ICO Summit: From the eyes of the Maitre'D

Good will is fine, but why is it great? 

We all strive to be great, but what role does good will play in the road to greatness?  Is it even necessary?  Our Maitre D's musings on why we would claim good will matters.

It was during the requisite Q and A that the zinger came. 

'Tell me,' says a prominent Boston restaurant professional, 'when I can find a Google image of one of the world's top chefs giving the finger to a reservation that no-showed, how do you justify investing in a culture of good will?'

A great question: pointing out that if we are the choir, how do we galvanize support from enclaves not convinced it pays to be chivalrous?  Can we even make the argument that it does pay?  Thomas Keller Restaurant Group's Rudolph wrestled with the question most directly. 

'If you ever want to be more than just a great chef, then you have to invest in a culture of good will,' he remarked.   I agree with the statement, even as I believe it leaves the question unanswered.

The real reason we need cultures of good will, cultures of chivalry, and investment in doing the right thing, is not because we have great aspirations: it shouldn't be argued that if we want to be more, we ought to be kind.  The real reason is the inverse: it is because we are human and we fail.  We make mistakes, shit happens.  A grandmother dies and we can't make it to work at the last minute, the hoods crash and we can only execute food off garde manger for 90 minutes of service, we understaff the restaurant for Christmas dinner and 'ruin Christmas' for hundreds of guests.                                                                          

There are 30 minute ticket times.  The list of things that don't go right, for the best restaurants and the mediocre ones, is miles long. 

There has never been a great restaurant, a great chef, a great manager, who hasn't made a mistake.  It is the culture around that mistake that either allows it to seethe, like a wound, or transforms it into an opportunity to have a deeper, more authentic connection with another person.  If you believe that you can become a God, that perfection is attainable for you, then by all means, do away with good will, you won't need it!  You'll be flawless!  But if you, like some of us, have a sneaking suspicion that try as you might (and yes, you do still try) to be a perfect person, perfect professional, then may I suggest learning a thing or two about what it means to be generous, to believe in the team, and to help educate that team on the value of good will?

Ashley Paige White Stern is the Maitre'd of Island Creek Oyster Bar. For reservations call 617.532.5300

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Island Creek Oysters: Good Will Summit

Last weekend, we were given the opportunity to have a very cool experience and witness a unique moment in our industry.  A few prominent minds of well-respected restaurants and businesses came together to discuss good will and the culture of good will in their hospitality.

The crew down at Island Creek Oysters called upon an impressive panel to lead the discussion: Andrew Holden, General Manager of Eastern Standard Kitchen & Drinks in Boston; Andrea Czachor, General Manager of Danny Meyer's Maialino in NYC; Mark McWeeny, President of Rue Experiences (of Rue LaLa); and Anthony Rudolf, Director of New York Operations for Thomas Keller Restaurant Group.  Each brought his or her insight to an industry based on hospitality, warmth and welcoming guests into the home created for them day in and day out. Mark McWeeny added an interesting perspective on bringing hospitality into the online experience, an idea that ICO has been trying harness as they dive into ecommerce. 

The room was filled with friends and professionals from across Boston and beyond,

all eagerly hoping to take a few profound nuggets of knowledge back with them in their own jobs. What we didn't expect was to be inspired to act not only at work, but in our every day lives.

Stay on the lookout for two of our own restaurant managers' takeaways from the afternoon's event.

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Photo Opp

I went down to Duxbury to spend a day with the crew to photograph and get ideas. I went back a few weeks later to collect more. As I edited the photographs from both days of shooting, a few images rose to the top. The wide organized landscape of oyster traps with the dawn sun reflecting on the sand bar and the crew working on the horizon had all the elements I needed for such a large wall to cover. Simple but epic in scale with the grounding element of the crew working. As I sketched and designed how I could get the image to work within the design of the whole space it became obvious to me that however good and big the photograph was, it was too easy to 'get' when you saw it. I have always been interested in having the viewer work a little harder when viewing my work. When the viewer does not immediately understand what they see, they spend more time with the artwork and are able to have their own interpretations about what it means. It becomes a more personal experience to them. What I needed was to shake things up a bit, and turning the image upside down was the perfect solution. The image became disorienting while still simple, epic and still personal to Island Creek. I don't need the viewer to know exactly what's going on. In fact I really enjoy hearing all of the different interpretations that people have.'

When he's not working on projects like this, Stephen also teaches advanced black and white photography at The New England School of Photography. For a closer look at his work, which includes our new neighbor, The Hawthorne, designed by Stephen and his wife Alison (of Sheffield Interiors), please visit his website, www.stephensheffield.com or get more answers from his blog.

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Classic Cocktail Revivals: The Barbara West

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Maine Shrimp: Where you at?

Around this time every year, we get all giddy every time we open the walk-in since it's usually filled with totes brimming with sweet, pink Maine shrimp so fresh, they're still alive and jumping (literally - you have to see it to believe it). But it's now five days into January and our walk-ins are still sans shrimp. So what gives?

'The guys can't trap nearly as much shrimp this year as last year,' chef Jeremy Sewall tells us. The shrimping season was shortened by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission as a way to prevent overfishing. Chef pointed out a great article on TalkingFish.org that speaks to the problem. He assures us that as soon as he gets his hands on it, you'll see it on the menu. In the meantime, there are always more than enough oysters to go around.

And if you're interested in learning more about things like overfishing and fish mislabeling, be sure and join Chef for Know Your Fish coming up on January 14, call for details 617.532.5300.

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Land meets Sea: Terroir & Merroir Tasting

In this new monthly series hosted by Island Creek Oyster Bar and lead by a member of our experienced wine team and an oyster connoisseur, guests will explore the regions of various wines and oysters, and the flavor characteristics that are present as a result of their regional origins. Just as the terroir of a wine (the geography, geology and climate of its origin) is indicative of its flavor, the merroir of an oyster (its marine surroundings) will greatly influence its taste. When those terroir and merroir flavors align, the perfect wine & oyster pairing is born.  

Guests will learn how the soil type, climate and topography of particular  grapes impact the texture, flavor and finish of the wine. And with a deeper understanding of the complexity of oysters, diners will be able to discern how the region, body of water, harvesting method and other sea life can impact an oyster's flavor. 

Every third Sunday of the month, beginning January 15, 2012. Call 617.532.5300 for reservations. 2:00pm-3:00pm; $35 per person includes 6 oyster varieties plus wine pairings

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