Tangential Menu Rant

As wonderful as brunch at Café Petite Chou was, there was one big problem. She was sitting behind me. At a French bistro, with a menu full of yummy (and nationally-renown) omelets, thoughtfully put-together sandwiches, and elegant salads, she ordered….turkey on whole wheat. Turkey. On whole wheat. "With no mayo." When it arrived, it had "some creamy stuff on it." She complained to the server, "I said no mayo." The manager came over and explained gently and patiently that it wasn't mayo, it was Alouette and it came on most sandwiches. She huffed again that she requested no mayo, he offered to remake the sandwich, she refused and said she'd eat it. (So why complain in the first place? Do the calories not count if you asked not to be served them? But that's another rant.)

Now. I've worked in the restaurant industry, both front and back of the house, so I'm all for the customer having a pleasant experience and getting what they want. Within reason. The world is full of places to get a dry turkey sandwich. The world is not, however, full of places to get something a little more sublime, a little more interesting, a little more covered in Alouette. Okay, the world is, Indiana is not. And it's customers like this woman who make Hoosier restaurateurs believe that a market for their concept doesn't exist here. Because, unfortunately, it's customers like this woman who are more likely to make their feelings known to management.

So my solution to this is pretty simple. If you're the sort of person who is likely to order a dry turkey sandwich, go to a place with dry turkey sandwiches on the menu. If you're the sort of person who would love to keep ordering Alouette and béchamel-covered grilled cheese and something new and different and a little bit horizon-expanding, wave the manager over and tell him or her how much you enjoyed everything and how truly delighted you are that that restaurant exists.