Knife's Edge - Restaurant Rants & Raves

When the Health Inspector Eats at Your Restaurant

you must be doing something right. Either that or you're not charging enough because public service is typically not the path to riches. We seem to enjoy preferred status with both our environmental health officers and indeed they dined with us last night. Which is great because an adverse relationship with the health department is about the last thing you want.

Haven't blogged too much lately for a couple of reasons. One our ISP has been having problems and we've only been able to connect sporadically and two, we've got a deal in the works which may prove to be quite monumental. I'll keep you posted.

An entry from Gastronomie about a recent dining experience leads me to ask you about service. Everyone has a different perception of what constitutes good service. I have my own which I'll share later but I'd like to know how do you define good service? Does this differ depending on the establishment and if so why?  And more importantly, is there an effective way to let your waiter know how you'd like to be attended to?

For myself service is less about technique and more about a fundamental caring about the other person. Is my guest having a good time? Do they have everything they need to enjoy themselves? Do they feel welcome? Technique makes it easier to achieve these goals and there are basics which obviously need to be done but I don't really care if my food is delivered from the left and cleared from the right.

The welcoming and attending to can also go too far. At Charlie Trotter's a staffer escorts everyone to the bathroom. That's a bit much for me.

The real issue though is how to let your waiter know if you have pet peeves. It drives me nuts to have my water glass constantly refilled, although to some if it isn't, they feel neglected. If I've had a decent meal in a place where the service was bordering on the obsequious I might not be in a rush to return, even though they've done nothing wrong, and in fact were doing everything "right". I feel  though somehow obligated to let the owner know why, or better yet, let the waiter know, before I get irritated. The problem in doing this is that right from the start you come across as some sort of a demanding crank. "I'd like to be left alone, but not neglected. Don't fill my glass unless it's totally empty. Don't clear the plates until everyone at the table is done. Don't announce the dishes as you set them before me." etc etc.

Certainly this relationship develops with regular customers as you get to know them. So and so prefers a teaspoon with their ice cream rather than a dessert spoon, miss x wants her wine opened immediately, sometimes before she is even seated. Things like that. But if you never or rarely go back to a place this relationship never develops.

So, how to communicate in an effective way, which fosters a relationship?

Restaurant Finances

Some comments I've received both on and off the blog touch on the subject of finances. They seem specifically driven by pending living-wage legislation in Oregon. It seems the restaurant association is trying to get a sub-minimum wage, or tip credit as it sometimes called into the legislation. There were  comments saying basically some people thought this was a sneaky way for the restaurateurs to line their pockets with cash.

I'm not really interested in debating something happening in Oregon. I will say a sub-minimum wage for tipped employees should be a reality. There are only 7 states in the US where tip credit is not allowed. I unfortunately do business in one of them. I'm not saying this because I have it in for waiters. I don't. They're wonderful. They sell my food. But I do think there could be more equality in the pay scale. We can get into the why's and wherefore's in another post. Right now I'm just going to present the sad truth. Note to GM: You may want to skip this post in the interest of mental health.

BTW, thanks to the nice person at Life Begins at Thirty  for telling her readers that it's time to put their money behind their commitments.

OK. Here's a fun little exercise. We're going to go over P&L percentages. It's a lot more fun if you have two rolls of pennies. So, go to your change jar and count out 100 pennies. I'm waiting........

Now you have 100 pennies. A dollar of restaurant sales. You're a restaurant owner. How much of this dollar do you get to keep? When this exercise is done with employees the answers vary wildly, one even saying, "a dollar twenty five".

Note this is from our actual P&L, some of the numbers are at variance from national averages and I'll explain why at the end.

