Sitara asked:

> I'm interested to hear from you, fellow foodies, about your thoughts
> on what constitutes 'your favorite place'.
>
> What makes a restaurant most appealing to you.
> What is it that keeps you going back.
> What about the selection of dishes.
> Breakfast
> Lunch
> Dinner
> Bar
> Staff.....talk about the ideal restaurant staff, servers, bartenders,
> hostesses, etc.
> Decor
> Ambiance
> Location
> Surroundings
> Is it one particular cuisine or a selection of dishes?
>
> Really think about why you like a particular place and consider it
> your go-to place when you want to go out to eat.
>
> Any thoughts you have are most appreciated.


First and foremost for me, a "go-to" restaurant should serve seasonal
cuisine, preferably using local ingredients, and at least a little offbeat.
As far as regional cuisines go, I enjoy just about all of them if deftly
prepared.

I like a lot of variety, so it's a plus if the menu changes at least
weekly -- and it's another big plus if the current menu can be perused
online. Tasting menus are often my preference, but not always.

I prefer restaurants which are *not* in the middle of a big city and which
have good parking. Valet parking is fine, but not a huge deal.

A "go-to" restaurant must have:

* Courteous staff who are completely knowledgeable about the ingredients in
every menu item, and who can describe how each item is made. Also,
professional waitstaff who endeavor to help the diners have the best
experience they can.[1] I really don't care what the server's name is right
off the bat: If I'm impressed with the service, I'll ask for that person's
name, so I can request him or her next time I come back.

* Food that I wouldn't make at home.

* Comfortable seating and tables which are large enough to hold everything
they need to hold (Besides the obvious plates, glasses, and eating
implements, I like to have room for my reading glasses.)

* Lighting which is neither so bright as to be uncomfortable nor too dark to
read the menu easily.

* Furnishings and surface coverings which tend to absorb sound. I don't want
to hear some VP-wannabe sucking up to a CEO, and I don't want to hear a prom
date going badly.


If I'm going out for brunch, a restaurant must serve an excellent version of
eggs benedict, and it's a plus if they also make an excellent spicy bloody
mary. (In New Orleans, it's also imperative for them to make a good brandy
milk punch.)

It's not an issue for me nowadays, but back when I worked the day shift, if
I went out to lunch, *speed* was of paramount importance. So to translate
that into the restaurateur's point of view, the lunch menu must contain
items which can be served less than five minutes after being ordered -- and
the lunch shift should be amply manned, or the whole point of the quick menu
items is lost.

One of my pet peeves: I am not one to linger after finishing the last
course. I want to pay and get out. So present the check promptly, pick it up
promptly, and if there's change, return with the change promptly. If I find
myself waiting what I consider an unreasonable amount of time, I will deduct
one percent per minute from the tip.

Don't try to ply me with alcohol. I am a VERY light drinker, and I resent
being pressured to drink more. That includes wine. If I want wine, I'll
*ask* for wine.

Bob

[1] Here's an example of what I'm talking about: I'd brought a date to the
Marine Room in San Diego. As our drinks were being served, my date asked
where the restooms were. The waiter began to describe how to get to the
restrooms, but seeing my date's eyes glaze over after the third turn in the
description, he immediately broke off the recitation and said, "Right this
way, ma'am," and led her there.