Nothing new. Just a little funny.
http://www.chefgui.com/2009/06/05/10-things-chefs-wont-tell-you/
Thank you Mr. Minor
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7 comments:
I don't agree with the special comment. Sometimes specials are new menu ideas, other times I would be bored and wanted to see how bad I could put myself in the weeds. And occasionally they are a great way to get rid of product, but that is not the sole purpose of specials.
I can't properly comment until read all the comments, but who is this guy and where did he come from? Has anyone read his book? I totally disagree with the special comment. Every restaurant is different and every special serves different purposes. I'm getting really tired of chef's making blanket generalizations about the business. Who elected them to be our spokesmen?
Obviously it is a generalization. Most of the year all of our fish on our menu is fresh. Our specials are also to have fun with new and exciting products.
Living in Eugene we get a lot of vegan and vegetarian dietary restrictions. We have plenty of options on and off the menu that we offer and serve to these guests. I am proud to say that they are very tasty options. What is happening is that these folks are now bringing in their vegan and vegetarian friends. They are booking 8 tops on busy nights. I love the business and the revenue, but the ticket that rings into the kitchen is always a 2 foot long nightmare. It doesn't just stop there. When people get used to having dietary restrictions it seems as if they add more and more and more. I understand that some people are extremely allergic to some food ingredients. My heart goes out to every one of them. However, if you decide to not eat meat anymore, then decide to cut out dairy too, then decide to cut out salt, then wheat, then soy, gelatin.....and then tell me that you've already had our level five vegan special (food that doesn't cast a shadow) and want a new dish, then you are probably going to end up on a list I keep in the back of my brain labeled "douche bag."
Please understand that I get emails alerting me of these folks and their choice of dietary restrictions. We then plan out their meals ahead of time. No problem, right? More than often it somehow turns out to be a pain in the ass. What makes it even better is that we can only charge so much for a dish with barley or quinoa. The bigger the party is the more the server gets screwed in the end too. It is not often someone who is a dietary control freak will be generous with gratuity.
@ Sous- come up with a vegetarian menu or at least inform the staff of some easy veggie dishes you can make during service. In that town I would prep veghead options everyday.
Each of our dishes have a vegetarian option. We don't advertise the option but we know what we need when we see that a vegetarian is coming in.
We did have a vegan come in about a month ago. They were an add on at 630 for a 730 reservation. Slingblade and I knocked out some vegan food. When I talked to the EC and owner the next day they told me first and foremost "We are in the business of making good food." Use butter and chicken stock if they taste better. There is a HUGE difference between being allergic and choosing not to eat a certain food group. I feed vegetarians chicken stock all the time, I am sorry but it tastes better then water. I don't have time or the storage/stove space to make vegetable stock for one person. They all love it, and probably have a huge boost of energy the next day. I will however make damn sure someone with a shellfish or nut allergy gets food that will not send them into anaphylaxis.
I love this thread. I wish some others would chime in, because I want to know what everyone does to solve the veg problem. I just tell them that Hitler was a vegetarian and give them bacon buerre blanc in a sidecar. I can understand Sous getting a lot of crunchies, just a hazard of being in the beautiful PNW, and I agree with Starch that there needs to be some sort of system/menu to feed these fuckers cost effectively. When I was at the Italian place, I had very few flavorful options (almost zero vegan possibilities) and I didn't apologize for it. There are places that SPECIALIZE in that cuisine. Several of them, probably within a few miles of where you are dining. Why would you come to an Italian restaurant if you want asparagus and walnuts over penne in red sauce? That's gross and I won't serve it to you, even @ $17.00. As far as Starch's situation, I really for the position they're put in because of the dining format. It almost invites substitutions and you can't really say no. People suck and the ones that should be dining in or ordering Indian really do tip the least. We need a better solution than "Fuck you." In my shitty city, I need to consult an attorney before I put cilantro in a dish.
if you have time and you want to get angry, check out
http://macandcheesereview.blogspot.com/search?q=vegan+risotto
When I read that, I had to comment and the other comments made me hate vegans with new passion. I don't know why I still read this blog, because all it does is make me angry.
I have a funny story:
In late October I was doing some cooking demos at our annual Mycological Festival here in Eugene. There were over 2000 people in attendance. One of the recipes I did was a Chanterelle Ragout. It is an awesome dish. My favorite of the past fall. It is fucking delicious and smells amazing while its cooking.
The aroma of the ragout permeated the air and people were crowding around to watch the demo.
One mean looking hippie lady pushed her way from the back of the crowd to the stage saying loudly how she "had to get a taste of something that smelled so wonderful." She intrusively walked right up to my sauce pot, reached her hand in and grabbed a piece of chanterelle. Just as she was putting it in her mouth I muttered, "It has veal demi glace in it." She then threw the chanterelle as if it were poisonous and said loudly, "EEEWWWW!"
All of her senses told her to eat it. Yet her convictions got in the way.
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