From a recent Journal Star article on portion size:
http://journalstar.com/entertainment/dining/article_a26c5793-adf1-593a-876d-6bf7f65aa802.html
It’s an interesting dilemma, this portion size debate, because no one usually gets angry if they have too much food on the plate. Some of our most heated comments online have come from people complaining about the size of our servings and how they could get twice as much food for half the price at another location and they will never come back and they will tell all their friends to never eat here again and so on.
Have at it.
So do you give people what they want or what you think they need?
This is s a tricky question, because when you start asking this one, you start blending the ingredients of morality and politics into your food.
I’m a chef, not a politician. It doesn’t mean I don’t care about the question. I’d rather leave the political side to the experts.
My role in the debate is to argue my point of view at the restaurant and present the evidence on the table. If you can’t tell the difference at this level, I’m not sure what else I can do. I believe in a free market, and if you like eating off a platter instead of a plate, with portions that can be measured in pounds instead of ounces, it’s your right. It’s just not my preference.
I don’t really know what to do about it other than hope that our culture will someday come to its senses and realize that more is not always equivalent with better, and that the added bonus of extra pounds isn’t really a good payoff for a plateful of food that can easily feed three people.
©2012 bread & cup and breadandcup.com
keep fighting the good fight. i'll pay for quality over quantity any day, which is why i'll come back to your restaurant.
I have never once thought your portions are too small. They always feel generous to me. I know that's not the point of your post… I just thought I'd add my two cents. I love your place and have never come away feeling like I didn't get my money's worth (or more).
There is something to be said for quality food, beautifully presented in a fantastic atmosphere. If people want a trough full of slop they can go elsewhere… keep doing it your way, because you do it really, really well.
Thanks!
I can't believe people would tell you that! I've always had more than enough to eat there, and I've ALWAYS thought that 'you get what you pay for' — in this case, quality food. It's definitely worth it in my opinion. But, that said, I think your prices are VERY reasonable for what you're serving! I could go to Applebees and get a plate full of mass produced, tastes-the-same-all-across-the-country sodium bomb that isn't even tasty…for the same price as your fresh, REAL, actually-made-in-the-kitchen food. Wow, tough choice.
And the people who complain about serving sizes and prices, well…they aren't really your target market, right?
I'm always spreading the word about how great your place is. Real food isn't easy to find. Keep it up!
I like eating and not feeling injured afterward.
You are absolutely right on the mark— "more is not better".
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
There is something nice about small portions…they really allow you (or force you) to savor each bite.
And let's not ignore the culinary elephant in the room….B&C has found success in a marketplace that should have seen it fail. Lincoln is not a city that embraces creativity and authenticity in its restaurants. If you only offer sports bars and chain fare, your perspective is schewed/scarred, sometimes for life.
Hi!! I love your blog. There is much creativity and love what you do.