You're excited. You have your dollar. You want to spend it or save it. But first you have to meet your obligations. First up, cost of goods. All food and beverages you purchased. Hmmm...36%. So count out 36 of those shiny pennies and forget about them. They're not yours. Then administrative costs, everything from office supplies and telephone, accounting fees, postage, etc. 2.3%. Toss aside 2 more pennies. Now occupancy costs. Rent, utilities, repairs etc. 8%. 8 more pennies you won't be keeping. Other costs are up next. These are linen, to go supplies, replacement tableware, cleaning supplies, music, R&D. R&D you say. Yes, eating in other restaurants, trips out of the area. 6%, 6 more pennies leave. Payroll, which also includes your worker's comp insurance. 38%. Say goodbye to 38 more pennies. Sales and marketing costs which are advertising and credit card fees. Oh, you didn't know the credit card companies charge the merchants a transaction fee? Yep, that's why some of your favorite (usually lower priced) restaurants accept cash, or maybe check, only. 3% Toss three more pennies to Visa.

So, what's left in your hand? I've got 7 cents in mine. The once shiny pennies are now dull-colored from the sweat produced trying to hold onto a few of them. Still, they're 7 more pennies than you had when you started. But you realize something's not right because there are these annoying notices from the bank. Coupons in fact, asking for loan payments. Surely these have been paid. After all, this is a P&L report right? Well yes, it's a P&L but loan payments don't figure into these equations. It's not considered a function of the business if you had to take out loans in order to start the business. In other words, it wasn't income in the first place so paying it back can't be considered an expense. My god, if I had had enough money to start a business on my own, without taking out loans I probably wouldn't be working at all. At any rate, your loans still have to be paid with those 7 pennies.

Now I said our numbers are a bit different from the national average and I'll tell you why. Payroll is higher because about 4% of the payroll costs are employee awards and incentives. We buy birthday gifts every year for every one of our employees. We also give them "money" to be spent in house on food and wine at 100 percent discount. They earn this in addition to their wages by customer compliments among other things. If they choose not to use this "money" and come in for dinner they get a 50% discount on everything  we sell. They also get $200 credit at the dentist per year.

Another reason our numbers are at variance. 30% of our Other Costs go to R&D. The meals I blog about, going to SF adds up. This also makes payroll go up since we schedule additional people when we're not there. However, we know the results of not going away. We start to feel disconnected, the food and service suffers and we're unable to provide appropriate direction to the staff.

Our Selling and Marketing costs are lower than the average because we don't do very much advertising. We concentrate on existing customers, word of mouth and the positive press we've received.

So when all of these things are taken into account, we're right where a restaurant should fall, net income-wise. A restaurant's margin really tops out at about 12%. For the amount of effort, that's not much. I'm not sure what the standard for a retailer is but I know it's substantially higher.

Now I'm not posting this to play pauper. I'm not trying to get anyone to feel sorry for us. I enjoy what I do, went into with eyes wide open regarding what I'd be likely to earn and don't regret it. But it does bug me that people aren't willing to pay the true cost of a meal. If we could all get it together to agree that all of us, no matter what we do should earn a reasonable living, then maybe we could eliminate tipping, price accordingly and all have a decent life. The problem is defining reasonable and decent.

Poor(i) Behavior

Back from SF. Delfina on Monday was delicious. Started with fava beans with Pecorino and olive oil. The least successful of the dishes I tried. I'm more in the Fergus Henderson camp regarding favas. To quote, "restaurants peel off the grey-green skins, leaving a little bright green kernel with nothing fava bean about it. Leave the fava bean alone." It's true they're beautiful when doubly peeled but the removal of the skin does remove the slightly bitter low notes the bean has. I'm not just saying this because I don't want to pay a prep person to do a case of favas. Try a side by side tasting and you'll see. Next course of nettle ravioli also sang of spring but with a little more oomph to it. Finished with the tripe. Everyone should try this. Many chefs would like to see more offal on the menu but most are afraid to put it there because most diners are afraid of ordering it. After they ate something like this dish they might be more adventurous. So go there, get the tripe and branch out from there.

Tuesday's lunch with Shuna of Eggbeater at Vik's Chaat Corner in Berkeley was great. I went with her recommendation of cold lentil dumplings and an order of poori with garbanzos. The poori warrants a digression.

