The corkage fee is a an ongoing battle between patrons and the restaurateur.  Like everything in life there are two sides to every discussion.  While working in the restaurant business I have learned to live in the grey areas.  Although black and white is so much easier to live by, life just doesn’t allow for that.  The corkage fee discussion is one that I would like to jump into and give my “grey” point of view and hopefully give a compromise between the patron and the restaurateur.

Why does the patron bring his own wine into the restaurant?

1.  He wants to save money and not pay the mark up restaurants charge on the wine list.  It is difficult to walk into a restaurant and see the same wine that offered at your local wine shop for two to three times more.  Why not bring in your own wine, pay the $20 corkage and still save $10-$20?  I guess that only makes sense.
2. The restaurant’s wine list is pathetic and doesn’t offer wines that are suitable to drink.  The most unfortunate part of this is that it is so true.  I enjoy wine and I enjoy eating out.  But if a restaurant only has a Central Coast Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir from California and their eclectic wine section reads: as Zinfandel and Bordeaux Superior, I need to bring my wine.  One cannot blame the patron, the restaurant is not doing their job, and should put more focus on their list if they want guests to buy wine from them.
3. The patron has a very special wine they have saved since their birth year.  They have chosen this restaurant to open and celebrate their 25th anniversary.  As a restaurateur I should feel honored that they have chosen this restaurant to open such a special bottle.  All said and done, enjoy that special bottle, have a great meal but pay the corkage fee.

 Why does the restaurateur oppose to guests bringing in their own wine?

1. The restaurateur can read a cheap skate from far away.  It is infuriating for any true professional to see someone come into their line of business and take advantage of their hard work only to save a buck.  I’d hate to work at the Nordstrom’s shoe department seeing all these shoes being returned because the patron decided to wear them out for one night to dine at a restaurant where they brought their own wine from Vons.  Too bad Von’s doesn’t take back empty bottles of wine just because the sticker price is still on the bottle.  What I am getting at is that in some restaurants the wine list took a long time to create.  It was specially designed to go with chef’s cuisine, the restaurant’s concept and they spent hours training the staff.  Then we see a bottle of Turning Leaf on a table.  It is a slap in the face of those that work so hard in creating a successful list.
2. Professional restaurants put lists together so that they have something for everybody.  It is upsetting to see a guest walk in with several bottles of wine and half of them are on the list.  Obviously the guest did not do his homework and check the wine list.
3. Sometimes guests bring in wines purchased from the winery, and they do not realize that after the corkage fee they are probably paying more.  The guest buys the wine at the winery for $20, the restaurant buys it for $12 and charges $36.  When the guest pays the $20 corkage fee, they are paying $40.  What many people don’t realize is that going to the winery does not mean they are getting the wines at wholesale.  In fact, they are paying sometime 10-15% above retail.  If you are going to bring your own wine, see if the restaurant carries it first.

The corkage dilemma.

Some guests are reluctant to pay the corkage fee…well shame on you!  That’s like telling the hotel you want a discount on the room rate because you brought your own towels.  The hotel still has to offer towels to other guests and your room rate is based on what it takes for the hotel to run.  Whether you use your own towels or not, the rates pay for everyone’s towels.  In the restaurant, the owners still need to pay employees to wash your glasses and serve you.  Whether you are drinking your own wine or not, you pay so that the restaurant can stay in business and give service to everyone.  If the restaurant kept a BYOW policy without corkage and everyone brought their own wine, that restaurant would lose a huge chunk of profit.  A functioning restaurant is normally at a 10% profit.  Some of the more well run establishments are reaching 15-20% profits.  A lose in wine revenue would ultimately result in the closing of the restaurant, increase in food prices or a decrease in labor which in turn effects service.  The corkage fee is not in place so that the restaurant can gauge the guest, it is a way to make up for lost sales.  Like in any business, sales is what keeps them afloat.  Loose those sales and there is no business.  If you are bringing your own wine to the restaurant, pay the fee!  It is the right the right thing to do.

