Alchemist
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Posts posted by Alchemist
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Now that you mention it: "au jus" as in "with an au jus sauce."
"As jus" means "with the juice!" it is the sauce! Just say "the roast beef is served au jus" and leave it at that. This is more annoyingly redundant than shrimp scampi.
The one that I grew up with is "tuna fish", as in, would you like extra Miracle Whip on your Tuna Fish sandwhich?" There are no know beasts such as Tuna Fowl, or Tuna Moose, (there is a bad pun in there though) or Tuna Mammal. It's a tuna, full stop.
Now on the other hand I can see calling canned tuna "tuna fish" and a beautiful rare hunk of ruby fish "Tuna".
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There are a couple of books about bartending which you might want to read. Cosmopolitian by Toby Cecchini, and Behind Bars by Ty Wenzel, are both fun books.
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And then being genuinely shocked and then angry when asked to either adjust their behavior or leave. Usually followed by them running to the nearest Internet café to say how much the bar “Sucks” on Yelp.
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I'll second or third the suggestions of Hot and Sour and/or Tom Yum Soup. The best thing in the world to blast out your head and chest. Makes you sweat too.
A hot toddy of Theraflu (the hot apple cider flavor) with a healthy dose of booze in it (I usually go for healthy dram of Stroh 80 rum which I only keep in the house for when I'm illin') also makes you sleep, sweat like a beast and wake up feeling renewed. At least it always works for me.
My Grandfather, Mr. Maloney, a good Irish man, had a cure for the common cold. Put a hat on one bed post. get in bed with a bottle of Irish Whiskey. When there is a hat on both bed posts go to sleep. The next morning, after sweating like a beast, you wake up with a splitting headach, dyhyrated like the Gobi, but not sick. Kinda.
Where I would not reccomend Mr. Maloneys cure, Katies seems to have some merit. If you can add some ginger to that toddy it makes it tastier and better for you, and helps that sweating thing. And i might not say, as you are giving your girlfriend any of these cures, "My friends on the E say this should make you sweat like a beast!"
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One nice thing to clear out the sinuses is tom yum soup...that's what I always gravitate to when I'm congested. Hot and sour is indeed another one of my standbys. Pho sounds scrumptious too.
As for the dairy thing..I've always adhered to it when I've got stomach complaints, but I've never heard of it being an issue when you've got a cold. Personally, I love having a little bit of yogurt or something bland and comforting like that when I'm down.
What is Tom Yum soup???
I totally agree about the dairy thing when my stomache is acting up - then again the hot and sour seems to be like a chicken soup for me - it cures all illness even the grumpies!
Dtom Yum Usually Goong(shrimp) is a Thai Hot sour soup. Usually eaten with a little bowl of white rice. It is wicked hot and has such bold flavor that it's great when you have a cold or flu. Also good is dtom kha gy (chicken) a milder coconut milk mushroom soup.
Toby
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A bar is a bar. We are not selling booze; we are selling the idea that everyone is witty, cute and going to get laid that night. There is a certain decorum that should be met. If one is a gentleman or lady, one should abide by rules that were ingrained in him or her by the time they were two, not 21, and we wish they surely didn't need to be posted on the bathroom wall.
When taverns turned into speakeasies and women came into the mix, we as humans had a conundrum, where bellying up to the bar became a suave, if indelicate, dance among the patrons.
There will never be a perfect meeting of the knuckle-dragging troglodyte, the cosmo-swilling Carrie Bradshaw clone, and the sporting dandy. We behind the stick must ascribe to not only make those two worlds collide but make them mesh, i.e., the Red Bull guy meeting the gentleman who can tell upon entering the bar if Kold-Draft is in the shaker.
I, as a barkeep, tip my hat to those bacchanalian revelers who in their cups will stand tall at the mahogany and tip their faux-hawks to any genteel young lady who walks in in Blahniks. Here's where the rubber hits the road: in a perfect world, every patron who walks in the door would be of quality, but due to the rather rambunctious times, that is not the case. Those of us who try to preserve a quiet, gentle bar have nothing to do but sadly base our judgments on the first thing they order, and try to swerve them from their reprehensible instincts.