As a young (14 or so) punk rocker my band got a gig playing at a young woman's birthday party at a very tony Indian restaurant on Central Park South called Nirvana (it's still there, I'm glad to say. As a restaurant owner I feel quite guilty still). She told us she couldn't pay but there would be free food and alcohol and we could invite as many people as we wanted. We proceeded to invite everyone we even marginally knew, and we knew everyone in the CBGB's-Max's Kansas City nexus, and they invited people they knew and the promise of free liquor and aloo gobi masala lured 200 plus free-loading louts to venture north past 14th street.

When we arrived to set up earlier in the day we were told the free liquor part of the deal might be off. This was extremely distressing to me so I immediately started taking bottles from the service bar and hiding them around the room, under carpets, behind brass elephants, near the fish tank. Once the guests started to arrive I watched the horrified Hindus talking with each other and by their furious gesticulation divined there was definitely a hitch in the free food part of the deal. Now, of course I realize when you are expecting a party of perhaps 50 and approximately 250 arrive, you have a problem. As a drunk 14 year old however, this concept was lost on me.

The deal was we were to perform and then the food and drink was supposed to flow. By this time so many people had arrived we had very little room to stand. The bass player was perched on a rattan stool, the drummer had lost his sticks and had somehow ended up with sharp kitchen knives. In retrospect I'm sure they were hoping we'd stab each other with them. We started. A lurching, shambolic squall which delighted the assembled lunatics, particularly those whom I had let in on the secret of the hidden booze. Of course the drummer managed to slice open his fingers and which only spurred them on to dance even more wildly, which encouraged further mayhem from us. The singer was hanging on to one of the rugs tacked to the ceiling (he was also standing on a stool, not swinging like an ape) when the tacks gave way, the rug came down along with about two decades worth of dust. When the choking subsided it was determined it was time to sit down to eat.

We were starving. I didn't eat regularly then, having moved out of the house at 13 and my sole source of income the proceeds of this band. After a conference with Stacey (the birthday girl) the staff were persuaded that at least some food should be forthcoming because this obnoxious crowd had already been denied the promised free drink. No food could lead to a full scale riot. As a small shower of appetizers arrived we agreed that it was turning out to be a good party, despite the lack of liquor, after all. However, it became apparent that a small shower of appetizers was all it was going to be and we were longing for something more substantial. Then the poori arrived.

If you've never seen one picture a golden fried bread about the size of a small pillow. With our scanty knowledge of Indian food we reasoned "this must be the main course" when we saw them being carried through the room, assuming they would be filled with an amazing assortment of delightful things. As soon as the plate was set down 8 hungry hands grabbed at the poori, only to find a mild implosion and a wee bit of dough. Thus ended our banquet.

I'll spare you the other details, except on leaving I passed a huge brass avatar of one of the Hindu pantheon who was sporting cigarette butts between every finger of of every hand of his many arms.

As a chef and now as owner I believe I have paid my karmic debt for this and our gig at the fabled 21 Club (the restaurant, not some downtown noise palace) by dealing with many an obnoxious party, and many years later was able to clear the air with Stacey (whom we actually didn't really know, she was a fan). She ended up dating a friend and one evening in conversation I found out it was her party we had ruined. Amid my profuse apologies she let me know she had a blast and never had a better birthday. I'm sure her parents and Nirvana felt differently.

Back to Vik's. The food was great and I was happy to have found an Indian place which seemed to pay more attention to sanitation than some of the others we've been to recently. The GM will be happy. Shuna was wonderful as well. I had a great time getting to know her a little bit. If you haven't read her blog, do so.

The next day I met cedichou from Le Blog de San Francisco at Canteen, Dennis Leary's (formerly of Rubicon) new place. I feel sorry for these guys out there doing it all by themselves. He's open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I think he said 7 days a week. When we were there he was also waiting tables which he clearly hated. I understand the desire to keep payroll in line and whenever I'm in my dining room, I'll bus tables, bring water, etc but I don't make a habit of being a waiter because I don't have the temperament for it. Dennis doesn't either. I wish him well but hope he is able to stop before burnout sets in. Before the GM decided she should quite her day job and start running the place I was a literal zombie trying to manage everything. Thank god she did when she did or we'd probably be closed now.

