Service Styles

Our last trip to SF mostly involved the company of friends who prefer the company of adults to children. And of course the Sardine is now 8 months old, more mobile and vocal than previous visits. And as restaurant owners we've made a lot of noise about how parenting in public should be conducted. So we got to test our theories a little. We also got to see different styles of child restaurant management.

We met Sam & Fred at Salt House where partner Doug Washington told us if there was anything we needed, something warmed up, pureed, whatever, to just let him know. He offered to carry the Sardine around the restaurant so we could eat with two hands. The Sardine was fine in the high chair and enjoyed the broth from my halibut and artichoke dish, sampled Fred's foie gras and was seriously into the short rib gravy on the GM's poutine. Salt House is noisy, not deafening, but enough so that any shouts of fussiness or delight from the Sardine could go unremarked. He did attract a good amount of attention from neighboring tables and Mr Washington checked in a couple of times. He told us about his 6 year old and 14 month old and we had a brief conversation about how the restaurant lifestyle and the parenting/school lifestyle might not be a perfect match.

Our explorations with Meloukhia went well. Land's End is filled with tasty things, it was a wonderful sunny day and the Sardine was pretty companionable until he got tired of being in the car seat on the way to Treasure Island and started screaming.

When I made our reservation at Cyrus I was thinking it might be the last time we would be trying haute cuisine as a family for a little while. The Sardine is now mobile and it won't be long before he's somewhat hard to contain. After dinner the might changed to definitely. Not that it was a disaster. In fact he was quieter and better behaved than at Salt House. But the atmosphere and noise level of the two places is so different that he was much more noticeable at Cyrus.

The food was everything I had heard it was. Refined, playful, perfectly executed. And the service was professional. The difference between Cyrus and Salt House though was at Salt House they were friendly, seemed glad to see us, and wanted us to return. They were there to make us happy. At Cyrus, though technically "better" service, the focus was on the restaurant, not the customer. We were there for the experience, and they knew it.

The Sardine did make some noise and the GM was really tense. We each took a turn taking him outside and finally she got him to sleep so she could enjoy the cheese course and desserts. As we were leaving we talked a little with Nick Peyton and told him how much we enjoyed his remarks at the Zagat forum on hospitality a few years ago. He remarked how different everyone on the panel was, and that though each were committed to great service, their styles were totally different. Since Doug Washington was also a panelist I was able to compare styles side by side.

A clear case of apples and oranges. Two totally different restaurants. But I remain a little non-plussed at how little use some restaurants make of the information they have. For instance, my email to Cyrus came from my business email and told them we were bringing an 8 month old infant. From that info alone a few things they could have done would be: have a high chair or some other infant device available (they did seat us in a booth with the idea the Sardine could be in the middle, and give the GM a pillow to prop him up with so they did make some effort to address our child) and to really go a step further to realize, hey, these people are in the business, they are bringing their infant, wouldn't it be great if we sent out a course of something the infant could eat. That's a family story for a lifetime. "Yes, dad. I know I was eating sweet potatoes at Cyrus when I was 8 months old. You've told that story a million times." Even to just acknowledge that we were in the same business would have gone a long way.

I'm not knocking Cyrus. They did great. But when expectations are higher, great is just the standard. To wow, you really have to go out of your way. I also don't expect special treatment because we are restaurateurs. Everyone should get some acknowledgment of who they are, what they do or something personal when the restaurant has the information available. If you know your guest is a lawyer from Altoona, PA, there's something you can do with that information. The internet has made it possible to find out a little something about anywhere and nearly everything.

In the spirit of using the information, when I send thank you letters to both restaurants I will be enclosing the temporary tattoos that we put in our check presenters for Doug Washington and Nick Peyton's children.

Speaking of thank yous, a major one goes out to Fred. Just remember no good deed goes unpunished.

Comments

[sam]

It's funny sometimes how the paths of life cross and then cross again. That we should eat together at The Salt House before you headed to Cyrus, and that we had also eaten for the first time at Cyrus a couple of weeks ago.

When we were at Cyrus, a table of middle-aged diners were squawking, buffooning and generally making such an obnoxious specatacle of themselves, I can assure you that the Stardine would have had absolutely no chance making himself heard above their din.

I thought Doug was as charming a host as you could ever hope to meet.

I am going to ask Fred to come and read your post. He doesn't usually read food blogs but I think he would enjoy this one.

[sam]

oops - apologies - Sardine typo, but rather a successful one. I like that Stardine!

[jen maiser]

I rather like "stardine" - It sounds like a new nickname. :)

[meloukhia]

I suspect that the Sardine knows something about the Island that we don't. Are you sure he isn't hiding a Geiger counter in his diaper?

[Garrett]

Good post and well thought. Definetly a perfect respite from my work day; thank you.
:)

[johng]

I do think it's really odd for the staff at a professional joint like not to acknowledge people who are known to be I.T.B. It seems clueless or arrogant. Makes you feel like you don't really count in their world.

OTOH - I don't disagree with their choice not to buff up the little guy. Like many high-end places they may just have a policy of benign neglect toward babies and toddlers. You can't really go round saying don't bring 'em in, but you can give the message subtly by not stocking high-chairs and other ecoutrement.