Can a great restaurant serve mass-market beer?

Roger,
In response to your question, I have not seen the full beer list at Corbett's, but I can tell you that they have Schlafly Dry-Hopped APA on draft. I am going to stop by this week to check it out. If you haven't gotten an answer by the time I go, I'll post my findings.

Scott Shreffler
Schlafly Beer

Well, that's a good beginning.

If Miller Lite or Bud is on the list, that should cost half a star, shouldn't it?

Roger,

The night we were there,(pre-opening), Chef Dean himself was drinking a Bud- possibly Bud Light- because we were teasing him about supporting his sponsor and it being extremely out -of-place in such a classy place. I'm assuming howeverthat that's just his personal stash...

Deb

Well, that's a good beginning.

If Miller Lite or Bud is on the list, that should cost half a star, shouldn't it?

NO ..... it is giving the customer what they want. If Miller and Bud were the only options or Ripple and Thunderbird were the only wine, than it can be a minus.

I am on the way to Volare and I will probably have a beer other than Miller or Bud, but I see nothing wrong with carrying them.

I understand that you don't want to sell them and that is your choice, but I don't think it is right to find that a minus.

Well, that's a good beginning.

If Miller Lite or Bud is on the list, that should cost half a star, shouldn't it?

No.

[Robin Garr]

NO ..... it is giving the customer what they want. If Miller and Bud were the only options or Ripple and Thunderbird were the only wine, than it can be a minus.

I am on the way to Volare and I will probably have a beer other than Miller or Bud, but I see nothing wrong with carrying them.

I understand that you don't want to sell them and that is your choice, but I don't think it is right to find that a minus.

I'm pretty much with Roger on this. Would you apply the same argument to food? Should a luxury, high-end restaurant offer cheap ground beef or Velveeta just because some people like it? When I see mass-market beer (or wine) on a restaurant's list, it generally leaves me the impression that they're not shooting for the top tier.

I followed the link to the menu, and to my untrained eyes, it was top shelf from top to bottom.

I'm guessing that there will not be bottles of Thunderbird on thewine list.

Why, then, would there be bottles of Bud on the beer list? I suspect the majorityof people in metro Louisville are not seeking $50 entrees, so actually, ifyou want to look at it from that perspective, alady thepublic is not being given what it wants.

So tell me, See and Doogy, why the different standard for beer?

Well, that's a good beginning.

If Miller Lite or Bud is on the list, that should cost half a star, shouldn't it?

No.

Oops, I stated an opinion.

I followed the link to the menu, and to my untrained eyes, it was top shelf from top to bottom.

I'm guessing that there will not be bottles of Thunderbird on thewine list.

Why, then, would there be bottles of Bud on the beer list? I suspect the majorityof people in metro Louisville are not seeking $50 entrees, so actually, ifyou want to look at it from that perspective, alady thepublic is not being given what it wants.

So tell me, See and Doogy, why the different standard for beer?

In all the many years I have spent in the restaurant business I have never ever had a customer come in and ask for Thunderbird, Night Train or Mad Dog 20/20 when dinning. I have however never worked at a place where at least 20 times a night some well healed customer has not asked for a Bud, Miller, Bud Light, Miller Light or Coors Light. Never. So I agree with Steve. Provide the customer with what he wants. I bet the Bud that Dean was drinking was from his bar and not his desk drawer. Heavens -how could such a top notch chef be drinking a mass produced beer? Maybe because he likes it. My number one selling beer was Fall City until they stopped making it. Not everyone likes craft beer. Some if not the majority like a clean lighter taste of a Bud.

Apparently Dean is seeking to shape customer taste by offering the high caliber menu he's offering.

Right?

By your same logic (give 'em what they want), if someone stumbles in wanting a White castle, he should pull a frozen one out, microwave and serve it.

I suspect that's not what you meant, but as I'm offering here, there is a double standard. Why tolerate it? Why not apply the same principle underlying the food menu to the beer list and be proactive?

As for the "clean lighter taste," that's certainly not the exclusive domain of mass market industrial lagers. Schlafly's own Kolsch is a perfect example of a craft beer that a Bud drinker would drink IF he's offered it and councsled properly.

Oops, I stated an opinion.

Actually, I wouldn't expect you to offer a reasoned argument, so an opinion's just fine by me.

Apparently Dean is seeking to shape customer taste by offering the high caliber menu he's offering.

Right?

By your same logic (give 'em what they want), if someone stumbles in wanting a White castle, he should pull a frozen one out, microwave and serve it.

I suspect that's not what you meant, but as I'm offering here, there is a double standard. Why tolerate it? Why not apply the same principle underlying the food menu to the beer list and be proactive?

As for the "clean lighter taste," that's certainly not the exclusive domain of mass market industrial lagers. Schlafly's own Kolsch is a perfect example of a craft beer that a Bud drinker would drink IF he's offered it and councsled properly.

Nor have I ever seen a cutomer walk into a fine dinning restuarant and order White Castle. I do not see where offering Bud should penilize his rating. Besides Dean likes Bud. The same customer that orders his food may really want that Bud with it. I suspect that he will sell more fine wine than beer but he will have the option to serve what that customer wants to drink. I for one really like Old Forester. Is there better bourbon on the market? yes. do they taste great? yes. But for some rason I like my Old Foe and will order that most of the time. It does not detract from my food. It makes my evening more enjoyable becasue I can hve a great meal and the comfort of my bourbon.

Greetings forumites,

First of all thank you for your comments, we are well aware of the ventalation situation and it has been a problem from day 1, the house was difficult to run hvac in because of the two foot thick walls and celler ambient temperature which very rarely changes. Due to the limited space in the house three HVAC units had to be located in the basement therefore the zones of heat and air are from top to bottom instead of room to room.
I guess it makes sense more if you are familiar with such matters, we have new forward blowing vents being made, since all vents were handmade by the flooring company they take time as there are many of them, believe me since this is one of my personal pet peaves it is being taken care of.
The butter thing although a bit of a mystery to me as well is unforgiveable at this level and I assure you we will revisit that issue immediately with the service staff.
As far as drinking bud light, I and several other members of my staff have been working 90+ hours a week for a long time and quite frankly it is my beer of choice after a long night, had I known it would created such discussion I would have hidden out.
I do make no apologies for giving the guests what they want, they do want a selection of domestic regular and light beers...period. I am in business to please the guests by honoring reasonable requests when at all possible. Our selection of such offerings is minimal and certainly didn't mean to offend the beer heirarchy of Louisville.

You didn't offend the beer hierarchy of Louisville at all. There isn't such a thing. Today's specific is my usual general:

Why is one set of standards applied to beer and wine, and a different set to beer?

Why does one set of standards apply to two, but not the third?

Why is is that the wine enthusiast is catered to, but not the beer enthusiast?

Why is it accepted that certain wines must be at a top-notch establishment, but not certain beers?

Seems to me that no one's really trying to answer the question -- not that it's unusual -- so I suppose I'll leave off with the inconvenient inquiries. Night night.

There"s a simple answer: fine beer is not associated with fine dining. Think of it the opposite way: what restaurant has the finest beer list within 100 miles? A place that serves pizza. You'd never see a wine list that that matches your beer list at a bar/pizza place.