Food Notebook

It's not just the physical presence of the notebook that makes the difference when it comes to ensuring a great restaurant experience, it's about leveraging your personality and a smile to pull the staff into a conspiracy of great dining.

The actual notebook is a necessary, but not sufficient, tool in the Dining with Notebook toolbox. This might sound like blasphemy after all that I have said about the power of the notebook. However, merely having a notebook physically present on the table does does not, in and of itself, do the trick of improving your experience at a restaurant. The most important tool in the toolbox is a patron who is fully engaged with the staff and environment of the restaurant.

This emphasis on you does not mean being obnoxious and having an "in your face" attitude. Rather this is a reminder to smile and chat with the staff, asking about the chef, the wine list and menu and all the other ways mentioned in prior Dining with Notebook principles to get the restaurant's staff engaged with you because it shows that you are really interested in the restaurant and having a pleasant experience. It really is a human-to-human connection that drives great service.
 
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The Dining with Notebook Manifesto and Principles are a way for every restaurant patron to get the best experience possible... the same as if you are a regular or a big city newspaper critic.

Food Notebook post by Carter Lusher. Photo by Carter using an HP R707 digital camera and edited using HP Image Zone software.

©2006 Carter Lusher. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.