Dining with Notebook #19 -- Principle: Bring a high-end food magazine
I have not posted a new Dining with Notebook Manifesto Principle for quite awhile because I frankly thought I had captured all the aspects of this technique. Well something new popped up and, as usual, quite by happenstance.
A couple of weeks ago I dropped by a new restaurant and just happened to bring a copy of Bon Appetit and Cooking Light with me. I dropped them on the kitchen counter while I perused the menu and wine list. Both the chef/owner and the waitress noticed the magazines and chatted with me about the magazines, whether I cooked and go out to eat often. This seemed to get me properly registered on their radar as I had great attention the rest of the meal. At that point, neither the notebook or camera were visible, though they did come out later. When I left this new restauant there were three folks standing in front of the restaurant examining its menu and they stopped me to inquire about my experience. After my mini-review, one of folks said "Well, he has credibility with me, looking at what he is carrying!" pointing to the food magazines. Hmmm.
Last night I experimented with this potential new technique. Again, I visited a new high end restaurant, sat at the bar and dropped Bon Appetit and Food & Wine on the bar beside me. The bartender came over and said "Oh, those are my two favorite magazines" and we proceeded to chat. Once more I seemed to be on the radar because of my status as a fellow foodie as established by my magazines.
This technique should only be used when you plan on sitting at the bar or kitchen counter.
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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 R967 digital camera and edited using HP Image Zone software.
©2007 Carter Lusher. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
A couple of weeks ago I dropped by a new restaurant and just happened to bring a copy of Bon Appetit and Cooking Light with me. I dropped them on the kitchen counter while I perused the menu and wine list. Both the chef/owner and the waitress noticed the magazines and chatted with me about the magazines, whether I cooked and go out to eat often. This seemed to get me properly registered on their radar as I had great attention the rest of the meal. At that point, neither the notebook or camera were visible, though they did come out later. When I left this new restauant there were three folks standing in front of the restaurant examining its menu and they stopped me to inquire about my experience. After my mini-review, one of folks said "Well, he has credibility with me, looking at what he is carrying!" pointing to the food magazines. Hmmm.
Last night I experimented with this potential new technique. Again, I visited a new high end restaurant, sat at the bar and dropped Bon Appetit and Food & Wine on the bar beside me. The bartender came over and said "Oh, those are my two favorite magazines" and we proceeded to chat. Once more I seemed to be on the radar because of my status as a fellow foodie as established by my magazines.
This technique should only be used when you plan on sitting at the bar or kitchen counter.
_ _ _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 R967 digital camera and edited using HP Image Zone software.
©2007 Carter Lusher. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
