Jimmy and Michael

If anything in this life is certain, if history has taught us anything, it is that you can kill anyone.” — Michael Corleone, from the Godfather


Michael eliminated Sollozzo and Captain McCluskey at Louis’ Italian/American Restaurant in the Bronx (home of best veal in the New York). It was a nasty scene and a good place not to be dining on that particular evening.

My thoughts turned to a recent conversation with Chef/Owner Jimmy Bradley (The Red Cat and the Harrison in New York) and his discussion on the “Anticipation and Recovery” service concept. This is his ongoing staff training exercise that addresses all kinds of things that can go wrong in a restaurant, and how one reacts to each situation. I’m guessing that the owner of Louis’ in the Bronx had to do more for his guests that night than just complimentary desserts.

Maybe the Corleone example is a bit over the top, but this column was inspired by a real letter from a restaurant customer who orchestrated a birthday party in a local restaurant for his mother-in-law. It was a party of twelve in a familiar Italian spot where his guest of honor was a regular customer. While the servers were bringing their entrees to the birthday table, an older gentleman seated directly behind them passed out and some understandable panic took place. Some members of the waitstaff attempted to revive the man and eventually the rescue squad arrived and took him to the hospital.

At this point, it is fair to say that the birthday party had taken a turn for the worse, and they finished their meal and left the restaurant with no apparent reaction from the management. The man who wrote us the letter (email) was simply wondering about the protocol of a restaurant when something like this happens.

It’s a party of twelve, and a difficult decision to pick-up his check, but maybe a gift certificate would have been in order. At the very least, an owner or manager should have visited his table and made some type of statement. Who knows what happened – we weren’t there. The real question goes back to the anticipation and recovery issue. How many restaurants actually have a plan to react to a possible crisis in their establishment?

Of course, the really interesting question is what would Jimmy Bradley do during those horrific moments after Michael returned from the men’s room?


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