Dining experience

by Laura Hansen & Brenna Walters

What you need to know about the dining experience from two perspectives

Confession: I am a professional eater. Yes, I love to eat. I don’t feel eating is something we must do (although it is), I feel it’s something I passionately do. In my "eating" career, I have journeyed to all types of restaurants – those with peanuts on the floor all the way up to those rated highest by those who rate for a living. In my eating travels, I know one thing for sure – whoever serves you the food has a BIG impact on the entire experience.

IN THE BEGINNING

Customer perspective
You can start the dining experience by being involved in the choice of where you sit. When making a reservation (and this does depend upon the establishment), you can request a table by the window, away from the kitchen, etc. I recommend you tell the person working with you on the phone if this is the first time you have dined at the establishment. If that person wants to make a good impression, he or she will make a note of this and take special care in greeting and seating your party.

In addition, if you are celebrating a special occasion, please mention birthdays, anniversaries, etc., when scheduling the reservation. If there are special instructions surrounding the occasion, provide those details during the reservation and when you meet the server. Also, if you are evaluating the restaurant to consider having a special occasion there, mention this to both the host and the server.

Server perspective
Although guests frequently compare waiting tables to a sales job, servers are really in the hospitality business. We are there as your guides through the dining experience. The server is the middleman running interference between your culinary desires and the artistry the chef creates in the kitchen. A skilled server can orchestrate the commingling of the most exquisite food, wine and service, creating an experience rather than a meal.

Remember, this is an interaction between people – so it’s important to respect your server during the dining experience.

Customer perspective
Although one can look at a menu and draw initial conclusions about what to eat, it’s best to have a full discussion with your server about the menu before making a final decision. I usually change my mind about 70 percent of the time based on the discussion with the server.

Server perspective
The first step is to trust that your server knows more than you do when it comes to the cuisine and wine selection in that particular restaurant. Typically, your server has tried everything on the menu, attended wine knowledge class and frequently spends time in the kitchen sampling new creations. Most importantly, the server receives constant feedback from other guests about what dishes are the best and what wines complement those dishes.

WINE ORDERING

If you are unfamiliar with the wine selection, don’t hesitate to ask questions. The trend these days is to serve small production wines from artesian wine makers, so chances are you will not be familiar with every wine on the list. The best way to select a wine you will enjoy is to describe to the server what flavor and body profile you are looking for. "I enjoy light crisp wines with high acid and no fruit" or, "I want a full-bodied red with spice and cherry flavors."

As far as pairing goes, there really are no hard and fast rules. Red wine really can compliment fish. However, some wines just go better with certain types of food. If you plan on having a cheese course, for example, inform the server as he or she may steer you away from a buttery white to something that would better compliment your selection. Recently, I had a guest that insisted he hated Chardonnay, but I knew a particular wine that would best compliment his dish. I brought him a taste of a French Chardonnay, which had no resemblance to an oakey West Coast sister. The guest loved the wine and it did indeed bring out new flavors in his meal.

FOOD

Customer perspective
I always ask the server three questions (not necessarily in this order):

1. What is exceptional that day (and I always ask why he/she thinks the dish is outstanding)?
2. What are the signature dishes (or most popular) of that restaurant?
3. What is his or her favorite dish and why? When I ask this question, I am also trying to also understand what food bias the server may have as all of us have biases regarding certain foods or cooking techniques. You would be amazed at what can be disclosed during this discussion.

Server perspective
We can tell who the professional diners are immediately. Professionals ask questions about the menu, how items are prepared and what items are the most popular. Try to avoid questions such as, "what’s good" as it is a difficult one to answer. Instead, provide a little insight into what you are in the mood for so that the server can guide you in the right direction and describe a few dishes for you. Even if you simply say, "I’m in the mood for something light" or, "I really want to try something unusual," this will still help the server. My favorite question is: "Is there anything on the menu we can’t miss?" I always ask this when I go out because I know there is probably some hidden gem that I may have overlooked.

When a guest asks these questions I am immediately more attentive. People who ask these questions are higher caliber diners and, as I recently experienced, can turn out to be chefs from other restaurants.

The following are a few suggestions to really make your experiences unique and pleasurable:

If you have an allergy, or absolutely hate the taste of onions, tell your server up front. Inquiring as to whether cilantro is in a dish will only inform the server that you don’t like the taste of cilantro. If you do indeed have an allergy, we need to know so we can tell you not to order the filet, which has been rubbed in coriander, for example.

We are happy to provide any modification to your meal that you need, but remember you are toying with the chef’s creation. By all means, if you do not want bacon, we are happy to leave it out. However, when you start creating your own meal then you are destroying the integrity of the dishes the chef has created.

ORDERING ‘OFF THE MENU’

Customer perspective
Recently, I was dining at a place I know extremely well and put my experience in the hands of my favorite waiter. He recommended the fois gras, but I expressed concern that the dish would be too heavy as I was planning on tasting more than one dish. I did, however, tell him that I trusted his judgment regarding what I should have for the first dish. He brought out an incredible mushroom risotto and placed a few pieces of fois gras on top! What a treat!

CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD SERVER

Customer perspective
If the restaurant is a place you frequent, the server and bartenders should know your name (remember Norm on Cheers?). They should also recall your food and drink preferences. My favorite waiter (Conrad) at Café Lucci not only knows all of my favorites, but also knows how my mother likes her martini, and that her favorite dish is mussels. What makes this important is not that he would recall my preferences, as I dine there frequently, but those of my very infrequent dining mother. A good server also pays attention to the "little" details. A friend of mine, who was a server in high school, told me she was waiting on a guest when she noticed the woman was left-handed. Her attentiveness was rewarded as she served to accommodate the left-handed customer.

Server perspective
There are a thousand little touches that can be added in order to make a guest feel accommodated. From aiding a left-handed guest, to delivering a drink sans cocktail straws as the straws were immediately removed upon delivery of the prior drink. Your experience should feel effortless. If a server does not already know your name, introduce yourself. He or she should then call you by your name throughout the dining experience. Ask the server’s name too. Knowing his or her name will be beneficial in many ways if not only to avoid having to call a person "Miss." This name exchange also personalizes the dining experience for both parties.

At many restaurants, the wait staff is comprised of people who are extremely passionate about food, wine and hospitality. We want you to derive the same pleasure we do by having an exceptional dining experience.