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Brad A. Johnson

Food & Travel

Brad A Johnson
  • Blog
  • About
  • Photography
    • Food Photography
    • Travel Photography
    • Restaurant Photography
    • Hotel & Resort Photography
  • Writing
  • Contact

In Search of Grace, the holy grail of hospitality

  • November 25, 2013
  • Brad A. Johnson

After nearly a year at the OC Register, I finally awarded my first 4-star rating. (See my review of Blossom in Las Vegas). Unfortunately, I haven’t yet found a restaurant in OC that lives up to the ultimate rating. If it were easy, lots of restaurants would do it. But it’s not. It’s hard. Very hard. Almost impossible.

People constantly ask me, “What is it going to take to get four stars?”

My answer is simple: grace.

Extraordinary food is a given. As is a great atmosphere appropriate for the concept being reviewed. And service must be appropriately polished for the venue. All of these things must be world-class and in sync. But the thing that remains most elusive is grace.

What is grace? Grace is consistently the most difficult aspect of hospitality to understand and achieve.

Grace is the pace at which staff move through the restaurant.

Grace is the confidence in a waiter’s delivery.

Grace is not merely the way a chef decorates a dish, but also the manner in which the busboy removes the dirty dish after it’s been eaten.

Grace is the noise – or lack thereof – that’s made when resetting tables.

Grace is not only the way someone answers the telephone, but the delivery of their apology if the restaurant is fully booked.

Grace is knowing how loudly to play the music.

Grace is the way a manager respects his or her employee in the presence of customers.

Grace is knowing when to interrupt a private conversation, and when to join it.

Grace comes from within. It is the ultimate expression of hospitality, from start to finish, and it’s one of the most difficult things to teach.

But when you experience it, you will know it. And you will understand why it’s a crucial element of the fourth and ultimate star.

The original version of this story appeared in the OC Register along with my 4-star review of Blossom in Las Vegas. 

For more travel inspiration and photos, I invite you to follow me and join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

 

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Brad A. Johnson

Brad A. Johnson is a writer and photographer specializing in food and travel. His work has been honored by the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, James Beard Awards, World Food Media Awards, Food Photographer of the Year Awards, Society of Features Journalism Awards and others. Based in Southern California, Brad currently serves as Editorial Director of the new luxury consumer travel magazine of the Global Travel Collection (launching Spring 2023).

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Hey, OC. FYI in case you missed it, @ryegoods has opened a new location on Red Hill in Tustin, just down the street from Flight/Mess Hall. Same incredible breads and pastries as the original on the peninsula. No lines here, plus a huge seating area. #sourdough #pastries #coffee #orangecounty 322 9
One more post from our lovely stay at @fstokyo. Delicious lunch at @maisonmarunouchi, the casual sibling to @sezannetokyo. Excellent all around. And clearly popular with Tokyo's ladies who lunch: the clientele during our visit, almost entirely women. Quite the see-and-be-seen crowd. 57 1
I’m not sure which I liked better about the @fstokyo, the valet greeter and escort from the train station, the view of the trains from our room, or the super comfy pajamas. Excellent service all around. #Tokyo #Japan #hoteljunkie 79 3
I think @sezannetokyo ⁠has a #footfetish, and I’m ok with that. Truly fantastic lunch. Impeccable service. ⁠ 63 1
We had a really fun "Lost in Translation" moment at @meatman_roppongi. Google Translate failed hilariously. Delicious meat/fat overload anyway. Great staff, charming hospitality. Lots of sake. Thank you, @fstokyo for securing the reservation! #Tokyo #Roppongi #sake 76 1
Well, that was interesting.  A toast to 2022. And looking forward to ‘23. Cheers, and safe travels to all. 81 1
Brad A. Johnson
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Writer. Photographer. Traveler. Restaurant Critic.

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