Good eats....

I had the pleasure of dining with my bride the other night on a date night. We went to a nice restaurant, which places a great deal of effort in their "wow factor." Not the fussy kind of restaurant that is tight laced, formal or stuffy, that makes me feel like I do not belong, unable to enjoy the reasons I am there. This was casual dining where you could wear whatever you want, enjoy the food, atmosphere and excellent service. All too often restaurants I've gone into pay close attention to either service, food or attitude, not the whole package. The key detail is the food and atmosphere is developed from there, not 4 star service with poor quality food. They focus first on the key component "food," taking off on the details of making it a place where you want to return. Coming from a culinary perspective one reason I noticed their food was most important, there was no salt of pepper on any of the tables, this means the chef(s) focus on the seasonings in preparation, not tailored to taste at the table. They want their preparation to make the impact, thinking through the basic reason they are in business. It is not overly stimulating with screens (TVs) distracting your focus, or tables filled with bottles of flavor. Simply unpretentious dining, allowing you to enjoy their primary purpose and details.

Takeaway, it really is a good personal and professional strategy. What are the strengths that set me apart, recognize how they make me different from others. Establish balance through this fundamental, but understand the difference can be made with the strength setting the "bar" and developing the excellence by focus on improving the whole experience. Never losing sight of the primary purpose building foundations from there, not resting on your laurels...improving on all areas, stimulating a "wow" response, clearly making an impact on the overall experience.