What if...

Ethan,

Speaking only for myself, not the LHB community as a whole, I am now more eager to eat at Seviche and sample the desserts at Oakroom than before. People want to see the fire that drives chefs, they want to see the passion, and it can be missed when dining out.

It's hard to explain in a menu what is going on and try to make your clientèle "get" what you're trying to offer.

Most people on this forum want to know/learn more about their food, where it comes from, how it is made, but that is just not possible by dining out alone. We need/want chefs to express and teach on this forum. Keep posting.

If you haven't before... check out my blog.
I don't post like I used to (I have an 11 month old, so it's either work, sleep or baby most times... he's at my feet right now honestly.)... but I try to convey as much as I can about the ideas, the inspirations and techniques implemented in what we're doing.

It's general a bit more focused to the pastry work I do, but it has bit of savory work thrown in as well here and there (I do both these days).


Perhaps I should start a thread in the same vein as Stephen's cocktail inspired posts...
Explaining the ideas and inspirations behind what we're doing.

[Robin Garr]

Perhaps I should start a thread in the same vein as Stephen's cocktail inspired posts...
Explaining the ideas and inspirations behind what we're doing.

I'd love to see that, and I'll bet a lot of us would!

Perhaps I should start a thread in the same vein as Stephen's cocktail inspired posts...
Explaining the ideas and inspirations behind what we're doing.

I'd love to see that, and I'll bet a lot of us would!

Thank you. I'll try to find some time to do it soon.

I was a little afraid to post during the last couple of days, because I only felt like I would be reviving a negative thread by posting something relatively unproductive to the conversation, considering how little I really know about the restaurant industry.

But now that things have calmed down a little, and for the most part, turned into an extremely productive conversation, I feel a little more comfortable.

I thought I would share quickly how much this forum has done for me, even as a fairly non-frequent poster.

I have to confess that I made a scant few comments toward the beginning of my life here that are exactly the ones that make the chefs cringe. They weren't horrible, but looking back at them, I'm a little embarrassed. (No, you don't have to look them up, too). They were well-structured and not necessarily confrontational, but they were also pretty thoughtless.

And had they been posted to any other forum, I probably would have continued to live in complete ignorance.

But because of this forum, and because I'm able to witness (at least second-hand) the passion that goes into every day of an industry person's work, I have learned so quickly how to conduct myself in this strange little interesting community--far, far different from anything I have ever seen.

So sure, there will always be people who stir things up out of ignorance, because, very hopefully, there will always be new people discovering this forum, trying to figure out whether they fit in. And some might not, so they'll eventually fade away.

But there are others, like me, who may have been a little ignorant at first, but have embraced the community here simply because of a shared interest. And that's why at least I, personally, hope that chefs don't get too discouraged by those few negative comments.

I'm probably way outside the normal demographic of this forum as a college student. I don't have the expendable income to dine extravagantly, and I'm still very naive about the industry as a whole.

But because of this forum, and SOLELY because of this forum, I have set aside money during my entire four years at U of L, and I've found the time to try out Le Relais, Seviche, The Oakroom, Basa, 610 Magnolia, Zen Garden.. Heck, Flabby's, Annie Cafe, Sergio's, Bank Street Brewhouse.... I could go on and on.

Some of these times, I've gone alone, because my friends aren't willing to set aside the amount of money they spend in a semester's worth of trips to the movie theater and instead spend it on a real sensory experience at a fine restaurant. But other times, I've been able to get together a small group of friends and spend an entire evening at one of our local gems, enjoying each others' company, enjoying the atmosphere, enjoying the food, and creating a memory or two that I will never forget.

So this is what I hope the chefs who do participate on here will read, and I hope they can garner some satisfaction from helping to inspire a know-nothing to strive for better. I certainly can't dine out at the finest restaurants with any regularity, and most likely I will never be able to. But I am certainly a lifetime convert, and even though I will likely always be on the consumer's end, the food hobbyist, the admirer... I am infinitely more appreciative of this industry and its lifeblood.

So that's it for me. I'm getting all wishy-washy because I know that my time in Louisville is limited, with grad school around the corner. But I hope this at least carries a little weight in the discussion.

Thanks.

Wow! Joseph,

That was really cool of you to share that. I think alot of people will really appreciate it. Louisville is really special and we have alot of people that support the restaurant community. I want to invite you and guest to Seviche. I will make it very affordable with some special bocaditos ( little bites ) on me. Next time you're in, introduce yourself before you order or when you make a reservation. Once again, that was really cool of you to share that. I thought that was one of the most sincere posts I ever read.

Joseph,
Great post. Even if you are in a younger demographic, what you've expressed is also true for me and probably just about everyone on the forum, whether they've read/posted on the forum for a short time or a longer time - the bottom line is most are seeking great new food experiences and also to be in the know of what might be coming as far as new food/dining options. I've dined at lots of great local restaurants but there are just as many that I haven't made it to yet and this board gives you a constant reminder of all of the options that are available at any given time.

