touaregsand
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Posts posted by touaregsand
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The complaint in this case was basically your crabcakes aren't consistent. That's a management issue. If the owner had brought out the recipe, along with records showing the quantity of each ingredient consumed per day for the last few weeks, that would show that at least they understood that they had two people making the crab cakes in two different ways.
All of this for crabcakes?
(searching for more emoticons)EDIT: not just for crabcakes...
Records showing quantity of each ingredient consumed.....
If anyone here has never been in a kitchen, it would be a real eye opener for them to spend and evening in a busy kitchen.
All the the owner had to do is smile, assure you that she would check into the matter with the chef give you a bowl of ice cream. End of story.
I am still curious as to if the beverages where the same on each visit. Wine or cocktail selection can make the same dish taste like night and day.
I've spent my share of time in a busy kitchen. My husband even more.
I just don't read the owner and chef as having malicious intent. Inept at customer service maybe...
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The complaint in this case was basically your crabcakes aren't consistent. That's a management issue. If the owner had brought out the recipe, along with records showing the quantity of each ingredient consumed per day for the last few weeks, that would show that at least they understood that they had two people making the crab cakes in two different ways.
All of this for crabcakes?
(searching for more emoticons)EDIT: not just for crabcakes...
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No I'm not talking about the woman you mention.
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From what I know about tartines you're both correct. I think that tartines made at home started off with a simple spread of butter or preserves. For lunch maybe some leftover ingredients were added on top. This concept recontexutalized into a restaurant setting became more "gussied" up with more ingredients. Lionel Poilane made "chic" versions and also published a cookbook of sorts on his tartines. So originally they had a spread and the fancier versions mostly seem to have a some sort of spread as a base but with "gourmet" additions layered on top.
Ptipois or my husband are more qualified to explain this than I am. But that's my tuppence.
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Maybe I'm not reading enough into the situation. But I don't see anything aggressive, intimidating or confrontational in what the chef did. I see it more along the lines of him wanting to explain himself and lacking the social graces to know not to do it. I don't see anything in the description of his behaviour that intended to create an uncomfortable situation, which he clearly did for you. If I were in the same situation I don't think that it would have bothered me much. But that's just me.
I don't know too many restaurants who would comp a dish or offer something else for free unless the dish were technically flawed. Tasting different from the last time or okay but not as good as last time are very different from "there is something wrong with the dish, in it's execution, it's bad."
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Guppymo-
What are the components of a Vietnamese meal? What is the primary starch served? Side dishes, soups, proteins, etc? Is rice or noodles more common?
Note on the kimchi, just put some in a clean jar and leave it out on the counter untill it's "ripe" enough for good chigae.
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I might be stretching it a little too far but may be she got confused with Tartine et Chocolat? The kids clothing stores blink.gif ??
You all are pretty sharp here. Her decor, let's just say it was very cute and girly, not frou frou girly. But she is the type to latch onto a cutesy name.
So, Zeitoun you're not that far off with this assessment. My husband and I thought the same thing.
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I think you are referring to the ubiquitous and pretty decent chain
which is now in England, Rome, New York and Belgium. I'm sure there are more, but those places come to mind right off the bat.
They serve tartines, a pretty decent breakfast and have some nice things to buy.
The best thing is that they have a communal table,so you don't have to wait if you are alone and they are non--smoking.
Is that what you were thinking?
lalala
I'm not sure if you're directing this at me. I'm aware of Le Pain Quotidien. But this woman adamently insisted there were "cute little mom and pop boutiquey places that served nothing but tartines allover France."
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Well this woman had already opened up a restaurant called Tartine something in the States and part of the "back story" for this place was "these mom and pop tartine places allover France" she even put it in her press kit and yes a few food writers repeated her fabrication in print.
I figured she was lying through her teeth. But I wanted to make absolutely sure. The weird part is she stuck to her story even in front of my husband who was born and raised in France, attended culinary school in Paris and traveled or worked throughout most most of the country. We were stupefied. I did believe my husband when he insisted that they do not exist, but I was wondering if there was even one.
