Make It And They Shall Come?

I never understood the following dictum:

People like choice on the menu. As in, pack it in with all sorts of stuff you, the chef or restaurant owner or both, may not like to please the customer.

The thinking is that every menu should plus ou moins have the same amount of food dishes to be offered. Do this and you will flourish.

It's called servicing your clients. To others it's pandering to your lowest common denominator and amounts to nothing more than a cookie-cutter approach. If you're one of those people that values quantity over quality then you're part of the reason why this dictum is followed.

Ever watch Big Night? Philosophically, Primo was 100% right. You eat what I have because it's the best I can give you. In this way, I am giving you optimum service. Service that comes from my soul. There may not be certain foods you like on the menu or prepared the way you are accustomed to but therein lies the uniqueness of my restaurant. Indeed, of me.

On the other hand, the place across the street (and to which Primo's brother Secondo wanted to emulate to save the restaurant) is many faces to many people. He tries to accommodate all colours, shapes and sizes. It is impossible to offer quality with this approach. You may get what you want but are you truly savouring what you are supposed to be tasting?

The problem faced by many chefs, I presume, is that a customer who tastes veal prepared a certain way somewhere expects it to be done the same way everywhere.

So much for diversity.

Then again, there's another axiom that competes with the one I mentioned off the top. And that's the notion of "build or make it well and they shall come." I've been told this about writing. "Write it well and with passion and they will come!"

Which of these prevailing views makes most sense?