Try something new. It's fun!

I love the nights when a group of people sit down and you ask them what they would like and they say “Whatever you think it good.”

What happens then is a dialogue about food that turns an otherwise ordinary meal into something extra ordinary and special. Last Friday, a really nice group of 4 came in and they started off with our oysters and some wine and sparkling wine selections.

From there they had our Crab Cake, Crab Tower, sautéed Calamari, and a few different types of fish as I recall. I find in general that if I describe something the way that I would describe it if I was talking to a friend, it becomes less esoteric. For example, I could say our Crab Cake is a combination of Dungeness crab, whipped egg blended with mayonnaise, mustard, herbs, celery, and 2 types of Acme bread. It’s then baked in a bit of olive oil and salt and pepper served over mixed greens.

Ultimately folks just want to know, is it yummy? Or not? I just tell them “It’s not a gooey little hockey puck, like so many can be.” And that it’s “High and light, served on a simple bed of mixed greens.”

I often get asked “What should we get here?” I always say our Calamari, or fresh Albacore sashimi, or any of our fresh fish. I always try to get folks to try something that not every seafood restaurant has. Every seafood restaurant has a Louis salad for example or a Crab sandwich of some kind, but I try to steer folks to something they may have never had fresh or something interesting. That’s part of the fun of eating out and part of the joy I experience when I am serving someone something they never had, but really loved.

Anyway, back to my table of 4: The evening was so fun and they tried lots of things all based on what I thought they should have next. They ended with some snuggly fleece blankets, a little port and a yummy sweet treat selection of Pot du Crème and Panna Cotta with huckleberry and elderflower sauce over top. My favorite part of the evening was what the table said, “Everything you chose for us was great!” I was glad that they trusted me and I had a great time serving them.

This week, I wanted to thank all you folks out there that trust your server to steer you in the right direction and challenge you to think outside the box!