French restaurants and Jewelry stores

Jen and I went to meet our Opal miner Monday in NY. It was an interesting experience. Its Restaurant week so deals abound. We decided to meet at an east side French restaurant that was recommended by a friend and had a "REPUTATION". We arrived to a somewhat bland room and were greeted by several waiters in black tuxes. I was immediately put off. I just don't feel that places that put on such a front are worth it. So they took us to our seat after asking if we had reservations (like it mattered the place was empty). We mentioned that we were meeting a third party and please direct him to our table. After 15 min we get a call from Remo (the Opal guy) that he is waiting in the restaurant for us. He was sitting in the corner waiting for us the whole time and the waiters never put 2 and 2 together. So after Remo joined us we ordered. The food was not what I expected, in fact it was rather pedestrian, boring, and overpriced. Needless to say we wont go back.

I told Jen that I thought French waiters with thick accents and tuxes are just like Crystal Chandeliers in a jewelry store. All show and no go. How many jewelry stores try to stand apart by being glitzy with marble staircases pompous staff and bright lights. Then when you look at there jewelry its just the same as everywhere else. On the other hand some hole in the wall jewelry store is full of finally crafted jewelry. Some of the best food I have ever eaten has come out of small unpretentious places where the chef's love there work, and some of the most amazing jewelry I have ever seen is created by jewelers who run there own places.

So the tux is the restaurant equivalent of the crystal chandelier. The Opals remo brought were amazing. Remo's Dad is an Australian miner and specializes in Boulder opals. Few colored stones are as beautiful or as individual as Boulder Opal. I look forward to working with there stones, and hanging out with Australians is always fun.

That evening my wife cooked a rack of lamb for dinner. It was amazing.