Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

The Best of the Best

When people are dismissive of those who work in the services industry, it puts on display for all to see just what kind of person they be.

Yes...there are two kinds of service workers. Those who just do their job and those that redefine their job. The former makes life for the dismissive person easier. The latter makes you smile. Both are noble...as being in service to another is one of best things one can do.

But my thoughts today run toward the service workers that redefine the genre. Like Brock Calmes, a former hawker at baseball games in the Fox Cities of Wisconsin. I never had the chance to meet or experience Brock...but, for those that did, he was "da man."

To the point that, for many Timber Rattler fans, they would only buy from him. His "call," his personality and his genuineness made him as big a part of the ballpark experience as the players.

It is a skill set not taught...but inherent inside each of us that choose to serve. And, for guys like Brock...it just happened.

Sadly, I'll never get to experience his coolness, as he recently passed...but I love that his voice carries on in this video.

RIP, Brock. You are an example to us all.

Truth

You just gotta love the singular focus of the name of this eatery in Sarasota (click to enlarge).

While I love restaurant names like Tarragon, Harvest and Sam 'n Ella's, you just gotta love one named "Eat Here."

While the food was fab, it does kinda remind me of this great Gahan Wilson cartoon from the '70s.

Farewell to the Cookie

It's been two years to the month that Republic Airways acquired Midwest Airlines...but swore they'd keep serving the Milwaukee-based carrier's iconic chocolate chip cookie.

Which, as we opined then, was just plain dumb.

Late last month, they announced that, as soon as their current supply runs out, the cookie is history. In its place...Animal Crackers and Goldfish.

Which is fine, really. Frontier never should have kept the cookie in the first place. It was never part of their brand...and never would be.

But, it is the end of an era. One that had its genesis when Midwest's Marketing Director Jay Sorenson was fooling around in the gally on an empty charter flight on its way to pick up the Indiana Pacers. It's a pretty cool story...and worth a read.

Farewell to the Cookie...and what it represented. As Jay said, "it was a grand airline."

But...That's Your Name

Lots of people have opinions regarding the changes afoot at Burger King, the restaurant chain that recently slipped into third place behind Wendy's in the fast food wars. My friend and fellow blogger Harvey Briggs noted yesterday that the new tagline and advertising campaign "flames out." And the comments following this AP story are scathing (and, sadly, get to the heart of the problem at Burger King).

And, it's not the food...even though the fries will now be thicker and the bacon no longer sprayed with artificial flavoring. It's the culture. One that hasn't demanded excellence from its franchisees. One that hasn't been innovative in menu offerings. One that has simply been on cruise control while its creepy mascot made most of us say WTF.

Best line in the AP story was from a franchisee: "We focused on burgers maybe longer than we should have."

I get where he's going with that line of thinking, but...that's your name.

Here's an idea: Rather than try to regain second place in the fast food game, why not try to be number one (as in "king," get it?) in what matters. Hamburgers. Let the other fast food players do a passable job at lots of things. Be the best in one. Like In-n-Out and Five Guys.

After all, you are "the King."

Just a thought.

Being Uncommonly Relevant

Yesterday, we shared with you the story of a candle shop that hit gold by packaging their experience with a wine shop.

This Columbus area wine shop, however, is doing something so cool, we didn't want their brilliance to go unnoticed. On the off-chance that you didn't click on their link yesterday...allow me.

The proprietors of this simply amazing shop, called House Wine, understand an often overlooked premise...the vast majority of those who buy wine have no freaking idea of what they're doing. Especially when it comes to pairing. Yet, so many wine shops focus on the aficionado. The wine snob. And, that's OK, I guess...if you're willing to sell to just 20% of the market.

The rest of us? We're serving salmon tonight and don't have a clue. That's where House Wine is so perfect. As they say on their website: Our inventory is separated by country or food for matching and each wine falls into a class. With our classification system, distinguishing wines by color and character, you can easily narrow down your wine preference. Going organic?  Grilling some beef?  3rd date?  We make it almost too easy.

Hell yeah. Today...it's all about easy. And, in an environment where I can look like I know what I'm doing when I clearly don't.

