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[Bob McKeown]

Many thanks for having me here!

I've loved food and cooking since I was in my 20's. Why so late in life, a valid question, suffice it to say my Mom wasn't the greatest cook and she was all I had to judge by growing up. My first restaurant job was as a line cook (semi fast food, really an assembler), but I started falling in love with it. Since I didn't have much experience cooking and had to support a growing family I took a job with the local Coca-Cola plant (in manufacturing). I continued cooking at home with varied results for the first few years, as time went on I became quite the amateur chef and decided to try my hand at baking--------wow was that an experience, it took almost 15 years for me to make a proper baguette iaw "pain de tradition française". I was a proud puppy that day!

In my mid 40's I opened my Bar and Grill, what a ride that was----put me in the hospital several times. Now since my Bar and Grill closed, I've taken a few years off to ponder what I would like to do, and my mind keeps coming back to cooking.

[kayb]

Welcome! You'll find a variety of cooking abilities and styles here, from professionals to enthusiastic amateurs. Jump right in with whatever entertains you!

 

What were your specialties at your bar and grill? I've had great bar food, and pretty awful bar food.

 

[Bob McKeown]

The item I was most proud of (aside from my homemade breads) was our Burger, 5oz hand patted Wagyu beef cooked med, topped with arugula, roma tomato, homemade bread and butter pickles and bacon jam all on a homemade Kaiser roll. Served with sweet potato fries.

 

[Smithy]

Welcome! With the exception of the sweet potato fries (sorry, I haven't warmed up to those) that sounds like an outstanding burger - and just the right size! If you care to tell, how did the Bar and Grill put you into the hospital?  There may be some good stories there - or, less entertainingly, a discussion of the stress involved. Be sure to check out the Restaurant Life forum, if you haven't already.

 

I hope you'll c'mon in, check out the forums and make yourself at home.  If you have questions about how to find things or where to post something, feel free to ask a host (I am one) by PM or ask in the Moderation and Policy Discussion forum.

[kayb]

2 hours ago, Bob McKeown said:

The item I was most proud of (aside from my homemade breads) was our Burger, 5oz hand patted Wagyu beef cooked med, topped with arugula, roma tomato, homemade bread and butter pickles and bacon jam all on a homemade Kaiser roll. Served with sweet potato fries.

 

 

Be still, my heart! I would have been a regular customer of your bar and grill. Particularly if you had good beer on draft.

 

Unlike @Smithy, I LOVE sweet potato fries. No extra sugar, no sweet dipping sauce (no dipping sauce atall, in point of fact). Just hot and crispy with a dusting of salt. 

[Bob McKeown]

23 hours ago, kayb said:

 

Be still, my heart! I would have been a regular customer of your bar and grill. Particularly if you had good beer on draft.

 

Unlike @Smithy, I LOVE sweet potato fries. No extra sugar, no sweet dipping sauce (no dipping sauce atall, in point of fact). Just hot and crispy with a dusting of salt. 

 

The fries were baked with just a touch of sea salt added, no dipping sauces and no sugar. Best part of the meal was the price, $14.95.

 

And would have loved to have seen you there! Plenty of good craft beers on tap. 

Edited October 14, 2017 by Bob McKeown (log)

[Bob McKeown]

On 10/13/2017 at 1:38 PM, Smithy said:

Welcome! With the exception of the sweet potato fries (sorry, I haven't warmed up to those) that sounds like an outstanding burger - and just the right size! If you care to tell, how did the Bar and Grill put you into the hospital?  There may be some good stories there - or, less entertainingly, a discussion of the stress involved. Be sure to check out the Restaurant Life forum, if you haven't already.

 

I hope you'll c'mon in, check out the forums and make yourself at home.  If you have questions about how to find things or where to post something, feel free to ask a host (I am one) by PM or ask in the Moderation and Policy Discussion forum.

 

Sad to say, it was stress and overworked, twice with heart attacks and once with double pneumonia. 

Thanks for making me feel welcome!