Dinners uncork wine adventures

By ERIKA BAYER-POLAK

VIEW STAFF WRITER

Master chef Gustav Mauler takes pride in knowing his restaurants are for locals, and the key to his success is making the customer the most important aspect of the restaurant.

According to Mauler, if going out to dinner rather than eating at home doesn't feel good in some way, then what's the point?

"We are here for customers, we want to make you happy," he said. "We will change the dishes for customers. We make everything fresh, anyway. If we have it here, we will make it for you."

Mauler, 55, now owns two restaurants in town: Spiedini in the JW Marriott on Rampart Boulevard, and Sazio in The Orleans on West Tropicana Avenue. He also has a catering service.

Mauler aims to please all of his customers and one way to do that, he said, is to keep his menus on the same level of comfort of the customers at the two establishments. That means, among other things, keeping the prices reasonable.

This is especially important to him for his monthly wine dinners at both of his restaurants, because they help give people a reason to become a bit more adventurous in their encounters with food and wine.

"If you normally order the same wine all the time, you probably won't try something new on your own," Mauler said.

He introduced the wine dinners roughly 2 1/2 years ago as a way to expose his customers to new wines they may not have tried otherwise and to build a stronger relationship with his returning customers. One such dinner, set for Tuesday at Sazio, is priced at $39 per person, while Spiedini's menu on June 28 will be offered at $58 per person.

The monthly dinners are always on Tuesday evenings, based on public response. Mauler said the dinners are fun and educational.

"Not only do you try new things, but you also learn about what you are trying," he said.

Either the wine maker or a representative from the featured winery attends each dinner and discusses the history of the wine and explains the various nuances of each one.

As for the pairing of wine with dishes, Mauler said it's great for him and his chefs because they can experiment with recipes and ingredients, and often make new and interesting dishes. One item that a patron would not likely see on the wine dinner menus is a salad with vinegar dressing.

"Vinegar and wine does not work together," Mauler said. "I try to stay away from acidic things, because it just doesn't go."

Mauler said when he makes his rounds speaking to his customers, after he has made the dishes, he truly enjoys receiving feedback on how things tasted and how well certain foods and wines went together.

Although Mauler said a portion of his business comes from guests staying at one of the hotels, the majority of his cliental are local residents.

"We advertise locally. This is a local restaurant," he said. "We don't market ourselves to the outside."

If there are new faces on Tuesdays, it's usually from word of mouth.

"About 80 percent of the customers at the wine dinners have been with us for a while, and the other 20 percent are new to us," he said. "They usually hear about it from a friend."

Since the release of the movie "Sideways," Mauler said the interest in pinot noirs has skyrocketed, as well as requests and suggestions from customers. Mauler said the pinot noir craze is working out right now, because they are lighter wines, making it a better choice during summer.

Mauler said even if the restaurant business wasn't as competitive as it is, he would still be doing it his way, and that is to make the customer feel good.

"If you are lactose intolerant, just say so, and we hold the cream," he said. "You will not offend or hurt anyone's feelings about being honest about how you want your food made, or what you like and don't like."

For reservations, call Sazio at 948-9500 or Spiedini at 869-8500.