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May 21, 2009 - 03:49 PM |
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Restaurant Critics and TV Shows |
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So, the most popular TV show in Belgium is "My Restaurant". 5 Couples are given a restaurant to run and cook in, and as the show continues, the participants are eliminated by public voting (horribly unfair system as it basically runs on popularity and personal connections instead of actual quality of kitchen and service). This year, I happen to know one of the participating couples (the guy is my best friend's brother in law), so it is actually quite entertaining. I tried three of the restaurants, and there were pleasant surprises, but other restaurants lacked experience and still have a long way ahead.
The contestants are supported by a team of Belgium's finest when it comes to gastronomy, with the jury headed by one of the best chefs in the world (number 12 I think), so for someone familiar with the business it is a joy to watch. His involvement allows the show to attract al sorts of famous people to judge the participant, like Alain Poes, the strong man of Michelin (very rare to see one of those out in the open). I also spotted another, anonymous Michelin inspector (I know almost every tell that an inspector can have). They also had Sergio Herman, best chef in the Netherlands and hype of the moment, and this week HESTON BLUMENTHAL, who is basically GOD for anyone who is even remotely interested in cooking. I would give anything for a table in the Fat Duck, but I don't think that I can afford it at the moment.
One rather nasty side-effect that we see is that everyone, from the bum on the street to the biggest snob starts seeing themselves as a full-fledged restaurant critic. Especially in posher restaurant like the one I work, you always have people who only come there to show off, to be seen by other people, to test you. Most of the time you can tell what type of guest before they even sit at their table (wine buffs are the worst, but that's another story), but the problem now is that every other guest who shows up thinks that he knows more than us just because he watches a TV show once a week. I do enjoy criticism, and know damn well that it is simply necessary, but some people just are so busy looking for even the tiniest mistake that I can't understand how they enjoy their visit. Restaurants are always more heavily criticized than any other business, people don't go badmouthing their local supermarket because the cashier didn't smile, but if a waiter accidently happens to misplace a glass (true story, one of our waiters had the audacity to make a mistake with a wine glass, after which the guest started bitching), there are always people who will say that it killed the entire thing.
This is really not to sound haughty or arrogant, and I wish I could say this softer, but if you want to eat in a posh restaurant you have to know at least something about food to appreciate it. If the only thing you ever eat is takeaway pizza or crappy junkfood, you would still enjoy our food, but I feel that you wouldn't appreciate it as much as you would if you were really interested in it. Then you get people who complain because the portions aren't as big as the ones at the diner down the street, or that it really is a lot of money for food. It is of course expensive, and our margins are a lot smaller than the local diner that serves food straight out of a factory. I immensely enjoy working in a restaurant, and I love it when people have a good experience, but there are some evenings when you have nothing but know-it-all jackasses, it can really kill a good mood.
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