Soigné treatment

Now here's one that might make you gag. When celebrity chef Tom Colicchio began receiving complaints about service at Craft, his new fancy-pants joint in Century City, one of the things that came up was "soigné treatment." Soigner means "to care for" in French, but at a certain kind of L.A. restaurant what it really means is VIP treatment. When an "important" person makes a reservation at Craft, the manager fills out a slip that's passed around to let everybody know. In some cases they’ll make special arrangements, such as a better table, a visit from the chef, complimentary drinks or nibbles, or decorating a dessert plate (I know I choose a restaurant based on how nicely they decorate their plates). Apparently this special treatment business is an even bigger deal here than in NY (well, in lawyer- and agent-heavy Century City anyway). Colicchio and other New Yorkers trying their hand at L.A. have found other differences in what good service is in the two cities. As explained by Mozza manager David Rosoff in the LAT:

People dine differently here, Rosoff says. For starters, geographic sprawl "changes the way people indulge in L.A." Sure, New Yorkers drink more than Angelenos, who must get behind the wheel after dinner, but beyond that, "the decision to go out in L.A. becomes a much bigger commitment." How does that affect the service that's appropriate here? After battling traffic, he says, "guests need some decompression and compassion. Hospitality is paramount and has to lead the way." That's not so much the case in New York, according to Bret Csencsitz, general manager of Gotham Bar & Grill, a Manhattan restaurant known for spot-on service. He defines excellent service as "polished, professional but approachable," in that order.

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David Myers, chef-owner of Sona and the new Melrose Avenue brasserie Comme Ça, points out that there is a much smaller pool of career waiters to choose from in Los Angeles. Myers says that when he worked at New York's Daniel, which offers a 401(k) plan and health benefits to its service staff, you could count on 25 professional waiters turning up whenever there was an opening for a server. By contrast, Myers has no dedicated career waiters on the staff of either of his restaurants. "Everyone works part-time and aspires to be something else," he says. That doesn't mean they can't provide excellent service or be "in the zone" while on the floor, he notes, but it does mean they often lack basic waiters' instincts. Some of their service missteps (forgetting to fold a napkin while a diner is in the bathroom, or to pull out a chair upon their return) "would be considered 'Service 101' to any waiter in New York," he says, "but not in L.A."