Regular

Let me ask you folks: are you a regular at any restaurant? And I don't mean a regular in terms of you go there all the time, but a regular in terms of the people who work there know you.

I am a regular at Cafe Blanc in Costa Mesa. I believe I have mentioned about this place in previous posts, and I am just in love with it because it is exactly like the type of patisserie I want to open.

For those who don't know, Cafe Blanc is owned by Chef Tomi Harase. A well-mannered Japanese man in his 50s runs the kitchen and is helped by his lovely wife and who I'm assuming is his daughter, as well as 2 or 3 additional staff, all Japanese. His English isn't perfect and I sometimes have a hard time understanding what he's saying with his still heavy accent, but he is a very wonderful and genuine individual. I became a regular because over a period of maybe 3-4 months last year, I was going into his store once, sometimes twice, a week. I am the type of person when I find a restaurant I really like and/or I believe in the product or find a dish I REALLY like there, I am very loyal.

So now every time I go in, he always says hi from back in the kitchen and always comes out front to greet me again with a handshake. He knows I am also a chef and have worked at various restaurants. We usually just exchange small talk, but you speak with him for just 5 seconds and you'll immediately pick up on his kind character.

Anyway, my point. Lately, but not always, every time I go in to get several desserts to go, he has been generous enough to give me a complimentary item as a gesture of thanks for always coming in. For instance, the first time he gave me something for free was actually an item that he was soon to put on the menu. It was a coffee and hazelnut based dessert that is now called Volcano.

But throughout these months he has given me items such as macarons, cookies, chocolates, and just tonight when I went, he gave me a rather large croissant, bagging and holding it up, saying, "for breakfast tomorrow". I generously thanked him, made my purchase, and went on my way. I think one of the best parts is whenever I leave and the way he says bye:

"ok, thank you. See you next time. Have a good night, thank you. See you soon" - like he sort of repeats himself. It's funny.

As long as Cafe Blanc remains open, I will always be a loyal customer.