Posted by Ed Levine, July 6, 2007 at 9:00 AM
When the headline and the lede in Frank Bruni's restaurant review in the New York Times are both about noise, maybe, just maybe, we've reached the point of no return when it comes to restaurant noise levels. Consider the following line from Bruni's review: "Talking with tablemates at Mercat can be like watching an in-flight movie when you haven't purchased the earphones."
Here's my question: Is that state of affairs either necessary or desirable?
When you talk to chefs and restaurateurs about this issue, some will say the noise level in their restaurants is the result of faulty design, that they didn't know the noise level was going to be a problem until they opened their doors and discovered that sitting in their full restaurant was like being on an idling jet waiting to take off.
Others say they like the noise level high, that it translates into diners thinking they're at a hot, successful restaurant pulsating with energy. Some of those same people claim that their restaurants are meant for people who welcome sitting in that kind of environment, those carefree young folks who actively seek out those kinds of eating experiences.
Sometimes the noise level is exacerbated by earsplittingly loud music, which, as a serious serial music lover, I would be more appreciative of if the DJ, chef, or restaurateur hadn't chosen awful techno pop.
I don't think this state of affairs is going to change anytime soon. Loud restaurants will open for people who either seek them out or tolerate them. Quiet restaurants will open up for people who want to savor the sounds of their tablemates' voices and the food.
Continue reading »
Posted by Lia Bulaong, February 23, 2007 at 11:58 AM
The An family runs three restaurants in California: Thanh Long and Crustacean in San Francisco and another Crustacean in Beverly Hills. Each restaurant has a a Secret Kitchen, "a completely enclosed kitchen within the main kitchen, off limits to all employees except An Family members. Here, Chef Helene and the Ans prepare their secret family recipes: An's Famous Roasted Crab and Garlic Noodles. These dishes are the key to the restaurants' success." I'm sure the dishes are delicious, but is it just me or is the whole secret kitchen thing a little nutty?
Posted by Nathalie Jordi, January 18, 2007 at 12:03 PM
How did I ever live without this site?
Thanks Alaina. I'll never get lost again....
Posted by djacobs, December 2, 2006 at 2:49 PM
San Francisco Gourmet revisits The Slanted Door and reports back with good news:
Notwithstanding whatever other critiques I may have about the current incarnation of the restaurant, the one thing that has always been beyond reproach is the quality of the food. The ingredients are consistently fresh, the preparations well-executed, and the flavor combinations excellent. Yet, even against this backdrop, the meal that we had on Saturday just blew me away. Put simply, every dish we ordered seemed to be a cut above the usual, whether it was an old familiar standard or an entree that we were trying for the first time.
Posted by djacobs, December 2, 2006 at 2:34 PM
Good news for automobile-free city dwellers like me, Redwood City's Old Port Lobster Shack is opening a second location in San Francisco's North Beach. Tablehopper delivers the good news:
The partners, Russell Deutsch and Ed Rounds, who have incidentally been best friends since seventh grade, are making the space more "shackadelic" over the next few weeks, which means adding picnic tables from Maine, some buoys, and installing a 110-gallon lobster tank. The 38 seats will be filled within a couple weeks with folks happily munching on lobster rolls, Crab Louie salads, and other fab seafood bounty (take a peek at the Old Port menu here to thoroughly whet your appetite)
