"ImStillMags" > wrote
>
> What makes a restaurant most appealing to you.
> What is it that keeps you going back.

Good food and good value of course is number one.


> What about the selection of dishes.
> Breakfast
> Lunch
> Dinner

The number of items on the menu does not impress me as much as a few items
done well. One place I've been to has many variations by offering the same
sauce with either chicken, veal, or pork. Chicken Marsala, Veal Marsala,
Chicken, veal or pork picatta. Makes the menu large, but I feel as though
they are just grabbing the same sauce from the freezer and nuking it over
the meat of choice.

Breakfast is my least favorite meal to eat out. For breakfast, a few
variations of eggs any style, sausage, bacon, or ham covers 99% of what I'd
want. Most places have box mix pancakes with artificial syrup so I never
order them. I want good buttermilk pancakes with real maple syrup.


> Bar

Rarely go to the bar, but at the table, bring my drink promptly.


> Staff.....talk about the ideal restaurant staff, servers, bartenders,
> hostesses, etc.

Neat and clean. For a high class formal dinner I'd expect more, but a shirt
and slacks is fine for the typical place. No silly theme uniforms.
Greet me, but don't be overbearing; I expect you to be a professional. If
I become a regular, I'll learn your name and request you if I like you. My
name is on the debit card so you will know me too after a trip or two. "Hi
Mr. P, good to see you" goes a long way. You should also know that I don't
rush and I don't expect you to rush the meal either and that is why we tend
to dine on a slow night where you don't have to turn the table. Attentive,
pleasant, professional service = good tip.

> Decor
> Ambiance

I don't like over the top theme stuff like you'd find in Outback. An
Italian place may have scenes of Italy in paintings and the like, but I
don't need bull horns in my steak place. Lunch at Johnny Rockets is fine
once a year, but it is not my every day choice.


> Location
> Surroundings

Parking reasonably close. I don't travel to the city much just to eat for
that reason.


> Is it one particular cuisine or a selection of dishes?

We are not far from Providence so if we want Italian, there are many good
choices. Plenty of others if we want other choices. If we go out with
friends, a selection is good so we all have a couple of options. I'd say 6
or 8 dinner items is sufficient though. No need for multiple pages. If the
food is really good, four choices is plenty. One of my favorite places has
three or four maximum and they change weekly.

>
> Really think about why you like a particular place and consider it
> your go-to place when you want to go out to eat.

If you take the menu at something like Applebees, cut choices by 30% and
make it from scratch, you'd have a winner.
Give me a beef, chicken, seafood option. If they are regular items, give me
a special or two for a change. I don't want the same thing every week, but
I don't need 50 items to choose from.

In article >,
Ed Pawlowski > wrote:
>> Really think about why you like a particular place and consider it
>> your go-to place when you want to go out to eat.
>
>If you take the menu at something like Applebees, cut choices by 30% and
>make it from scratch, you'd have a winner.

I like this idea. Lose the gimmicks and I think it will go. From what
I've seen of Applebee's, you could reduce the portions from "ginormous" to
"generous" and everyone comes out ahead.

>Give me a beef, chicken, seafood option. If they are regular items, give me
>a special or two for a change. I don't want the same thing every week, but
>I don't need 50 items to choose from.

My favorite casual restaurant in Berkeley is Fatapple's. It's American
food with some "alternate" variations (e.g. the cole slaw is
Asian-style). The cuisine is not what I would call innovative but it is
made with first-rate ingredients and executed well. The baked goods
(available seperately on the bakery counter) are outstanding (from the
burger buns up through the awesome pie), the coffee is from a local
roastery, the salads have produce that passes Miss Picky here's test,
the burgers are fresh ground chuck and they have real sliced roast turkey
in their turkey sandwiches. (I have the number in my speed dial for
take-out in case the turkey urge strikes.) You can get a heavy
meal or a light one. Vegetarians have several menu options, and the
staff will accommodate reasonable "special requests". It has a beer and
wine license so grownups may enjoy some local products with their dinner
. Prices are very fair and it is loved by locals of all ages. It is
also a great place to take visiting relatives whose food tastes may be
a bit conservative.

It's pleasantly decorated (both it and its sister restaurant have a theme
with murals on the walls) but not kitschy. Mostly it is clean,
well-lit, and quiet unless a child is vocalizing (no music!).

The core menu is one large laminated sheet (front and back) and they have
rotating daily specials on the board. The dessert menu is seperate
because they do more seasonal produce on it.

Charlotte
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