My New Year’s Wishes – or 10 Tips for Paris Restos.

For chefs:
1. Stick to basics; make simple, ordinary food using fresh, seasonal, regional products.
2. Twist, tweak and innovate from that base.
3. Keep meals within reach of most budgets.
4. Have a comprehensive wine list that has a range of prices and culls from the world’s treasures, especially from below the equator.
5. Don’t follow all the other chefs as they sheep-like but not sheepishly, all do the same things.
6. Make sure the front room staff is happy and nice; they’re your face to the world.

For customers:
7. Be appreciative and show it when you like dishes.
8. Report good and bad experiences. 

For investors/backers:
9. Stay out of the kitchen
10. Instead, invest in another young but mature-enough chef who follows the pseudonymous Olivier Morteau’s formula for success, to “go to a culinary wasteland, cook inventively and charge more reasonable prices”.

Places that show promise is late 2010 to follow these recommendations in 2011:
Moustache
Casse Noix
Jeanne A.

Comments

[mitch weinstein]

Indeed, John. Great ideas.

Happy New Year to you and Colette.

[John Talbott]

And to everyone!