# Fantasy Challenge



## coolj (Dec 12, 2000)

If someone were to give you $1,000,000. and told you that it was to be used to start your own restaurant, and you could build it anywhere and serve what ever you want, Where would you build, and what type of food would you serve ?.
I would open a small place here in town. something where I could easily alter the theme and create new menus on a regular basis, and I would try to have everything made fresh daily.


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## thebighat (Feb 21, 2001)

I would open a French bistro. I had to do a project for a cost control class which involved doing all demographic and financial footwork, coming up with a site, a theme, and a menu. Mine was called Le Grande Cochon. The Big Pig. Got email the other day from some cognac co. in France that probably had some robot searching the web for references to French Chefs, which my web site has, and they wanted to know if I wanted to be listed in their restaurant section. I think I might make up a page with the menu of Le Grande Cochon, send them the address with an email link for reservations,and see what happens.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

Naughty~ but oh so fun.

My place would have dinner 3-4 nights a week, Sunday brunch with no shloky leftovers,
Tea service......of course local foods, of course great herb garden and a market by the restaurant selling the great supplies I'm bringing in....Farmer dinners regularly, a great kitchen to make apple jack, hard apple cider, jams, chutneys, etc. to again sell in the market....Just Scratch food using great fresh stuff....name hmmmmmm farmhouse sounds hokey, Chanterelle too esoteric, silo to phallic, hmmmmm guess a name needs more thought.


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## pooh (Mar 13, 2001)

I would open a little pastry shop, right beside "La Grande Cochon", 148 Main Street. I would call it "Le Petit Cochon"!



[ June 11, 2001: Message edited by: pooh ]


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## kimmie (Mar 13, 2001)

I would open something across the street from you two, called "Aux trois petits cochons"!

Haven't decided on the menu yet...but Pork Tenderloin would definitely be present.



[ June 11, 2001: Message edited by: Kimmie ]


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## thebighat (Feb 21, 2001)

Well, pastry shop? I didn't include it, but there is a patisserie connected to the restaurant...Chef Pouffe's. It might be good to have some competition. I'm sure there must be shops close together in France. I might be adding some desserts to the menu later. You did see the menu didn't you? I thought the link might show up in blue.


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## pooh (Mar 13, 2001)

Yes, the background is like greyish/black marble!

Very good menu btw! I would eat there any day of the week, even on weekends!

 

[ June 11, 2001: Message edited by: pooh ]


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

A small, but charming, salon de thé. Great food, not too many dishes. And the desserts... Cakes and pastries from all over the world.


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## thebighat (Feb 21, 2001)

This ought mess with heads. Make sure, when visiting the Boston area, to grab a quick bite at:Le Grande Cochon


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## thebighat (Feb 21, 2001)

It should say, this ought to mess with their heads. duhh... there' something wrong with the keyboard. It drops letters and if I unplug it from the usb port, the puter freezes. My daughter has probably changed something to make instant messaging quicker. They don't use the whole alphabet anyway.


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## svadhisthana (May 6, 2001)

I think I would open up a bakery or small tea room. Fresh local ingredients, funky atmosphere, and a super friendly staff.


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## foodnfoto (Jan 1, 2001)

I should ask, is this restaurant supposed to make money or be a write off for the investor? 
My idea is very simple--
The Fire and Ice Cafe
There would be 20 seats (10 dueces) and a take-out window. My preferred location would be someplace like Coconut Grove or Key West, Florida, maybe Fire Island, NY or Sausalito CA. Anywhere that has kind of a cool, laid back populace and adventurous appetites.
Two items on the menu-authentic Jambalaya and Ice Cream.
There would be 3 selections of "Jamby"-meat-lovers, seafood-lovers and vegetarian. Each would vary daily.
The ice cream would include every possible flavor of Ben & Jerry's-so anyone could have their favorite.
Oh yeah-free delivery.
I think it would become a cash cow very quickly.


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## thebighat (Feb 21, 2001)

There already is a Fire and Ice, in Cambridge Ma. I've never been in there, but theguy I work for has. He says it's ok, up to a point. Apparently there is a huge salad bar kind of thing with all kinds of ingredients that you can pick up with spoons and tongs and put on your plate. then you take it over to this 30 ft griddle, it sounds like, and your personal chef "stir fries" it, then scrapes it off the griddle onto your plate and hands it to you. It would be nice if they used woks, but it sounds like a giant griddle, and who knows what griddle crunchies get scraped onto your food. eeeeuuuuuwwwww......


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## foodnfoto (Jan 1, 2001)

I don't know, maybe it's just me, but I think Jamby and ice cream sound like more fun. 
Besides, it's just a fantasy resturant anyway-the kind I wish existed near my home. I wake up at night wanting just tha-jamby and ice cream. 

No, I'm not pregnant, just hungry.


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## 84rhonda (Jun 19, 2001)

I'd build my restaurant near thebighat, pooh and kimmie and call it "Le Loup Noir"


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## thebighat (Feb 21, 2001)

I have an All-Clad frying pan I bought in 1976. It's a little the worse for wear on the outside, but the stainless inside is perfect. And it's still nice and flat.


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## w.debord (Mar 6, 2001)

I'd follow shroomgirls lead and have limited hours. Open Thursday, Fri and Sat.. for buffet lunches where I could make all the things I love to eat and make. Then I'd turn the kitchen over to my Husband at night and do outdoor dining. Some kind of around the grill fiestas with a limited entree menu everything else served family style. Sundays...big brunch layout with a a show stopping sweet table.

Love to dream.....


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## pooh (Mar 13, 2001)

Thanks thebighat for rescuing our little piglets!



[ June 20, 2001: Message edited by: pooh ]


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## papa (Oct 5, 2001)

Dear Friends:

It is a lot of fun reading through your postings. It is also very educational. 

First we take the $1MM, we invest it in something other than the restaurant business and we generate the $2MM needed to fulfil our dream.

At this point, I would open a small market/bakery/restaurant. Definitely Mediterranean but without having a specific ethnic character. This way I can blend the best that the regional cuisines of the Mediterranean have to offer. The name would identify with the character and location of the place. If I were across the street from the Ritz, I would have named it "The Market across the street from the Ritz" (TMATFTR). Catering/take outs would be a great consideration, the restaurant part will be the great focus and the Market part will compliment the place with its warm and inviting ambience. 

I remember when I was growing up in Greece, we used to buy our wine from the wine merchant/baker in our neighborhood. He had his bakery on the main floor and he had a huge wine cellar in the basement where you could go and fill your carafe or bottle directly from the huge barrels. In that basement he also had tables where people could dine choosing from a menu of what we called "mezes" (like the Spanish "tapas"). That place was exuding warmth and atmosphere. I think that this is what I would like to recreate, just in a more complete form.


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