Here’s What We’re Up Against
At a restaurant where I was consulting last year, I asked the waitstaff, one by one, to name the best restaurant meal they ever had.
Margaret: Umm. Umm. Sorry chef, I have nothing for ya.
Don: Uh, let me think. Uh. Can’t come up with anything.
Joey: I don’t eat out much, sorry.
Billy: None stand out Chef.
Ryan: It was in Charleston, South Carolina.
Me: Great. What did you have?
Ryan: I don’t remember, but I know I liked it.
Me: OK, interesting. What was it called?
Ryan: I don’t remember the name.
Me: Let me get this straight. The best meal you’ve ever eaten in your life was at a restaurant whose name you don’t remember and you have no idea what you ate?
Ryan: Yes Chef.
Hard as it is to believe, only one of the 15 or so waiters had eaten a meal so memorable that they could recall it. That server had eaten with her parents at the French Laundry. Not too shabby.
Now it gets really bad. I challenged the chef of this restaurant’s other location to name a great restaurant in Richmond. His reply (in front of the mortified owner) was “I like Applebee’s.” Five for five, Baby.
