The Wine Cottage Philosophy
After our first 6 weeks of business between my sister and I, we have had the opportunity to talk to nearly every guest that has dined with us. One thing we have heard a few times are the portions are not big enough. Now they never say that they are paying more for what they are getting. All agree that the food is remarkable and the value is evident but they want more food. They are even willing to pay more just to get more. The comparision, invariably, is always to Chef Rick's. He gives lots of food but it is more expensive.
So, I decided that I wanted to talk about what our philosophy is here at the Bistro before we make adjustments to our portion sizes for those guests who feel they need more food.
Fresh, seasonal and high quality is the way our chef, Matt LaRocco describes his cuisine. He makes everything he serves from scratch everyday. He doesn't use a microwave or a deep fryer. He uses organic veggies whenever possible and buys from the farmer's market once a week. He uses only the best Olive Oil for sauteing. His seafood comes from one of the top seafood vendors in the US, Honolulu Fish Company and is supplemented by local purveyor, Central Coast Seafood. Now you would think that all this extra labor and money spent on the best ingrediants would make the pricing out of reach for our local guests but Matt chose to use a moderate pricing so that his neighborhood people of Orcutt, could enjoy the Bistro as a regular dining spot. Even though the food is special and gourmet, he didn't want the locals to feel like it was only a place for a special occasion. When asked about portion sizes Matt says it isn't about quantity it is about quality.
So then, our compromise at the Bistro, is to offer a side of potatoes and veggies for a modest cost of 2.00 extra. This way our guests who feel they need more to eat can get it and the guests that love this new "European" way of eating will still be able to enjoy the quality of the food over the quantity of familiarity.
I encourage your comments.
Rebecca
So, I decided that I wanted to talk about what our philosophy is here at the Bistro before we make adjustments to our portion sizes for those guests who feel they need more food.
Fresh, seasonal and high quality is the way our chef, Matt LaRocco describes his cuisine. He makes everything he serves from scratch everyday. He doesn't use a microwave or a deep fryer. He uses organic veggies whenever possible and buys from the farmer's market once a week. He uses only the best Olive Oil for sauteing. His seafood comes from one of the top seafood vendors in the US, Honolulu Fish Company and is supplemented by local purveyor, Central Coast Seafood. Now you would think that all this extra labor and money spent on the best ingrediants would make the pricing out of reach for our local guests but Matt chose to use a moderate pricing so that his neighborhood people of Orcutt, could enjoy the Bistro as a regular dining spot. Even though the food is special and gourmet, he didn't want the locals to feel like it was only a place for a special occasion. When asked about portion sizes Matt says it isn't about quantity it is about quality.
So then, our compromise at the Bistro, is to offer a side of potatoes and veggies for a modest cost of 2.00 extra. This way our guests who feel they need more to eat can get it and the guests that love this new "European" way of eating will still be able to enjoy the quality of the food over the quantity of familiarity.
I encourage your comments.
Rebecca
posted by The Wine Cottage at 6:35 AM
1 Comments:
I agree that quality is more important then quantity. I also feel portion sizes in most places have gotten out of hand - and have trained people to look with their eyes for satisfaction, rather then for the taste for what goes into each meal. The food is also just one part of the meal -take time eating with your friends & family over a nice bottle of wine. My wife and I will be trying your place for the first time tonight - we look forward to it.
The side orders are a good idea for people who want to consume more. I know if I am there for a good rack of lamb, the sides are a distraction. Good luck.
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