The daily diary of a wandering restaurateur
May 10 - Local Options
Even the trogolodytes had a food and beverage operation. This bar was in the corner of the cave that served as the community dining room. For dinner, we opted for pizza in the neighboring town of Tremolat.
There was still a chill in the air, so we passed on the outdoor tables in favor of a seat in the comfortably rustic dining room. Of course, at 6:45pm, we were well ahead of any other diners. In fact, we chose the pizza place only after another local restaurant told us not to come back until 7:00pm. What would it have taken for them to seat us, sell us a bottle of wine and explain that they would be back shortly to take the order? Meanwhile, back at the pizzeria, the pies were thin crust, wood-fired and loaded. Margene's had a dollop of creme fraiche in the middle. It was, I thought, a nice garnish in addition to adding an additional flavor.
I first saw these devices when we were in France six years ago and it still amazes me that they have not made it to the U.S. The entire credit card transaction is handled at the table so the card never leaves the guest's sight. With security concerns being what they are, I imagine you could make this into a competitive advantage ... not to mention saving your service staff a lot of running back and forth.
© 2004 Restaurant Doctor
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