Taking Notes at a Restaurant

[carpet bagger]

BUX sorry for the delay in the response. The waiter probably thought I was a critic of some kind. (that was what I wanted him to think) I'm sure that Thomas new immediately because I didn't try hide anything from him. It actually started out as a little game for me. I enjoyed myself.

[jordyn]

Has anyone considered one of those mini digital voice recorders?

I use one of these from time to time. They're nice because they can capture the waiter's descriptions of dishes pretty unobtrusively and because I can talk a lot faster and less obviously than I can write.

[Bux]

I've told this story before, but when we were at Veyrat's place outside of Annecy, France, my wife took many notes of our long and extroardinary meal. As we were facing the view out a large window, we had our backs somewhat to the room and it was hard to hide the notetaking. We were starting our cheese course and one of us had already made a selection, when a waiter appeared and stopped the cheese service at the chef's request. We had eaten quite a lot already and wondered if we would be up for desserts, when several more full sized coursed appeared one after the other before we were allowed to continue to cheese. Indeed, we consumed so much food that I wondered if it was a treat. Fortunately each course was better than the last and all were more than superb. I wondered if the note taking had anything to do with the comped dishes and if so, did Veyrat think either one of us was a food writer, or did he just appreciate the depth of our interest. I should note that we ordered local wines and thus can hardly have been rewarded as big spenders although we took the gastronomic menu.

[tommy]

i'm curious as to what posters think the downsides and upsides of being caught "note taking" might mean to the overall experience?

most reviewers that i've been out with are very discreet about their note taking, whether it be recorded or written. surely most restaurants don't treat customers differently when they see them jotting down notes. do they? and if so, can it be a bad thing? i'm doubting it, unless, as, in bux's example, perhaps things get a little too over-the-top. but if that's all it takes to get "special" treatment, then i'll carry a pad and pen to every restaurant.

[ivan]

Just the other day I was at a banh mi shop where the menu on the wall is in Vietnamese, and I grapped a paper bag and jotted down all the selections, intending to have a Vietnamese co-worker translate for me later. One of the ladies behind the counter asked me (in perfect English) what I was writing. I told her it was an American custom to transcribe menus, commonly known as "Menu Spotting". She said don't bother because the menu on the wall rarely corresponds to the food actually being served that day. Later, I showed my notes to my Vietnamese co-worker, and, after studying it for some time, she said "you have very bad hand-writing."

[carpet bagger]

Ivan I guess you didn't see them take the menu off the wall and write about your hand writing. :

[Deacon]

. . . if that's all it takes to get "special" treatment, then i'll carry a pad and pen to every restaurant.

Tommy, it's amazing--when eating by myself I usually bring a pen and legal pad with me into the restaurant (usually it's work and not related to the food). 99% of the time, I get service that's excellent bordering on fawning. Either I can really pick restaurants with outstanding service or the staff is thoroughly cowed by the pen and paper. It can't be because they think I'm a critic, because restaurateurs know that critics don't usually go by themselves. Maybe I've just been lucky with good service. It's uncanny.

[foodie52]

I just tell them that I am John Mariani incognito, and not to give me away....

[tommy]

. . . if that's all it takes to get "special" treatment, then i'll carry a pad and pen to every restaurant.

Tommy, it's amazing--when eating by myself I usually bring a pen and legal pad with me into the restaurant (usually it's work and not related to the food). 99% of the time, I get service that's excellent bordering on fawning. Either I can really pick restaurants with outstanding service or the staff is thoroughly cowed by the pen and paper. It can't be because they think I'm a critic, because restaurateurs know that critics don't usually go by themselves. Maybe I've just been lucky with good service. It's uncanny.

my point exactly.

[alacarte]

I think I remember reading that when Ruth Reichl started reviewing restaurants, she used to run to the bathroom, jot down her notes there, and then dash back to the table.

[PaulaVega]

Long before I became an amateur food writer I used to always take notes of what everyone at the table was eating, specially when traveling abroad (i've always kept a food journal). I was about 13 when a funny thing happened in bordeaux, france... the staff kept on being excessively "helpful" and really really nice which I thought was strange for the french...until they finally asked if we were from the Michelin Guide and using the "youngster" as a decoy! It was hilarious... great free stuff though!

[Random Alias]

I wear one of these.

Unobtrusive and it captures the entire experience.

So far I haven't had a single person ask if I was a professional food critic, so I think they mostly don't even notice.

[Matthew Grant]

That was the funniest post I had read in a long time!

[ballast_regime]

I ask for a copy of the menu, take notes on cards, and even record every single course I eat (at a "serious" restaurant) in a small, handheld digital video camera. Discreet? No. Effective? Yes. The more serious the restaurant, the less problems you'll have. ADNY and Charlie Trotter's were among the most accomodating than some smaller places (e.g., when Liebrandt was still at Papillon, our waiter appeared frantically and intermittenly, often making snubs about "those weird food writers"). If a restaurant has integrity, they'll be as friendly as can be (Sugiyama was one of the best in recent memory).

Much peace,

Ian Lowe

ballast/regime

[Schielke]

Do you record each course as it comes out and then reaction? How do you get enough light? Many video cameras do not perform well in low light situations.

Thanks!

Ben

p.s. post some .mpeg links!

[ballast_regime]

Ben:

There usually is enough ambient light from the sun because I eat a lot of lunches when I'm traveling. I record each course once it's on the table, and at times people's reactions. My dining companions, if there are any, know I'm obsessed and therefore tolerate my maniacal need to document everything.

As per light at night, it hasn't been that much of a problem, thankfully.

I recently lost my entire hard drive (I use a lot of the computer labs at my university right now), so it will be awhile before I have any .mpegs again. Once I do, I will gladly put them online.

IML

ballast/regime