Fine restaurants pay attention to detail to ensure you have a pleasurable dining experience. RELATED LINKS The Dish on Dining Out

Whether an everyday habit or a weekly indulgence, dinging out a fine restaurant can provide an experience that goes far beyond simply eating a meal. How do restaurant owners and managers bring together service, food and ambience to ensure that their customers have a pleasant, rewarding evening?

Tracey Spillane is the General Manager of Beverly Hills' Spago, one of the nation's most acclaimed and famous restaurants. From the selection of wine glasses to the kind of plate a meal is served on, Spillane sees that nothing is done without careful consideration, and her ultimate goal is a satisfied customer leaving with a smile. Here she offers a quick peek into the world of fine restaurants:

• Service. The waiters and waitresses act as your liaison to the kitchen and management. A thoroughly trained, courteous and well-informed wait staff can elevate your fine dining experience to a truly extraordinary level.

• Executive chef. The executive does for the restaurant's menu what a director does for a motion picture. She is ultimately responsible for selecting the items to be served, from the entrees to the desserts.

• Sous chef. The sous chef serves as assistant to the executive chef and is responsible for preparing a portion of the meal. A fine restaurant will have many sous chefs working in the kitchen, preparing anything from the sauces and vegetables to the meats.

• Sommelier. A sommelier is responsible only for the restaurant's wine list. A good sommelier will educate the service staff so they are informed enough to help customers make satisfying wine choices.
  

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