Restaurant Seating; Mafia Connections; and a Fable

I'm not a demanding person. I tend to be pretty flexible and easy going about most things. But when it comes to restaurant seating, I can be pretty territorial about staking my claim to the power seat; the chair that offers the most unobstructed view of the restaurant. My aversion to sitting with my back to the public makes me behave, somewhat uncharacteristically, like a little bitch brat.

When challenged, I'll use whatever means necessary to intimidate my dining companions into forfeiting their right to the coveted seat. With vague references to former mob connections, I use the “old habits die hard“ excuse. I tell them I'll watch their backs from my lookout position, because surely they wouldn't want the responsibility of watching mine, what with my dangerous past and all.

This doesn't work with everyone. My son doesn't fall for it and since he has an equally strong preference for the out-facing chair position, I have to resort to the intimidation-by-guilt method to get him to concede. Didn’t I endure 16 hours of hard labor to give him the gift of life? And, since I'm probably going to be the one to pick up the tab for this meal, the least he can do is grant his poor mom this one feeble request. This method only works about half the time.

As one of many functional elements in a restaurant's ambiance, seating should essentially go unnoticed. Like background music; it’s only noticeable when it’s annoying. But, even subtle annoyances can have a negative effect on a customer’s experience. I discovered this a few months ago at Hoovers north Austin location. While the food and the service were both good, for some reason I had no desire to go back again. I didn't give it much thought until a coworker mentioned how much he loves Hoover's food, but he only orders takeout since the chairs are so uncomfortable. So, that was it. The reason I had no desire to go back to Hoover's was because the chairs were painful to my delicate hindquarters. While I didn’t initially identify seating as the cause for my discomfort, the message got through to my brain where it was filed under the don’t go there category.

In my search for data on the subject of restaurant seating, I was surprised to find very little information regarding the importance of comfortable chairs. There were plenty of resources on table layout and interior design for maximum efficiency, but little reference to actual comfort. In fact, one report mentioned that less desirable tables, meaning those offering less overall comfort, were quite often the most profitable, encouraging higher turnover and a better spending per minute ratio.  A restaurant like Hoovers relies on moving tables quickly and that goal is reflected in the ambiance with bright lighting, the open dining room and hard chairs.

As long as we’re discussing restaurant seating, we should look into the reasoning behind bar stools. What possible benefit is derived from supplying bar patrons with alcohol while forcing them to balance atop extra tall, backless, three-legged bar stools? The original bar stool design just seems unfinished. Maybe some poor medieval bastard was working in his carpentry shop, trying to finish up a custom order for the local grog purveyor, when he fell over dead from a latent plague related complication. His untimely death left the incomplete chair with no back, only three legs and several loose bolts under the seat, a legacy known today as the swivel bar stool. At least that's the way it could have happened. I imagine the chair maker's last words were something along the lines of, “this chair is taking forever to finish.” Well, at least he got that part right.

Call me naïve, but what good is a high spending per minute average if you’re having to spend more on advertising to keep bringing in new customers? And why do restaurants offer tables of varying quality anyway? If there exists an architect who can design this then surely one could design a seating arrangement where no one is forced to sit with their back to a crowded room. Priorities, people. This is a matter of national security.

Ode to Tradition - Christmas Eve at the Frisco Shop

You may have noticed that my profile pic, the one I consistently use to identify my blog, shows the Frisco Shop sign in the background. The Frisco Shop sign symbolizes everything that the Austin Food Journey is about. An Austin landmark, the Frisco Shop has managed to hold on to the past while adapting to the demands of a changing world. Like the city it has served since 1953, the Frisco Shop's appeal defies explanation and yet it endures.

Yesterday, Christmas Eve, I had lunch at the Frisco Shop with my daughter and my son and my son's girlfriend. We were all a little cranky and stressed out trying to finish our last minute holiday shopping. After we sat down at one of the  booths, I mentioned that when I was growing up, it was a family tradition to go to the Frisco Shop on Christmas Eve. I told them how I will always associate the Frisco Shop with the feeling of anticipation and excitement of knowing that Christmas is almost here.

