The joy of discovery

Earlier today I took this post down saying that a new one was coming. And as I thought about it, I decided to just put it back up. It’s not the best one that I’ve written, but not everyone is going to be perfect. As Seth Godin says, Real artists ship. It’s not always perfect, but it’s always out there and always on-time.


Since I started traveling more and more for work, and started realizing that it's ok to go out to dinner by myself, I've started to pay more attention to shows that feature different restaurants. In fact, I've actually created a spreadsheet that has different cities across the U.S. and restaurants in the vicinity. That way when I have to travel some place for either work or pleasure, I already have a list of places to eat. This is how I found out about the Ken Oringer places, and honestly added Paseo and Salumi to my list of places to try in Seattle.



It's great to have a list to pull from, but I wonder if I'm missing out on the joy of discovering new places. The other night, prior to eating at Clio, I was walking around the neighborhood, primarily up Newbury Street. Before I go further, I want to say tha I am not inentionally bashing Clio or anything; just that it happened to facilitate a thought provoking night for me. Anyway, as I was walking up the street, I just noticed a lot of different cafes and restaurants that seemed interesting. But, I had made up my mind that Clio was my destination, and nothing was going to defer me from that. Heck, I'd even posted on Twitter (@deckonfood) first thing in the morning that I was going to Clio. I couldn't possibly let my half dozen readers down after all the hype. But, did I miss out on a discovery of something better because of my myopic focus?



Actually, as I thought about this, something became clear; it was still a discovery. I wouldn't have known about Clio without watching the shows, and I wouldn't have known about Newbury Street if it wasn't for going to Clio. In fact, I still feel a certain amount of joy because I know next time I'm in Boston, there is an area that I want to go and explore further. In addition, I received a comment that said to check out Toro, which is actually the best Ken Oringer restaurant, and would change my opinion of him.



So, is there a point to this seemingly rambling blog post? Surprisingly yes. The point is that discoveries and opportunities are everywhere. I can find out about new restaurants by watching shows, walking around neighborhoods and asking locals. I can find out new techniques by watching shows, reading books and taken classes. And, the best part; each new discover leads itself to many, many more. It's like exponential growth. I wouldn't have found out about all the places in Back Bay that I now want to try if I hadn't stopped at the one. That's what I hope will make this blog worth your time. The content is everywhere. Everytime I go to a new city, or try something new, many doors are open, and there are many things to write about.



And, as a personal note for everyone out there; your inspiration and your passion come from many different places. A bad experience from one doesn't mean that you should shut down the source. Rather, look for the good that comes out of it; the glass half full perspecitve. If anything, my passion and desire has been solidified the more I thought about my experience. This is why I started what I'm doing; to share my experiences with you, but also to open up new experiences for me. So look out for some great posts in the upcoming months, stories about learning to cook with all the new gadgets I hope to be getting as wedding presents, comparisons of competing restaurants I learned about by watching TV (Geno's vs. Pat's in Philly), and random discoveries like Fainting Goat Gelato. It's going to be a good ride.