House Wine isn't the first to understand this truth...but they are one of only a handful who have. On my next trip to the C-Bus...I'm so there.

Why I Love Wisconsin

There are so many reasons. The summers spent here with my family during my youth. The sensational beauty between Memorial Day and Halloween. Touring the twisty turny roads through the countryside with the top down. The way this state parties like no other.

And bars that serve drinks in canning jars.

Hell, yeah.

No Way to Run a Restaurant

I know better than to frequent airport eateries. But sometimes, it's been a long day with a client and I haven't had a chance to catch a bite.

Sure, some airport restaurants have upped the ante in recent months...but there are so many more that haven't.

Like the one I briefly experienced last week at MSP. Looking for a table with an outlet so I could charge up my laptop, I wandered into the back section of one of these restaurants. The waitress promptly barked at me that that particular section was closed. Which is fine, I guess...but the pictured table was the only one not occupied in the main room.

Once I sat in the section that was "open" (less than ten feet from the section that was "closed"), I overheard the table to the right order the Calamari. She promptly urged them to pick something else. The Calamari there "is not very good," she intoned conspiratorially. The guy to the left ordered the Trout Fingers. She told him that he'd be sorry, because they, too, were horrible.

As she turned her attention to me, I just smiled...and promptly exited the restaurant, preferring a bag of rye chips to anything that would come out of that kitchen.

Don't get me wrong...beyond the barking at me part, I value a waitress that steers me away from a selection that may not be happening that day in the kitchen. But, I'm pretty sure that her manager would flip out if he had witnessed this particular display.

That it was 11:30am and she was the only one on duty in a 20+ table restaurant tells me something else. Somebody didn't show up for work that day...or her manager is worthless at scheduling. Either way, the manager should have been there. That he or she wasn't says volumes about the future of that particular eatery.

Or...maybe that WAS the Manager.

Sigh...

A Sack of Sliders and...a Merlot to Go?

White Castle hamburgers are both an acquired taste and a cultural icon. If you've never experienced "the Crave," I'm not sure I can do the experience justice.

It's a Midwest thang. In the South, Krystal is the equivalent. For the rest of you...trust me. While it ain't gourmet...there are times when a bag of sliders is just simply perfection.

But, the Lafayette IN White Castle is experimenting with serving Beer and Wine. And, frankly, no matter how stoned one is as they shuffle up to place their 2am order...that just has to make the die hard say WTF.

As noted in yesterday's Wall Street Journal piece on the experiment, it costs more for a glass of wine than three sliders with cheese.

In that case, I think I'd opt for six sliders.

But...that's just me.

I Just Don't Understand

Allow me to set the stage. It's January...the dead of winter in the Midwest. Occupancy isn't what anyone would call acceptable. Residents pretty much stay home during the week...especially on frigid Monday nights. Thus, restaurants and bars could be excused if they elect to close on Mondays. Ain't nobody downtown.

Except...there is a 300-person convention in town on this particular Monday night. And, with that background, I have a few questions.

I've never run a hotel...but why would the HQ hotel restaurant and room-service be dark with a full house?

I've never run a restaurant, but why would the coolest culinary spot in town (and just a block away from the HQ hotel) be dark on this particular Monday?

I've never run a strip club, but why would such a nightspot (a block in the other direction) be dark on this night (and, oh yeah, the attendees at this convention skewed 80% male)?

Just because it's Monday night? Really?

Are we that married to our schedules that we can't see the opportunity that 300 visitors in a town bring to a bottom line? Maybe they all don't need to go to a strip club...but, ummm, they all gotta eat.

Like I said, I've never run a hospitality business. But, I'm pretty damn sure I would have found a way to be open and benefit from the dollars that were burning a hole in 300 visitors' pockets.

And, have a big smile on my face Tuesday morning as I made my deposit.

Just a thought...

A Thanksgiving Warning from the Shat

If you're preparing to deep fry your Thanksgiving Turkey tomorrow, you need to watch this cautionary tale from William Shatner.

For me? It'll once again be Thanksgiving Gumbo at the Zeitgeist Compound.

Hope you enjoy your day...and thanks for being our friend.