Chain Leader

Lane Cardwell

Foodagraphic Memory
February 18, 2008

Have you noticed how some people have total recall when it comes to special meals?  I don’t mean remembering that you had lasagna when you ate at Maggiano’s last year. I don’t mean remembering that the lasagna that you had at Maggiano’s was good. I mean total and complete recall of how the dish was made and what ingredients were in it. An actual foodagraphic memory.

In response to my blog on communal tables I heard from a friend outside of the industry that wanted to recount their story of dining with strangers. What interested me was not their experience seated at a group table, but their perfect recall of what was obviously a special meal. From the late 70’s.

“The communal concept appeals to me more as I have gotten older.  I ate at K-Paul's back in the late 70s and the communal experience combined with the satisfying Cajun fare made it very memorable. I do remember feeling a little shy at first sitting next to strangers on this long table (I had his version of Shepherd's pie with beef, layers of julienne vegetables, and topped with what seemed like 4 inches of mashed potatoes covered in a velvety 5-alarm hot sauce), but after the first bite, there was a lot to talk about.” 

I’m sure that we have all had friends, family and customers go into great detail about a memorable meal that they had sometime in the past.   The time that a meal was more than just something to get rid of hunger, when it was more than just entertainment or something to do when there was nothing else to do. The kind of meal where you remember every nuance of what you ate. Paul Prudhomme is an outstanding chef. He has had this impact on many people dining in his restaurant.

But how about the rest of us? Are we putting out the kind of meals worthy of this kind of memory? It’s not the fanciness of the dish, or the cost of the entree or the specialness of the place. All it takes is for there to be an effort to excel. To separate ourselves from the sameness of our competitors. Our industry has become America’s kitchen. Let’s give them something to be foodagraphic about.

Posted by Lane Cardwell on February 18, 2008 | Comments (2)