chefperkey

I see lola's and Lolitas website is up and runnning. Nice job by Micheal, Liz and Doug The site is easy to navigate and gives you all the info you need. Good pics as well. Can't wait to back to Cleveland and see the changes at Lolita as well as the new Lolas Nice job as usual! lolabistro.com Sorry I don't know how to give a direct link

OK, I'm sure that your experience was not a good one. But I would think that the above sentence is in context to the level of service expected vs. the level received. It could not have the been the "bar none, the worst" judging all restauraunts on a standad scale....could it? I must say that my personal experience was one of the best I've ever had. I can't wait to hear the details! ← ← I'm sure if this the thread (in fact I'm sure it is not) but this is a question I have thought about alot. Is it fair to compare high end restaurants to casual as far as our expections go. Is it fair for both the high end tasting menu restaurants as well as the casual. Obviously casual restaurants don't have the staff to provide the same level of service. This has nothing to do really with U.E. experience. From what he is saying this would have been dissapoimting at any level of restaurant. Yet there are plenty of casual restaurants that give both great service as well as great food yet they not often regaurded in the same way as the so called high end establishments. Anyway it is someyhing I have been thinking about for sometime and this disscusion has seemed inspired me to throw this out to the E-Gullet society.

OK, I'm sure that your experience was not a good one. But I would think that the above sentence is in context to the level of service expected vs. the level received. It could not have the been the "bar none, the worst" judging all restauraunts on a standad scale....could it? I must say that my personal experience was one of the best I've ever had. I can't wait to hear the details! ←

Going to dinner Tuesday night. I can't wait Brittanie is a friend from Grand Rapids so it will great to see her as well. I'll give a report when I get back.

I haven't posted in quite a while but this thread has inspired me. As a chef who has worked for some very famous chef's I have to say I am proud to pay homage to them. As stated above I find it very hard to not take alot of there influnce in my cooking, that is why I worked for them in the first place(it certaintly wasn't for the money ) I have feel I have taken a little something from each and found my "style". when asked I love to tell guests or other cooks who I have recieved my influnce from. Is this plagerism? or steeling? I guess I call it learning. I don't, however, put an exact replica of a dish from one of my mentors on a menu. Anyway I feel a more pressing problem here is the steeling and faliure to execute a dish properly. With this "avante-gaurd" cusine if a guest tries it and the dishes are not executed properly I believe it will hinder those who are doing the food properly. Cooking in a smaller market for guests who have not been exposed to many different cusines I have found this to be a problem. I do not do the "avante-gaurd" cusine, but even something like foie-gras, which we do very well, is poorly executed at other places so when guests here see it on a menu they respond " I have had that before and didn't care for it" we have also seen this with things like short ribs. Anyway thats my $.02 There is a question of ethics but also doing things that are "cool" without the training or proper ingredients can hurt.

Has anyone tried Rubicon since Steward has taken over? I am in Michigan (formally from Chicago) and know him from Tapawingo and also when he worked in Chicago. I was just wondering how the restaurant has changed and would like your opinions Thanks

First of all congradulations on a great run at Trio Chefg. I have heard a rumor (or a truth) that a space nears Trotter's was selected for Alinea. Anyone got the info on this? Again congrats on your sucess and best of luck in every thing you do Chef Perkey.

Hello this is my first post but I have been following this thread and felt I had to add some input. First I was raised in Chicago and worked in the business there for about 13 years before coming to Michigan. I also was friends with a former GM of trotters and I can say she would never had allowed her hosts to be tipped and she would have never allowed jugemental service. I have eaten there 4 times over the years and have had some of the best meals ever. The service is very knowlegable and accomadating without ever being snobby. We have always been granted tours of the restaurant and have talked with Chef Trotter every time. People have been arguing about weather Chef Trotter is still at the top or not ot if he is on his way down. All I can say is that he has consistanly provided world class cusine for over 15 years and anyone in the business knows how hard that is to do. I would say a culinary trip to Chicago would be unfulfilled with out a stop at CT Thanks