Yesterday, while waiting in line for lunch at the Walnut Room (Marshall Field’s on State St.) I overheard somebody talking about an idea for a restaurant. It occurred to me then that probably everybody has a vision of a perfect restaurant that they should open. My most recent one is based on the notion that every culture, it seems, has a wrap/dumpling within its cuisine. The tamale, pot sticker, pierogi, ravioli, bao, egg roll, spring roll, won ton, empenade, as well as the more solid dumpling like a matzo ball or gnocchi. I haven’t come up with a name, but I like the idea. Lots of carbs and sauces.
So I’m just curious, what’s your pet restaurant idea?
My best friend and I have for years had the brilliant idea to open a vegetarian truck-stop style diner.
Over the years I’ve either assembled or purchased many delicious “stick-to-yer-ribs” vegetarian or vegan recipes like tasty stews and chilis, pot pies, “burgers” and “steaks”, etc. I just think it would be awesome to open a diner with friendly-yet-potentially-surly waitresses, strong coffee and yummy comfort food in a vegetarian-minded town (most definitely not Reno) someday.
I would love to own an old early - mid 18th century tavern building and actually have it back as a tavern, with a good set of microbrews [including cyser and mead] and have the food real [i have quite a colection of 12th -19th century “cook” books. Some of them actually have modern style recipes with measurements, but most of them are the aide-memoire type]
Being wise, I would actually hire a business manager and a chef. I know enough about the business that I wouldn’t try to go it alone [or just with mrAru]
I know people would be wierded out by the really minimalist menu, and the odd bar contents [beers, wines, ales, meads/cysers and brandy, rum and gin for the most part.] But I think it could work in the right area.
I wanted to open the “Triple Bar Restaurant.” It would have a salad bar, a dessert bar, and a drinks bar. A separate price for each bar, and unlimited portions.
As for the historical tavern, I have been to one in Colonial Williamsburg as well as a Hanseatic League restaurant in Norway. Both were really fun and had great food.
Pretty much my idea, too, but with a menu that changes daily (all specials, no set menu). Community tables. Cheap $7-10 meals, served in a timely manner. Great for worker drones with no time to cook for themselves.
Not long ago, there was a parcel of land available near the new hospital. I had the idea for a breakfast/lunch/light supper kind of place that would feature easy-to-eat takeout food. Basically, I’d cater to patients with doctor’s appointments and hospital visitors.
Well, tuna steaks, tuna salad, and milk, at the very least. The cat who considers me to be her mother likes all sorts of food, beef, pork, lamb, any sort of poultry, any sort of fish or seafood (she adores crab), and some fruits and vegetables, like melon and asparagus. If she has a choice between a bite of steak and a bite of asparagus, she’ll choose the asparagus FIRST.
I want to open a diner and serve the usual burgers and stuff. But also “specials” like gumbo, and chili, and homemade soups. I’m a pretty good hash-slinger…
If I had money to burn, I’d open a 1950s-type soda fountain and burger joint. You know, black and white tile, chrome, tall frosty milkshakes, jukebox in the corner…surely there’s still a niche market for that kind of thing.
Canadian Food? My vision of that from here in the south is something like:
"I’ll have an order of snow over easy, with snow on the side, and I’ll take a cup of melted snow, white.
with several different flavored jellies, of course. Right?
and I LOVE photopat’s idea of a “dumpling haus”
The food at mine would not be the issue. Of course I’d have a talented chef or two working their little fingers off to create tasty meals; but my ideal restaurant would have comfortable chairs at reasonable heights relative to the tables. So many of my favorite places either have chairs only a supermodel would be comfortable on, or if the chair is comfortable, it’s just low enough that you feel like a little kid at Thanksgiving when you “reach up” to the table
