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Jean Blanchard

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Posts posted by Jean Blanchard

    Taking restaurant food photos in France

    in France: Dining

    Posted

    I just returned from France where I took pictures of food in every restaurant from Provence to Paris. I, of course, did it as quickly and discreetly as possible but I never had anyone even look at me funny when I did it. I also brought along an apron that I've had chefs from all over America and Europe sign and in all cases, when I asked our server if he thought the chef might have time to sign it, they not only signed it but came to the table to talk with me. It made for a great experience.

    Tony Bourdain and Dario Cecchini

    in Italy: Dining

    Posted

    I had read about Dario's shop in one of my cookbooks before going to Italy about 7 years ago. He is like a pop star! He's good looking and very self assured. He had some pepper jelly and cheese out for us to taste. I asked if he would sign my cookbook and could I take his picture. He couldn't have been nicer. THEN, my husband asked if he could cut us a thinner cut of beef. I TOLD him not to ask because he would be offended. In the end, I smoothed things over and everyone left happy. We grilled it on our official Tuscan grill and it was absolutely phenomenal.

    Irritating Guest Habits

    in Restaurant Life

    Posted

    - Sitting down at a dirty table (so you not want me to give you a good experience?)

    - Snapping their fingers or whistling! (I'm about to snap that finger off!!)

    - Talking while the menu is been presented (more so at upscale restaurants)

    - Informing the waiter that you, as a guest, do in fact pay my salary (Duh...)

    - Finishing the entire meal even after you've been at the table asking if everything was alright and then complaining that the meal was to cold, no cooked enough, etc.

    - Ignoring the waiter as he/she comes to the table to take your order.

    Sorry Benjamin the Bartender

    we are paying for you to take care of us

    that does not make you our slave, but it does prioritize our worth in this relationship

    -Have someone to control the flow so we do not have to decide where to sit.  If i have to stand for 20 minutes or sit at a dirty table - I'm sitting

    - Tell me how to get your attention so that I do not offend your delicate sensibilities.  I do not think that I should have to stare at you for five minutes so that i can get your valuable services directed towards me

    - I am there to have a nice time and socialize - you need to wait until I am done with my conversation

    - I do pay your salary

    - Do not ask me at the end of the meal if i liked everything - unless you want  to know the answer

    - I'm paying - you wait until i am ready to give you my order

    You are all about what is wrong with eating out now.  You are in the business of providing a nice experience for me.  That is what I pay you for.  I do not have to worry about if i made it a nice day for you at work.

    Find a job you like.

    I have never worked in any capacity in a restaurant but the kind of behavior mentioned here by people who have, is never acceptable. I loathe the excuse "I pay your salary" in any situation. No one has the "right" to be disrespectful, demanding and rude. Certainly, I expect the wait staff to be respectful to me also and if they are not, I can do something about that. Of course, the something I would do about it would not include being rude and disrespectful, just assertive.

    I don't think they've said they don't like their job, just the parts that are obviously... challenging.

    Plan: 2008 Heartland Gathering in Chicago Aug 8-10

    in The Heartland: Dining

    Posted

    I love that everybody is so enthused about this already! I hope that we find that we can pick a weekend far enough in advance that we can plan our schedules around the date. I'll be happy to go wherever the concensus takes us and I'm sure that the out of towners will have plenty of places that they'd like to try. While I think that most of those places will be in Chicago, I think it very possible that a lot of people will want suggestions for hotels that are in a nearby suburb due to the high cost of rooms in the downtown area.

    Thanks to Ronnie for offering to start putting this together. I'm sure it will be a great time no matter what we do.

    Chicago Metromix

    in Food Media & Arts

    Posted

    Metromix is definitely selective on what kind of reader reviews they will post.  The way to guarantee that your review gets posted is to follow this format:

    "My [boyfriend/girlfriend] went to [name of restaurant] and had an AMAZING experience.  The food was supper yummy and the drinks were GREAT. I [or "my girlfriend"] loved the food, but my boyfriend [or "I"] thought the portions were too small."

    That's exactly correct and exactly why I don't pay much attention to what I read on metromix or other sites like it.

    Our 7 nights dining in Paris (long)

    in France: Dining

    Posted

    Thanks so much for your report. It is very timely for me. We will be staying at Relais in September and have dinner reservations the first night at Le Comptoir. Obviously, you like the hotel since you've gone back several times. I have had such a hard time finding a place to eat on Sunday night that I just emailed the hotel and asked them to make a reservation for us. They have been so helpful and since the list that they gave us of recommended restaurants was excellent, I decided to stop agonizing over where to go and just let them choose.

    eGfoodblog: Dave Hatfield

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    Wow, I've got to say that is one weird menu.  Potatoes with chopped oysters, shrimp with applesauce, zut!  Some of the combinations just floor me, and the fact that you had all that in a tiny village is another wow.  Very educational and timely, this blog.

    Abra, I don't think 'weird' is quite the right adjective to describe the Belcastel menu.

    The chef would probably prefer 'innovative'. Here's what I think she was trying to achieve.

    The veal trotters are a very mild flavor. Shrimp a bit more flavorsome & often served with citrus. Voila! Grapefruit for a change, But the grapefruit is too strong & needs a carrier. Enter the mashed potato. Thus some logic to the dish.

    I didn't have it so can't comment personally, but those who did pronounced it delicious.

    Its not all that unusual to serve white fish, cod in this case, with shell fish, oysters in this case. These oysters were chopped up & mixed with mashed potato then formed into little balls. They were then skewered with whole potato pieces & browned.

    I did have this dish & can say that the oyster/potato mix complimented my perfectly sauteed cod beautifully, but subtly. I'd eat it again given the opportunity and am even inspired enough that I might try to cook this dish

    You are going to have a ball eating weird food over here!

    I will be in France (Gordes) in September. I'm looking forward to eating as much food, weird or not as I can possibly manage. I do have to agree that the menu looked "different" but I love that. Thank you for enhancing my trip with all of the beautiful views of the French countryside.

    Trip to Italy Advice

    in Italy: Dining

    Posted

    The last time we were in Italy, we stayed at Villa La Selva in Bucine. Bucine is a tiny little town that is close to all of the cities you'll want to visit. If you go on line, you'll come up with a place that is not the one we stayed at so if it's something you want to pursue, let me know and I'll pm you with more info....restaurants, butcher shop, etc. La Selva is also a winery and they have 5 or 6 homes you can choose from. We had a 2 bedroom with a small kitchen that was absolutely gorgeous. Having a kitchen is definitely a must. Markets are everywhere and you'll want to do some cooking.

    Jean Blanchard

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