The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
Semur-en-Auxois
Semur-en-Auxois is a medieval city that has kept its historic flavor. The first three shots were obviously taken on a previous trip but will give a better idea of the place than we could have done today. The bottom two photos show the difference between coming in the winter and coming in the spring or summer. During the season the street would have been wall-to-wall tourists. Today you could have shot a cannon and never touched a soul. Pleasant in a way, sad in a way.
These medieval villages have such a great feel to them.
The choice of a dining spot seemed to be "take it or leave it" as we only saw one place open in town. They were doing a decent business, though, and point up the value of being open when your competitors are not. I always found Monday nights to be a busy time for me with the San Francisco restaurants, due in part to the fact that so many other places were closed. When in Burgundy, it seemed almost required to have Boeuf Bourgignon at least once ... so we did. Not cheap, but a huge portion and quite good. No doggy bags though. I would have loved to take the rest of it home.
I also liked the simple table decor treatment. Men don't always understand this but any woman will tell you that you are never completely dressed until you are properly accessorized. It is true in fashion and it is true in restaurants. Pay attention to how your tables are dressed. There should be an "ooh" when people see the tabletop. Do that and it promises puts diners in a mind to expect something special. Fail and you are just one more place to eat.
© 2011 Restaurant Doctor
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