Some people believe that if you taste the server on your wine they should waive the fee.  That is just ridiculous!  Servers are busy, they have more than your table to tend to.  Imagine if you were another table that wants to put an order in and you’re in somewhat of a hurry.  You look over at your server who is at another table tasting wine.  Obviously there is pressure on the server to engage the table on what an amazing wine they have.  He has to shower them with adjectives so that they feel as though the bottle is super special.  All the time you are turning red because you cannot get the server’s attention.  Sorry, but half the time the server doesn’t want to taste the wine that you picked up at the winery and paid almost restaurant price.  He has to work and tend to many guests.  The little taste of your wine still does not pay for the busboy that clears your table nor the dishwashers that wash your glasses nor the breakage that will ultimately occur at some point when your glass is put into a drying rack.  Again, pay the fee!  Feel free to share your wine, but don’t be discouraged if the sever declines the taste, he might be in recovery.

So when should the corkage fee be waived?  If I go to a restaurant and I am gong to bring my wine, I always start with a glass of something.  I might even order a bottle of white or Champagne to start.  I don’t expect my corkage fee waived, but it sure would be a nice gesture.  If the patron is supporting the restaurant and supports the wine program, waive the fee.

So what is the corkage fee compromise?

1. Restaurateurs, improve your wine program.  Provide a wine list that is exciting and intriguing.  Be fair with your mark ups.
2. Patrons, pay the corkage fee.  You do not bring your own meat to the restaurant, so if you are bringing your own wine, pay the fee…it is a business not a public park for you to have a picnic.
3. Restaurateurs, be honored when guests brings in a special bottle, remember they could have gone anywhere, and they chose you.  That means a lot.
4. Patrons, think about what you are bringing in.  I don’t now how many times servers and sommeliers have rolled their eyes when they see guests bring in a bottle of Justin Isosceles.  It really is not that rare, they make 30,000 cases! If you are going to bring in a wine, make it cool!
5. Restauranteurs, be generous.  If the guest is supporting your program and buying a bottle or some champagne for the table.  If they are celebrating a very special evening, waive the fee…make new friends.

The sunshine brings people from all around the world to San Diego.  Yet, San Diego does not have a reputation as a city for world-class dining.  Sure, the Food Network showcases our taco shops and diners, but not our formal dining establishments.  I am a native of San Diego and I am always shocked when I hear, “Wow, you’re a native! I don’t meet too many of you.”  Being raised here I know a lot of locals.  That being said, it goes to show that there are also many transplants here.

San Diego draws people from all over the world for the perfect weather.  The city is clean and inviting for college students, young professionals and families.  There is a strong gay community here.  Being so close to Mexico, the Latin community is large and we can hear Spanish everywhere.  There are urban neighborhoods and affluent neighborhoods.  Although San Diego is a conservative city, the counter-culture is also very present.  What makes San Diego unique is that, although there is such diversity in the demographics, it is so spread out.  The outcome is a city in which everyone lives so far apart and these differences might never come together. A resident from the affluent neighborhood of Rancho Santa Fé  might never interact with a Mexican unless they are cleaning their house.

I lived in San Francisco for 10 years.  San Diego has similar demographics as San Francisco.  The average age of its inhabitants in San Diego is 33 and in San Francisco 38. The household median income in San Francisco is $70,000 and San Diego it is $60,000. The population of San Francisco is 800,000 but everyone lives within a 7 mile radius.  In San Diego it is 1,300,000 within a 50 mile radius.  You can see the break down of the races is similar.  The greatest difference is that San Diego has younger people, which equals lower incomes, however; are their tastes that different?  What is the answer to the question I posed in the title, “Could there, will there ever be World-Class dining in San Diego?”

El Bulli in San Sebastián Spain, was one of the greatest restaurants in the world.  If you wanted reservations, you would need to call a year ahead of time.  The menu was a long drawn out experience including some of the world’s most sought after wines.  The service, impeccable.  El Bulli was located in a city very similar to San Diego.  It lies along the coast and its harbors are filled with yachts of the richest people in the world.

