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

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[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

late night CUBAN: La CONGUITA

RER 8.4.12

JAR 8.4.12

This Cuban restaurant was another of the various restaurants across Hudson County featured in the Hudson County Restaurant Week. We only discovered and decided to go to La Conguita Restaurant in Jersey City, after seeing the prix fixe on the website for the county event. We, however, did not make it there for the special restaurant week… and by the time we did make it there, it was almost time for them to close up shop.

Like a usual Saturday, we get to things late, and it was 9:15 before we got to La Conguita, famished. The place was almost empty, a few tables finishing up, and the staff doing the same. La Conguita sits on a corner. Three steps leading to the front door are at the point of the two lines, making the corner. The restaurant comprises of two rooms, one narrow and long, and the other main room wide and varied. Just sneaking a peak, the second dining area has an intricate mural on one wall, animated and colorful, maybe portraying some kind of history. The larger dining area that the front door opens onto has bright yellow walls, and a long window, running the length of the other. Small tables line the window, and a large lunch counter sprawls on the opposite side.

 It felt old and retro, like a different place and time. The spinning stools at the counter and a menu hanging above the L-shaped island, the kitchen tiled floor (alternating colors), and the glass display case right by the front door. It was lively and Cuban music was playing over the speakers, welcoming.

 Not able to decide on appetizers, as the list was long and cheap, we picked the sampler, which had a good many of the items we wanted to try. We got three different kinds of empanadas (cheese and guava, beef and chicken), stuffed cassava, stuffed potato and two croquettes. A mouthful. We both really liked the cheese and guava empanada. It was sweet and salty, crunchy on the outside and melty on the inside, a great balance of textures and tastes on both ends of the spectrum. Since then, we have tried others elsewhere (more on this another time). The others however were pretty dry and bland, not what we were hoping for and expecting. Just fried. The croquettes and stuffed potato were pretty mediocre too. The croquettes were just hot enough, and the stuffing of the potato (ground beef) was just as uninteresting as the beef in our empanada. The stuffed cassava, however, was a little more interesting—the flavors were a little different and definitely more present. The texture of yucca is starchier and more exotic than the potato.

After all this as mains we had the Pernil (listed as the house specialty) and the Churrasco. My Pernil, shredded roast pork, came with the requisite rice and beans and plantains. Unfortunately, because it was so late in the night, they were out of yellow rice, to the dismay of my date, so we had to stick to white rice (still delicious). My dish, at $8, was a startling amount of food, heaping piles of rice and pork, a healthy portion of beans and plenty of tasty plantains. The pork however, was severely delicious only in pockets. There were some mouthfuls where the natural juices of the pork was absent, and felt like I got the bottom of the pot, as they were dry and chewy. But I probably did get the bottom of the batch. The bites that did have the fatty succulent nature expected of pork were lovely, mixed with the hearty beans and neutral rice, the fat and salt were minimized to perfection.

My date had the Churrasco, a never fail dish, skirt steak, rice, beans and plantains. Unlike the many Churrasco dishes we have had in the past, this steak came topped with a mound of beautifully (but not overly) sautéed white onions, bursting with sweet and salty flavors to complement the well-seasoned steak. The onions were a welcomed surprise, adding a new dimension to the typical. They were still crunchy and added a complexity in texture to the almost perfectly cooked steak. And the accompanying chimichurri sauce made everything colorful with heat, from the steak to my shredded pork.

Uncharacteristically, we did not order dessert, probably because we saw the staff cleaning silverware, yelling in Spanish, closing the restaurant down. And also because we were unnaturally full from our late meal. The prices were astonishingly low, compared to a few other Cuban restaurants around Jersey City and Hoboken, even one that is in the same neighborhood. The value was extraordinary, so much food for a small price. The quality was also there. I am sure had it been earlier we would be able to taste the time and care put into the dishes even more. Some of the food did feel mass produced, but other dishes really shone in quality control. I would absolutely go back, at the prices and portion sizes, there many deals to be had at La Conguita Restaurant.

8.4.12

RER

RER 8.4.12

RER 8.4.12

EATING aesthetics: New Rivers

RER 8.25.12

JAR 8.25.12

Providence is a changing city. It is becoming more of a destination to those other than out of town parents. And as it is moving ahead in culinary, it is home to a large variety of restaurants and an area privy to fresh, local ingredients. At the foot of College Hill, in view of an old white church, a tiny tea café and the water, sits New Rivers. The vacant parking lot stretches like an asphalt desert in the sun, and gives way to the inconspicuous upscale restaurant, small and hidden on a side street in brick building. The sidewalk just wide enough for single file, felt dangerous and open. And there it is, right where you don't expect it.

****

The small restaurant consists of two dining areas, both with just a few tables, resulting in an intimate atmosphere. Almost hushed and quiet, people too afraid to talk too loudly, stimulating awe and anxiety.

It is cozy and dark in one of the spaces, with heavy green walls, deep and dark. The white tablecloths and somewhat more delicate furniture and cottage-like booths, create a stark contrast. The material covering the booths is a strange large floral, reminiscent of a Vermont cottage or a summer home in the Poconos; large pink white flowers set on greens, like needlepoint. The rustic element clashes with the refined table clothes, fancy folded napkins, and lovely solitary flower centerpieces.

One side of the room is one large window, facing onto the narrow sidewalk, allowing for diners to look out, but hardly revealing the inside of the dark space. The green wall separates this dinning area from the main one. The ceiling is red, and chases down the back wall meeting more green; the color reminiscent of a red barn, old and tired, goes well with the benches, coming from almost another time. While another wall is just a green shutter divider, separating diner from preparer. Noises float through the divider at times, reminding those right next to the line, that something does exist beyond that wall, something contemporary and current. But those closer to the window, on the other side of the room,  remain oblivious to that other world, as the music and food of their present  drown it out.

