When guests visit at lunchtime, I want them to be treated like family. And I don’t mean having to rummage through the fridge for leftovers or arguing at the table. I’m thinking more of my grandmother’s at Thanksgiving or Easter, when we all knew the menu had been prepared with love and care, and was set before us with her own flair.
I’m missing her homemade egg noodles just thinking about it.
If there was something she made that wasn’t a favorite (like that gelatinous quivering purple stuff – cranberries maybe?), she would never push it on you. Help yourself if you want it. Take more if you like it. There was never anything to complain about, really. She was experienced in the kitchen and knew well how to please.
It’s a little different world these days. Particularly for those of us who invite folks into our places. We want people to come more than once a year, so we have to continually find new offerings. Chef Dustin is good at that.
Unlike our grandmother’s table, where we could always rely on her turkey and dressing, or glazed ham, we regularly have guests trying a menu item for the first time. When I ask at the table if everything is pleasing, I’m not just making small talk. I really want to make sure that each guest is enjoying their meal.
That’s why I was especially pleased to get an email today. Even with social networking and internet reviews, it is a pretty rare event when someone takes the time to pass along a compliment. Studies show that people are much more likely to make a complaint than to offer a compliment. Making a special effort to make good feelings known – well, it is just special.
On Friday the 23rd of January, I was in your Bistro for lunch…
I had the special of the day and it was wonderful!!!
The potato soup was especially delicious, and I was wondering if you would tell me what spices you used.
I make a very good potato soup, but it was nothing compared to yours.
So glad [we came] to your place, and I will pass this place on to others.
Satisfied customer
I’ve protected her privacy, but she signed her name, and from her description I remember serving her party on Friday. Recipe questions like hers are frequent, and establishments and their chefs and cooks have varying degrees of secrecy. Sometimes it isn’t a matter of keeping things under wraps like the KFC fried chicken spices or the Coca-Cola formula. Often it has to do with the quantities prepared and the serving situation.
Early on, I learned there is a world of difference cooking for a single party, the way my grandmother prepared our holiday feasts. She knew the approximate number of guests and time to serve it up? – well, that was when everything was ready.
Dustin plans diligently, but some things are unpredictable and the items have to be ready when required. Even though we make each plate to order, various prep and cooking methods have to allow for a slightly longer holding time before serving cooked items.
Even knowing a list of ingredients doesn’t insure that a particular recipe can be duplicated. For example, I used to place my hamburger patties in the freezer for several minutes before grilling at home, to keep them from sticking to the grate or falling through. That trick wouldn’t appear among the ingredients, but had a bearing on the final product.
And, our recipes are prepared the same way – every day. We want folks to have it the next time just the way they remembered it. Consistency. Hopefully, pleasing. Emailing a compliment? Well, that’s above and beyond.
I’m just so tickled to get those extra-mile-taken complements that I can’t help occasionally sharing.
We’re serving lunch tomorrow, so –
Come visit!
McHuston
Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main St. Broken Arrow OK!