A Curious Thought

We were on a rafting trip last weekend with some of Lydia's college friends. Sunny, beautiful day and great company. Just a perfect day. They had all the usual questions -- how did Lydia and I meet? Where was I from? What did I do? Curious, protective friends -- another reason I love Lydia. She has friends that truly care.

Over a short time, the subject of the restaurant and food came up. Again, the usual questions -- Where is the restaurant going to be? What style of food? How long before it's open? Where do we like to eat when we go out for a meal in Seattle? The last one started me thinking. Lydia and I eat at the same few restaurants. We have a favorite Chinese place, a favorite Italian place, a favorite sushi place, etc.

So, why the lack of adventure? Because of our work schedules and the fact that I only get one day off per week, we want to be completely happy with the choice we make, because it will be an entire week until we get another shot to go out.

But, what makes these few restaurants our fall-back position? Well, I'll tell you. We ordered sushi from Rain on Monday night. We called, and I could tell they were a little busy. So, when we showed up and Jen, the owner, realized our takeout order wasn't ready, she bought us a drink and sent us a small sampler of sashimi to hold us over until our food was ready.

That one small act of offering us a drink and a snack is why we are so loyal. Not because it was free or a substitute for anything, but because of our relationship with the people there and the fact that we feel cared for every time we eat or pick up food at Rain.

With La Bocca, we want to cultivate those same feelings so that each customer feels cared for. When you walk into La Bocca, you are home.