My first

reaction was, of course, to be upset about the whole

article and especially the fact that Fayette Citizen

chose to publish this particular comment, degrading the

reputation of our establishment and using the Village

Cafe name negatively to illustrate a point in this

ongoing debate. This article was published on the day of

our ninth anniversary. How ironic!

Thank you,

Fayette Citizen, for making our day so special! We

celebrated it anyway, inviting our loyal clientele to

enjoy a four-course gourmet dinner - 150 people

showed up and it was such a great feeling. Some of our

customers brought flowers, gifts, and thank-you notes

- very touching indeed!

I would

like to answer the letter. First of all, why did the

person writing the article come to the Village Cafe,

apparently in search of fine dining, to order two prime

ribs well-done and a pecan-grilled chicken?

I remember

exactly the night they came in and the table at which

they were seated because I was called to their table.

Nothing wrong with prime rib or pecan-grilled chicken,

but we offer so much more in the way of culinary involved

dishes. This month, for instance, we featured seafood

lasagna, roast duckling, Gulf Coast jambalaya, an

Octoberfest special, and braised venison shank, just to

list a few. Why would a person who claims to be a food

connoisseur choose well-done prime rib?

Secondly,

prime rib refers to a rib roast, not to the grade of beef

used. Prime-rated beef is used only by very upscale steak

houses such as Chops, Ruth's Chris, and Bones where prime

rib, bone-in, is sold for only $30 (salad, potato or

vegetable available for an extra charge). Those

high-dollar restaurants are usually frequented by

corporate executives and wealthy business people, many

visiting Atlanta on corporate expense accounts, as well

as a few local individuals celebrating a special

occasion.

The great

majority of restaurants use, like we do, USDA choice

beef. Our beef au-jus is made from real beef stock and

seasonings, and we consider it not a detraction, but an

enhancement to our dish.

Third, our

Caesar salad dressing has no cream whatsoever! Moreover,

the controversy concerning the use of raw eggs has forced

a lot of restaurants to change their Caesar salad

dressing recipe (the original one made strictly

table-side). We use a little mayonnaise as an emulsifier

in our recipe instead of raw eggs, the rest of the

ingredients being the classic anchovy paste, fresh

garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, etc. We go through 10

gallons a week of Caesar salad dressing, not because it

is cheap, but because it actually tastes good!

Now,

concerning the broader issue of adjusting our standards

to our Fayette County clientele: I totally agree. Any

person with any sense of business has to be aware of its

clientele's needs, not only in the restaurant business,

but in any business. It is true that some of our patrons

would rather stick with the basics than adventure into

more refined dishes, flavors and tastes.

I believe

that the Village Cafe has educated some of its customers

into more culinary oriented territories, at the same time

acknowledging the needs of a large percentage of its

clientele who are more traditional and conservative.

As a chef

for 12 years in Atlanta and restaurant owner in

Fayetteville for over nine years now, I can testify that

we have come a long way in terms of what we offer to our

patrons. Our specials, which are always more daring

dishes, represent at least 25 percent of our sales on

weekends.

I don't

think that Fayette County is any different from any other

metro Atlanta suburban county. Casual dining has boomed

during the '90s. The Baby Boom generation wants to afford

a big house, a big car and going out (or taking food

to-go) two or three times a week, according to national

statistics. To only be gourmet or a special occasion

restaurant is extremely hard and usually lethal.

Innovative

and creative menus require expensive ingredients and

qualified chefs to execute them, therefore producing a

considerable cost differential. Franchises like Ruby

Tuesdays, Chili's, Red Lobster, T.J. Applebee's, Olive

Garden, Longhorn, On The Border, Outback, O'Charley's,

and Texas Roadhouse, just to name a few, have bought

prime locations, have prime-time TV ad campaigns, flood

radio station air waves with expensive commercials, and

have a wait every night. This trend could eventually kill

many independent restaurants. It is actually fueled by

individual choices and we are all individually

responsible for it.

The Village

Cafe has been successful in maintaining its standards

through the past nine years. We have tried to bring fine

dining to Fayette County, mixing affordable bistro dishes

with a more elaborate gourmet selection like our daily

specials, and at the same time catering to the

"steak and potato" crowd. We have been

well-known for dishes such as salmon maison, braised lamb

shank rosemary, roast pork loin with apple pecan sausage

dressing, and of course, our very popular pecan grilled

chicken, not to mention wonderful homemade desserts.

Nine years

of hard work, long hours, dedication, and faith has made

this family business what it is today. We truly

appreciate the loyal support of Fayette County residents,

local businesses, churches, and different associations

for their kindness in rewarding our efforts by voting the

Village Cafe best restaurant in Fayette-Coweta area for

best dining, service, and atmosphere in 1999. We hope to

continue to treat our patrons to great food and warm

hospitality in a friendly atmosphere.

Patrick

and Susi Boutier

and the entire Village Cafe staff

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