I read with interest the letter written by one of your readers who elaborated on Fayette County's inability to attract “upscale” restaurants, and how the Village Cafe had to lower its standards to please its clientele, concluding that “Fayette County residents obviously would not know a fine restaurant even if they were in front of one.” Of course, “people on the north side do know good food and as a result enjoy good restaurants.”

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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