Or she had a dream. A tartine dream.You got it, she was hoping it would take off like panini.
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I don't recall seeing restaurants that serve nothing but tartines on my trips to France. I was told by a woman that she had seen "lots and lots of them allover France. These cute little mom and pop restos that serve nothing but tartines." Maybe I'm not as observant as I thought, but I don't recall seeing any in Paris or Lyon and points in between. I also tend to not look out for such food, so maybe I did indeed walk past "lots and lots of them." This woman claimed that they were allover Paris as well. I asked my husband about this and he says he's never seen them either, he thought maybe it's a new fast food chain or something. Neither of us have a recollection of seeing even one.
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It's a bit disingenuous to claim food costs are sometimes as high as 45% (again I'm not talking about a restaurant in a smaller city where the mark ups might have to be lower). Even at the top tier restaurants this doesn't represent the average. If it did (which it most certainly does not), it would be a formula for a speedy bankruptcy.
Just to set the record straight, I said that the food cost in some dishes might be as high as 45%. I did not say, nor did I mean to imply, that the total food cost was that high. That surely would be a recipe for disaster.
Just to further straighten the record. I wasn't directing that comment at anything you said in particular. I've seen that figure floating around here and there. And I wanted to set the...um... record straight on that.
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We drive on the wrong side?!?!?!??! When I was in London, I got anxiety attacks from just sitting on the passenger side! I drive an SUV, yeah, yeah whatever!
Leave me alone. Korea town BBQ, well Soot Bull Jeep is good if not unfortunately named for the Anglo ear at least. They use real charcoal. Soot (charcoal), Bull (fire), Jeep (House or home). Sounds better if you understand Korean. I'll look up the address later and post it for you. But there are plenty of other places that use real charcoal.
As for bars, ya lookin for a dive? If so I have a list...
If you want to go where the *ahem*, *gag* "beautiful" folks go I know a few places as well for that. (Honest I never went to any of them
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Chinese and Japanese pantry items, along with a few dishes have become family favorites. I've ventured into Thai and Indian cookery at home as well. Now Vietnamese is on my list. I'm planning on taking my family for a day in Little Saigon within a few weeks with camera in hand of course.
Thank you for the inspiration guppymo!
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First off you're coming to Cali, not much if anything is sacreligious here. BBQ? You mentioned Texas, so I'm assuming Southern American style. The closest thing in the city is BBQ King on Sunset where it changes into Cesar Chavez (or is it the other way around?) and Figueroa. I've been going there on and off for years. It's good stuff, cheap and it has a distinctive "ambience". If you like hole in the wall with character it's fun to try. Last time I was there they were still cooking with wood. It's also a stone's throw away from Chinatown which is worth a visit.
Cab's in LA? Don't you have a driver's license, why not just rent a car? I mean LA is REALLY sprawled out.
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I know there is profit in food.
To clarify and contextualize my comments I am referring to a upper mid/lower high end restaurant in a bigger city with a chef that is also capable of successfully executing tasting/special menus at say $100 and up, up, up. Mostly because this is the sort of chef that I am married too. And this is the type of chef who can create perceived value even with lower end dishes. For instance $17-$19 for roast chicken for lunch with an out of the world sauce (a sort of combo demi-glace and jus), cost of food less than $3.00, best selling item with customers some who would come 3-4 times a week just for this. Highway robbery you say? I say, taste it and where else can you get this?
"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."
- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.
Standard model for mark ups. Food x 3, wine x 4 minimum on average and more often than not more, sometimes much more. There's enough profit in food to keep a restaurant successfully running in the black with good/great monthly profits. But it's the wine/beverage sales and profits that will ensure a return on initial investment within a reasonable time frame. It's also possible to get "backdoor" specials when purchasing entry level wines. So the percieved markup may be 4 times, but the actual mark up is much higher. These are the types of wines that tend to turnover the most quickly.
The profits from food at such places keeps the Exec. Chef happy. The profit from wine/beverages keep the investors happy.
