I loved this picture accompanying an article regarding the changes in attitude at NYC restaurants in the NYT food section this week...the idea of Sirio Maccioni wearing a sandwich board on the sidewalk in front of Le Cirque, begging for customers, just makes me giggle. And Babbo has traditionally been one of the most elusive reservations in Manhattan. (Although how they got those guys to pose for this shot is beyond me. Maybe they really are desperate!) Some of the comments following the article are just as revealing, such as number 23:

"What a sad comment on the restaurant industry (a "hospitality" business) that it takes a severe economic downturn for customers to be valued. It would be nice if these lessons were recalled in the future when business improves."

I doubt that these big three pictured above are actually seeing a dramatic drop in their business, but I have heard that plenty of New York restaurants are suffering - which means the waiters and cooks, dishwashers and hostesses are as well. This is really what a "trickle down economy" is, isn't it? When it doesn't trickle down anymore? Here in our local restaurant community I can't imagine that any owner or manager has ever taken for granted their customer base - for one thing, the Eastern Shore is certainly not Midtown, and for another, we are too needy! Who could afford to be snooty or callous toward our customers, those who pay our rent, our electric bill, our salaries? Besides, a lot of our customers are also our friends and neighbors; they are the people who help us in the grocery store and at the bank, the people who teach our kids and cut our hair. We treat each other the way we want to be treated, right? If those restaurants in Manhattan, who have regarded their customers cavalierly, were to pull those antics here, in any economy...they wouldn't get very far!

Another top ten reason to live on Maryland's Eastern Shore! This is the Land of Pleasant Living.