Interesting discussion going on at Chowhound this week about the changes some Miami restaurants have made to their menus or wine lists to satisfy the Miami diner’s palate and taste. Florida hounds are looking for a phrase for what they call the dumbing down of menus to satisfy the uneducated South Florida diner. Based on their accounts, it really is a shame. Could that partly explain the Brickell phenomenon where many new restaurants (Salero, Duo, etc.) die while the big chains (PF Changs, Oceanaire) thrive? Here are some highlights:
On Yuga in Coral Gables:
“… the new take on Japanese small dish menu they had wasn’t bringing in customers but their McDonald’s-like sushi menu was packing ‘em in.”
“I always gave the place high marks and commend them for trying to bring something different, but it’s the inane South Florida customer that has dragged this place down to mediocrity.”
On South Florida dining:
“Ignorance is bliss? Fear not what we don’t understand? Give the people what they want, no matter how wrong they are … you get the least offensive dishes and selections that are there to satisfy the masses.”
Are we really that shallow?
I think they are also doing this because the wait staff can’t explain and understand creative foods and dishes. They’ve been “Dumbed Down” for awhile now!
Good to see my post is making the rounds. It was born out of so much frustration seeing promising venues just give up.
I don’t agree with Pepe because I don’t think any self-respecting chef would change his menu for the sake of an imbecilic waiter or waitress. If it was me, I’d cook the food and serve it myself before changing a menu.
As for a nickname for the dumbification of a restaurant to please our fellow, inane Miamians…I still haven’t thought of one yet. Any advice?
I totally agree with you L2M but it just goes hand in hand with the mindsets of restaurant owners in Miami.
L2M - Your post really amazed me, particularly the coffee story. Are Miamians so closed off to the new? I’m thinking about possible nicknames…
Pepe - I don’t think all restaurant owners would have that mindset. If they’re trying to bring something different, they most likely — I hope — wouldn’t fall into this. I have a feeling many have tried, but struggled with the Miami clientele and other factors, like rising costs.
[…] topic keeps coming up. Not long ago I posted about a Chowhound discussion on the changes in some South Florida restaurant menus to accommodate taste. The discussion […]
See, I disagree with this notion that restaurants HAVE to ‘dumb down’ their menus to attract Miami clientele. Sure, most people in Miami are dumb and pretty set in their ways. But I dont think it needs to be pointed out. Its quite obvious. Besides, any chef that complains and blames the people of an area as the reason for his restaurant’s failure is a goddamn fool. Wouldnt you want to research an area before starting a restaurant there? Would you eat at a restaurant where the chef insults you by saying that you have no taste? I sure as hell wouldnt do either, and you can bet that I’ll never eat at a Van Aken restaurant. His place failed because he became complacent and his restaurant became yesterday’s news.
I think that a lot of these new restaurants fail because they fail to bring anything else to the table besides just food. There are hundreds of options for dining in Miami. I can name at least 5 great restaurants in South Miami, Gables, Grove, Brickell, and SoBe. Maybe even more than 5 in some areas. My point is that you really have to give people a reason to come spend their hard-earned dollars at your restaurant. To me, the successful restaurant is the one who not only serves great food, but serves it in an atmosphere that adds to the food and maybe adds to the dining experience in another way. A great example of this is Jaguar in Coconut Grove. The food is a mix of ceviche and latin american food. The ambiance is really cool and seems to go with the theme of the restaurant. To top it off, the ceviche is served on spoons, which is a creative, out of the box medium that gets people talking. On top of it all, they go out and actually advertise in publications to reach others and pull them in to the restaurant. The Grove is a really tough market to succeed in (mostly because business owners dont include “marketing” in their business plans and the Grove doesnt market itself effectively at all) so I think if a place like Jaguar can succeed there, a similar model can apply to other areas in Miami.
Bottom line is that it seems like every jerk with a chef’s knife is starting a restaurant these days and hoping to get rich. Remember, 50% of all restaurants fail early, and 50% of the remainder fail a little later. Being creative and giving people a reason to dine is a good way to make the cut in my opinion.