And at the same time, we know that these condemnable activities are worth their weight in gold as long as they're done in their own place.
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Wasn't the owner of the Billygoat Tavern who's motto was "if you want to tell me how to run my business, buy me out". The rules arn't the problem, the mood and attitude of the customer usually are. There is a segment of the population who is allways out looking for the coolest place to be, and bringing with them a sense of entitlement. They are used to going out in big groups, ordering a bottle of Kettle One then dancing on the banquetes, and hooting when the newest Nelly song is spun by the DJ. This is not to say that these people same people shouldn't go there on a Tue when thier parents are in from out of town for a quiet cocktail.
There are groups of guys who go out on the weekends trawling for drunk whore d'ourves. If it just one of them out on a date a "rules" place might be perfect. Maybe not though.
Like a high end resturant, a high end bar is when you are in a certin headspace. The key is not bringing your own baggage into the bar but letting the bar enviroment direct your behavior.
It's a hard thing sometimes to submit to the grace and wonder of a quiet bar. But it is worth it when the time, and company is right.
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I just started the prep for T-Day. And since I am doing this part alone I have had some time to think about the whole thing. I like cooking with people, the congregating in the kitchen, and the smell of sage, thyme and orange on my fingers and roasting bird in the air. The slightly greasy jelly jars of mimosa in the morning taste better than fine flutes at an expensive brunch. The slightly greasy rocks glasses of wine bring more sparkle to the eye, joy to the heart and laughter to the lips than dusty bottles pulled from a cellar.
I think this could be because by the time I have nibbled my way through seventy some hours of cooking I'm just not hungry. I like looking around my table of friends and seeing them enjoying themselves. These Friends, here in NYC, are usually orphaned by distance from family, are a motley crew of bartenders, cocktail waitresses, cooks and artists.
Thanksgiving usually starts early, 10am or so, or as soon as we can drag our hangovers out of bed. We forage for mimosas the day before so that early morning liquor run (standing in front of the store, waiting for it to open shifting from one foot to the other like a 7 year old who has to pee really really bad) is unnecessary. We then cook bacon and eggs. It is then time to really time to start cooking.
I must actually get back to it so…Happy thanks giving one and all.
Toby
I will be adding more about the food when I have time.
So I now have my turkey brining with salt, sugar, thyme, sage, rosemary, onion, carrot, celery, an orange, and black pepper. I will let this brine for 24 hours. Tomorrow I am going to experiment with a buttermilk bath.
I have started a sour cherry, apricot compote. This includes, right now, Grand Marnier, orange zest, pinch salt. I will take this off the heat and stick it in the fridge for the night. Tomorrow I will reintroduce some more orange zest, homemade orange bitters, clove, and cinn. I will split that in half and add caramelized shallot to one half.
My stock pot is bubbling away merrily on the back burner. Smells like thanks giving. The sweet of the compote and the richness of the stock making my apt the happiest place on earth.
Edited to add what was on stove.
Toby
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A couple of rec's in each price point would be great. Also if there are things that arn't readily available here in NYC such as mexican food, that would be wonderful.
I'm not sure where they are staying but they are the type that will travel for good stuff.
Thanks again,
Toby
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True, but I would let people know if there is even a drop of alcohol in something. There are some people who cant have ANY booze at all. Bitters at an AA meeting would be a bad thing.
If you can get ginger juice, ginger like you get at jamba juice, and add equal parts sugar, it makes for lovely mocktails both hot or cold.
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I need some food and drink reccomendations for a friend who is going there soon. And another question, how are the drinks at the Hotel Del Coronado?
Thank you in advance,
Toby
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I dunno why; but, tequila at Thanksgiving seems a bit incongruous.
It is just as native American a spirit as Bourbon, after all.
If you like it, and you and your husband will drink the remains of the bottle, I say get a nice bottle of reposado or anejo tequila and go for it.
If I may suggest a brand of bourbon to infuse...Wild Turkey would seem right for the occation.