It's a bit disingenuous to claim food costs are sometimes as high as 45% (again I'm not talking about a restaurant in a smaller city where the mark ups might have to be lower). Even at the top tier restaurants this doesn't represent the average. If it did (which it most certainly does not), it would be a formula for a speedy bankruptcy. These sort of places are usually operating perilously close to the red or deeply in it. But that's another topic.
I won't go so far as to attribute the high failure rate of restaurants in NY and elsewhere to an inability to see the big picture (too many other factos are more significant) but high markups generate only hypothetical; profits until you actually sell the goods. I have a few funnys to share regarding that. -
Aside from the fact that I'm happily married... That pillsbury dough picture you posted will be forever imprinted in my mind.
Just where is that boy hiding his goods in that skin tight white outfit? -
I wouldn't send my teenage girl...
Political correctness aside, I would definately want to know that it's a men's club no matter what type of club it is.
EDIT: ejebud when you post just mention that it's a men's cooking society looking for a dishwasher. I don't think too many girls will be applying.
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lentils are a type of pulse. No spices you say? Interesting. I think that I have a new threa to start in the India forum.
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neutral tasting.
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The link above has some history (and by the way, is also thick with pop-ups too and Who Knows What Else) but it seems to dwell on more recent, post-Masa days.
I noticed that too. Sorry about that, but it was the only thing I found with a very hasty search.
The sentiment seems to have history in France also, where I'd thought it originatedOh yes, I was talking more the fact that it seems more pervasive in the States and it has lasted longer. The French aren't immune to trends either. My husband worked at a venerable Bouchon in Lyon (a long time ago) anyway, he recalls that when he started there it was pretty classic Lyon fair, generous portions, sauces and all that. Towards the end of his tenure there the plates were more like 2 peas served on an oversized plate with a huge spoon sort of thing. Now it's apparently doing "contemporary/modern Lyon in touch with the seasons and rhythms of nature"
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I eat the way I make love. I take a nibble or good chunk of the best and than ration it throughout a meal, always leaving more than enough for the last bite.
I don't understand this first or last dichotomy. You cum before you finish or you puritanically wait untill you get to the end? The whole meal has to fuck right.
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For Mexian and Asian I think that there is a greater range of variety and quality in Los Angeles, than there is in SF. But Los Angeles is very sprawled out and huge compared to SF, so it's not a comparison that is "fair" in some ways.
If you want slightly more upscale Anglo-Los Angeles Mexican food (or Latin Style) Border Grill in Santa Monica is suitable for this. The same folks also have Ciudad in downtown.
El Coyote is a total dive on Beverly Blvd. The food is mostly junk, but it's popular with the Hollywood art department crowd. Dirt cheap prices and the food reflects it, but it can be fun, gets packed.
El Cholo is a "landmark" restaurant with 2 locations. It's a slice of Mexican-American history. The one in Koreatown on Western opened in the 1920's and the original waitresses still work there. The food at the Santa Monica location pretty much tastes the same, but the waitresses are struggling actress types. The same folks also own Sonora Cafe on La Brea serving "sophisticated Southwestern cuisne"
Of course there are numerous fast food Mexican chains throughout the city such as La Salsa and Baja Fresh. As well as mom and pop joints. Depends on what you want to try.
East Los Angeles and beyond is where you'll find a greater concentration of Mexican places. Alot of Michoacan style in East LA, after that mom and pop restaurants (still inexpensive but more restaurant style than fast food, good homey stuff).
There is a thread I started on "walking and eating neighborhoods" in the General Topics forum that you might want to look at. I haven't finished with my observations on LA yet though. When I'm visiting a city for a short time, I think more of neighborhoods to visit than destination restaurants. But that's just me.
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Do you know if the cuisine was mostly French under Masataka Kobayashi or was it French/Japanese?
I found this.
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Wow, Andie. Now that's what I call made from scratch! Cornbread is one of my favorites with lots of butter of course. Now I'm waiting for you to churn your own butter!
Defensive Chefs
in Restaurant Life
Posted
My reading of Randi's original post was that it was fair in the sense that she genuinely made an effort to look at the other's point of view and she contextualized her reaction. I was referring to subsequent posts.