pot-stirrer

sometimes being opinionated has its advantages. take my recent email to Diesel, my new next door (restaurant) neighbor in the Highlands:

Hi,
I'm one of your new neighbors. I live at XXX North Highland and my bedroom window literally has a good view of the kitchen and the valet stall. I have to say I'm a little disappointed that you didn't consider doing a soft-opening party to meet your neighbors. I came home recently and saw that you began advertising lunch and dinner on your sign– so I am assume you are open to the public. Living next door, I/we are exposed to a lot of noise coming from your restaurant (already) on a nightly basis, well past when some of us go to bed. I think a meet and greet would have been a nice gesture. I also tend to think success and longevity has a lot to do with how you are received in the community. I wasn't someone who loved Dish as some people did – in fact, I tried it several times and thought the food was mediocre, but the staff was what sent me over the edge. Very unfriendly people. The noise level was never an issue – perhaps most people took to the main dining area and not the outdoor. It also wasn't a rowdy sort of place. All that being said, I was not surprised at all when it closed down.
I do wish you all the best and will likely come down for a drink.
Welcome to the neighborhood,
XXXXXXXX (we don't use real names here, you know that!)

I got this in response:

Hi XXXXXXXX,
First off I would like to say that I am very sorry for the noise coming from the restaurant. I will address my GM and the staff tonight about this.
I would also like to apologize for your not receiving an invitation to our "soft" open this past Saturday. We took a far more passive approach to the soft open and we personally gave out invitations the Saturday of Summer-fest along with free fried green tomato burgers. All of the invites where gone within 4 hours, which was quite unexpected. So again I am sorry for not extending the invite your way.
On a brighter note, thank you for the warm welcome to the neighborhood. I hope we are here for many years. I can assure you our staff has much experience and is not at all "stuffy" or untrained.
I assume in finding this email address you have been to our website (www.dieselatlanta.com) which has a copy of our menu. If you like what you see, I invite you to come and try your first meal on us. Just ask for myself (Justin Haynie) or my GM Michael Gardner and we would be glad to comp your food.
thanks again,
Justin Haynie
Diesel

Thank you for humoring my outspokenness, Justin. I think I will try you out and it has nothing to do with being free ;)...okay maybe a little.