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I have worked as a waiter in restaurants both chef owned, and investor owned. i would say that the chef owned operations were much more into service than the non chef owned. But then many of the chefs I worked for were...Ahem...control freaks? They were very aware that the FOH is the front lines and some of the chefs were, with good reason, Nazis about the servers knowing EVERYTHING about the food on the plate. We, as servers, trembled when we were asked if the duck special was roasted or seared on the Wolf then finished in a convection oven? And if the quinoas it was served with was first enjoyed by the Aztecs or the Mayan civilizations? And did they eat with their hands or did they have utensils? The half b*%llst questions always ended in tears or vows of vengeance.
I also worked for matire 'd that would pinch. yes that little bit behind the arm. I worked at a place where the manager would ball up the top inch of paper on the straws, flick them into the dining room and notice who walked by, as well as time how long it took someone to pick it up. This all sucked. But I became a good waiter with an attention to detail that cannonballs into the OCD.
We are in a kinder and gentler time in the hospitality industry. Sadly the times of being "down and out in Paris" are over. The industry had gotten a bit soft. We don't put in the 16 hour days, we don’t cut off digits and then go to the bar for triage 10 hours later, we don’t bleed into out shoes and consider it lube, we don’t show up with Typhoid and finish the shift. We wanted our jobs. We loved every crazy; out of control moment because interspersed with those were moments of grace, there were moments of genius that were seasoned with our sweat, our blood and our sleepless nights.
I choose to take a page from the wonderful people who trained me in bartending. I coddle and smile, I bring people to the office and gently bring up their mistakes, instead of grossly exaggerating their mistakes and mocking them in front of the entire staff, hopefully with someone to translate into Spanish and a chubby girl in the corner doing sign language.
Life has gotten too easy. We foster the “everybody gets a trophy” ethic This is not Montessori school or the Special Olympics. “Sure he sucks as a waiter but he is a walk on in an off, off, off b-way play in three weeks”. This, our industry, is a very respectable and interesting place to work. Get over it and work!
Toby
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I know I've shared this on other threads but I have to put in the 20th Century. The Violet Hour version, on the upcoming winter menu. I know that lilet is a summer thing but the unexpected twist gives it a rich feeling.
1.5 oz Plymouth
.75 oz Lillet Blond
.75 oz lemon juice
.75 oz creme de cacoa white
Shake serve up. No garnish.
Like art deco in a glass...
Toby
spelin perly
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Chris, thank you for your kind words, and your constructive criticism. It is invaluable for an owner to get such feed back, especially in the first six months of an establishment opening. William Grimes brought this up a couple of weeks ago at the panel discussion with Keller and White at the 92nd street Y. Professional reviews happen when the business needs it most, but is least likely to be ready for such scrutiny. So hearing things from an enthusiastic imbiber is wonderful.
I would like to say a few things in response, without them seeming like excuses.
Creating a cocktail menu of thirty some cocktails, which undergoes changes four times a year, and tries to have something for everyone is quite a challenge. I try to design one third of the cocktails for people that have sophisticated palettes, half of the cocktails are “gateway” cocktails, and the rest are “roast chicken” cocktails. So, Chris, I think that you got a couple of the “roast chickens” which were not to your liking. Someone else who has been drinking only Cosmos for the last decade will find something attuned to their tastes and then, hopefully, be spurred on to try something more adventurous. Sorry for the “”s.
Since you were sitting at the bar it is completely fair to have your cocktail "Doctored." Not enough Gilka, or Pimento dram in your drink? Ask the bartender for a wee bit more.
You mentioned that the bar was subdued. I am not sure what your connotations are. We try to have it bustling but not packed. We use only about 2/3 of out legal capacity. We have figured that one and a half bartenders can handle aprox.30-35 customers, so that more than anything the amount of staff decides how full the bar can be. No one (especially the bartenders and servers) has any fun when the wait for a cocktail is more than 7 min.
It is great to hear that you enjoyed the staff so much. They continue to work with enthusiasm and professionalism, even when I’m here in NYC. So much of the cocktail experience is about the knowledge of the staff.
You spoke of the lightness of the Blue Ridge Manhattan. I think that comes from (what we call, for lack of a better term) it being Reverse Perfect. Instead of the vermouths being in equal measure, there is twice as much of the expected vermouth as the unexpected. Double Reverse would flip that on it’s ear, and is especially good in Martinis using gins with strong flavor profiles.
