Food Day!

So today at job training, all of the front-of-the-house employees were given a lecture of sorts on every item on our lunch and dinner menu. It was a lecture in the sense that it was very informative, but also so much more than a lecture in the sense that we got to taste a LOT of the food. Everything from the salads to the fish to the meats, and especially the pizzas, has a story. There are between 60-70 dishes on the menu, but one has to realize that within these dishes are literally hundreds of recipes. Where the master recipe for a soup might call for a chicken broth, the kitchen team at Bottega Louie has a specific recipe for making that broth. Within that broth, a very specific type of chicken is used (the Jidori varietal, look it up), which is raised locally (that is to say, within 100 miles). But even a good recipe can be ruined by poor quality ingredients. Not at Bottega Louie. Who else has fishmongers in Italy with the ability to get us the catch off of day boats within 48 hours? Who else has access to the artisan-grown vegetables from the McGrath Farm in Valencia, CA which produces only one acre of a certain product (note* "any one of its products;" they grow many types of vegetables on their 40 acres, but reserve only 1 acre per varietal)? Hearing about all the recipes and the ingredients that go into those recipes today makes me appreciate that this whole operation has really been in development for three years. That time has not been wasted either. The close relationships our upper management team have developed with the various growers, vendors, mongers, etc. is a testament to the company's motto: The fanatical pursuit of excellence. Everything, I mean EVERYthing that I tasted today is as close to perfection in the various types of dishes that I've had. The pizza, the pasta, the vegetables, the bread, everything reflects the care and expertise that has gone into trimming 40 types of mozzarella down to the one we use for the pizza (which is different from the one we use on the caprese salad), or the over 2,000 wines down to the 50 that are on our list. Some might believe that it's a waste to spend so much time and money on this sort of development, but I see it differently. Everyone will be able to appreciate just how amazing the food tastes on their very first time in the restaurant. I believe the sheer quality of the food is enough to bring people back a second and third time. It is those subsequent visits when they will begin to grasp just how vast the scope of our restaurant is (when they find out that we only use USDA Natural Prime beef, the top 3% of all beef raised in America). That realization when coupled with the revolutionary service we have been trained in is what will turn a casual diner into a full subscriber to the brand that is Bottega Louie. Not to sound too much like an ad for my employer (too late), but I would not have posted this if I didn't truly believe it. We're doing something different here. Something that I've never experience myself in any restaurant that I've been to. And if I, someone interested in food but just barely beginning to peek into the world of the professional food industry, can appreciate the path B.L. is looking to forge, I'm excited to see the reception and perception of Bottega Louie by the food connoisseurs from Los Angeles and elsewhere. Anyway, time for dinner. I think I'll eat some more watermelon soup.
Cheers,
-Peter