Tales from the Restaurant Trenches: Great Service Matters!

Posted Fri, Mar 09, 2007, 3:40 pm PST

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My apologies for being AWOL, but our happy news is that we have a newborn around these parts, so it's been more a case of "Girl Meets Diapers" than anything else in the last few weeks. And yes, we did have Champagne at the hospital, and yes, it was definitely Krug. I am a big believer in choosing special wines for special occasions, while hunting for value wines for everyday drinking. Life's milestones deserve appropriate bubbles.

Anyway, I recently took said newborn out on the town for her first lunch date with her dad and Grandma, and I felt inspired to note just much great service matters to a restaurant's overall success. As a frazzled new mom still figuring out the perplexing car seat/stroller combo, I really appreciated the kindness of our server at Santa Monica's I Cugini restaurant. Thankfully, our server spared us the rolled-eyes "you have a baby with you" expression that is all too common in many restaurants. Instead, he went out of his way to give us a larger table with room to park the stroller out of the sun and other patrons' way. He also noticed I had flowers from the Farmer’s Market tucked under my arm and offered to get us a vase for them during lunch. This remarkable service continued with him cheerfully splitting the enormous entrée salad for my mother and me without talk of "split charges" -- a major pet peeve for someone with a lighter appetite like myself. He also refilled my sleep-deprived husband's iced tea at least six times without batting an eyelash.

The adage in the restaurant business thus goes something like this: No one remembers or remarks on good service, but a single terrible experience spreads like wildfire and can ruin a restaurant's reputation in a flash. This is all too true. Don't we all like to focus on the negatives, like the rude hostess or the over-priced crappy wines (guilty as charged!)? Let's turn that around a bit, and share positive stories for a change. Got a favorite restaurant in your neck of the woods where you're treated like royalty? I would love to hear about it, and why you think the service there makes it special.

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8 Comments

1. Posted by marihadalamb on Sat, Mar 10, 2007, 8:36 am PST

Life with a newborn is challenging and marvelous at the same time, eh? Question: What is the consensus on stemless wine glasses. My husband really likes them but we have a cupboard full of stemware that I prefer. Wouldn't the warmth from your hands bother, say, a chardonnay? Would love to see your comments.
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2. Posted by Book Chick on Sat, Mar 10, 2007, 11:19 am PST

Congratulations Bonnie, and to Hubby, Baby & family! What wonderful news! So happy for you. Hope you're getting some sleep occassionally... wine should help. ;-) I'll think about your Q and get back to you... I live in Seattle and eat out frequently, and do enjoy great service at many spots... The Herb Farm and Metropolitan Grill spring to mind right away, but there are many more that are less celebrated that i'll have to post about later... must get back to work for now. Congratulations again! Take care
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3. Posted by Bonnie Graves on Sun, Mar 11, 2007, 3:42 pm PDT

To marihadalamb and Book Chick: Hey, thanks so much for your thoughtful and literate responses...much appreciated. For the record: survey says stemless glasses are no good for *real* wine, b/c the temperature from your grubby hand grasping it can alter the wine's phenolics. It's also not so elegant. That said, I have had fabulous wines out of paper cups so it really depends on the occasion! Send news of Seattle favorite restaurants, as I love the whole vibe of that city. Check out my sommelier friend Jake's restaurant Campagne, too - fab wines!
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4. Posted by s2_rob on Sun, Mar 11, 2007, 4:34 pm PDT

I totally agree a great meal with outstanding wine can become tedious and nasty with bad service. Timing is everything!
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5. Posted by Karen F on Thu, Mar 15, 2007, 6:37 am PDT

Hi Bonnie, Congratulations on your new baby! The ultimate adventure in life, parenthood. I just wanted to say I am a total beginner to real wine drinking and your Valentines Day suggestions for wine were great. The Rose Regal was the biggest winner at our house. May I ask a favor. Would you do an article about really great light summer wines? Good for family BBQs or for just sipping on a hot night. For some reason I get tripped up with this. Thanks and by the way you will sleep again:)
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6. Posted by Bonnie Graves on Thu, Mar 15, 2007, 10:55 am PDT

To Karen F.: Ahhhh, sleep...am blogging with one index finger at the moment as arms are full of baby. :) Glad the brachetto was a hit and will def. remember to do the piece you suggest re summer wines, too. BG
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7. Posted by Book Chick on Sat, Mar 17, 2007, 11:11 am PDT

O.k., I'm back with a few more Seattle restaurants with great service to mention! I'm sorry to say that I have not been to Bonnie's friend's restaurant Campagne, just the off-shoot, Cafe Campagne, for brunch a couple times. And they do indeed have excellent service there. However, i must confess that french food is not my favorite, although it does seem that I always receive excellent service whenever I do go French! A couple of my personal favorite spots for service would be Matador in West Seattle... service is excellent, as is the food. But the wine list is quite shameful... the tequila list is much longer. But again, the service and food is wonderful, and i highly recommend the happy hour nachos... a bargain at only $4! We usually pop in here for happy hour when we don't feel like cooking dinner, and always get superb service, even when ordering the "cheap" (but yummy) food off the HH menu. Also want to mention Ephesus, delicious turkish cuisine, and the service is outstanding! If you go, you must get the hummus. Seriously the best hummus i've ever had... and i've had a lot. Oh dear, I could go on forever... did i mention I eat out a lot? Speaking of happy hours... again must say that the Metropolitan Grill has a rep for a reason, excellent food and service, and the happy hour menu is awesome (and cheap!) And they have excellent wines available by the glass. I really love the Angeline Pinot Noir. Their HH cheeseburger is the best deal in town ($4!) and delish! O.k., i guess that's enough for today. Bonnie, hope you're getting some rest! Take care.
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8. Posted by dfericks on Mon, Aug 13, 2007, 2:37 pm PDT

This blog got me "Crewmember of the Month;" thanks, Bonnie. I hope to see you at i Cugini soon.
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