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16 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018 { bottom line } ARE YOU A RESTAURANT-INDUSTRY VET? If so, you've most likely had more than a few experiences in other establishments that made you grit your teeth. Case in point: A few years ago, I decided to treat myself to a night out in Portland. After researching the hottest restaurants online, I managed to secure a seat at a chef 's counter. Going through the wine list, I found an absolutely delicious–sounding red Burgundy for the relatively reasonable price of $80. I was practically clapping in anticipation as I watched my waiter open my bottle—but, horror of horrors, the wine was corked. I asked for a new one, but instead a manager walked up to my stool and said, "Sir, we'll need to ask you to order a different wine, because we tasted the bottle you sent back and found nothing wrong with it." For me personally, restaurants that refuse to take back a corked bottle are noth - ing new. Multiply my 40-plus years in the wine business by the number of times I've dined out, then factor in the apparent inability of 99 percent of restaurant managers to tell a corked wine from the side of a barn. I found my cojones that night in Portland, however, and insisted the manager bring me another bottle. She relented and, thank goodness, the second bottle was pristine. I poured a generous glass for her to enjoy, and after she went to the back to com - pare the two, she returned to say, "You were right!" She did not, however, treat me to anything—a complimentary appetizer or even a measly glass of dessert wine—to make up for the mistake. The point is, yes, we should teach our manag- ers and staff what a corked wine is—but that's not the issue, as it's the leaders who set the tone in every restaurant. If you're getting complaints about your service, it's equally important to look at your policies as it is to re-focus on training. What are the things ingrained in your own standards that prevent your staff from providing the thoughtful service indicative of a top restaurant? A few years ago, a friend opened up his rst restaurant, a true labor of love. Within the rst few weeks it was slammed by a local restaurant critic, who gave it the lowest possible rating for service. One guest—alas, the anonymous critic—had walked in and asked the bartender for change to feed the parking meter. He was told to go elsewhere to nd it. Then there was the time a friend and I were actually thrown out of a tony South Beach restaurant after ordering a $200 bottle of Champagne, along with nearly that amount in appetizers (which, needless to say, are pricey in South Beach). Our trans - gression? We didn't order entrées, as required by house policy. I could go on and on about the incidences of stupidity that have always plagued the restaurant industry. The aggravating thing is that it's never really about compe - tence or even common sense—it's more about simply caring, which comes directly from the top. If you really want to y like an eagle, then of course it's best to get rid of the turkeys among your management and staff. Ultimately, though, it all starts with adjusting your own attitude—and that's a reality you just can't avoid. The Constant State of Stupid by Randy Caparoso