Postcard 004 - True Hospitality
In a MAEKAN briefing intro last November, I wrote the following about reacquainting myself with Seattle restaurants:
“I’ve become a regular at a nearby restaurant thanks to my friends' recommendation and my subsequent visits, where I've tried to bring anyone who would let me. When I say "visits," it means at least once a week for the last 8 weeks, so not too bad.
Besides the food — which is excellent — the thing that keeps me coming back is the people who work there and the relationships that we've developed. I'm greeted by name and can greet most of the front of house staff by name as well.”
While I still visit Carrello regularly (and send people there), I’ve moved to a different part of Seattle recently and have been doing my best to try and visit more places that are within walking distance. This led me to try Sugo Hand Roll Bar.
Similar to Carrello, I became a regular at Sugo quite quickly. In fact, the first week I went there, I proceeded to eat there four nights in a row. Also like Carrello, it was not just the food, but the entire experience of being there that kept me coming back — connecting with the staff, enjoying the music, feeling welcomed. In some regards, Sugo should be a very transactional restaurant. You sit at the bar, get served your food, and then you leave. But I’ve never been in and out, and I’ve never felt rushed.
The more I go, the more I learn what the different staff enjoy from the menu, and the more I’m offered new things they’re experimenting with or serving which aren’t even on the menu (like the above sake). Each trip includes more smiles, more friendly chats about things that have nothing to do with food or the restaurant, and (what feels like) more excitement for the next visit (on both sides).
This, for me, feels like true hospitality.