Soul Fool- The proof of the pudding is in the eating

I have this restaurant I love to go to. The food is exceptional, the service is great, and the owner and I have a fast developing friendship. Now, I will say sometimes, I go in with a hankering for the perfect burger, which they know just how to make, and He will serve me up a risotto, that was not exactly what I had in mind when I arrived. However, it is always ends up being the perfect meal and I never leave disappointed or with regrets. Oh, and did I tell you the best part, the owner decided years ago, that he was willing to pick up the tab for anyone who wants to eat at his establishment. 

Now the problem is how do I share this find with my friends. When you find something this good, you just want to run around and tell the world. The problem is, if it is all you talk about, everyone thinks you are crazy. When you tell them it is that amazing and their bill will be paid, many are skeptical and want to know what the catch is. If you say it is the best, with too much force, you end up making them defensive about their favorite restaurant, and then, they shut down and don’t want to hear anything else you have to say. 

There is another issue. Many of us who have found this incredible bistro, all love it for different menu items. This often creates confusion for people who have not tried it. If I am raving about the best steaks ever, and then someone else talks about how this is the unparalleled sushi, and then little Johnny says how heavenly the pizza and french fries are, it can create doubt. How can a place that specializes in pizza, have any credibility in sushi, or fine dining? It defies common logic. Of course it is possible, but it takes a bit of a leap of faith to be open to believing it. Once you cross that imaginary obstacle, the proof of the pudding is truly in the eating, then you can decide for yourself.

There are many types of people out there all with different expectations and needs in their food preferences. There are those who always want the same, predictable experience. There are those looking for adventure in dining. Some want quality, some want volume, some are all about value, and others presentation. There are also some people who, for various reasons, don’t like to eat out and want to just eat at home. So for their own reasons, people may or may not be very receptive to your suggestion of a new place to eat.

How can you tell your friend from India, Raj, that your restaurant has better indian food than the Patel family, who’s recipes have been perfected by their family for generations? You see no matter what you say, you must say it with care, as to not offend. If you put down his culture, traditions and family eatery, you only alienate him, you make the idea of dining with you, unattractive. Even the the owner, of my favorite place, warns about maintaing loving friendships over everything else. You see, He feels that as long as you tell them about His restaurant, He is happy to try and convince them Himself to try it, but you forcing your will on them usually ends in hard feelings, and they will lose all desire to sample His cooking.

Now, I know, that some people want to push their own restaurant on everybody. Often we do it, because we are insecure and feel safer in numbers, or because we don’t want them getting sick by eating in an unhealthy or unclean cafe. The truth be told, most of us just want to share our excitement with the awesome establishment we have come to love. The food is good, healthy nourishing, the owner is a dear friend and the fact that the bill is paid is an believable blessing. The fact is, that we are not always well equipped to channel our enthusiasm properly, it is something we need to work on. We want people to feel our enthusiasm, not push us away, of feel hurt or intimidated by our tactics.

We each have a inherent need to share our excitement, about things we are passionate about. The issue is, we need to do so, in love and not in judgement or with a sense of superiority. We need to do so in a manner respecting that other people may have a restaurant they are just as passionate about and they may not be ready to eat elsewhere, or immediately jump at our suggestion to eat elsewhere, just because we said to. So to them, we need to talk in open discussions about our eatery and be willing, as well, to allow them to discuss theirs, letting them know all along, that while they may not choose to join us right now, that if they change their mind, at any point, we would love to save them a seat at our table. But we also need to accept the fact that not everybody will try it, and we need to also respect their decisions to choose to decline our invitation.

There will be some who are hungry, who can’t wait to check it out and taste all of the courses. Others will join us,  who have not felt welcomed at, or liked the food at their current restaurant. They will be anxious to join us and eat, and get to know the proprietor. These people will be the ones we can share our next meals with, and hopefully, over time with loving encouragement, our other friends will join us, as they see our continued loyal patronage at our friends restaurant!