Editor’s Note: The Way You Make Me Feel

Which of these two types of people do you identify most closely with?

The one who has such a hard time deciding what you are going to order at a restaurant that you always are “polite” and allow everyone else to order first and then if your choice isn’t as good as you hoped you second guess it every bite you take…or…the one who finds something good on a menu and orders it every time you visit for the rest of your life, expecting the variance of the flavor and quality each time to be less than that of the presidential election polls?

I am absolutely the first. Whenever I’m going to spend time and money on something I want it to match my expectations, and at the same time I like to try new places and new things so I can expand my view of the world (and my palette), even if just slightly.

But even if I identified more closely with the other type of restaurant goer—it’s important to recognize that our experience as patrons is largely shaped by how a restaurant makes us feel.

If the food borders on divine, but the service is lackluster and the atmosphere is sullen I’m not sure how much the staff cares beyond their recipe cards.

If my meal lacks flavor or freshness, but the staff are friendly and they don’t take offense to me asking for the food to be made again then it’s easy for me to overlook those flaws. In every magazine we publish I make mistakes (I’m sure this one is no exception!) and I am a big fan of working together to be better.

Earlier this year, my parents took my 13-year-old son Kayanni to a restaurant with greater selection and higher prices than he is used to seeing, and he could not stop talking about how the server made him feel. He addressed my son as sir and treated him as if he was the paying adult, plus my parents spoiled him by letting him order whatever he wanted, so he felt great and was ready to go back the next day.

Similarly, there’s a reason I would be a brand evangelist for LoveBird Almost Famous Chicken, aside from the way “That Bama Chick” sandwich makes me feel — and just for the record, you cannot have too many napkins when dining at
that establishment!

LoveBird has an attractive and energetic brand, their staff is efficient and friendly, their consistency is top notch and they have created a unique dining experience for Lakeland (and now Winter Haven) at an affordable price point.

Our Taste issue does not include an in-depth analysis of the highest quality steaks you can find locally nor does it put a stake in the ground promoting the best of this or that based on what our eyes have seen and our mouths have tasted.

What I hope you get out of this issue is the opportunity to wonder how a local food spot might make you feel and the urge to go experience it for yourself.

If it’s great, tell all your friends and invite them on your next outing, and if it’s not, let the restaurant team know and see how they respond. It will inform the taste they leave you with in more ways than one.