Sad but true

It's soooo sad. Most people are addicted to sauces out of the jar, full of preservative, tasting nothing like what they traditionally should. This morning, a lady complained about our Hollandaise sauce. As she was leaving. Now, when her breakfast was taken out to her, she didn't recognise the Hollandaise sauce on her plate! She thought it was egg yolk that had burst and flown out... Funny for those few of us who still make their own sauces. Sad when you think about what has become of us. Most cafes just open a jar and serve that. Sadly, that's what people have come to think of as real!!! Fresh is out. No wonder our health figures nation-wide are  pathetic. We're used to eating crap.

Its not where its from. It's WHAT it's from.

When it comes to wine, many of us less educated, tend to think it's all in the label. Now how do I know if this wine, that I've never heard of, is good or bad. Dining out, do want to risk $40 on a bottle that I might not like? Simple answer to that would - NO. Having said that, what makes a wine good? This all very basic stuff, mind you. Every now and then, we come across an ad on TV, see a great picture of a glorious-looking bottle on the side of a bus or someone comes along with "Oh, you need to try that wine!". I, personally, tend to disagree with all of these.
It's not where it comes from. I've had bad Shiraz from the Barossa. Bad Semillon from the Hunter and categorically bad wine from Bordeaux. It's WHAT it comes from. the soil, the climate, the grapes, the people. Small unknown wineries come up with ground-shattering wines every now and then. How? Better soil. Better climate. Fantastic people, who love what they're doing, make their own rules and not report into managers sitting in a high-rise sending emails to justify their existence in the million-dollar companies. 
BUT. Again, how do you know? You'll need to get hold of a good wine-book. There are many, you'll get to know which one is good for you, in time. Campbell Mattinson - most red wines in Australia. James Halliday - most wines in Australia. Robert Parker - most wines in the US and rest of the world. Or you can join an online forum. Or just do your research on the net. If you like something, get in touch with the wineries. Trust me, they are the nicest people out there and would answer most of your question to the best of their abilities.
Dining out? This is tricky. Most places do not tell you anything about their wines other than WHERE they come from and how much they cost. Not good enough. Ask for a tasting. Or just ask the staff what they think of it - again, risky. The best thing is to have your research done and have an idea of what might work for you. If a place has a wine-list that tells you a bit more about the wine, like tasting notes, that'll help a great deal.
Bio-dyanamic wine is always a better way to go if you're lost. Because its a perfect example of 'WHAT it comes from'. 
Enjoy.

small time roaster down the road or a quality bean from people who know what they're doing?

unlike common belief that small guys who roast their coffee down the road are super, it all actually depends on the quality of the beans. if you're getting good beans (roasted anywhere in the world), and grinding it fresh, your coffee will end up tasting good. its all in the bean. cant get good wine in a bad vintage.

Bookings or no bookings?

Many of our friends in Hospitality have moved away from taking bookings - you get there on time, get in. Seems like a fair deal. Also, lets us have random people in, whenever there's a seat available. Last-minute cancellations, absurd expectations, all these are killers in a financial sense. We're seriously thinking of moving away from all that.