The food was good, I'd return, but nothing earthshaking. I liked the marinated anchovy starter the best of all. The asparagus salad with poached egg was perfectly executed, only the halibut ceviche disappointed. Too much celery and the whole coriander seeds were a little jarring. The chocolate tart we shared was dense, rich and satisfying. Ced was fun also. Much different than his blog led me to believe. Gentler, more down to earth. On the blog he seems a bit more sardonic. I look forward to meeting his wife and son.

Had a solo dinner at Kiss on Laguna and Sutter. My omakase was a little similar to what I'd had there before, we'll see what happens if I go again. Tofu, seaweed and potato salad, a sashimi course of squid, giant clam, baby striped bass, tuna and tai snapper, broiled bbq mackerel, halibut in broth with potato, carrot and snap peas, marinated abalone with its liver, sushi course of marinated tuna, halibut fin, surf clam another I can't remember, and a mushroom-miso soup.

Came home to a GM still in pain from an inflamed toe joint and nauseated from the medication needed to combat the swelling. Then a round of meetings all day yesterday and back to work with renewed purpose and vision today. Talking with Shuna and some other friends in Berkeley really helped clarify some things for me.

Abstract Meat Sculpture

New batch of guanciale hanging. 3 weeks away.

Good Hands, Big Eyes

I've been keeping an eye on all the new hires and there's one who's really good. He's fast, smart, funny, personable but more importantly he has good hands and big eyes. His movements are sure and precise and he watches everything intently whether it's on his station or not. And he's watching to learn, not like some who watch with no intent. He jumps in to help after he's seen what needs to be done, again unlike some who could see someone on fire and continue to drink a glass of water.

I'm not surprised he's good, his brother is the same. Not all family members are alike I realize, but these two are very similar. Another of their brothers had a birthday last night and they invited me to the party after work. It was late and everyone was tired. Some of these guys work 7 days a week, some of them work 2 or more jobs. I'm sure it's weird to have your boss over to your house but this family has never been shy about including me & the GM in their lives, even before they worked for us.

The differences between the new guys and some of the existing crew, particularly the sous chef, are becoming apparent. 2 of the 3 new guys are much cleaner and organized. I'm curious whether the sous even realizes his station regularly looks like a shithouse. Mine gets out of control now and again, but I'm always trying to get it clean, keep it clean, keep it stocked. He'll work a slow night with crap scattered all over the place. I'm hoping he'll learn by quiet example, but hey, I've been hoping for that for a long time now.

The GM is hobbling, still down with her mysterious foot ailment. Our older dog is limping worse than ever, he's obviously in pain and I'm getting ready to go to the city. Oh, and the fish vendor called this morning to tell me striped bass isn't available. See what I said about spring and the menu. I was referring in that post to produce but seafood is getting pretty iffy. Overfishing and lying about tonnage has done in the industry.

Must remember: bring home Indian food for the GM.

New Palates

Leaving tomorrow for SF with new menu items and new guys in the kitchen. Not usually much for concern but the GM who is staying here this time has a bum foot. We think it may be gout. Of course it's the weekend and the only medical option is the ER. So, she won't be able to command in my absence.

I'll be leaving a detailed set of instructions so I'm sure it'll be just fine.

Thanks to the blog I'll be dining with two new people during my trip. This makes me feel OK about hours spent on the web. The hype is true, you really do expand your horizons.

But now for the preparations. Smoke the bacon, type the new recipes, prioritize the prep for the new guys, look after my darling, pack, make a list of the things to remove from our city place (we share a place with a few people from here and are upgrading apartments) and try to get a little sleep before I go.

We had a post-performance opera party last night. We've done it for 6 years running and it's always a late night. I'm still a little groggy. The GM is in pain so I've got to go.

Rites of Spring

Spring is always fickle. Fall and winter I love. Summer is kind of boring. I'm talking about cooking here, not the weather.

Summer is boring because everything is so lush, so ripe and so plentiful that I feel guilty doing anything to the food. And if I don't, I feel guilty charging for the dish. Fall and winter are a little more challenging, some things have gone past ripeness and are charging towards decay and by the time you get to winter the things that thrive aren't things most people eat, like parsnips, rutabagas, cabbages and brussels sprouts. A cook gets to become an alchemist.

