If You Could Open Your Own Restaurant What Would It Be?

[Jeffrey Varnado]

If you decided to open a restaurant- any kind, any type of food- what
would it be and why?

[Thos]

Small, with 10-15 tables.. seasonal fare that changes regularly. Menu on
the blackboard. The majority of items from local producers such as grass
fed beef and lamb, and local farmers/gardeners with a variety of heirloom
type produce. Also with a few good choices of seafood either wood grilled,
baked or fried. ....in my dreams...

Post by Jeffrey Varnado
If you decided to open a restaurant- any kind, any type of food- what
would it be and why?

[Frater Mus]

Post by Thos
Small, with 10-15 tables.. seasonal fare that changes regularly. Menu on
the blackboard. The majority of items from local producers such as grass
fed beef and lamb, and local farmers/gardeners with a variety of heirloom
type produce. Also with a few good choices of seafood either wood grilled,
baked or fried. ....in my dreams...

Sounds great!

[Venger]

Post by Jeffrey Varnado
If you decided to open a restaurant- any kind, any type of food- what
would it be and why?

I'm sure a popular answer in this group would be "child-free".

Whatever I opened - and the thought has occurred to me, but a restaurant
is a great way to turn a million dollars into $27.13 - would be not too
upscale, but I would take great and immense satisfaction notifying
customers that they will not be seated wearing a reversed baseball cap
indoors. Food wise... anything good. Good portions, enough to take home.
You should feel like you got value for your money, whatever you ordered.

No slacks, no service. Which is a woefully lacking standard dining out
these days. Shorts and deck shoes out for dinner. Low. Class.

Venger

[Jeff Edwards]

Post by Venger

Post by Jeffrey Varnado
If you decided to open a restaurant- any kind, any type of food- what
would it be and why?

but I would take great and immense satisfaction notifying
customers that they will not be seated wearing a reversed baseball cap
indoors.

This made me laugh out loud. So Tony Romo would be unwelcome :) Bravo!

Post by Venger
No slacks, no service. Which is a woefully lacking standard dining out
these days. Shorts and deck shoes out for dinner. Low. Class.

I think this is a community standards thing. I agree with you as far as
upsacale on the whole in DFW, unless you are at some hole-in-the-wall spot
in the burbs. However, I just returned from Grand Cayman and if you are
wearing jeans, that is considered formal dining there. I spent $200 for me
and my wife/kid at a spot there a few nights ago for dinner - beautiful
spot overlooking the ocean - and everyone in the place was in shorts and
sandals.

-Jeff

[Venger]

Post by Jeff Edwards

Post by Venger

Post by Jeffrey Varnado
If you decided to open a restaurant- any kind, any type of food- what
would it be and why?

but I would take great and immense satisfaction notifying
customers that they will not be seated wearing a reversed baseball cap
indoors.

This made me laugh out loud. So Tony Romo would be unwelcome :) Bravo!

He'd be unwelcome wearing a knuckleheaded ball cap. Gentlemen - hats off
indoors, always.

Post by Jeff Edwards

Post by Venger
No slacks, no service. Which is a woefully lacking standard dining out
these days. Shorts and deck shoes out for dinner. Low. Class.

I think this is a community standards thing. I agree with you as far as
upsacale on the whole in DFW, unless you are at some hole-in-the-wall spot
in the burbs. However, I just returned from Grand Cayman and if you are
wearing jeans, that is considered formal dining there. I spent $200 for me
and my wife/kid at a spot there a few nights ago for dinner - beautiful
spot overlooking the ocean - and everyone in the place was in shorts and
sandals.

Hard to argue that, most beach isles like that have very relaxed dress,
especially since most folks walk in off the beach or from the cruise
ship. We enjoyed Cayman very much when my wife and family went, it still
hadn't recovered from the hurricane. Took a jeep tour of the island,
which was fun and driving on the wrong side is always a blast (but made
easy as long as the steering wheel is reversed as well). Really enjoyed
several of the beaches. Pricey though, I imagine the weak-ass dollar
isn't helping...

