I spent a lovely weekend in Atlanta, browsing through Atlantic Station, visiting malls and dining at a couple hot spots; and if there is one thing I hate it’s dirty serving ware. I normally let somethings go, tell the waitstaff and keep it moving; but when an issue reveals itself over and over I have to say “wait just one minute.”

This year I have noticed an increase in lipstick smudged glassware and dirty dishes, first at a supposedly pricey restaurant in Atlanta, then at local breakfast chain outside the ATL.

It was  the smudge of lipstick on the rim of my daughter’s wine glass…sorta a red-ish pink color and the same on her coffee cup at the “Barrel” that raised my blood pressure. You might think…the glass and cup have certainly been sterilized in the dishwasher. No problem!

I don’t think so. There are so many health concerns today, the last thing a customer needs is to worry about sipping from a glass that carries the germs of another customer.

A bit of investigative work revealed there is a reason why lipstick is left on the rim of the glasses and cups. First of all, lipstick is being made to last, remember the commercials tell us once you apply the lipstick it will stay on all day. Then when you want to remove it you must use either a lipstick remover ointment or Vaseline. Is anyone in the restaurant industry listening? Okay let me make it clearer. The emollients in lipstick are designed to help lipstick stay on your lips along with doing a great job at keeping the lipstick glued to the glassware. So before washing the stemware a dishwasher needs to rub the edges with salt i.e. (an abrasive) to erase lipstick stains. Oh, too labor intensive, then put the public’s health at risk?

I would love to hear about other suggestions and or experiences.

Food for thought

How much responsibility goes to the server who either serves the beverage or the bartender who grabs the glass? Is it too much to ask waitstaff to check the glasses before pouring? Or is this just another blameless act?

I am always looking for ways people can start a business with food and since moving to the Atlanta area I noticed there are a number of fabulous restaurants, cooking schools, museums, places to go and people to see. The one thing that is missing in this town and probably many others is “food focused walking tours.”

Look, I know this would be a seasonal thing in some parts of the country, but here in the ATL someone should have thought about this ages ago. As a transplant, I would love to go on a culinary tour of the south, visit the different neighborhoods that make up ATL, and dine at the various restaurants. It would be great just to take a tour of the DeKalb Farmers Market and learn about the various foods they sell…the tasting alone is a grand experience.

I know this will involve a lot of planning and coordination, organization and superior customer service skills, but, so what. Are there folks out there doing the culinary tour thing? Yes. I went on a wonderful tour a few years back in New Orleans and there is a company in North Carolina that has jumped on the band wagon. This is just something to think about, and if you start a “Food focused walking tour” in your city, please email me so I can come and check it out.

Where is the little health conscious cafe that serves really good vegetarian food?  Today, with so little opportunity to choose, it is really great when we have the opportunity to select something that is delicious and healthy. A number of food crafters are opting to specialize in gluten free, sugar free, preservative, additive and artificial flavor free foods; and that’s a good thing. Years ago I had the opportunity to meet Julie Jordan, author of the Cabbage Town Cafe Cookbook; and if you do not have a copy of this unique cookbook, you are missing out on some wonderful recipes that were purely delicious.  Julie was the owner of Cabbage Town Cafe in Ithaca, New York and if there is anyone still around that dined in that little cafe, you are sure to remember how delicious the food was there. I was a food stylist and caterer at the time Julie strolled across the metro Detroit area, promoting her book; the recipes were heavenly to make and eat. Seriously, this is the kind of food we need today, flavorful, filling and a welcome change from the artificial.

Where can we get a simple slice of homemade bread with cheese and perhaps a cup of vegetable soup? Is that just too much to ask? I once spoke to a young woman who wanted to open a lunch van that served fresh organic sandwiches, soups and cookies. She thought the community was just not ready and talked herself out of the idea. This was over ten years ago. Today, with all the processed food that crosses our daily paths I honestly wish someone would come up with healthy restaurant alternatives. Yes, people would eat there! And if there is one thing I know for certain, it will be the brain child of a food crafter, a purist, someone who takes pride in “designing” the food they serve the public. Great food is created by design, with purpose, care and to make the culinary experience better for all who consume it.

…email me when you open Cabbage Town Cafe II