But spring is all about waiting. Which can be exciting but also frustrating. I see things budding, I see things flowering, I see some things fruiting. When will they be ripe? And when can I depend on them? To put on the menu that is. One week something will be available and the next week not. It's stop,start,stop,start. The weather this year isn't helping any either both in the growing part of the cycle and in the dining. It does me no good to have delightful favas, radishes and the first tender sugar snap peas when it's hailing in the midst of a gale and all the customers want is a bowl of something warm and comforting.

In about 2 weeks things will be different. Strawberries should start to taste like berries, the price of asparagus will be less than gold and the cooks will be groaning at the amount of peas and beans they have to shell.

But we're doing some menu tweaking today so I have to go on faith that the choices will be available (and tasty) next week. We've got a pretty good market here in town so I'm off now to stroll the aisles and see what is truly looking good.

Cheap Bastards

We're doing a wedding reception for "friends" of the GM's family tonight. Actually they're friends of her father's new girlfriend. These people embody the passive-aggressive pseudo-hippie types we have to deal with here all the time. They're pretty vocal about supporting revolutionaries in Chiapas and making sure people across the globe get a living wage but they generally treat waiters like shit and are constantly nickel and diming us to squeeze the most out of our already low prices.

It's so difficult to get through to these people. They're just as bad if not worse than right-wing ideologues. They seem unable to differentiate a small business owner from Dupont and they can't seem to equate earning a living wage with a young white woman who's bringing them a cup of soup.

We've avoided having a large party or catering menu in trying to be flexible about our approach to dining and serving people but the longer we go on and the more we deal with people looking for a bargain the more necessary it seems. After this weekend we will have to develop a menu and policies that lay out in detail what we will and won't do at what prices. If somebody needs a custom menu or experience we'll do it for them but they have to pay for the services.

Everyone is looking for value. I get that. But people, don't be greedy. If we all had to pay the true cost of our food in this country starvation would be the number one issue.

OK, So I Might Have Pictures

I realize this isn't a stunning photograph, but let me tell you if there was smell-o-vision enabled on your machine, you'd be drooling. Had a slice or two before we went out and when we returned the entire house was still deliciously perfumed.

I broke down and bought a camera. After missing a deadline for a magazine photo I figured we need one.

The Pendulum Swings

Now it seems I've got more Mayans wanting jobs than I know what to do with. Plus the hires have created some ripples in the existing crew. My most solid line cook is fearing he's going to lose hours and he also wants to do some prep shifts during the day. Although I speak rudimentary Spanish and he comprehends a good bit of English it's a little hard getting the overtime laws through to him. He's certainly willing to work for the same rate but it's not something I can legally do. What I can do and had planned to do is give him a raise.

My hardest working dishwasher wants to learn the pantry. I was having him show some of the new hires how to do some things and noticed the long face. When I asked him if he wanted to learn the kitchen he lit up like a six-burner stove. So, I had to swap one of the new pantry guys to take his job as dishwasher. Fortunately they're friends and the new guy was pretty good-natured, saying "hey, a job is a job."

I passed on a cook who has applied before. He just seems to have a little too much drama around him. Plus he works for a nearby restaurant in the day and we're leery of the people coming out of there. There are certain restaurants up here that we just won't hire from because the training is so poor and the attitude just doesn't work with our philosophy and he comes from one of them. Granted one of more recent waiter hires comes from there as well but she was the person who confirmed our inclination since she needs the most training and more constant supervision. So, I sent him to the raw foods school being built next door.

Once everyone is trained, which should take about a month, month and a half, I'll have a meeting and let everyone know that having this many people means they are being held to a higher standard. Those who can't meet the standard will have to move on. Please remind me of this dear readers when I am wavering and not wanting to fire the slackers.

Tried the first of this batch of guanciale a few days ago and it is damned good. I'll be smoking bacon this afternoon in the backyard. Looks like today will be a great day. I even prepared by having some food in the house. Bagel, cream cheese and smoked salmon.