The other dining area rests beyond the second glass door of the glass vestibule, the quiet entry to the restaurant. Large windows stretch almost from the floor to the ceiling. There are lighter colored floors and walls, not the deep green and ancient red. Almost like it is a different place from the other dining area, completely opposite; it is flooded with light. The bar is set on the wall connecting the two dining areas, elaborate and large, but almost forgettable.

Right below the ceiling is a decorative element-- wandering brown vines, like wicker basket twigs, entwined with Christmas tree lights, creating a kind of vortex of stars hovering above the dining area.  This imaginative and creative star wormhole, strays from the decorative motif of this seating area, but gives a kind of hominess and artisanal relief to the yellow walls and minimalist details. Almost like the wildly random designs on the booths in the other area.

It strikes as quite a surprise that the two dining areas would be so utterly different, completely diverse feels and attention to details. The brighter area, in ways is more subtle and refined, lacing in some of the strange kitsch, though starker and stiffer at the same time, than its dark green counterpart. The two rooms create two completely different experiences, with only food and perhaps service to unify.  Every table is set to a tee, perfectly spaced, shiny and consistent, even in the dissimilar rooms. Each setting and table looks exactly the same, creating the uniform for New Rivers. Its perfection reminiscent of the quality, crisp and precise.

But, it gives reason to wonder if the food would even taste or feel different in the separate rooms, incite different feelings and arouse different connotations. The varying layouts create distinctive visual experiences, so why couldn’t they affect the taste of food on the tongue. Eating a sandwich on a bench in a park results in a different experience than eating that very same sandwich in the café, it might even taste different. Perhaps this is the same as at New Rivers. Is this then advantageous to the owner, the chef, or even the diners? Something sought after with dining is consistency, in preparation, ingredients, flavor etc. This may not be able to be achieved because of the complete differences of the dining areas and the experiences they might produce.

****

Just like the light throughout the restaurant, the menu seems to always be shifting, with the seasons, the availability of ingredients and the chef’s whim. What was on the website did not match the menu on the outside window which did not match the menu handed to us by our hostess. This though, did create temporary confusion and rendered mild disappointment, but all was not lost.

New Rivers has two menus. One of which boasts of charcuterie, the chef’s specialty. Red dots marked which items of charcuterie were not available that evening, because of limited supply or ingredients, or just not available. The range is from pork, to duck, to fish, smoked, cured, or otherwise manipulated. Fresh and in-house. The other, the full menu, includes nibbles, small plates, and entrees. Each meal was accompanied by long lists of ingredients and details.

The food and tastes were not all that memorable, but visually stunning. Looking back is all I can do, just look in my memory and see the food. Unfortunately my tongue was not as stimulated as my eyes, though they do say, “you eat with your eyes first.”

The smoked blue fish from the charcuterie menu, paired with pickled cucumbers and crusty bread was delicious, fishy and smoky, flaky and wonderful all at the same time.  The portion was small, leaving the mouth longing for more, but the taste well worth it. The pork belly with melon was also a beautiful starter, a feast for the eyes. The small plate was decorated with tangy sweet pickled vegetables, peppers cucumbers, but also sprinkled with the most delicate cubes of orange ripe melon. The crisp crust of the fatty pork belly, contrasted the garden of color, as well as all the sweet flavors, adding that salty savory to the fresh melon. The colors of the pickled peppers and red onions, popped, bright and visual like a painting.

One of the entrees also had the same kind of visual appeal as the beginning courses. The ribs served with colorful slaw, grilled peaches, pickles and sweet corn bread, were assembled on what was like a wooden cutting board, rustic though artistic. The char of the meat was overwhelming, but the chutney of mustard seeds, onions and pepper, helped to equalize the smoke through its sweet pickled juices. The little mustard seeds burst on the tongue. Smoke ran through the peach as well, that added color and another kind of sweetness to the dish. The slaw, carrots and cabbage dusted with celery seed had crunch, and swirled prettily in the plate. And the last element of this indoor picnic, the cornbread was sweet and light. Everything in the end had a unique sweetness, visually creating a still life, with assorted colors and textures, from the light green of the pickles, to the pale yellow of the cornbread, to the rich meaty brown of the ribs.

The desserts too were works of art, composed with simplicity and balance, not only on the pallet but also through the aesthetics of sight. The lemon tart stood solitary on the plate, dusted with powdered sugar, alone with the citrus of the lemon and the sweet tang of the red raspberries. Centered, garnished with mint, a sole statue, bright and colorful. The peach and blueberry tart, decorated with a raspberry reduction and fresh blueberries, was surrounded with the abstract swirls of flavor. Topped with a mound of quiet rich vanilla ice cream melting slowly into the tart, concealing the sweet peach. They were both visually appealing dishes, simple and monumental, easily read and straightforward to taste.

This experience was more about what met the eye, than what touched the tongue. The food was hardly memorable in flavor, but the presentation really stuck, as well as the construction of the dining areas. It was more of an aesthetic adventure, rather than a culinary one. This is not to debunk the quality and craftsmanship of the dishes, as they were amazing to look at and marvel the technique and skill. However, the flavor profile felt limited and did not resonate. The common threads between dishes were too pronounced and flagrant, giving each dish too much of the same flavors. At the same time, these common threads, like the pickled vegetables and grilled peaches, created an artistic theme, connecting each dish visually, as if our meal was curated for the eyes. Perhaps, eating in the other dining room would make the food more memorable to the tongue, since it is like eating in a completely different place, creating a different experience. Who knows...

RER

8.25.12

RER 8.25.12

RER 8.25.12