The Hidden Charms Of A Limited Menu

The Hidden Charms Of A Limited Menu

One of our very favorite Nashville restaurants is Margot Café & Bar over on the East side of town. A chef-driven enterprise, Margot Café posts a different menu every week, depending on the season and availability of fresh, local ingredients. Margot, the chef/proprietor, is a gifted artist, turning out delectable, French-inspired dishes that always inspire and satisfy. 

But if you’re looking for a lot of choices, you’re going to have to look elsewhere. Margot is not only a great chef, she’s a great example of the considerable power of a “limited menu.” This ain’t the Cheesecake Factory, folks. When you visit her place, to quote Mssrs. Jagger and Richards, you can’t always get what you want. But what you always get is Margo, and, in this case, that’s all you need. You put your trust in the chef, sit back, and let her do her amazing work. 

While we love the idea of instant gratification and endless choices – in our food, in our lives and in our businesses – it’s often best to put our faith in a true professional, someone who actually knows and loves what they’re doing. You get what you pay for, and what you’re paying for is the expertise that an experienced pro brings to your particular table. 

There are times at Margo Café when the menu is a bit exotic for my tastes. That’s when I order the chicken, which is always reliably, reassuringly, on the menu. Using the simplest ingredients, Margo does magical things with a chicken breast. Her chicken never, ever lets me down. Like my clients, sometimes I want the full bells-and-whistles presentation, but there are times when a simple, perfectly prepared chicken dish is just what I need. Using the most basic techniques and ingredients, an experienced craftsperson can deliver both. 

It’s sometimes tempting to do it all yourself, but there are times when it’s best to hand things off to a trusted specialist. What you don’t see on that limited menu is the infinite passion and expertise behind every item. Be it graphic design, branding, marketing, or especially French cuisine, choose from an expert’s smaller list and free them to do the rest. That’s the thing about a limited menu; oftentimes there’s a whole lot more there than meets the eye.