Kitty's Choices

Amongst the hugely diverse amount of food-related subjects discussed over dinner on Thursday night, Food Kitty was asked by Gobbler as to the reasons why she stopped blogging. I'm sure all of you who remember Kitty's great posts also were extremely curious.

She obviously had quite a few reasons for pulling out, but one of the things mentioned was the huge amount of choice of restaurants we have in Hobart, and the fact that once you find a place you really like, you want to return there again and again - and that can tend to get really boring for your readers if you persistently blog about eating out, then can only cite a few different restaurants as examples!

I know I'm really conscious of that - and now feel guilty if I return to somewhere I've already written about, when there are so many others I haven't tried yet, and know I really should go somewhere different. But - it's human nature to want to experience good things again, so when we DO find somewhere that satisfies all our requirements, why shouldn't we go back to get a repeat of that same feeling of comfort and pleasure?

And, as Kitty quite rightly pointed out, in Hobart we are really spoilt for choice, so if you go to a restaurant which displeases you in some way, you tend to vote with your feet. You have got so many other options for dining out that you just don't bother going back.

That is why restaurants need to get it right. Attention to detail is vital. You might have the best chef and food in the world - but if your waitstaff just plonk the food down in a surly fashion, and neglect vital things like checking on drinks and people's needs generally, you're going to be fighting an uphill battle. It's not enough to just use your OWN judgements on this. As the owner or manager, you might simply just like the waitperson and understand the reasons why they might be misconstrued as being surly by your customers. But the customer doesn't give them that leeway. They don't (and shouldn't) give the proverbial rats.

If I am on the receiving end of crap service, I will leave the restaurant with a bad opinion of the place. End of story. Except that I will also tell people about it. I might even blog about it. Whatever - I have lots of choice in Hobart, so if half the many restaurants give crap service to me, I still can eat out quite happily at lots of other places, and not worry. If I liked the food there, that makes it worse. It means I have to suffer in order to enjoy my dining out experience! I know I like to give people the benefit of the doubt, but that's quite plainly ridiculous.

To tie this up with Kitty - she has her favourites and likes to return to them. So now she can with a clear conscience.

I'm sad Kitty's not blogging now, as I felt her posts were excellent, and a worthwhile contribution to society's thoughts. Her method of expression was direct and to-the-point, as well as amusing. She showed quite plainly that she is an intelligent and aware woman with a passion for food, amongst other things. I feel we as a blogging community have lost a clear voice in Kitty.