This moment offered a brief respite from our bickering, but the story was apropos of my Austin journey. Moving back home to Austin after twenty years away has been a lesson in dichotomy. Finding my place here means embracing a newer Austin while accepting an older me. I have great memories of growing up in Austin, but even great memories are formed out of something that was lost. The problem with nostalgia is that it also serves as evidence that even the best things in life are temporary. I think that's why we call them treasures. Merry Christmas!

2010 Restaurant/Dining Trends

I love trends. Let me clarify that. I love the study and forecasting of cultural trends. Staying ahead of all the latest trends seems like a fascinating occupation. And a powerful one at that, since forecasters who are privy to the inside scoop on upcoming trends are also influential in igniting those trends.

What we had before we had the modern phenomena of cultural trends, was, well, survival. When man first discovered that dropping a hunk of mastodon rump into the fire pit rendered the meat more palatable and easier to digest, he made an important contribution to the advancement of our species. This discovery did not, however, incite a culinary trend involving seared meat preparation. That came later with the invention of the Coleman Charcoal Grill and the beer belly.

As a sophisticated, modern society, we have access to more food and more varieties of food than any previous generation. For the first time in history we can choose to eliminate entire food groups from our diets based on how they reflect our political, religious, social or personal beliefs and yet we still have enough food choices left over to ensure our survival. These days, our sense of hunger factors vaguely into the personal decisions we make regarding the food we eat. 

Trends might appear to exist on their own as naturally occurring phenomena, but that isn’t how it works. Trends are too powerful to be left to develop and grow on their own. Like gremlins after dark, a trend must be carefully tended to by experts within the industry that stands to benefit most from its survival. Culinary trends are the manifestations of the restaurant industry’s ongoing attempt to satisfy the ever changing demands of a savvy consumer culture.

Why the long-winded introduction you ask? Well, I originally set out to find and regurgitate a simple list of food trends for 2010, but there was so much information on the subject that I’ve had to resort to aggregating this huge, disparate volume of information into a condensed version of only the most essential findings. A lengthy introduction was my way of illustrating to you the weighty importance of this incredible work of genius on my part. You‘re welcome.

Let’s start by exploring the underlying themes that are popping up everywhere in America right now.

Economic survival
Reassurance
Intimacy & friendship
Feeding their knowledge
Feeding their emotions
Artisan, hand-made
Neighborhood, local
Authentic, real
Comfort & safety

These themes are pervasive and affect most behavior by American consumers, but especially decisions that involve dining out.

According to a study by Joseph Baum and Michael Whiteman Co., the country’s leading experts on the restaurant industry, consumers have grown weary and somewhat skeptical of the overuse of words like organic and all-natural, which is why next year’s trends will be defined by the following three words:

FRESH 
LOCAL
HAND-MADE

The hottest restaurant trends for 2010 include trends that are already well-established by Austin area restaurants. Such trends include: onsite culinary gardens; upscale versions of humble menu items; dining out, in; classically simple dishes; regional ethnic cuisine; communal/shared dining; and food as entertainment and education.

Some of the more interesting items that you’ll find on next year’s table will be:

Culinary Cocktails

Such as  Lara Nixon‘s winning entry in Edible Austin’s drink local event, the 
“We’re In it for the Corn” cocktail

Food Preparations  

Will include more techniques like liquid nitrogen, braising, sous vide, smoking and oil-poaching/confits

Bite Size Mini Desserts

 Cardamom Spice

Small Plate/Snacky Menu Options and Flexible Portion Sizes

Fried Chicken  

Using inventive spices and ethnicity, particularly Korean.

