[Sca-cooks] weird idea... medieval restaurant

[Chris Stanifer]

--- Mark Calderwood <mark-c at acay.com.au> wrote:
> At 12:02 2/06/01 -0400, you wrote:
> I think I would go the route of "mediaeval food in a
> modern world", and let
> the food speak for itself, using period recipes and
> tastes but presented in
> a way attractive to modern patrons.
>
> I would keep mediaeval decoration to a *tasteful*
> minimum: low-key but
> stylish.

I'm not sure this kind of restaurant would garner the
attention necessary to seperate it from the countless
other "Middle Eastern/Arabic" restaurants out there.
These are, essentially, medieval style restaurants
serving both period and modern food already... the
only difference is, they don't advertise themselves as
such.

Rather, I think restaurants these days *need* a
gimmick to draw in patrons, and the mainstream
consumer is attracted by over-the-top, outlandish, and
fun themes.  It's sad, but true.  This is not to say
that a restaurant in your style would not work...
merely that it would not appeal to the *family
segment* which generates the vast majority of your
sales dollars.

I had envisioned myself opening a restaurant such as
this many years ago, and still intend to do so once
the financing is in order.  I strongly believe that,
for a restaurant such as this to work (and generate
the big bucks), there would have to be elements within
the decor which the common man identifies with
medieval:  shields on the wall; long, wooden tables;
barrels strewn about; torch sconces; etc.  The
atmosphere would have to be *fun*, rather than low
key.  Does this mean that you would have to make
concessions to authenticity from time to time?  Sure
it does.  But *NOT* in the food!!  And THAT is where
you will have the opportunity to turn some heads!
Sure, you may have a fun place to bring the kids or
business partners (serving wenches and jugglers), but
if your food is little more than burgers with a
fantasy name ('Merlin Burger'), then you are dead in
the water.  No.  This kind of restaurant has the
opportunity to entertain and enlighten.  The
atmosphere brings them in, and the food dispells the
myth that medieval food was weird or nasty.

As for the service style, I would probably lean
towards the family-style service... two or three
seatings per night (No breakfast or lunch offered, but
the tap-room would be open during the afternoon).
Patrons are seated at long tables, and the
pre-determined menu is brought out in courses, just as
in a real medieval feast.  The menu would probably run
on a three week floating menu cycle, with the option
to change without notice (to take advantage of
seasonal offerings, or newly discovered recipes..)
Entertainments would be offered between courses
(possibly by SCA volunteers who want to have a free
meal???) and your standard "issue from the table"
served afterwards (hypocras, candied spices, etc...)

That's how I picture a medieval-style restaurant.

Balthazar of Blackmoor

=====
Let the people hate, as long as they also fear.

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