Dining with Notebook #2 - Principle: The Powerful Notebook
Ruth Reichl in Garlic and Sapphires, her marvelous and funny memoir, talked about the great lengths she went to disguise herself when visiting restaurants as the New York Times critic. That was very appropriate for her, because she needed an honest appraisal of what the restaurant was like for the average diner. However, that is counter to the Dining with Notebook Manifesto, where we want the staff to know that a very demanding critic is in the house.
One of the best ways to announce your presence in a restaurant is by having a notebook by your side that you fill with notes and drawings. It does not matter what type of notebook (my favorite is a thick 5x7 spiral bound that is stuffed with notes, receipts and folded menus). What does matter is that you look serious about your note taking. I frequently walk into a restaurant with the notebook in hand and immediately put it on the table, counter or bar when seated. I turn to a fresh page, put in the name of the restaurant along with the time and date, hopefully under the watchful eye of the wait staff or bartender. Then the note taking begins. As time goes by, the staff are more and more aware of the text notes and drawings of the plating that goes into the notebook. Questions get asked, answers noted. At the same time, the level of staff attention on the note taker increases and service delivery goes up.
As your notebook gets worn, stuffed with papers and taped receipts, the more seriously the staff will take that simple tool… and the diner who is using it.
Be prepared for the questions like “Are you a critic?” or “Which magazine do you work for?” or “Are you working on a review?” Just this last weekend, I got a question like these from a chef while I sat at an upscale restaurant’s kitchen counter. My stock answer use to be “No, just a home cook that is always looking for tips and tricks for the next meal. I’m also part of a circle of foodies that likes to exchange notes about restaurants” These days I add in that I have a food blog. This answer seems to relax the staff without reducing the amount of attention one bit. In fact, because the diner is not “in the business” (another common question), but just an interested and discerning foodie, the staff become even more friendly and willing to chat.
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