Decor, Ambience, Expectations, and Identity – by Gary Smolker

I want to have “a ha” enlightening moments, pleasurable moments.

Style and Layout of Interior Furnishing

It is my position that every room we enter is a stage setting.

The style, the layout, the wall coverings, paintings, sculpture, flowers on the table – if any –  the flooring, the furniture and the furnishings, each send a direct message to us when we enter a room.

In a restaurant, the message sent is multifaceted.  The message is –

• a message telling us what to expect – what kind of menu to expect, what kind of selection of food to expect, what to expect of the quality (of the food, the taste of the food and creativity of the food and beverage creations we consume, if any) of what we will be eating in that restaurant and the what to expect of the beverages severed – available for us we drink,
• a message telling us who the owner-operator of the restaurant is,
• a message telling us who the owner-operator wants us to believe he/she is,
• a message telling us how the wait staff will behave, and
• a message telling us how we are to behave.

On Tuesday, February 20, 2018, my good friend Jon Warner took me to LAQHAUS, located at 11671 Victory Blvd., L.A., CA 91606.

LAQHAUS is a restaurant I had never heard of.

LAQHAUS

LAQHAUS is a one room restaurant located in that part of Los Angeles known as North Hollywood.

The minute I walked into LAQHAUS, I was blown away by the what I saw on the walls.

Below are some photographs I took of what I saw on the walls.

See photographs of what I saw painted on one of the walls, below.

The caption/statement accompanying the painting/portrait of Marilyn Monroe states:

“Imperfection is Beauty

madness is Genius

and it is better to be absolutely Ridiculous than absolutely Boring”

– Marilyn Monroe

The minute I read that comment, I knew the menu in that restaurant would be exciting, and that whatever dishes were served to me would be exciting.

I immediately knew I was going to enjoy every aspect of my experiences in that restaurant.

There were more painted quotes next to portraits of famous movie stars painted on one of the walls.

See below:

The statement accompanying the portrait of Marlon Brando/”The Godfather” states:

“CONFIDENCE IS SILENT.

INSECURITIES ARE LOUD.”

I love, that statement, and I completely agree with that statement.

 

I also love the statement next to the portrait of Robert Di Nero.

After looking at those pictures painted on one of the walls, I knew I was going to love the place.

I was not disappointed.

The Food

The food in LAQHAUS was a joy to eat.

For my main course, I had a typical North Hollywood California version of a hamburger with fries.

I had lemonade to drink.

The fries come with a selection of dipping sauces.

  

INGREDIENTS: This hamburger sandwich consisted of a Beef Patty (beef comes from a grass fed cow), Tillinook (spelling?) Cheddar Cheese, Bacon, Grilled Onion, Chipotle, Aioli, Tomatoes, Arugula, on a brioche bun.

For dessert I had an Oreo Sushi Roll.

The above photo of the Oreo Sushi I had for dessert at LAQHAUS was posted on Instagram @garyspassion on February 20, 2018, with the following text:

Do you like Oreos?  Do you like Sushi?

Imagine eating an Oreo crust surrounding rich creamy vanilla bean ice cream drizzled with caramel.

INGREDIENTS: Oreo/Sushi Roll, Vanilla Bean Ice Cream, Coconuts, Caramel.

You May Follow My Off the Beaten Track FOOD Experiences on Instagram @garyspassion

Below are descriptions/”write-ups” of two of my recent lunches, – lunch on Saturday and lunch today, posted on Instagram @garyspassion.

Korean B.B.Q. At One of my Favorite Korean Restaurants

Below is a photograph of the lunch (a Koren BBQ Short Ribs box-lunch) which I ate today (March 5, 2018).

The above photo is posted on Instagram @garyspassion on Monday, March 5, 2018 (today).

My box lunch consisted of BBQ Short Ribs, Fried Rice, Fried Beef Filled Dumpling, Fried Chicken, Seaweed Salad, Ginger, Mixed Green Salad.

The name of the Korean Restaurant and its address are provided in my post on Instagram @garyspassion.

Corn Beef on Rye at One of My Favorite Jewish Deli Restaurants

Below is a photo of the corn beef on rye sandwich I had for lunch two days ago (on Saturday, March 3, 2018).

You don’t have to be a connoisseur to be able to  SMELL really good corn beef before you taste it.

The corn beef on the rye bread in the photo above smelled so delicious, I was beside myself with joyful anticipation of how wonderful that corn beef would taste – before that corn beef sandwich touched any of the taste buds on my tongue.

You may can read my description of all my senses that were triggered when I saw that sandwich, when I smelled that sandwich and when I tasted it.

See my post on March 3, 2018 on Instagram @garyspassion.

In my post I provide the name and address of the delicatessen where I ate that sandwich and describe the entire eating experience I enjoyed in that deli.

Decor, Ambience, Expectations and Identity

Each experience – from the atmosphere in the restaurant, to the way you are treated by the wait staff, to the way the food is presented, the way the food looks, the way the food smells, the way the food tastes –  which you experience in a restaurant creates that restaurant’s identity.

Conclusion

Depending on conditions and circumstances the delivery of a message is 7% verbal, 38% vocal, and 58% nonverbal.

We live in a society of ambience makers and elegant people.

By looking sharp and acting sharp you fashion a sense of pride, positivity, and self-worth that can transcend circumstances as well as social perceptions.

How you dress and what you do, including where you go out to eat, expresses your individualism and your relationship to your own community and to mainstream culture.

You can fashion dignity and self-worth over and above your circmstances by looking good and being “cool.”

Experiences are the new brag.

Seek great experiences.

Be impressive: Share great experiences with others.

Bon Appetite.

Copyright © 2018 by Gary Smolker

Follow me on Instagram @garyspassion