Behind the Line

Get to know our chefs, inside and out, over and above

Help for Home Cooks/Bartenders - Entertaining: Be a good host. Send your guests off with a little somethin' special. What are your ideas for goodie bags for guests at your party?

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Here at Naha we tend to give away our Naha honey in the special honey bear bottles as gifts because it represents our commitment to help support artisan honey production. It also ties into our supp... more »

Last updated: Mar 8 2013

 

A Little Bit of Fun - Putting on Your Media Hat: If you could write one feature food story for a local newspaper, what would you write about?

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I would love to write an article for the home cook that doesn't know how to cook. Master one great dish first, I would say. Such as, learn how to make a great pasta sauce, or how to make risotto, o... more »

Last updated: Mar 8 2013

 

On the Job - Your Customers: How do you handle guests' dietary restrictions? Have you ever been unable to accommodate a guest? Why not?

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We have it printed on our menu to advise the server of any allergies, restrictions or preferences. If it's a difficult request, we ask the server to check if it's an allergy or a preference because... more »

Last updated: Feb 8 2013

 

On the Job - Your Customers: Where do you stand on substitution requests?

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Because I came from Four Seasons where guest satisfaction is paramount, if I can do it, I will. I don't like saying no to a guest. If someone wants a little extra something, I won't nickle and dime... more »

Last updated: Feb 8 2013

 

On the Job - Your Customers: How much should people tip their servers?

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This is tough because I'm in the industry. I feel that anything less than 20% needs to be justified. Anything over 20% needs to be justified too. Exceptional service deserves an exceptional tip. If... more »

Last updated: Feb 8 2013

 

On the Job - Your Customers: The customer is always right. Or are they? Are there instances when you feel the customer is wrong? Examples?

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Yes. That old adage is great and works in most occasions but in the words of Charlie Trotter, "Sometimes you have to divorce a customer". Things like expired gift certificates bought at charity auc... more »

Last updated: Feb 8 2013

 

On the Job - Your Customers: Customer reaction can make or break a dish. What are some dishes you've been surprised at the level of positive feedback? How about negative feedback?

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We have customers who have requested to be contacted when Copper River Sockeye Salmon starts, when Nantucket Bay Scallops come on and when Softshell Crabs come back, which was surprising. Our clien... more »

Last updated: Feb 8 2013

 

On the Job - Your Customers: Kooky customer demands. What are requests from diners that make you roll your eyes?

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Steamed vegetables. Do I have a steamer set up? No!

Last updated: Feb 8 2013

 

On the Job - Your Customers: Kids' menus: necessary evil or fun way to engage children in the art of dining out?

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The customer should always tell the restaurant when children will be present, then the restaurant can ascertain if a special menu should be given. The worst thing is when the customer comes in and ... more »

Last updated: Feb 8 2013

 

On the Job - Your Customers: Let's get ethnic. Are customers savvy about "foreign" ingredients or dishes? Do you try to fit these in on your menu?

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Customers are more knowledgeable than ever, but it should never be presumed that they know what specific techniques or ethnic ingredients are. It's the responsibility of the chef and server to broa... more »

Last updated: Feb 8 2013

 

On the Job - Your Customers: What customer hijinks get under your skin most?

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I'm not alone in saying that I can't stand no-shows. It's completely unacceptable. Bringing in wine, cake, flowers, balloons, etc without notifying the restaurant first so we can accommodate it. Bu... more »

Last updated: Feb 8 2013

 

On the Job - Your Customers: Should a restaurant hold a table if the party is late?

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If they call and we have advanced notice, things happen, we appreciate the call and will hold the table if we're able. If we can't, we try to give them an alternate time. If you're 20 minutes late,... more »

Last updated: Feb 8 2013

 

On the Job - Your Customers: What do you wish were more popular?

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I wish that lunch business was more consistent because there are very few restaurants of our caliber that are still open for lunch and many people visit Chicago but don't have opportunities to alwa... more »

Last updated: Feb 8 2013

 

On the Job - Your Customers: What would you like to take off the menu but they won’t let you?

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I've taken a number of things off and we all survived. I took the hot smoked salmon off, the tartare of tuna, and life goes on. You just keep creating. We probably can't take the Mezze off though, ... more »

Last updated: Feb 8 2013

 

On the Job - Your Customers: Do you ever learn things from your customers?

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What you learn from a customer is their take as a client, on the state of the industry, what they like to see in restaurants, we're seeing the Average American. As chefs and restauranteurs, we have... more »

Last updated: Feb 8 2013