Venger

[Mark Shaw]

Post by Jeffrey Varnado
If you decided to open a restaurant- any kind, any type of food- what
would it be and why?

You're assuming I've come into a pile of money somehow and
don't care if the venture is successful, then. Otherwise
it wouldn't happen.

Southwestern. There's plenty of Tex-Mex around here, but
very, very little in the way of what they call "Mexican
food" in Colorado and New Mexico. Green chili, rellenos
made with green chiles instead of (yuck) poblanos, smothered
burritos WITHOUT rice in them, etc.

[Rick Massey]

Post by Jeffrey Varnado
If you decided to open a restaurant- any kind, any type of food- what
would it be and why?

I've been playing with an "international pizza" idea, with things like a
gyro meat and feta pizza, thai chicken in different degrees of hotness,
curry pizzas, chop suey and moo goo gai pan pizzas -- basically use the
pizza as a platform for international cuisines. Scale would be on par with I
FRatelli's. The place would do delivery and have a dozen or so tables, and I
like the blackboard idea -- we used that in the oyster bar we ran in Irving
back in the mid-80's to good effect. It'd be a casual place, as I see little
need for dressing up for pizza, and the atmosphere would be eclectic, with a
carefully planned soundtrack from the various cultures' ethnic offerings.

[Randal]

Post by Jeffrey Varnado
If you decided to open a restaurant- any kind, any type of food- what
would it be and why?

Funny you should mention this because I *did* just open a restaurant!
Well, sort of - we bootstrapped it ourselves and the place is tiny.
Takeout only, although we do have a "magnificent 10 square foot patio"
and two stools inside on the counter.

We have a very small menu featuring the things we are really good at
making. We go local whenever possible and have gone through the
headache of featuring grass-fed ranch raised bison instead of beef in
recipes. I am a chile-head and one thing we decided early on was that
when we say a dish is hot and spicy, we mean it. We offer a mild items
but we will not back down on the heat of fresh habaneros or delicious
complexity you get from toasting and grinding dried chiles.

BTW - it's called Chapman Chile Kitchen

_Randal

P.S. - no, it's not making any money yet but we just had a great
article in the Dallas Morning News Guidelive which has brought in lots
of new people.

[Jeff Edwards]

Post by Randal

Post by Jeffrey Varnado
If you decided to open a restaurant- any kind, any type of food- what
would it be and why?

Funny you should mention this because I *did* just open a restaurant!
Well, sort of - we bootstrapped it ourselves and the place is tiny.
Takeout only, although we do have a "magnificent 10 square foot patio"
and two stools inside on the counter.
We have a very small menu featuring the things we are really good at
making. We go local whenever possible and have gone through the
headache of featuring grass-fed ranch raised bison instead of beef in
recipes. I am a chile-head and one thing we decided early on was that
when we say a dish is hot and spicy, we mean it. We offer a mild items
but we will not back down on the heat of fresh habaneros or delicious
complexity you get from toasting and grinding dried chiles.
BTW - it's called Chapman Chile Kitchen

Makes me wish I worked closer to downtown. Your place sounds great, and I
will definitely come down and have a meal sometime soon - damn the lunch
hour! Anyplace with real hot and spicy instead of the artificial jalapeno-
hot we usually get is to be celebrated. Good luck to you - I really wish
you all the success in the world with this.

-Jeff

[Jeff Edwards]

Post by Jeffrey Varnado
If you decided to open a restaurant- any kind, any type of food- what
would it be and why?

I think my dream would be anything with a spicy tinge to it. I love the
food of the Caribbean with all the spice and flavor of seafood, rum and
chiles. Add to that the flavors of the Gulf, specifically the Lousiana
coast and things like etouffee and gumbo done the right way - a dark roux
and simmered for long periods of time over low heat. Then, come back to
Texas and experience my ribs, pork loin, beef roast and brisket - all dry
rubbed with a nice mix of garlic, paprika, ground chiles and other spices.
Actually, I intend to fuse a lot of these on Sunday for Father's Day for me
and all the other fathers visiting my house. To make a living with that
would be pure bliss to me. For now, it just tastes good :)

-Jeff