Today I had the rare pleasure of joining chefs Eric Ripert and Michael White for a Google+ Hangout hosted by Tasting Table’s “Table for Two.” Five food enthusiasts were invited to the session to ask questions while the chefs shared insights from their careers as acclaimed restaurant owners and world-class chefs.
I asked one question: “What makes a great dining experience?” Their answers made me reconsider what dining out can—and should—be.
“In restaurants, every night we see an entire dining room of people looking for the right experience, and what you are looking for may be different than the next table,” said Ripert, chef of Le Bernardin in New York City. “Some people come for an anniversary, birthday, a celebration. Some people are in business and what they are focused on is signing a deal at the end of the dinner. Many clients come to enjoy the food. Some of the people come for the holistic experience that is the service, the food and the décor.
“It’s our role in a sense through our waiters, who are reading basically the mind of the client, to adapt and deliver that experience that you potentially are looking for,” he added.
Michael White, chef and owner of Marea in New York City, emphasized the human element: “It’s the people. It’s our employees. It’s multi-faceted in a sense that we’re both so focused on the details. It’s hard to arrive at perfection, but details are what we’re after. The music and the lighting, there’s so many, the question that you ask, we could talk for hours about. It’s a great question.”
What the chefs described rings true. Beyond seeking a memorable plate, my best dining experiences happen when service strikes the right balance: attentive enough to notice an empty glass or to time a course well, yet discreet enough to let conversation flow uninterrupted.
Ripert, familiar to TV audiences as a guest judge on Bravo’s Top Chef, explained how he trains his team to share his passion and vision.
“The team, if they are loyal and stay with us…suddenly, we are thinking the same, and it’s all about the client, what they’re looking for. Not necessarily pleasing them with steak well done at Le Bernardin. That’s not what I’m talking about. But pleasing them in a sense that they have to read again the mind of the client and see what they are looking for and then help us and as an entire team, creating an experience for that person,” he said.
White agreed and reiterated that every decision should reflect the guest’s needs.
“It’s all about the client. We do not build restaurants for any other purpose than for our clients because the client is who comes to your restaurant and frequents the restaurant,” he said, noting even a server’s body language plays a role in shaping the experience.
For more insight, watch the full hangout to hear additional anecdotes and practical tips from these two great culinary minds.
If you’d like a chance to join a future Tasting Table session, participate on social media using the hashtag #2xEverywhere.