I am glad you got to try so many of my bitters. I am adding two more to my arsenal come winter. The Winter Bitters and A pomagranete bitters, along with a “Grandma’s Tinksure”.
I am blanking on the brand name of the Pisco we now use. We were using Capel, good eye avant-gaurd, but switched recently. It is two words and is something like Mae Roa. Or maybe that is just a hankering for a Mai Tai Roa Ae.
Thanks again for going to The Violet Hour. I hope you can make the trip again, and when you do I will be behind the bar.
Cheers, Toby
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I must say I miss lighting customers cigarettes in bars. I used to carry 2 lighters so I could double fist firing up two people at the same time. It really helped with tips. But I really like not having people smoke in nice bars. And yes, I smoke. I feel the same way about a cocktail as a meal. If someone has just lit up a stinky french cigarette just as I recive my Manhattan, well there goes the nose, mine and the drinks.
But if it's 3am, and I'm drinking Miller High Life, and an attitude adjustment of Mathusalem...I kinda like having a cigarette at the same time.
And I feel better at the end of a really busy shift when the bar isn't thick with smoke. Boy moving fast for a long time in bars like M&H, or the Grange Hall, or 357. It was like running a 10k through a forest fire. My lungs would HURT. I wonder how many thousands of extra packs I've smoked working in bars for a decade before the ban came down.
So my ideal bar would have smoking sometimes. It would have great bartenders, an amazing list of spirits, awesome ice, beer with almost no flavor, the people sitting next to me would be either great story tellers with a never ending litiney of jokes, or completly into the times or a good book. There would be Zepplin and Mazzy Star playing. It would be fun and comfortable.
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The way the yolk of an egg spreads across the plate when broken.
The way heavy cream floats on cold booze.
The lacy, smokieness of a highly sugared substance wafting down through a cocktail with crushed ice.
Flaming booze poured from one coupe to another.
A Guiness, full stop.
Bacon cooking, popping, dancing in a pan.
Spuds going from whole dry and flakey to, as you add butter and cream, ambrosia.
The bubbles that come from the bottom of a champange flute (God bless the rough).
Not sure if this counts, but room temp liquor poured onto very, very cold ice.
Bento flakes.
More to come, I'm sure
Toby
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Restaurant row in Grand Case in St. martin is hard to beat. Maybe not the best single restaurant, but 10-15 all good french, italian, & continental gems, all in a row.
Anybody been here recently? I have heard some good things from a friend, but as allways want to hear from the eGulleteers. My friend was saying that it is somewhat of a proving ground for european chefs in the early part of their careers.
Also, are there cocktail bars there?
Thanks,
Toby
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On W. 10th Between 7th Ave South and W. 4th is a wonderfully opulant new restaurant. I have only had cocktails there, which were fantastic. The cocktail menu was desighned by Yana from Freemans. I can't wait to sit at the bar and eat.
Anybody else been there?
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Is there a market for a high end cocktail bar in NO? And are rents low enough to support a bar that runs a 20%-25% liquor cost and a bartender is hard pressed to put out 200 drinks a night? How much are cocktails going for?
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I love Thai Son on just south of Canal on I can never remember if it is Bayard or baxter that runs north/south. #114 are these wonderful crispy,moist, flavorful porkchops served with lettuce, rice, mint, and hot sauce to make wiked little porkey, sweet, spicey poppers that are hot and cold in just the right way. #91 is carmelized pork. Do I need to say anything else? Wait ,wait I know. They take pork and then they CARMELIZE IT!!! I then have to get the 7 color rainbow for dessert. I have had it all over and I'm not sure I like it but the textures so intrigue me it is a must have where ever it is available.
And then you have to go to Pings for Sweet Beef Jerky. Yes it's meaty petite fours.
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When returning a drink i find that only two or three sips should be taken out of it. Then I take the "blame" for the cocktail being wrong. "Excuse me. I am so sorry but this drink is too Sweet/Dry/Stong for my palate, could you please have the bartender addd some Lemon/simple/both?" This way the bartender won't throw the drink out and start again on another abomination that is overly something else.
