tan319

Speaking of irresponsibly overserving, has anyone eaten at a Papadeaux recently? I hate wasting food, and it killed me to walk away with half of my plate uneaten the last time I was there. Simply a gluttonous amount of food. It's no surprise why we have such problem with weight in this country - and in San Antonio specifically - when you look at the portions in places like this. What do you think drives the portions? Is it "our" appetite, or did the portions drive the appetite? Great chicken-egg question. Oh, and to stay on topic, I've never eaten at a CF - and don't know that I will, now. Awesome post. Exactly what I think, concerning portions. I ate at a Pappadeux once for the whole deal and I thought the amount of food they served for the entree alone was ridiculous! Just gluttonous. Also, their red beans and rice was awful. It was sweet! You could fold in some pastry creme and some whipped cream and you would have dessert. However, the drinks are good, and the oysters are too. Jason, do you think a Q&A would really be cool? Those guys are pretty spooky I agree that the some of the stuff actually looked good, especially the miso salmon, which I think they stole from Blue Ginger or Roys. But those 1st plates they showed, over filled steaming bowls of something pasta-ish something looked gross! Ok, I've got to jump into this stuff about Olive garden, etc. Kate, kate, Kate.... Look,if you like OG,I don't think anyone is holding that against you. It IS a helluva lot cheaper to cook that stuff yourself,though. And you can work on your cooking too. The thing I don't like about the majority of these places is that it's all about cheese, cream, overportioning, and it's usually not that cheap. And I empathize about living in a place that doesn't have a lot of choices but chains. But as a culinary student, do you think it would behoove you to search out the little guys around you so you can see what they're doing? The thing I think we're addressing mostly about a CF is that their prices are probably in line with most casual fine dining indie places and if you don't support those indies, they're going to die. And chances are the food is going to be more interesting and have a little more "taste". It's not going to be dumbed down. The one thing those corp. places DO have over indies sometimes is service. But I'm willing to bet that is because the chains never have to worry about the fact that the last 2 weeks have been slow and they didn't have to bring in the dishwasher later to save money and cut some bussers because that would save a few dollars, etc. Cut a server or two and then get slammed like crazy and the dining room get's all fucked up because there's only 2 people on the floor and instead of doing 30 people for lunch today you did 60...

This is what is amazing to me. How do owners get away with not paying OT? Is it because we are afraid of not being able to get work in the future? I went thru this once and it was extremely screwed.

Great Post, especially since FTV ran a story on CF on their 'into the fire' show the other night. They do 'overserve' food! God, the portions are enormous, judging by what was on tv. Can't believe there is constantly a 3 hour wait there. They seemed like a fairly intense bunch of people, those bosses.

Fat Guy, you're opening a real can of worms here A few of the places I've worked set it up so the kitchen gets a % of the waiters tips, at least at dinner service.

They probably thought they were giving us some of that drama with the shot's of the expediters 'freaking' about "needing that cheeseburger on the fly and dry! Now please?" Maybe it was a subversive view point. I thought it was amusing when that waiter went up to that atble to get a drink order and they had 4 waters. He must have been pissed. They did order dessert though. 2 of them featured Oreos and one featured Hersheys, I think.

I don't think any restaurant is going to be agreeing to be torn up on national tv. Maybe if Bourdain was producing the show... I think the TRIO show might show some grit. The Cheesecake Factory is sort of the epitome of a corporate restaurant, don't you think? I was surprised they were on there but it kind of enlightened me as to how things are done on that side of the fence.Maybe it will give us some perspective.

THERE you go!!! Thanks so much for the info. Can't wait for this. The format of the show should let us see quite a bit of how they do it there.

Thanks for the info. I thought the cheesecake factory show was pretty interesting. The R&D stuff was pretty interesting and some of the food looked pretty decent, although the portions were so huge you have to wonder how much food ends up in the garbage.

I just saw this show tonight on FTV. They featured the Cheesecake Factory on tonights episode. Does anyone know if this is the show that was taping at TRIO a month or two ago. I think it was a night that e-Gulleteers Rayne and Awbrig were there. Any info is appreciated! Thanks.

???????????????????????????? Which part isn't clear? It's a mystery to me... Maybe that I'm bugging you with my view of corporate restaurants. I hope not,though.

Are you kidding? I'm there for the whole thing! I went to Union Pacific in 2000, I had the tasting menu paired with wines. One of the best meals I ever had!

hobbes, glad to hear that you called some places. Sounds like some good stuff. It sounds like FCI is pretty solid. That's where I would go if I wanted to furthur educate myself. Or a stage at Oriol Balaguers place

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Cool. It seems the rum would kind of take away from the watermelon taste but heck, who knows? Hope it turns out great!

