Regional Cuisine

When I travel, I try to eat like a local.

I will ask the hotel's front desk clerk or the clerk at the makeup counter/department store where he or she would recommend to eat. They are typically quick to offer up suggestions of fresh, affordable, non-franchise restaurants. This is the kind of information I love.

Recently in California, I sought out tacos and other Mexican - influenced dishes. I had fish tacos, beef tacos, spicy enchiladas and also a corn/bean/pico salad. I enjoyed the local beer (Blue Moon, Shock Top) and California wines.  For me, they were the right choices.

If I was on the Canadian prairies I would seek out meals using bison meat. On the coast I want seafood and shellfish.  I love food that is regionally unique and representing the creativity of individual restaurants and their chefs.  This to me, is one of the great aspects of travel.

Every time I try something new, it inspires me to get more creative at the retro diner I own!

Another Hassle

Why do restaurant owners go out at 3AM?  To check their store alarms, of course!

That's exactly what happened to me tonight. We were having a big 'ol summer thunderstorm and wouldn't you know it, the store security alarm went off. The alarm company calls my cell phone and the next thing you know I'm driving in a wicked storm back to the City to check things out and meet the attending police officers.  And let me tell you, passwords and security questions are not the easiest answers to find in your head as you wake and try to distinguish reality from a bad dream.

Nevertheless, it was a false alarm and all was fine. 4am and I can crawl back into bed.

Just another one of the little "joys" of being the boss.

Golden Rules of Dining Out

As a restaurant owner, and a patron of other restaurants, I really believe there are a few golden rules of being a good guest. Whether you are at the neighbourhood burger joint, or a fondue house, or 5 star celebrity monikered eatery the same rules apply.

1. Only order what you can pay for.  Walking out on a bill, or trying to scam a discount is plain wrong.

2. It's not your house. It's a place of business and shared with countless others. Keep your clothes and shoes on, your feet off the furniture and your language clean. Seriously.

3. Keep your hands off the staff and your personal comments to yourself. Telling the waitress how to fix her acne, or that she looks tired, beat up or the like is out of bounds.  She might be working two jobs to pay her rent or having health issues... your personal criticisms solve nothing. She is there to work and do her job. (Believe it or not, I have personally suffered through a patron insisting he has seen me stripping at clubs. I am not, nor ever have been an exotic dancer or the like. Having others hear this conversation was very demeaning and ruined more than that day whether he was just kidding around or not.)

4. Do not deliberately damage restaurant property. Accidentally tipping over a glass or breaking it is not what I'm talking about. That's truly an accident.... happens all the time. No big deal.  Kicking in bathroom stall doors, ripping a paper towel dispenser off the wall, gouging a table with your keys, slashing a fabric booth with your pocket knife for fun.... that's VANDALISM and should be punished in the court system. It's not a joke, nor is it "the cost of doing business." Because you were bored or your "food took too long" is absolutely no excuse.

5. Do enjoy the chef's creations, house specialties and the regional cuisine. You are dining out to experience someone else's expertise, their efforts and their style. Just because they don't make it the same way you do at home doesn't mean it isn't "right." All I'm saying here is be open to trying menu items prepared as the chef intends... not with this or that "held", "on the side" or this "added instead."  You're the guest, you don't need to be the author and creator of the dish. You can do that at home!  (This isn't intended to sound harsh, simply when you have the ingredients at hand for a menu item and then you are tasked with finding new ingredients, and preparing things differently it takes much longer and can throw off your kitchen rhythm. That's when food starts to take "too long" and some diners receive their orders out of sequence etc. Recipes are more than ingredients, they are about timing and cooking methods too.)

DO enjoy yourself at the restaurant. We are happy hosts. We love having you as our guest! That's why restauranteurs do what they do. It's a craft of love. We love to make people happy and care for them with good meals and in a warm, positive environment.

Tips for Getting Hired

So you want to work in a restaurant.... hmmm. Well, here are a few tips from someone with more than a decade's experience in the biz.

5 Tips to get that restaurant job:

1. Know what you're getting into.  What kind of restaurant is it? What's on the menu? Are the restaurant hours compatible with your schedule? Is the place thriving or on its last legs? You need to know all these answers before you apply.

2. Don't stop in during meal times. I would never hire someone who doesn't have the sense to stay out of my way on a Friday during the lunch or supper rush. Those resumes go straight in the garbage. It just tells me you have no clue.

3. When should you stop by with a resume? Tuesday after lunch. Or Monday, or on a rainy day. Any day that is slow. OR.... immediately following a long weekend. I can guarantee there are job openings after existing staff call in with "long weekend sickness" or the boss has had another rough weekend of doing everything her/himself.  I typically find myself in a hiring mood after busy weekends.

4. Know when you CAN work. Don't go on and on and on about the days off you "need" during an interview. Be honest and positive. When can you and when are you willing to work?

5. Be a multi-tasker. Have that "CAN DO" attitude in the interview and be that person in real life. Don't be the whiner. Restaurant patrons expect cheerful service. If you get the job someone will always be asking for a glass of water, a new fork, more gravy, increased air conditioning, a better table, a last minute reservation.... you get the picture. If you can't handle the heat.... stay out of the kitchen!