Upscale Comfort Foods 

Kobe beef burgers, house-made sausage dogs

Regional Ethnic Dishes

Newly Fabricated Cuts of Meat

 

Nostalgia

Creative Interpretations of Nostalgic, Feel-Good Foods like PB&J, Cookies & Milk or Coffee & Donuts (a la French Laundry)

Umami

Lots of weird Umami

Breakfast Round the Clock

More Offal!  

Look for more tongue, beef and pork cheeks, chicken gizzards, tripe, etc.

Tart Flavors

Lots of pickled veggies

Super fruits  

Like Mangosteen and durian

Made-to-Order Ice Cream

Bahn-Mi Vietnamese Sandwiches

Unusual Vegetables

Because funny-looking food tastes better?

No trend report would be complete without a list of trends that will soon be fading into the ether, such as:

Unlikely Ethnic Fusions like Asian/Latin 

Bacon and Pork Belly I‘ll miss you guys 

Flavored water

Energy drink cocktails say goodbye to the classic oxymoron Red Bull & Vodka

Cupcakes I think we all saw that coming

Sea Urchin 

Bottled water

Couscous Finally!

Typical Mexican appetizers like quesadillas and nachos 

Persimmons

Miso Miso not like miso

and finally...

Ostrich/Emu

 Because, seriously, who would want to eat this?

People Behaving Badly

Irrational and evil thoughts that came out of my mouth last night at Justine’s when my sister and I were forced to stand for 2 hours waiting for a table.

“Check out that douche bag, moving in on the only open barstool.”

“Could you people be any taller?”

“Well aren’t you special with your hipster bangs. Of course you deserve that spot more than we do.”

“Looks like Baldy over there is about to have a threesome with Eighties Hair and Serial Killer.”

“Umm, I don’t think so, Princess. Ordering soup at the bar, means you have forfeited your right to a table in the dining room.”

“Call me Sullen.”

“Oops, did I spill my drink on you?”

“Unless you’re proposing marriage, Asshole, pay the tab and move along.”

“Tell me that bitch didn’t just order espresso.”

“Is every table in this shit hole ordering dessert?”

“We’re definitely ordering dessert.”

“When I asked for escargot, I think he heard, ‘please just go.’”

“God, how I hate the French.”

Table for One: 10 Tips for Dining Solo

A scene from the movie, Forgetting Sarah Marshall:

Peter:  I'd like to grab some dinner please.
Matthew: Oh, great, is your wife gonna meet you?
Peter: No.
Matthew: Your girlfriend?
Peter: No, I don't have a girlfriend, so...
Matthew: So, you're just by yourself?
Peter: Yeah.
Matthew: Sucks. Okay, so just one. Here's your wine list, your menu, come on. You want, like, a magazine or something? It's gonna be boring if you're just sitting by yourself.
Peter: No, I'll be alright, thank you.
Matthew: I would just be *so* depressed.

This scene makes me laugh because I know exactly how Peter feels.  Dining out solo can sometimes make you feel like you're living on the fringes of society. From the time we were born, eating has been a social activity. As babies, we formed emotional attachments during feeding time. When we started school we learned that the lunch room was governed by a strict societal hierarchy of popularity. Your position within this hierarchy was clearly defined by where you sat in the cafeteria and who shared the table with you. Eating alone in the school cafeteria was considered the lowest position in the hierarchy, otherwise known as the loser, or in some cases a future Bill Gates.

If you're not accustomed to dining out alone, all those insecurities that you thought you had left behind when you graduated from high school, along with your knowledge of algebra, come bubbling to the surface as soon as you say "table for one". So, I've compiled a list of tips to help you get more enjoyment from dining out with no one but your fabulous self. 