I posed this question, “Will there ever be world-class dining in San Diego?” on twitter to some of the most influential chefs, sommeliers and restaurant owners.  I received a mixed response.  Many had their doubts.  Others were optimistic and felt that the possibility was there.  I guess my next question would be, what hinders San Diego from becoming a food town like San Francisco, Chicago or San Sebastián?

Is it the lack of restaurant owners’ with foresight?  Is it a lack of talent among the chefs that work here?  Is it that the diners are not ready for that sort of dining experience?  What is the root of the problem?

When I first moved back to San Diego I asked, “where would be a good site for a restaurant?”  Everyone said the Gaslamp district or Hillcrest.  I never believed that.  My intuition was North Park.  I went to grade school there and grew up on 36th street.  From what I remember back then, the area was not the greatest.  However, it was centrally located and had a neighborhood feel with its own thriving community.  It reminded me of the Mission district in San Francisco.  When I left San Francisco, I had finished opening three famous restaurants in the heart of the Mission.  Everyone’s thoughts were, “Why are you opening a restaurant in the Mission?”  By the time I left San Francisco, the Mission had become the restaurant hot spot.

So upon arrival back home in 2004, North Park only made sense to me.  Gentrification was imminent and this up and coming community was going to need a culinary culture.  I was right.  Wine bars, cafes and restaurants line the streets between University and Upas street.  Not even close to an El Buli, but at least there are restaurants that have moved away from the usual “Italian”, “Mexican” and “Family” cuisine that we find everywhere else.

I look at the Gaslamp and see restaurants struggling to make it.  If there is a convention, they are busy. Without a convention it dies out.  During the Padre games it gets even worse.  People crowd the streets before and after the game, but parking is atrocious and nobody is dining.  In Hillcrest, there are small restaurants everywhere.  These are opening and closing every year. The only successful restaurants are bars that create a party atmosphere.  It’s about drinking and partying.  The food culture is not a priority in Hillcrest.

There is a very small list of good restaurants, including Mr A’s, Market, Island Prime, Nine Ten, Searsucker, Pamplemousse and a string of gastro pubs such as  the Smoking Goat, Whisk and Ladle, the Farmhouse and Jayne’s Gastropub.  I know there are more, however; one of these are even close to an El Buli.  They are what they are. The food is good and they are providing a good dining experience.

In my opinion, the restaurants that are on the brink of even coming close to world-class cuisine are the Sky Room and the Addison.  Both offer tasting menus in which the chef shares an experience in the five senses of the tongue.  The dishes are well thought out and the wines are specifically picked to enhance the food.  My only concern is that they are in hotels.  This tells me that these restaurants are not for San Diegans, but for our visitors.  Are these restaurants in hotels because otherwise they would not survive?

What I envision one day, a restaurant with the caliber of the Addison in an urban part of San Diego.  This restaurant would be for San Diegans.  To dine there, one would have plan ahead and actively seek it out.  It is not in a location that warrants walking traffic, so diners would not come across it from merely walking to the game.  The restaurant would be in an industrial part of town and the only glowing light is that of the valet sign outside the restaurant.  Reservations are highly recommended well in advanced.  The food and drink menu would be unique, so much so that it gets national attention.  Without praise from national publications, it will never receive international acclaim.  Once I see an establishment such as this appear on the scene, then I will know that world-class dining in San Diego is attainable.  Do you think we can ever get there?

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Kid friendly restaurants in San Diego?  I can just hear restaurants screaming, “don’t put me on this list!”  Relax…kids are people too.  Well, half way there.  However, some parents are serious diners and are not willing to give up the luxury of dining because they have kids.

Maybe it’s a cultural thing.  I was brought up in a Mexican family and we did everything together.  I noticed that as I was growing up, my American friends all had baby sitters or nannies. I never did.  It was either my Abue (grandma) when my mom was at work.  Other than that my brother and sister tagged along.

