Comments on: Contribute to the open source restaurant

By: Ed

Ed — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:55:11 +0000

2.0 is so yesterday. What about restaurant 3.0?

By: adam

adam — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 10:43:13 +0000

Hey G Biron,

Just playing with the metaphors. Open source being an IT phrase, I just ran with it.

By: G Biron

G Biron — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:39:35 +0000

Adam Please? restaurant 2? where are you coming? from. Are you so in love with I.T that you cant tell the difference between virtuality and reality?
Bay leaves for coffee great swap? something gathered for free in exchange for tradeable comodity with labour and hospitality.
I suppose you would also ask the chef to cook your favourite little special? Gee that would be soooo cooooool.
I saw a version of a restaurant 2 in Steve Martins’ LA story, when you make your booking,after checking your profile the restaurant lets you order the chicken…. I like that.

By: stickyfingers

stickyfingers — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:58:34 +0000

To Adam’s point, many Chinese restaurants already offer this. My father for example will just ask ‘what’s fresh?’ and in response to what is on offer will nominate dishes that all Chinese Si Fu have in their repertoire. The chef then will play around with it and put his own spin on the classics. The same goes for banquets, you phone ahead and discuss options.

For the Chinese it is more about what’s just come in – being the freshest – combined with the flair of the kitchen brigade. They are suspicious of any fresh produce that has been in storage. That’s why in Asian wet markets they buy their goods live and have it attended to immediately, before going home to cook it. It’’s a healthy approach which sadly in HK is currently being undermined by the latest outbreak of Bird flu.

By: adam

adam — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:47:09 +0000

My mum and dad used to provide bay leaves in return for coffee at a place in Apollo Bay. I thought that was wonderful.

But back to the idea of how an open source restaurant would work – what about just an open source menu, as in the menu being fluid and allowing suggestions from the punters? Dishes, or perhaps even recommendations for changing the dishes? Would that work in practise? More of a restaurant 2.0 than an open source idea…

By: Ed

Ed — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 05:56:10 +0000

George, I’ll check with the missus etc but already there seems to be a group forming for the room of ten.

By: G Biron

G Biron — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 04:27:03 +0000

Anyone can encourage growers/producers to bring their products to restaurants in exchange for cash or services. Vegetables and fruits are great as there are no food police laws about such produce yet. Also no GST. BYO is especially good if the O part is indeed your own work. Small parcels of wine say 10 boxes.
Its a bit like a farmers market, in that small producers that have say 20kg of garlic can get a fair price from a restaurant as opposed to having to discount to a 50% markup that a retailer may have to charge.
Proffesional foragers do this well with fungi but this is a bit dangerous and I would not encourage it.
And yes anyone can become a restaurateur no licence needed yet [C.O.W]. How long they last would be up to them.
Barter for a table yes if its your work/windfall/fits the menu?
btw now is the time to hang the piggy bits on the balcony but that would not be a barter item. We all know why.

By: Thermomixer

Thermomixer — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 03:58:30 +0000

Thanks George. Could you clarify that last sentence please. Anyone can do what? Not become a restaurateur?? Surely you aren’t suggesting that???

Hopefully barter for space at your tables? I could do that.

By: G Biron

G Biron — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:18:18 +0000

Next free table is a 2 on August 17 then a 2 or the private room for 10 on August 17 after that its less tight . We will also be doing Saturday lunches from Sept 7 which should be a lot less frantic. Last minute bookings are also worth a look as there are sometimes late cancellations.
Barter is the only way I can put the local truffle on at our price point so its like a dream. I have ordered 50 innoculated trees which arrive this week. Winemakers bring wine we have secured a parcel of Pinot from Pollocksford that will never be made again as the vineyard has beeen sold, beef producers alert us to special carcasses its so simple if you have a menu thats flexible. This is what makes a restaurateurs life rich anyone can do it.

By: Ed

Ed — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 01:26:05 +0000

Steve, Sounds great.

George, it sound swonderful old-fashioned way of doing business that few do nowadays. When do you next have a couple of spare seats?