1. SIT IN THE BAR- Most restaurants offer dining service in the bar, so you don’t feel bad about taking up valuable table space. If you’re interested in meeting people, the bar is a good place to strike up a conversation. If you’d rather have a quiet dinner with no interruptions, many restaurants have tables or booths in the bar area, so you don’t have to worry about making small talk with Mr. Close-Talker-Whiskey-Breath man, who's been planted at that same barstool  for the last four hours.
2. REQUEST A TABLE LOCATION- If the bar isn't an option, you can request a table or booth in the back of the main dining area, so you don't feel exposed sitting at a table in the middle of a crowded room.
3. GO EARLY- If you plan to eat out early, before the dinner rush, you're apt to feel more comfortable, and your server will like you more. 
4. IN WARM WEATHER, SIT ON THE PATIO- The patio space is more relaxed plus there is usually more going on outside, so you won’t get bored.  
5. BRING SOMETHING TO READ- The worst part about eating alone is during those 15 minutes before your order arrives. You spend the time folding and unfolding your napkin and memorizing the contents of the artificial sweetener pack. A book, magazine or journal serves a dual purpose. It keeps you occupied while sending a clear message to the likes of the above bar guy that you're not interested in making friends. If you don't have anything to read, you could play with your iPhone or Nintendo DS , but if you’re trying to look less lame, that might not help.
6. STAY AT A FANCY PANTS HOTEL AND DINE IN THE LOUNGE- Hotels cater to business travelers who often dine alone. If you happen to be staying at the Hyatt’s Grand Met at the Dallas DFW airport, you have a few options for enjoying a solo dining experience.  You can sit at a regular table, or at the large community table in the lounge, or at one of the stools along the restaurant's media bar, which has nine nicely-spaced stations, each with its own 15-inch flat-screen TV. The restaurant also offers an iTaste program designed especially for solo travelers: iPods loaded with video podcasts guide earbud-wearing diners through 20-25 minute cheese, wine or chocolate tastings. 
7. TRY A CHEF'S TABLE OR COMMUNAL SEATING-  Communal dining is a concept that has taken off in some large cities.  Restaurateur, Jeffrey Chodorow and designer Philippe Starck can be credited with igniting the trend with their popular NYC eatery, Asia de Cuba. The main attraction isn't just the food, the drinks or even the service. It is the 25-foot-long table placed in the middle of the dining room, where 36 strangers can share a meal together and possibly leave as friends. In Austin, the Driskill Hotel offers Chef's Table events that could be geared toward a group of single diners. Hopefully, the communal dining trend will continue to grow in Austin. 
8. REMIND YOURSELF OF ALL THE THINGS YOU EASILY DO ALONE- shopping, going to the gym, to the library and even the DMV.  Eating out is just another activity, and one that doesn't suck.
   
9. NO ONE CARES THAT YOU'RE DINING ALONE- The other diners don’t notice you and they don’t feel sorry for you. Unless, of course, you start crying or throwing up. At that point, you've just ruined everyone's night. But, don't let that scare you. 
10. BECOME A REGULAR- I've always wanted to have a special place where I could say, "I'll have the usual, Frank," and an actual person named Frank would serve me my special something. But, you don't have to be on a first-name basis with the staff to feel comfortable in familiar surroundings. It can be easier to break into solo dining at a familiar restaurant. 
    

Bottom line, do some research. Check out a restaurant’s website to get a feel for the environment. You can check to see if it has dining service in the bar or patio, and if it caters more to the business crowd as opposed to couples.  If a restaurant advertises that it‘s wi-fi accessible, that’s a clear indication that it’s solo-friendly. But, even if solo dining isn’t typical for some special occasion restaurants like the Melting Pot or Fogo de Chao, don’t let that deter you from eating where you really want to eat.

Below are my picks for solo, upscale dining in Austin. This is by no means a complete list.

• FINO - Large covered deck offers relaxed seating. Smaller, more intimate dining area in addition to the main dining room.
• ASTI - Cook's counter seating available. (See earlier post here.)
• OLIVIA - Olivia offers a special bar menu for casual dining in the small, but swanky bar. 
• MAX'S WINE DIVE - Upscale food and wine, in a casual atmosphere. Table or bar seating are both suitable for solo dining.
• UCHI - Sushi bar seating, ideal for dining solo