Back then, we would eat at Bob’s Big Boy, Denny’s and Jose’s Mexican restaurant.  Now I have a family and since I’ve been working in restaurants for 20 plus years, my tastes have changed.  When I go out, I don’t want to sacrifice a good dining experience and I do not want to miss out on family time.  So I search for those establishments that cater to both of my needs.

I have comprised a list of some of my favorite kid friendly and parent friendly restaurants.  The one thing one must know is that it’s not only the restaurant that is responsible for a great dining experience.  When dining with kids there are a few tips you need to know that depend on the parents.  You can see my ten tips here.

C-level 

880 Harbor Island Dr. San Diego, CA 92101

If you are out for a great view and relaxed atmosphere, casual food and good wine, then this is the spot. I work here, and if I didn’t I’d be here more often.  Sitting on the patio gives the kids something to do.  They are entertained by the passing boats, the skyscrapers and the Navy SEALS doing their ops.  What makes this great for kids is the flexibilty to adjust the kids menu.  Want carrots? Just ask.  Want veggies instead of fries? Great, just ask.  Grilled cheese, shrimp, fish & chips, hamburger, filet, broccoli and whatever you want; it’s there, just ask.  The only thing is no apple juice…which is a good thing since apple juice is the least healthy juice.

Now for the parents.  You can enjoy casual fare from filet, salmon, sandwiches and lobster mac & cheese.  Ask about the oyster selection, they are usually serving three different types.  I won’t toot my own horn, but the wine list has something for everybody.

Kings Fish House 

825 Camino De La Reina  San Diego, CA 92108

What I enjoy about this place is that they cater to kids while I enjoy oysters on the half shell.  Their kids menu is really cool, they have tattoos!  My wife loves seafood and there is always a variety of options.  The kids can eat crab legs, shrimp, sandwiches and even spaghetti.  The wine list is not very interesting, but I always enjoy a nice cold Coronado Orange Ale or a Hefeweizen.  Although the tattoos are pretty cool, the best part is that I can coerce my kids into being good by promising them to see the live lobster tank if they behave.

Joao’s  

2750 Dewey Road #104  San Diego, CA 92106

This little place is one of my favorite kid friendly restaurants in San Diego during football season.  We stumbled upon it one day while taking the kids to the park in Liberty Station.  My wife is Brazilian, so when she saw Bacaloa on the menu she was sold.  There is a common trend here, they also serve oysters.  Yes, I can eat with the kids and eat oysters.  The kids menu is simple, but they will cook up some sides for you, just ask.  The wine list is going through a much needed overhaul and they are currently under way to adding a wood burning pizza oven.  This is only making it more enticing for my return.  But what really makes this my favorite spot is that I can watch all my Sunday football games while I drink beer, eat oysters and the kids enjoy the friendly attention from the staff.   There are ten flat screens showing all the games.  Last year I rented the space out on Super Bowl Sunday for a fundraiser, it was perfect.

Jrdns

723 FELSPAR STREET   PACIFIC BEACH, CA 92109

When I go here I am always reminded of how old I am!  Everyone here is young, good looking, single and looking to hook up.  It’s the beach atmosphere, but with good food!   Whether we sit in or out, the atmosphere is open and airy.  The food is always consistent and my wife and I can enjoy sashimi and other seafood dishes.   The wine list is great and offers a little bit of everything.  Last time I enjoyed the Chausser Pinot, well priced and delicious.  What I like about it from the kids’ perspective, they are kept entertained by the people walking up and down the boardwalk.  What I really like is that sometimes the kids just want a snack, and they will serve cereal all day.  Yes, I’ll be able to reminisce my youth. Pacific Beach was my hang out.  We would body board Crystal Pier everyday.  However, back then we were eating at Taco Bell.  JRDN is a much better choice today.

A while back I was reading a story on a local blogger’s site about people dining out and the frustration with all the steps the sommelier went through to pour his wine.  It came down to the guest feeling uncomfortable.  This is unfortunate!  The one thing that I have learned over the years is that the sommelier is simply the wine steward.  The wine steward is supposed to make wine easy and approachable.

