This is a story of two woes.
Firstly, it must be awfully difficult to run a restaurant or a cafe. All that organizing, preparation, hiring of loyal honest staff and then cooking the food and hoping that your patrons are satisfied. So difficult, in fact, that you wonder why so many people go in for it to only provide ordinary food and service. I think the thing that most people don't understand is that the devil is in the detail.
When we first came down here to live we found a lovely little cafe in the local shopping centre. This cafe was run by a husband and wife team and sometimes helped by a waitress. The husband was out front making all the drinks and the wife did all the cooking. It was delightful. Simple but really good food and lovely drinks. I especially loved the mushrooms and fetta cheese served on sourdough bread. My husband and I always shared a milkshake. This was served in proper milkshake glasses with a dribble of whatever flavour on the inside of each glass. The lady of the establishment also put up specials on the blackboard attached to the side wall in the front. She made beautiful soups in winter and other lovelies during the warmer months. The place was very well patronized so it wasn't only us who enjoyed what was on offer.
We went to this cafe at least once a week. Then horror of horrors they sold the business. It all must have been just too much for them. The husband went and worked for someone else and the wife became a sales lady. What a waste. But who am I to make any judgements on what people want to do. My husband and I were just sad.
The new owners were a disaster. We only had to have one lunch with them to know it wasn't going to work. They bought an established little cafe and all they had to do was provide the same food and service every one was used to. The milkshake they served was so sweet it was practically undrinkable and the food was stodgy and not made with love. Patronage dropped off faster than fleas off a dead dog. They must have known that something was wrong and obviously did nothing to redeem it. They are still there so I guess they think what they are doing is okay for them.
Woe number two.
Around the same time a new little restaurant opened nearby. It was run by two people I will call Mary and Al. Mary was the hostess and Al did the cooking.
It was an Italian themed restaurant and the walls were plastered with huge pictures of Al Pacino.
The food, once again, was simple but well made. I really enjoyed patronizing the place. Al made lovely simple food with either vegetables or chips and salad. My husband especially liked the grilled Barramundi.
My husband was one day riding past the place on his bike and noticed a sign on the door "Closed till further notice". Once again we were concerned. He rode past again a few days later and saw Mary inside. He enquired after her and she just said, "Something bad has happened to Al". Not being a nosy person (unlike me) he just rode on with no further enquiries and informed me about Al's calamity. Well, it turned out that Al was a gun runner and he had been arrrested. All I can say is I hope he does some cooking inside and makes the other inmates happy.
Since then the restaurant has changed hands twice. As I will repeat ad infinitum the devils is in the detail. Neither restauranteur has got things right. If you advertise veal on the menu it had better be veal not yearling. People can tell the difference. Also, you should give customers the choice of steamed vegetables or chips and salad at no extra charge. Not very hard one would think.
I am not a food critic but I know what I like. I also know everyone is different and what pleases one person does not necessarily please another. All the above is just my opinion on what I expect and no one elses. As they say in hospitality industry "Enjoy".
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