Mi2Sweets – Remembrance of things past

01/04: Remembrance of things past

“Whatever happened to the Blue Fox?” asked my Uncle Alan, as we drove through the financial district on our way home from a wonderfully gut-busting family dinner at the R&G Lounge. “Long gone,” I replied. “And Ernie’s? Remember those classic red velvet curtains?” he reminisced. “Yeah, made famous in “Vertigo”, I pointed out. “It’s gone too.”

Uncle Alan, not having lived in San Francisco for decades, doesn’t really keep up with the ins and outs of this city’s turbulent restaurant scene, so his memories of those fine dining institutions are warmly faded around the edges like those infamous red curtains at Ernies. “What’s happened to this town?,” he lamented. “Nobody seems to want to do the classics anymore. Is the House of Prime Rib still doing good business at least?” I reassured him that, yes, the “Hopper” was indeed hopping seven days a week–serving up juicy slabs of prime rib accompanied by a stellar roundup of traditional sides, including the strangely addictive house salad (yes, I’ve gone back just to buy the damn salad dressing). The Hopper isn’t exactly “fine dining” as defined by city’s new paradigm, but it most definitely a place to go for special occasions, for when you want to treat yourself and loved ones to a really good, satisfying meal. It’s success is a testament to it’s ability to cut across economic and cultural lines, even in the rough and tumble San Francisco restaurant scene. There is something truly comforting about a menu that stays true to its concept, year in and year out, not to mention a level of service that doesn’t waver.

Reminiscing with my uncle had me thinking about another place, long since gone, that had a profound effect on my way of thinking about the restaurant dining experience–Le Cyrano. Le Cyrano was my family’s “go to” fancy non-Asian restaurant whenever we wanted to celebrate something or treat an out-of-town visitor. Everyone loved the place because, despite the language and cultural barriers, you could safely order off the classic French menu with a certain degree of confidence. The menu there, like at the Hopper, never really changed. Dad could order his favorite sole meunier or frog’s legs, my grandmother her trusty rack of lamb, and my mom her chicken cordon bleu. I, of course, knew there was chocolate mousse or peach melba in my near future. Okay, once in a while, I’d be tempted by the lure of the floating island special. And, as always, the service was top-notch. We went back year after year, until sadly there was no more Le Cyrano to go back to. Mom tried to get us to go to another “French” restaurant out in the avenues–oddly enough owned and operated by the Chinese chef, with Chinese servers–but something was lost in translation. The food was fine, but ambiance just wasn’t there.

Having worked in the restaurant business for over a decade, I know how much effort it takes, both front and back of the house, to give each and every guest a great dining experience. Yes, as sometimes is the case, shit happens. But the overall goal is to maintain a high level of consistency. Looking back on it now, I can fully appreciate those early “fine dining” experiences because it set the standard in my mind of how things should be. Regardless of how innovative a menu or restaurant concept may be, the core value should always be about consistency and service, because that is what makes a place truly a “classic.”

Posted January 4th, 2009

Comments are closed.