I really believe that this is a fault in our society.  We are always trying to break away from traditions.  We are a young nation that acts like the rebellious teenager who just wants to escape the system.  Trust me, I am guilty of that all that time, but I also know when there is a time and place for it.

I’ll give you a look at my personal juxtaposition.  I studied traditional martial arts for many years.  I understood the value of tradition and always turned my nose up at the more freestyle martial arts.  There was something that was much deeper in the traditional system than the pure athleticism of the freestyle arts.  There was a Zen element that transcended the pure physicality of kicking and punching. The Zen element focuses on the ego and learning how to control one’s thoughts and actions.

As I grew older, I decided to leave the martial arts and focus on studio arts.  This was my break from tradition.  My focus as a wanna-be artist was in tearing down the system.  My art was very controversial and I tried to find the faults in our society, political systems and religious views.

Finally, I made a realization that I needed to find balance, and this is where I am today.  I still find faults and criticize the system.  Let’s face it, it needs to be done.  However, I also see the value of tradition.  The steps of service that people get frustrated with are tradition,  and they perform an important function…

The steps of service are there so the guest knows what to expect!

When I train my staff, I always focus on the steps of service.  We serve food from the left, we clear from the right.  We serve drinks from the right.  Why?  This allows the guests to know what to expect. The funny thing is that the majority of diners do not know this.  There isn’t a dining school.  Back in the day there were classes for young people to take to learn how to dine.  Not anymore.  But as a professional we adhere to those traditions so there remains some sort of consistency among dining establishments.

Why all the hoopla with the sommelier & wine? Let’s break it down.

1) Selecting the bottle

A good sommelier will assist the guest in selecting a bottle that suits his/her needs.  Some guests know exactly what they are looking for and others need more assistance.  A good sommelier will find out what your needs are and recommend a wine that fits your occasion.  Remember the sommelier should be familiar with most of the wines on the list; that is his job.  Now, are there somms out there that are egotistical and make this process embarrassing?  Unfortunately, yes.  But as a consumer, stop going there.  Just because there are a few bad seeds, don’t let it ruin the bunch.  There are sommeliers that work very hard and are a lot more Zen-like. They leave their ego at the door and treasure the moment of one on one with the guest.

2) Presenting the bottle

What is all the hoopla?  He shows me the bottle, reads it for me and finally begins to open it with extreme caution.

Remember there is a method and reason for this madness.  First of all, the somm reads the label to double check that this is the correct wine.  Trust me, I have had staff open bottles of wine for the guest that sounded like their selection but was not.  They drank them and did not notice until the check came and they saw that the bill was several hundred dollars more.  This is what we call in martial arts, a “non-aggressive defensive move.”

The act of opening of the bottle also needs to be performed properly.  The foil is removed to prevent it from contaminating the wine.  You notice that the bottle does not move, that the label is always facing you.  This is still part of that safe guard, making sure you can see what you are about to drink.

3) Tasting the wine

The somm tastes me on the wine, asks if I like it.  Why not just pour it?!?

The wine is tasted to make sure there are no faults.   Many guests use this time to send wine back.  The wine should only be sent back if the somm recommended something that was not suitable for your needs.  Also if the wine is tainted, oxidized or off.  If you order a wine without the assistance of the somm, and you do not like it, then shame on you.  The wine should not be returned unless the wine is off, not because you don’t like black fruit in your wine.  Use the sommelier to help you pick it out. Doing so is like having insurance.

4) Pouring the bottle

Why the long process of pouring the wine one by one and always in the same order?   Every time I order the wine, I always get served last.

The reason that the guests are poured in a certain order is so that everyone knows what to expect.  The host always gets served last.  But don’t fret. Remember as the host you also get the first sip.  This means that you actually get that much more wine than everyone else.

Tradition!  The hoopla is all about tradition. These are steps of service created for the guest.  The reason is so you know what to expect from your server.  We follow these steps of service so that everyone has a clear idea of what is coming next.  There is something really valuable about adhering to tradition. It keeps everyone under the same umbrella of understanding.  It is not a stage for the somm to show off, but a ceremony to insure you have the best dining experience possible.