Thoughts on Service
I just listened to VinePair’s podcast The Reasons Wine Service Sucks Right Now ; which is funny timing because it's been a topic that keeps coming up amongst friends. If I have a bad service experience–i’ll usually include this in a pre-shift meeting–leaving out the name of the restaurant because the point isn’t to badmouth another restaurant–its to improve our service and learn from the mistake.
Much of the podcast conversation surrounded topics on staff education–servers being able to guide their guests through both by-the-glass and by-the-bottle selections. They debated about tasting a wine to make sure the wine was sound before pouring it, the lag time on ordering/receiving a bottle, and overall staff training.
These conversations make me self-reflective and hope we’re a place where people feel confident ordering wine–whether it's an off-the-beaten path producer or a sought-after classic. I try not to be annoying; but i’m constantly asking my staff: “how’s the temp on that wine”, “can i pour wine on table four”, “their pasta is almost out–should be get them another bottle/glass?”
When I opened Popina in 2017–I had every intention of running a training program similar to the one we were running at Maialino. Not only training staff upon hire; but continued training and education whether blind tasting with the wine team or pre-shift meetings dedicated to the 10 olive oils the kitchen would use. Classes on butchery, cheese tastings, or perhaps a deep dive into the coffee/tea program. I loved it–every bit of it and so did most of the people I worked with. It was a shared passion of food, drink, and hospitality that made that restaurant truly something special.
But then it was time to open and all those lofty expectations drifted out of focus. Sure, I wrote an employee handbook and training manual similar to one you’d get at USHG; but everything else cost money and that wasn’t something we had a lot of. Some of our vendors were kind enough to provide us with some sample bottles for staff education or even invited us for a tasting at the Brewery (thanks Garrett!); but everything else was something we needed to invest in and that was scary. We weren’t able to do everything that a bigger company was able to do; but we put a lot of care into hiring the right people and we tried to stay consistent in our process. Little things if done consistently go a long way.
Fast forward to last Saturday. I attended (crashed) a dinner hosted by Penny/Claud for their wine team. Chase, partner in Penny/Claud, worked with me at Maialino and definitely has his opinions on where Wine Service/Wine Culture is in the city (you should ask him!) He has done an incredible job investing in his team ensuring they are the gold standard.
The dinner was at The Grill–another spot that has become the tops for anyone drinking wine in the city. We sat around an epic circular table in one of the most iconic rooms in nyc–you couldn’t help but feel excited for whatever was next. Chase picked out a bunch of benchmark wines that he thought were important for his team to try. It wasn’t a dinner for Instagram–it was a dinner for conversation. I wasn’t there for all of it; but I know Chase well enough where I could have probably written the script: “Clos vs Preuses–talk to me” or “what vintages remind you of 19 in burgundy? It was a conversation that surrounded wine and service–reconfirming what’s important and how to make sure his team is at the top of the game.
I brought 2012 Rayas and 2022 Bernadeau Nourrisson for the team to try and it was great to see them work through what it was. Not all answers were right; but as a team–they worked through the wines and narrowed in on what possible grape varieties, age range, and maybe even threw out some producers. The chenin blanc conclusion came quicker than the grenache; but it was cool to hear them go through the process. We later got “blinded” on 85 Château d'Yquem where the process continued again. “Look at the color–what age range are we in?”, “what is it not?”, “where’s the acidity at?”, etc. The team got to taste wines that have become prohibitively expensive that even if you’re making good money–you can’t afford. But its important that if he’s going to run the best wine program in the city–everyone know’s what 2019 Liger-Belair taste like. Sure, they open up crazy wines all the time; but its different when you get to sit down and enjoy with some food and good company.