I need some menu help, and stuff

[ChefScotty]

I hope this is the right place to put this and I hope what I am asking is OK to ask for. I'm in the throws of opening a restaurant and wine bar. I have four menus that are sufficiently done that it's almost time to get together a focus group, which I could do locally and probably will do locally but I thought I would just throw it out here and see whether any of the good people at DC might be interested or find it interesting to help us along a bit over the next month or so.

It would take up a good few hours of your time and I am not looking for any specific experience other than people that like to eat out. We're looking for everything from general first impressions through to very specific comments - that sounds horrible, I'd have the pheasant except ....., I'd have thought rice as the starch for that protein would be better than what we have, I haven't heard of half of that stuff how do you expect me to order something - literally anything.

We'll have very specific questions at some point we'd like very specific answers to as well. And I'd expect to do this in email or a private forum rather than an open forum given the nature of what it is.

Anyway, if anyone thinks they have the time to help us out a bit and that along the way it might be some fun to learn how chaotic doing what we are is or that they might learn something of interest to them along the way, I'd be very happy if you'd PM me.

I'm happy to share whatever we can with anyone that's interested, so if there's any thoughts out there about that, please do let me know. I hear my #2 is already planning on starting a blog shortly so she can no doubt look back and say I told you so several months from now about some stuff!

 

[pdswife]

ChefScotty... I'd be glad to help out.
I've got lots of time on my hands these days.
Just let me know...what ya need.

 

[Loprraine]

I'm game!!!

 

[ironchef]

Count me in as well.

 

[amber]

Count me in too

 

[Half Baked]

Scotty, I'd be happy to be involved in the project, also.

 

[buckytom]

i'm in.

we used to eat dinner out 3 or 4 times a week, and lunch everyday.
now, awaiting the age that my son is old enough to be taken out successfully, we still order out from restaurants about that much. maybe more, lol.

free time and opinions are not a problem either. witty responses are extra, tho.

 

[DaCook]

Count me in as well Scotty! (And probably June, Jean and Jen as soon as they get back from their little get together. Just wish I could have taken the time off to meet up with them. )

 

[mrsmac]

Do you have to live in the US? If you need an international perspective I'd love to help.

 

[ChefScotty]

Thanks for the offers of help already and to those that PM'd too. I love this place, I've been here a few weeks and not even a hint of people not getting on with each other. That's a rare and special thing on the web these days. Mrsmac - you're fine, we love antipodeans, especially those from the land that invented pavlova.

I think we've figured out an easy way to do this using a blog where registration isn't even required. We'll get started on it this afternoon and I'll PM everyone when we're done.

Anyone else that wants to jump in over the next week or two is more than welcome, there'll just be a bit to read.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

You can count me in as well.

Goodweed of the North. By the way, what is your restaurant theme? What demographic are you looking to please? Is this a low-end, put your hair down, relax and order some grub kind of place, a sandwich shop, a sit down to a nice meal place, or is it high end, catering to those with more refined tastes?

We will need to know that before we can assist. Oh, and since we're pretty much all foodies around here, be prepared for some unique answers, with posibly ideas that you may not have considered before.

Also, beware, we tend to cook from scratch, which isn't always a viable option in a restaurant.

With the crowd on this site, and the truly international expertise available, I think you've come to the right place.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[jpmcgrew]

Count me in.

 

[Lynan]

Thanks for the offers of help already and to those that PM'd too. I love this place, I've been here a few weeks and not even a hint of people not getting on with each other. That's a rare and special thing on the web these days. Mrsmac - you're fine, we love antipodeans, especially those from the land that invented pavlova.

I think we've figured out an easy way to do this using a blog where registration isn't even required. We'll get started on it this afternoon and I'll PM everyone when we're done.

Anyone else that wants to jump in over the next week or two is more than welcome, there'll just be a bit to read.

MrsMac, Scotty has deliberately mentioned Pavlova because he knows that really, it was created in New Zealand first. And that he will get a bite. Not of said Pavlova, but from me.
And Im not.

 

[ChefScotty]

That's a bite, don't try and foo foo it as something else you.



It's like shooting fish in a barrel with you Kiwis.

Funny actually, this thread came through in email too and at the bottom it says "a n g e l" and I thought hello, there's another Kiwi out there with the nickname angel that's as easily hooked as Lyn.

But there isn't ........

 

[Ellen]

Alas, alack. Pavlova is a Kiwi invention. Poor Aussies have never got over it. ;Þ

 

[ChefScotty]

Some would say I'm bad for stirring up trouble yanno. So ..... if I remember rightly I think someone researched it and finally concluded that the Kiwis came up with the recipe but the Aussies were certainly the ones that named it pavlova. The Kiwis called it meringue cake at the time.

So it's kinda like an adopted red headed step child or something down there.

And very nice eating, especially after a rubgy match

 

[Corinne]

I wanna play, too!

Corinne

 

[Andy M.]

I'll help you out, Scotty.

 

[buckytom]

So it's kinda like an adopted red headed step child or something down there.

And very nice eating, especially after a rubgy match

i think that's known as the mating call of the ferocious (like a kitten) deadly sushi, 'round here.

 

[cjs]

Scotty, Scotty, Scotty!!! Me too! I had to read this really fast, but I want to do whatever it is you're doing!!!!

P.S. Wait a minute... "adopted red headed step child" - only I wasn't adopted!!! And the hair really was red, once upon a time.