And I would wager that the owners that contribute in a meaningful, educational way consistently get more business as a result of this forum than they would otherwise. From my experience the forum responds very favorably to owners that are consistently here and respond to areas of their expertise (Roger Baylor, Anthony Lamas, Chris Stockton, Nimbus Couzin, Matthew Landon, Shawn Vest, Will Crawford, Allan H, Bob Kiper, Tony P, Len Stevens, many others). It's a way for owners to not only contribute but to build brand loyalty because they add expertise and explanations and in a non blatant advertising way keep the craft at their places on the minds of forum members.

And just while I was in the midst of composing that post a prime example, a owner of a great local restaurant gets some great feedback and interaction with a forum member. From one genuine post from a college student to a genuine post from an offer helping to advance Joseph's exploration of food. How great is that?

So from previous posts, any owner/chef not embracing this forum because they are "scared" of some unknown consequences are not embracing a community that in this day and age is the same as a customer the stops in their restaurant to peruse a menu and ask questions in order to explore something new or get an idea of what they might expect from their dining experience.

I assume owners/chefs are not adverse to interacting to potential clients in person - it's no different here, there are potential customers that want to learn about their choices to make an informed decision. In my opinion, establishments that don't want to embrace that opportunity are missing out on potential business.

Great post from Joseph and a very gracious and generous reply from Chef Lamas. Thank you both for sharing.
And this post...

So from previous posts, any owner/chef not embracing this forum because they are "scared" of some unknown consequences are not embracing a community that in this day and age is the same as a customer the stops in their restaurant to peruse a menu and ask questions in order to explore something new or get an idea of what they might expect from their dining experience.

I assume owners/chefs are not adverse to interacting to potential clients in person - it's no different here, there are potential customers that want to learn about their choices to make an informed decision. In my opinion, establishments that don't want to embrace that opportunity are missing out on potential business.

... was exactly what I've been thinking all along.

From my experience the forum responds very favorably to owners that are consistently here and respond to areas of their expertise (Roger Baylor, Anthony Lamas, Chris Stockton, Nimbus Couzin, Matthew Landon, Shawn Vest, Will Crawford, Allan H, Bob Kiper, Tony P, Len Stevens, many others). It's a way for owners to not only contribute but to build brand loyalty because they add expertise and explanations and in a non blatant advertising way keep the craft at their places on the minds of forum members.

I agree with you! OK, not an owner, but Stephen D is a large part of the reason we tried for the first time, and had our socks knocked off by Z's Fusion about two weeks ago. I don't think I would have thought about the place had I not read his posts and conversations here. Can't wait to go back.

Joseph ... great submission. Thanks for that.

I agree with you! OK, not an owner, but Stephen D is a large part of the reason we tried for the first time, and had our socks knocked off by Z's Fusion about two weeks ago. I don't think I would have thought about the place had I not read his posts and conversations here. Can't wait to go back.

Yep. The very reason we first tried Z's Fusion was largely from Stephen's passion about it. Similarly, when I consider where to eat on a regular basis, the fact that owners and chefs like Lamas (Seviche), Hutto (Baxter Station), Looi/Grissom (Asiatique), Stevens (L&N), and Crawford (Westport GS) take the time to participate and comment weighs on my mind, even at a subconscious level, and puts those places in our regular rotation. Further, these are the very same owners and chefs that take the time, when you dine in their establishments, to walk around the dining room chatting with guests, regardless of whether they know the guest as a contributor here or not.

It's the same attitude, just presented here in 0s and 1s instead of face to face conversation. I like it when I eat at Westport GS and Will comes over to say hello and chat for a few minutes. He makes an effort to get to know his guests, both in person and here. This all goes back to Brian's comment about those in the industry interacting with customers and potential customers. It means a lot, and LHB provides another place us to all get to know each other.

As I said before, this place isn't perfect, but it's pretty darn good, and IMHO provides a great benefit to both the consumer and the restaurant.

How could I have forgotten Will Crawford! Another one. Our visits to Westport General Store were 100% spurred on by seeing his comments here. That was maybe 3 years ago. Since then, we have taken friends and family in and they have all loved the place.

You all rock....

Thanks for the kind words. I love meeting forum folks at the restaurant. Lets face it we all spend a lot of time here and it is nice to put faces to names. LHB is a great place to get feedback on what we are doing. It is extremely hard to always be on point. How can you keep all the balls in the air? Once in a while one or two fall. Hopefully someone will let you know when it happens. Sometimes it takes reading about it later. It is all helpful.

Thanks for the kind words. I love meeting forum folks at the restaurant. Lets face it we all spend a lot of time here and it is nice to put faces to names. LHB is a great place to get feedback on what we are doing. It is extremely hard to always be on point. How can you keep all the balls in the air? Once in a while one or two fall. Hopefully someone will let you know when it happens. Sometimes it takes reading about it later. It is all helpful.

You're balls never fall Willie! LOL