Rachel, I was going to suggest using Absolut Citron for your vodka. BTW, if you're really into this sorbet thing, a pese de sirop will blow your mind. You can pick one up at JB Prince next time you're in the city. It's been discussed in the forum before on one of the sorbet and ice cream threads, it will cost you around 20 to 40 bucks and it will help you make your stuff fantastic all the time as pertaining to the consistancy of your mix. One of my chefs can't believe how great the sorbets scoop,etc. I didn't have any puree's this morning for a sorbet so I made a 'Ginger Lime Ricky' one with ginger infused simple syrup, lime juice and some spanish cava. Used my 'pese' to adjust the baume and the stuff spun like a wonder! Not trying to get scientific on you, just thought you might be interested Hope your sorbet turned out groovy!

Does anyone know where exactly on east 22nd 'the Restaurant' is at? Did it move into a formerly occupied space? I used to live on Park Ave. in between 20th and 21st and I know where Union Pacific is but it's next door to a model agency, I believe. My guess is: There was an Italian place across the st. from U.P., maybe it's there. OR, It moved into that space that housed a Matthew Kenny(?) restaurant called 'Commune', although that place always seemed to be busy when I lived around there. It had been what seemed to be a 'cursed' location but Commune seemed to have busted that rep. I would love to know. Thanks!

Huge drag Very sad to read. No matter how much "fun" anyone thinks this drug is ( and I had a considerable amount of 'fun' at one point of my life with this stuff), it's no good.

Hobbes,I read your post and I'm glad you're sounding better. I didn't know you had done 10 stages! Were they all in high end places? Sounds like you're getting good experience no matter what Maybe get a Zagats guide and look thru the listings and see if you jive with any of the places in there. Realize that a TRU or a Trotters or a TRIO are going to be ass kicking, throw yourselve on the hand grenade type places, which are harrowing, to say the least. Maybe not TRIO, which has got to be another thing entirely to what all of us are probably used to. And BTW, just to make things a bit clearer to everyone, I don't mean to seem snobby about the corporate, chainy, fast, but pretty decent food for what you pay for type places. There have been times when I've thought about investigating the Pappas corp.(Pappadeux,Pappasitas,etc.) let's say, just for the security and the, well, security. (Also, there is an un verified rumour that Andrew MacLauchlan is their corp.pastry chef .) They turn out a pretty decent "product". I've not eaten at a lot of these places though. If I was 16 or 17 and just starting out, no doubt I would try it out. I worked with a guy who started out at a Red Lobster, went to the CIA, did his externship at Trotters, did another at Union Pacific, then was sous chef for Ken Oringer at Clio for a year. It just seems that after spending all that cash on an expensive education, you might as well get killed on the line at a place that looks great on your resume instead of just getting killed on the line, 'knowwhatI'msayin'? All the best!!! tan319

KateW high profile kitchen will burn you WICKED just the same as the cooperate restaurants. I know I have been there. Maybe I should follow your lead and go work at The CheeseCake Factory. I don't know....... it seems to me that you are going in the right direction, better than me as I see it. Keep at it and keep your spirits up, you are going in the right direction. Take Care, Hobbes Hobbes, don't get bummed!!! You're already too bummed about this. TRU had to be a very heavy row to hoe. While JG, while not being any slouch, is perhaps a bit more user friendly. I knew someone who did an externship there from Peter Kumps and it seemed she did ok too. Whatever. Everyplace is different. Don't go the corporate route. No Cheesecake Factory or the like. You've already tasted the real thing. You know, when I got out of culinary school, I got a job, a try out, at a very prestigious french pastry place called Palais du Chocolat in Washington DC. I loved the chefs flavours and the stuff he did and I did the best I could, which wasn't good enough for him. I'm sure I was nowhere near as accomplished as you are. TRU offered you a welcome back after a little more experience. There is a new restaurant opening soon in Chicago. A member here named Inventolux has a link as his signature. Maybe check that out. It seems like that place is going to be a possible force to be reckoned with. Maybe you could explain what the hassle was at TRU. Was it just a huge amount of mise to get ready every day? If you don't want to discuss it in the thread, feel free to PM me. But, just because you got let go, don't let it make you feel like you suck. JG loved you! that says something for you. Good luck and hang in there!

Raising the minimum wage is long overdue . I look at the classifieds and see how many gigs are offered at 6 - 7 dollars an hour and you know how many people are going to be working 2 jobs at that rate. Love that one. too bad it's not going to happen in my lifetime, if ever!

That blows!!! I have to say that when I worked in NYC(in 2000), I started out at $8.00 an hour to open then after 3 months they knocked me up to $10.00 an hour. I was always paid for the hours I worked. And after 3 months we could have health insurance, I think it was Oxford, can't quite remember. I think the employers have gotten a bit more 'inventive' since 9/11/ the economy starting to crash.

It's really hard NOT to veer off topic when you start talking about this, because everything outside of our jobs effects whether or not it will ever happen on a mass scale.

What is the IT field? Internet technology?

What's troubling about this is that 5-8 years later, it's still the same pay. It's kind of ironic that I found this thread tonight, because this subject has been on my mind more and more during the last 3 or 4 weeks. I love cooking and creating but this economy is going to screw things up even more for us.I don't know if the major citys are feeling it as much but it's getting shitty out here. What a difference 2 years makes.