People are constantly reminding me that I should keep these posts more positive. That I come across too crabby and negative. I suppose. I am at least willing to admit that I am often critical of my dining experiences.

But

I understand that my standards are high. Perhaps. It is even more likely that my expectations when eating out are even higher. I, again, am willing to cop to that.

There is a line in the movie “The Godfather’, where Vito Corleone says something like (paraphrasing), “I don’t apologize for how I take care of my family”. That’s pretty much how I feel about it.

There it is

What I see out there is a lot of restaurants charging a lot of money. Charging a lot of money and often without bringing the value. And that frustrates me.

There is so much focus put on food in this town–and don’t get me wrong, that is a GREAT thing–but still little placed on the importance of the other piece to the puzzle. Namely service.

I see stuff going on out there and I feel the need to speak out about it. And now I must quote another 70s’ movie. Diane Keaton in the movie ‘Manhattan’, says “I say what’s on my mind, and if you don’t like it you can **** off.”

This blog

I had, (and still have), two main objectives when I started writing this thing:

• To heighten awareness around the Portland dining experience (for owners, employees, and customers).

and,

• To get an occasional consulting gig out of it.

 

That is it. I have no other agenda. I don’t know if you have noticed, but this blog is not Portland Food and Drink. These posts are not Yelp reviews. I am not the Portland restaurant gossip columnist. I leave that to the foodie Hedda Hoppers of the world.

I share my dining observations with anyone who wants to learn a little bit about the restaurant business. Whether you are an owner/chef, an employee in the hospitality industry, or just an interested restaurant customer who often finds themselves watching the Food Network. There is something in here for anyone interested or curious about this restaurant business.

Good stuff

You can ask my wife for verification of this if you like, but when we dine out, I am the first person to point out the good points of service.  I am quick to recognize and tell a server, host, bartender, dishwasher, line cook, that they did a great job. That they went beyond the expectation. I just don’t do it so much on this blog.

Maybe I should start?