If I had gotten a clear Sidecar, I it would be asking to see the winelist.
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Can a totalvoir date a picky eater? If one persons perfect meal includes sweet breads, snails, kimchi, porkbelly, and the other is “allergic” to onions, hates butter, and doesn’t want to try new foods, is the relationship doomed? A friend of mine his girl friend and I went to dinner the other night, and it was a train wreck. I have had more fun at root canals. It was like he became the stern dad, and she was the petulant 5 year old faced with a plate of spinach, broccoli, and brussle sprouts.
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But when you speak of low pay, minimal advancement, and repetive work maintanance, installation and repair are among the lowest incidents of depression, without the advantage of a higher education. So does the education theory hold water?
Plumbers and electricians (for example) usually have some post-secondary technical training, and many of them certainly make more money than I do (I'm a teacher). FOH may have post-secondary education, but it is not likely that education that will help them in their jobs.
I would disagree. Being a bartender is not just pouring two liquids together. Talking to customers is as, if not more important, than knowing what's in a mind-eraser. Being witty, discussing current events, classic literature, and having a scary amount of general knowledge it your fingertips necessary. You wouldn't believe how many times a night some buzzed patron asks "who wrote To Kill a Mockingbird? I should know this” And if you can’t say "Truman Capote's best girlfriend" then your tip won't be as big as it should.
I think that another BIG reason for depression in the FOH (At least in the Big Cities) is that most people came to the city to act/play music/make their fortune becoming famous… And they get the waiting job “just for a little bit”…After 10 years of bouncing from one job to the next, hundreds of nights out cheersing the sunrise with a rum and a rail…After the 7th failed relationship because of the late nights, rum and rails, that dizzy night on a case of Budweiser with the hot sous chef… Can make one bitter and jaded to say the least, depression next stop.
The Violet Hour
in The Heartland: Dining
Posted
On Monday The Violet Hour hosted the Christmas party for Alinia. Michael Rubel and I planned a twelve course cocktail tasting evolution. There were about 85 people at the event. It started at 8:00 and went late. Here is what we served.
Negroni
Northshore Distillery Gin #11, Vermouth Bianco, Gary Regan’s Orange bitters #6, Campari Foam, and Burnt Sage.
Sanagree
Mulled Syrah, Cognac, Apricot Brandy, Angostura Bitters, and Grandma’s Spices.
Brandy Crusta
Leopold Gourmel Primieres Saveures Cognac, Maraschino Liqueur, Lemon Juice & Peel, with House-made Orange Bitters.
Shot and a Beer
Mathusalem Classico Rum accompanied by A Miller High Life Fat Shorty.
Miraflores
Tabernero Pisco Italia, Grapefruit, Orange Blossom Honey Syrup, Miramar Bitters, Egg White and Peychaud’s Bitters.
Winter Sazerac
Old Overholt Rye, Herbsainte, Peychaud’s Bitters, and Coffee Syrup.
Philadelphia Fish House Punch
Coruba Rum, Barbencourt Year Rum, Landy Cognac, Lime and Peach Brandy.
La Brujita
Pompero Anniversario, Ginger Syrup, Lime And a river of fire.
El Helado del Hemingway
House-made Grapefruit Gelato with Guatemalan Rum and Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur – Accompanied by the smoke of a 1999 San Luis Rey Regio.
Dulca 'Maria
El Dorado Year, House-made Falernum, House-made Orange Bitters, Angostura Bitters and Lime Oil.
Sweetness and Light
Bombay Dry infused with Rare Tea Cellars’ Fields of France Rooibus Tea, Egg White, Lemon, Orange Oil, House-made Grapefruit Bitters, And Crème de Violette Liqueur.
Tom and Jerry and Toby
Cocnac, Barbencourt 8 year, Cruzan Blackstrap, Cinnamon, Cloves, All-spice, Whole Eggs, Angostura Bitters, Hot Milk and Grandma’s Secret Spices and Scents.
I would love anyone who was there to chime in on their experiences. I am still trying to add some pictures to this post. There arn't that many because I got busy, but I will add what I have. Must run but will post more tonight.