Café + R + D x Purple Kool Aid= Excellent Sevice

Last week after a post-work shopping expedition to Orvis in Preston Center, I popped into Café R+D, for a little R&R. Like its big brother restaurant, Houston’s, across the parking lot,the dining room was mobbed. The open kitchen was pumping out plates of huge salads, sandwiches, and entrees. The cocktail crowd surrounding the U-shaped bar was three deep. The food was fine but what blew me away was the service: despite the crowd, the service flowed effortlessly from beginning to end. I noted a couple of guys in suits roaming the room and flagged one over. Turns out he is the assistant GM who came from the Newport Beach location. “How could you leave Southern California for Dallas?” I asked him. “I would move anywhere in the world to work for this company[Hillstone Restaurants],” was his reply. “Why?” I asked. “It’s the way the treat you in this company, you are a human, not a number,” he said smiling as he checked the salt and pepper shaker levels. Then he gave us his card and asked us to come back and see him. Yes, Jacob League, service manager, I think I will. It’s good to be queen. If only for one night.