How big a deal is this signature dish?
About 30 percent of all orders every night are for the rack of lamb. People come from Canada and New York City regularly just for that.

What's your approach to the rest of the Daffodil's menu?
I try to offer classic gourmet dishes with a twist as well as traditional fare. We stay up with the trends. Although I don't know who exactly sets them, they make it up here to Buffalo and many of our customers like to try new foods in a familiar setting. For example, Oysters Rockefeller just returned to the menu. Customers were requesting a cooked oyster dish, and there's a trend toward old classics, so it made perfect sense. It's selling great.

Our specials are where we really stretch out. Sometimes it's back to the past, for a classic dish executed well, and other times it's an unusual dish that also finds a good market here.

Can you give some examples of recent favorites?
We do some game, like wild boar and antelope, and those items sell really well. The Scallop Martini appetizer has been a big hit, where we start with a pan-seared sea scallop flavored with lemon grass and gin. It's served in a martini glass with a skewer of olives. Classic osso bucco also has been a big hit, served with creamy Parmesan risotto, a gremolata made with lemon, garlic, and parsley, and vegetable ragu.

What does Daffodil's atmosphere have to do with its success?
The setting is very romantic, with lots of wood tones and warmth. We've got fireplaces, an herb garden and a lot of small rooms with tables tucked away for privacy. Each banquet room has a theme, and the old Rose Room recently has undergone a huge renovation.

The service is attentive and includes tableside Caesar salads and flaming desserts and coffees. There aren't too many restaurants still doing that sort of thing, yet it's a large part of our overall concept.

Why carry the torch for such old-fashioned flourishes?
There's a certain element of entertainment of course. The whole dining room pays attention when the wait person does a show. But beyond that, it's a fantastic selling tool. When someone eating a salad sees someone at the next table being served a spectacular flaming dessert, they want one later, too.

And we're really serious about training the right way to do it. The wait staff watches videos and practices for a long time before doing it on the floor.

What does it take to make that level of detail, combined with a high banquet volume, work?
Patience. There will never be enough hours in the day, and you'll always have staff turnover, so you've just got to roll with it. My experience over the years includes working both front- and back-of-the-house, so I feel like maybe I'm more sensitive now to all the issues involved with operating a restaurant.

We also have a high level of consistency. Since I arrived here about three years ago, we've developed standard recipes and procedures for everything in the kitchen. This is extremely important from an operational as well as a customer standpoint.

I'm also really lucky to have an experienced and dedicated staff. There aren't many of us, sometimes as few as just eight in the kitchen. We like to have some fun, too, and listen to music and socialize a bit. But when the time comes, everyone knows how to put their heads down and get things done right. We all take a lot of pride in what we do. And it shows.