LE PATRON mange ici. Four words that encapsulate the very essence of any decent restaurant and proof, if proof be needed, of the eternal importance of the ever-present restaurateur. Because in a world where corporately faceless groups become ever more dominant, a handshake, kiss or quiet word from a muchloved proprietor is still an essential part of any decent lunch. Not only the face of their restaurants, but the heart of them, too.
Growing up, restaurateurs were the very centre of their world. The ebullient Domenico ‘Mimmo’ Mattera at Mimmo D’Ischia in Pimlico, his shirt unbuttoned to the navel, a gold medallion glinting atop a thick thatch of chest hair. Or the late, great Mark Birley at Mark’s Club or Harry’s Bar, eternally elegant, and meticulous in every way. Mara Berni, the gregarious, gossipy dining doyenne of San Lorenzo would come and perch at your table, whereas my uncle, Simon Parker Bowles, would not only greet each and every punter at Green’s, but lunch at booth number one every day—where he could keep a smoothly patrician eye over the entire room.
A great restaurant is never simply about the food. And a great restaurateur is about so much more than simply greeting the punters, then getting stuck into a serious lunch. The best combine charm, diplomacy, business nous and good old-fashioned hard work. They must earn the respect of their team, rather than attempt to impose it. Although sympathetic to the needs of their staff, they are still very much the boss.
Denne historien er fra September 04, 2024-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra September 04, 2024-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Tales as old as time
By appointing writers-in-residence to landscape locations, the National Trust is hoping to spark in us a new engagement with our ancient surroundings, finds Richard Smyth
Do the active farmer test
Farming is a profession, not a lifestyle choice’ and, therefore, the Budget is unfair
Night Thoughts by Howard Hodgkin
Charlotte Mullins comments on Moght Thoughts
SOS: save our wild salmon
Jane Wheatley examines the dire situation facing the king of fish
Into the deep
Beneath the crystal-clear, alien world of water lie the great piscean survivors of the Ice Age. The Lake District is a fish-spotter's paradise, reports John Lewis-Stempel
It's alive!
Living, burping and bubbling fermented masses of flour, yeast and water that spawn countless loaves—Emma Hughes charts the rise and rise) of sourdough starters
There's orange gold in them thar fields
A kitchen staple that is easily taken for granted, the carrot is actually an incredibly tricky customer to cultivate that could reduce a grown man to tears, says Sarah Todd
True blues
I HAVE been planting English bluebells. They grow in their millions in the beechwoods that surround us—but not in our own garden. They are, however, a protected species. The law is clear and uncompromising: ‘It is illegal to dig up bluebells or their bulbs from the wild, or to trade or sell wild bluebell bulbs and seeds.’ I have, therefore, had to buy them from a respectable bulb-merchant.
Oh so hip
Stay the hand that itches to deadhead spent roses and you can enjoy their glittering fruits instead, writes John Hoyland
A best kept secret
Oft-forgotten Rutland, England's smallest county, is a 'Notswold' haven deserving of more attention, finds Nicola Venning
