\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n This is an excerpt from our newsletter for industry pros, <\/span><\/i>Pre Shift<\/span><\/i><\/a>. Subscribe for more stories like this.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n In industry lexicon, there are no VIPs\u2014there are <\/span>PXs<\/span><\/i>. An abbreviation for the French \u201cpersonne extraordinaire,\u201d the restaurant-ism is a unique delineation for diners of, well, distinction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Across the board, however, a PX will nearly always be greeted with \u201ca splash\u201d\u2014a pour of something or other by the glass to set the tone for the meal. But how do venues choose which bottles to splash with and who to splash? To find out, we asked five wine directors and restaurateurs about the nature of their PX policies and their chosen \u201csplash\u201d offerings. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n \u201cFor us, PX1s are new regulars and friends, PX2s are (mostly) family members of people that work here, restaurant industry peers and major regulars. PX3s are critics, our wives and Barack and Michelle (putting this one out into the universe). Obviously, we use discretion here and certain folks get moved through the rankings. And yes, we Google our guests\u2014not ashamed!\u201d
<\/p>\n \u201cThere isn\u2019t an exact formula to being classified as a PX or a VIP for us. It can mean someone who\u2019s<\/span> industry or industry-adjacent, friends and family of the staff, guests who have been supporting myself and our chef, Nick, at the various restaurants we\u2019ve worked at over time, as well as neighbors, or even regulars at Smithereens.\u201d
<\/p>\n \u201cWhile we don\u2019t necessarily have tiers of MITs [Canard\u2019s internal term for PXs], if we know a reviewer is coming, we\u2019ll take extra special care of them\u2014though that doesn\u2019t [necessarily] mean sending out free stuff. It\u2019s just about keeping a super close eye on their table to make sure all is seamless. Of course, we try to do that with all our guests, but a bad review could theoretically be very catastrophic for business.\u201d
<\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of the day, our regulars are the most important to us. They\u2019re the ones who make our restaurant what it is\u2014end of story. Of course, industry guests are also important to us because we maintain a mutual respect for the work that they do\u2014and when you work in hospitality, it can be quite hard to find time to visit other restaurants because <\/span>you\u2019re<\/span><\/i> always working, so when an industry guest chooses to come to us, we think it\u2019s important to show them a good time.\u201d \u201cWe try to match any specialized attention to the person in question. If we know someone is really into wine, for instance, we might specifically not splash them with bubbles, because they probably have a clear idea of what they want to drink. Instead, we might send an extra food item, splash them with something that complements the wine they did order (perhaps a different producer\u2019s wine from the same vineyard). We want every gesture to feel personal, not formulaic.\u201d
<\/p>\n \u201cWe try to be smart about what we send\u2014and we don\u2019t like to crush people with excessive food. We like to splash, send a small plate from the top of the menu, or something to go with an entr\u00e9e. It\u2019s always a conversation between us and the server and we make decisions based on their read of the table: if there\u2019s a hole in the order, or we\u2019ve sent things in the past, etc.\u201d
<\/p>\n \u201cIf I know the guest in question is into wine, I sometimes offer something off the pairing list to go with their meal, or a dessert wine to finish their meal. I pick the bottle based off of the mood of the night, whether this guest is sitting down for a quick bite or having a night here and if any celebrations are involved.\u201d \u201cIn Los Angeles, people drink less than they do in New York, so I have to make sure people are having wine that night before going for it. I like to have something behind the bar that isn\u2019t on the list, which makes it a bit more special. I was splashing Arnaud Lambert\u2019s Cr\u00e9mant de Loire Ros\u00e9 for a bit. Pink bubbles are always fun.\u201d<\/span>
<\/p>\n \u201cWe have over 350 wines in the building, so we often like to open a couple things from the bottle list and sell them by the glass (we call these \u2018Deep Cuts\u2019). It gives our guests a chance to try some of the more rare selections we have and is a great way to keep our staff educated on our list. Instead of having a standard offering for people, we try to make sure there is as much variety as possible.\u201d
<\/p>\n \u201cIf there\u2019s a celebration happening, a splash of bubbles to start makes sense. Sometimes, we prefer to wait until mid-meal and add a wine pairing. Or, if we know this particular guest is trying to drink less, we might sneak in an extra bite of something. What we do needs to meld into their experience, not just sit on top of it.\u201d
<\/p>\n \u201cWe try to keep notes and be intentional when it comes to gifting or interacting with our guests regardless of a \u2018PX\u2019 label… Maybe if a bottle of Lauer riesling has already been ordered, we think a splash of another Lauer wine would make for a lovely side-by-side. Or, there might be a dish, like our seaweed dessert, that would pair best with sake, so we\u2019ll splash sake right when that dish hits the table.\u201d \u201cI usually go for Champagne, but recently, I\u2019ve been going adjacently to Cr\u00e9mant Blanc de Noirs from Tissot; I think they pair really well with our tortilla. I\u2019ve also been exploring dessert offerings, so I\u2019ve used a ratafia from Chavost too.\u201d<\/span>
<\/p>\n \u201cThis past week, we poured some Loire Valley wines, specifically Domaine des Sablonnettes\u2019 Le P\u2019tit Blanc chenin blanc and Antoine Sanzay\u2019s La Paterne cabernet franc. But those selections change on a weekly basis for us.\u201d
<\/p>\n \u201cOf course, starting someone with bubbles is great; right now it\u2019s Fran\u00e7ois Chidaine\u2019s Brut Tradition. My favorite splash, however, is Giusto Occhipinti\u2019s Naturale Bitter Vino vermouth with dessert. As a wine-\/beer-only spot, this is the closest I can get to an amaro and guests love it.\u201d
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<\/a>Generally, PXs have tiers (usually labeled PX1, PX2 and PX3), whereby guests are ranked in prestige based on their relationship to a restaurant\u2014be they friends of the staff, industry colleagues, investors or perhaps big-deal reviewers. And the specialty treatment protocols are varied among each establishment: comped cocktails and dishes, topped-off glasses, free desserts, prime seating, the list goes on.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
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\n<\/span>\u2014<\/b>Andrew Lawson, partner and general manager, <\/i><\/b>\u00c8tra<\/i><\/b><\/a>, Los Angeles<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>\u2014Nikita Malhotra, beverage director, <\/i><\/b>Smithereens<\/i><\/b><\/a>, New York City<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>\u2014<\/b>Andrew Fortgang, co-owner and wine director, <\/i><\/b>Canard<\/i><\/b><\/a>, Portland, Oregon<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>\u2014<\/b>Harry Jamison, general manager, <\/i><\/b>a.Kitchen<\/i><\/b><\/a>, Philadelphia<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/section>\n
\n<\/span>\u2014<\/b>Fortgang<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>\u2014<\/b>Lawson<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>\u2014<\/b>Mariano Garay, wine director, <\/i><\/b>Corima<\/i><\/b><\/a>, New York City<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/section>\n
\n<\/b>\u2014<\/b>Lawson<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>\u2014<\/b>Jamison<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>\u2014<\/b>Fortgang<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>\u2014<\/b>Malhotra<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/section>\n
\n<\/b>\u2014<\/i><\/b>Garay<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>\u2014<\/b>Jamison<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
\n<\/span>\u2014<\/b>Lawson<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/section>\n