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Last year I read a book about the restaurant industry. It’s called “Your Table is Ready” by Michael Cecchi-Azzolina. It’s a memoir about the author’s experiences working “front of house” jobs (primarily maître d’) in various NYC restaurants. The main takeaway for me was that it’s extremely difficult for a restaurant to get it right and be successful. There are so many variables. And it’s not just the food, it’s the vibe that keeps people coming back. Would you rather walk into a restaurant where someone greets you warmly or one where you’re ignored?
We’ve got two local restaurants we go to a lot. One we call “the fish place.” They have reliably good fresh fish (it’s actually a fish market too) and nice servers, many of whom have been there for years. We typically sit at a table, but it’s got a very popular bar in the back of the restaurant that is not too loud. (It’s funny how “not too loud” has become one of my main criteria for restaurants.) I would describe the vibe as “neighborhood.”
The other is an Asian Fusion restaurant called Karma. The food is delicious and they make a cucumber cosmo that is my favorite cocktail ever. The vibe is younger and hipper than the fish place. Dark with jewel tones, the decor feels exotic (for lack of a better word). It also has a large bar which makes it lively, but again, not too loud.
50 Happens 