So, how's it going? Two months open. As I am writing this on a Tuesday morning, after two lovely days off in a row, of course things are going very well. We are loving our new, re-newed life here at Brooks Tavern. And even if I were writing this on Saturday morning, after 9 shifts of meals behind me and one last push before the "weekend", I think I'd still write that, although maybe a little slower and with more typos...
The Dining Room continues to receive the most accolades from our customers. Most everyone admires the look, compliments the atmosphere, enjoys the art, and is surprised that the noise level is manageable. The food is also getting a fair share of positive marks - the mussels, the romaine salad, the crab cake, the duck - all solid menu items with very good job security. Holly's dipping sauce for the springroll is another winner, and of course the CrabSteak is welcomed back. A few complaints have come up - the rice salad that we have been serving with the seafood entrees is not always what people want - they aren't told that it's a "salad" and so when they get cold rice, it is unexpected and not acceptable. There have been other complaints about some of the meat entrees - a veal chop that was too fatty, the breast of veal being too grisly, some tough lamb - and occasionally we have had some salt issues. Overall, however, I think that Holly and Kevin are putting out some tasty and interesting dishes that the clientele are appreciating.
I guess the third place goes to service - much as I hate to admit this, since this is my area of expertise - but we still have some timing issues to work out, and that god damned "guys" thing. Someone told us that the service the other night was good enough that they could overlook the fact that everyone who approached the table called them "guys". This is not something that we have not discussed with the staff - often - so it is frustrating that we can't nip it. The other pet peeve I have is getting the table completely cleared after the meal - the used butter dish still sitting there with the dessert plates is not my idea of appetizing. However, I have received several compliments on the fact that the staff waits until the entire party is finished eating before they start to clear, which is another important service component as far as I am concerned. So that's good. But, the dining room crew is still not really functioning as a team - although they are trying - so it is still hard for some of them to "let go" and allow a fellow waiter to dessert their table or take the order for them when they are busy. We have some communication problems as well, and we discussed this the other night, letting each other know what a table does and does not need. I was pretty tough on them this past Saturday - it was, after all, our busiest Saturday yet - and I have very high expectations. I want people to see the big picture, not just the tables they are working, but the entire dining room and the kitchen and take out racks of glasses without being told, keep the bread station cleaned up, walk around with the water pitcher, carry out food that isn't for your table without waiting for Kevin to bang on his loud bell. So far I have - mostly - had to give direction before a lot of these sort of things happen and at this point I am feeling that most people shouldn't need so much direction, they should just be doing it. None of these servers have ever worked with me before and they still aren't used to it - perhaps in the other places where they have worked, the owner sat at the bar or in the office during service and didn't participate as fully as I do. I am right there, on the front line, and I am hustling and I want to see my crew do the same. And there are "hustlers" on the floor, just not all of them. Maybe the ones that don't jump on it figure, hey, why should I hustle, she's gonna do it for me. I have seen that attitude before. But, as we all know, that attitude is not a healthy one. We'll get it straight, one waiter at a time. Even if we just get the "you guys" thing resolved, it'll be a giant step forward for the DR.
Last week was our busiest yet. August can be one of the top months of the year, leading into the busy fall season. We have not reached a whole lot of non-local people yet; our advertising has been primarily via word of mouth. The lack of a sign for BT out front is a constant point made to me by customers who have been frustrated in their attempts to find us, and we are working on that. Kevin doesn't want a sign - he's working hard enough already!! And there is that mystique of being in a place that no one can find unless they really, really want to - like the place in Alexandria that puts out a pirate flag when they are open and that's the only way you know...
But how long can we stand those really slow Saturday lunches, huh?
So, two months. We've learned a lot and we'll continue to do so. Change is constant and improvements are never far behind. Let us know what you think so far, especially things you'd like to see us improve upon.
The Dining Room continues to receive the most accolades from our customers. Most everyone admires the look, compliments the atmosphere, enjoys the art, and is surprised that the noise level is manageable. The food is also getting a fair share of positive marks - the mussels, the romaine salad, the crab cake, the duck - all solid menu items with very good job security. Holly's dipping sauce for the springroll is another winner, and of course the CrabSteak is welcomed back. A few complaints have come up - the rice salad that we have been serving with the seafood entrees is not always what people want - they aren't told that it's a "salad" and so when they get cold rice, it is unexpected and not acceptable. There have been other complaints about some of the meat entrees - a veal chop that was too fatty, the breast of veal being too grisly, some tough lamb - and occasionally we have had some salt issues. Overall, however, I think that Holly and Kevin are putting out some tasty and interesting dishes that the clientele are appreciating.
I guess the third place goes to service - much as I hate to admit this, since this is my area of expertise - but we still have some timing issues to work out, and that god damned "guys" thing. Someone told us that the service the other night was good enough that they could overlook the fact that everyone who approached the table called them "guys". This is not something that we have not discussed with the staff - often - so it is frustrating that we can't nip it. The other pet peeve I have is getting the table completely cleared after the meal - the used butter dish still sitting there with the dessert plates is not my idea of appetizing. However, I have received several compliments on the fact that the staff waits until the entire party is finished eating before they start to clear, which is another important service component as far as I am concerned. So that's good. But, the dining room crew is still not really functioning as a team - although they are trying - so it is still hard for some of them to "let go" and allow a fellow waiter to dessert their table or take the order for them when they are busy. We have some communication problems as well, and we discussed this the other night, letting each other know what a table does and does not need. I was pretty tough on them this past Saturday - it was, after all, our busiest Saturday yet - and I have very high expectations. I want people to see the big picture, not just the tables they are working, but the entire dining room and the kitchen and take out racks of glasses without being told, keep the bread station cleaned up, walk around with the water pitcher, carry out food that isn't for your table without waiting for Kevin to bang on his loud bell. So far I have - mostly - had to give direction before a lot of these sort of things happen and at this point I am feeling that most people shouldn't need so much direction, they should just be doing it. None of these servers have ever worked with me before and they still aren't used to it - perhaps in the other places where they have worked, the owner sat at the bar or in the office during service and didn't participate as fully as I do. I am right there, on the front line, and I am hustling and I want to see my crew do the same. And there are "hustlers" on the floor, just not all of them. Maybe the ones that don't jump on it figure, hey, why should I hustle, she's gonna do it for me. I have seen that attitude before. But, as we all know, that attitude is not a healthy one. We'll get it straight, one waiter at a time. Even if we just get the "you guys" thing resolved, it'll be a giant step forward for the DR.
Last week was our busiest yet. August can be one of the top months of the year, leading into the busy fall season. We have not reached a whole lot of non-local people yet; our advertising has been primarily via word of mouth. The lack of a sign for BT out front is a constant point made to me by customers who have been frustrated in their attempts to find us, and we are working on that. Kevin doesn't want a sign - he's working hard enough already!! And there is that mystique of being in a place that no one can find unless they really, really want to - like the place in Alexandria that puts out a pirate flag when they are open and that's the only way you know...
But how long can we stand those really slow Saturday lunches, huh?
So, two months. We've learned a lot and we'll continue to do so. Change is constant and improvements are never far behind. Let us know what you think so far, especially things you'd like to see us improve upon.
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