On October 15th we went to a restaurant that advertised a $4 per person discount for all- you-can-eat prime rib. We had not been to that restaurant for many years because the first time we went it was very expensive. $29 for a steak in 2003 was a bit much.
The prime rib on October 15th was out of this world. Cooked to perfection. Seasoned just right. The carver was a man who clearly knew what he was doing with the meat and with the customer.
Before leaving we met the CEO of the vertically integrated company that owns the restaurant. I don't know how the subject came up but this man had learned from my daughter what I did professionally (presumably besides eating a lot of prime rib.) He indicated a need. She told him that I would consult with him at no cost. He and I met and exchanged cards. On the way home I had already established a mental list of things that were or could be a hindrance to that restaurant. A solution plan was already in place in my mind. I had a feeling though that there was something else and that the standard solutions would not make much difference. By October 29 when I had a hankering for some good prime rib I had not yet visited with him and he had not called me to expedite. I put on my customer hat and we headed out. My wife told me that if the man was there that I should not do any business talk. As it happened he was not there.
The meal was a big disappointment. The prime rib was overcooked. All of it was medium well. It was like roast beef that might have been served in a cheap public house in a Dickens or Horatio Alger novel. It had something about it that seemed old and not just a cook who did not use a meat thermometer. We had arrived early as my wife wanted to get an end slice. We were the first customers on that rib roast. In trying to figure out what went wrong I considered the possibility that it might have been a left over from the previous Saturday night and that an attempt had been made to reheat it.
Now you already know the damage that was done. My wife said it'll be another eight years before we go back.
So what went wrong? Lack of consistency. A hazard of prime rib is cooking it too long. I no longer trust them with prime rib or for that matter anything. My plan of improvement would be of no value to them. They do not need more customers or anything else if they cannot deliver on the promise. If they cannot deal with properly cooking a rib roast they deserve to fail.
David Sneed
The prime rib on October 15th was out of this world. Cooked to perfection. Seasoned just right. The carver was a man who clearly knew what he was doing with the meat and with the customer.
Before leaving we met the CEO of the vertically integrated company that owns the restaurant. I don't know how the subject came up but this man had learned from my daughter what I did professionally (presumably besides eating a lot of prime rib.) He indicated a need. She told him that I would consult with him at no cost. He and I met and exchanged cards. On the way home I had already established a mental list of things that were or could be a hindrance to that restaurant. A solution plan was already in place in my mind. I had a feeling though that there was something else and that the standard solutions would not make much difference. By October 29 when I had a hankering for some good prime rib I had not yet visited with him and he had not called me to expedite. I put on my customer hat and we headed out. My wife told me that if the man was there that I should not do any business talk. As it happened he was not there.
The meal was a big disappointment. The prime rib was overcooked. All of it was medium well. It was like roast beef that might have been served in a cheap public house in a Dickens or Horatio Alger novel. It had something about it that seemed old and not just a cook who did not use a meat thermometer. We had arrived early as my wife wanted to get an end slice. We were the first customers on that rib roast. In trying to figure out what went wrong I considered the possibility that it might have been a left over from the previous Saturday night and that an attempt had been made to reheat it.
Now you already know the damage that was done. My wife said it'll be another eight years before we go back.
So what went wrong? Lack of consistency. A hazard of prime rib is cooking it too long. I no longer trust them with prime rib or for that matter anything. My plan of improvement would be of no value to them. They do not need more customers or anything else if they cannot deliver on the promise. If they cannot deal with properly cooking a rib roast they deserve to fail.
David Sneed
