there is so much access to identity now through the internet. When the copious notes become too copious, and too much information proves dangerous; “That woman is not his wife…” or “Didn’t the market do poorly today, why is she here…?” The talent not only becomes how to employ information, but also tip toe around it as well.

Customers get profiled. Restaurants are identifying and then recording your kind of status: newcomer, regular, if you are a friend of the owner, or even a person who lives in the area. Not only that, but some clients are given code names or just acronyms for the headwaiter or the wait staff to discern certain patrons. For example some of these acronyms are LOL (little old lady), HWC (handle with care), FOM (friend of manager), PX (person extraordinaire) and NR (never refuse), to name a few. [5] There are names for people who are poor tippers or people who are extremely needy and difficult. These little gems are the labels that are most times unknowingly attached to a customer, and must remain secret in effort to deter lawsuits.

Larger groups of restaurants or networks sometimes share the intelligence gathered, letting even more people into the tics and tocks of customers, which could create infamy or honor. Your reputation can precede you.

The question becomes is this beneficial for the diners? This could be both yes and no.

Yes, it may create a certain atmosphere, where you are comfortable and the servers and staff and owner are not really strangers, they are your friends who know what color napkin you prefer. And yes, it may be nice to walk into a place and not have to repeat over and over that you like crushed rather than cubed ice. And yes, this upscale restaurant can feel like home to you, intimate and loyal. The diner gets the customized service of the staff and the restaurant, elevating the dining experience from just food to a unique experience catered to the specific individual. Dining and eating in restaurants is not only about the food, it is the experience and service that tends to stick to the ribs. It is also this experience that brings them back.

 But on the other hand the investigations and note keeping can be too much. Is it too much an invasion into privacy and identity?  With just a name these days, histories and profiles can be searched and found, noted and kept. This is not just a risk that diners encounter, but it is a risk of this highly open and accessible world though the internet. But certain facts about the patron are known to restaurants through the various booking websites, even if she is a first time visitor. The restaurant has the heads up and advantage, even though these online booking sites often contain scarce information. Is there something so wrong as walking in a restaurant as an anonymous, a blank canvas that the staff could get to know? What if someone wants to remain anonymous, and maintain her own mystery and privacy, as well as some remnant of unpredictability? This is a notion that seems to be fading in the minds of the owners of these power restaurants, but protecting identity and spontaneity is present in diners.

The manipulation of getting to know the customer, as a current, past or potential, is all in the restaurateur’s effort to maintain a competitive edge and business in a cutthroat world. This kind of exploitation of the patron goes both ways, a potential benefit to both the owner and customer—to get the business ahead as well as to create an environment for the patron. Knowing the client, her needs, whims and tendencies, are all keys to a great service, but also stumbles on the line of intrusive.  A custom tailored dinner or dining experience can ruin surprise and take the adventure out of eating, which against the hopes of the restaurant owner, could result in no result, no return. Technology has only granted further access into personality and recording, which was once an art and mildly less invasive. This, though, is a trend that will not vanish, as it has already been going on in the restaurant business, and the times are allowing it to grow.

Check out my sources page for full links to the articles in the New York Times and New York Post.

 RER

9.17.12

RER 8.19.12

---

[1] Susanne Craig, “What Restaurants Know (About You)”, New York Times

[2] Susanne Craig, “What Restaurants Know (About You)”, New York Times

[3] Susanne Craig, “What Restaurants Know (About You)”, New York Times

[4] Carla Spartos and Brian Niemietz , “Is Your Restaurant Spying on You”, New York Post

[5] Susanne Craig, “What Restaurants Know (About You)”, New York Times