D. Peckham

Chef Grant just wondering what kind of turn over of staff you have on a regular basis?

Basically what I'm saying is that he passed judement on every one from the valet, the host and waitstaff and then writes about how they themselves maybe made a snap judgement on them because of their age. I suggest to people that if they have a problem with the service or the food , say something to them . You are after all spending alot of money to be there and thats what the staff is there to do, please the customer. Charlie Trotters is a great restaurant with a very personilized service but if you just sit there and don't say something then they can't do what they are there to do , and then after to play mind reader to guess what the customer wants and that doesn't make it a full expierence for Adam , and I thought he would have known that based on the thread he wrote about seeing the restaurant in books and reviews and on TV. But I do agree the blame lies with the both of them, the waitstaff and Adam, but I didn't see a thread from a service staff member from Trotters saying he had a problem with Adams presence at there place of employment.

I think that alot of times when people first venture in to the world of fine dining at a place like trotters their expectations are set at extremely high level , to the point that it is almost impossible to satisfy that person. It's not the customers fault at all being as many of the food critics and media have no fuckin idea what they are talking about and are shoved free item after free item in return for good exposure. Not to say that trotters doesn't deserve the respect that they have obtained over the years but this case with Adam might have been him going in to the meal with really high expectations that weren't able to be met. As far as reading the facial expressions and gestures of the front of the room staff on the evening he was there and then commenting that they looked down on them and maybe made a snap judgement based on their youth is not right. Wasn't he passing judgement and making his own snap judgements of the other customers and staff in the room that night as well? People it is just food after all and there is only so much you can do with it and have it still remain food. And making judgements and future plans based on some of the comments made some uneducated people on this site is wrong, visit these places for your self and then decide, after all if it wasn't for the huge boom in the world of haute cuisine and the celebrity chef this site wouldn't be here.

Basically I think this is not as big of a subject or situation that people are making this out to be . Read Adam's first line of his post, he says he is an aspiring gourmet. Then why if you had read and seen on TV and online the type of restaurant that Charlie Trotters is, decide not to at least inquire about wine selections with the courses served. In my mind you are limiting yourself and the staff at this restaurant from achiving the expierence that they are there to obtain. Not everyone is fully prepared to dine at a restaurant like this, not once has anyone mentioned that dining there is a total expierence . Not just the food but the food, wine service and the environment. If I was going to dine there and granted $350 I wouldn't at all limit the staff from doing what there famous for WINE and food. Everyone is missing one more thing, it is after all just food, I bet everything on the plate was seasoned, cooked to temp and tasted like it should. It should for $350 but you have to pay for the expierence as well and I'm sure that this is true in this case.

I would like to reply. I think that if someone that is 25 years old and has it all figured out is great, I'm not one to down someone's opinoins and thoughts about the restaurant industry because it's a learning process and never quite learn everything. That said your comments about the state of the restaurant industry here in Vancouver is completely fogged. In europe as I'm sure you know , eating out and even at home is a way of life, always has been and will always be. It's not like that here in Vancouver for the majority of people who enjoy the restaurants available. The restaurants in Vancouver are focused on the buisness aspect because they have to , they profit margin for most places is slim to none but when the product suffers I agree is not the best situation for anyone. That is not to say that there aren't plenty of passionate cooks and chefs in this city. I'm not sure where you work but the people I know are concerned about learning , progressing and serving customers better , because I for one knows that it's the customers that pay the bill when all is said and done. I've worked and lived in Victoria and no doubt there are some quality places to dine there at a reasonable price but you have to understand that the prices in most cases are comprimised because the customers are less inclined to eat out on a regular basis then even here in Vancouver. I think that if you don't like the way that things are here then change it for the better the way that you see it and see if it works.