To the editor:
When a rather negative review of my restaurant appeared in Al Church's "Dining Out" column several months ago, my first reaction was to shrug it off. (After all, I remember a comment in a Utah Restaurant Association journal describing Al Church's favorite restaurants as "those which have gone out of business due to poor customer response.") However, I am still receiving comments from customers upset about the inaccuracy of Church's review, and it is for them that I am answering his claims.Mr. Church was obviously not attentive when he visited our restaurant. He wrote that we accept major credit cards (we haven't accepted any credit cards for three years) and noted that bank guarantee cards are necessary for check approval (we have never asked a customer for a guarantee card).
His confusion was probably the result of his inordinate love of superficial aesthetics. He criticized us for "antiseptic" decor, failing to realize that some people value cleanliness and well-lighted appointments over a mish-mash of dusty Mexican-looking wall hangings, plastic flowers and waitresses in low-slung blouses.
He also attacked us for not providing spicy dishes or serving "the earthy red sauces of more traditional Mexican restaurants." Granted, we don't use food coloring to tempt unsuspecting customers, and the spiciness of our food is geared for the average Utahns, not the small minority who enjoy tongue-tingling entrees that prompt customers to purchase more drinks.
Instead of worrying about the color of the enchilada sauce, Mr. Church would be better off considering our health- and quality-conscious preparation that includes no preservatives, no lard and no machine-pulled chickens. Rather than purchase ready-to-serve items made elsewhere, we prepare virtually all food items from scratch on a daily basis. If this makes us "different from more traditional Mexican restaurants," then so be it.
Although not a restaurant economist, Mr. Church even questioned the pricing, while also failing to emphasize that complimentary sopapillas and honey butter are included with all main entrees. Would Mr. Church advise us to reduce our entree prices by taking food preparation short-cuts or charging separately for corn chips?
There's one thing I will agree with: As Mr. Church wrote, our food is "predictable." But whereas Mr. Church finds that demeaning, our customers are delighted by the "predictability." They know that their money is being spent on the exact meal they wanted when they entered the restaurant. Mr. Church may value culinary inconsistency, but the vast majority of Utahns do not.
Mel Melcomian
Casa Melinda Restaurant
North Salt Lake