Customers v Chefs

[nwyles]

I had a rather nasty comment card from a guest who complained that I did not have enough on my menu for a health concious diet. That in it's self is ok but here is the part that really pisses me off.

In the middle of the rush on a busy Xmas lunch, a server let's me know that a guest has a series of special requests. Rather than rely on second hand info, I go to the table, introduce myself and ask him what he would like. It was a rather long list of things that he wanted, all of them prepared in a very specific manner.

I proceeded to make him exactly what he wanted, in the exact manner that he wanted it made. There was no way on God's green earth that all of these things could have been combined in a meal on a menu that anyone would have bought so I really do not see what his problem was.

He got exactly what he wanted. Exactly !

Period.

Why the parting shot ?

What a shithead !

Sorry about that !

Thanks for listening.

[M.X.Hassett]

Nwyles what type of rest. do you run because I have heard some morons complain that the The Palm, Mortons,and even Lugers do not offer enough for people who dont like meat If you dont like meat what in the hell are you doing at a steakhouse. WTF sorry mini-rant over

Edit: Yeh you picked the same words I would use to describe your customer, I would have though the person would give you an A+ for filling all of his requests.

Edited December 28, 2005 by M.X.Hassett (log)

[ingridsf]

Not to be off-topic but this whole chef/artist thing only works for me up to a point. I write fiction and my friend sings opera. I think if chefs are indeed artists they are closer to being performers than composers because their work is all about interpreting compositions (menu items) for audiences. And my friend can tell you that being able to handle rejection is a huge part of a performer's job, as is pleasing the audience, some of whom (many?) are going to be less sophisticated than you feel a proper appreciation of your art requires and deserves.

Art is great but craft, being able to execute something perfectly over and over, and explain how to replicate it, so you can eat it AGAIN as many times as you want, or sell -- what's not to like?

[M.X.Hassett]

Not to be off-topic but this whole chef/artist thing only works for me up to a point.  I write fiction and my friend sings opera.  I think if chefs are indeed artists they are closer to being performers than composers because their work is all about interpreting compositions (menu items) for audiences.  And my friend can tell you that being able to handle rejection is a huge part of a performer's job, as is pleasing the audience, some of whom (many?) are going to be less sophisticated than you feel a proper appreciation of your art requires and deserves. 

Art is great but craft, being able to execute something perfectly over and over, and explain how to replicate it, so you can eat it AGAIN as many times as you want, or sell -- what's not to like?

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Yes but if a Chef creates a dish they are much closer to the being a composer, whereas his "line" and Sous would be closer to the performer analogy. No?

[ingridsf]

Yes but if a Chef creates a dish they are much closer to the being a composer, whereas his "line" and Sous would be closer to the performer analogy. No?

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I thought about that, too. It's not a perfect analogy. What I meant was, 1. Presumably a chef *is* a composer when creating the menu but moves into performance when cooking him/herself or overseeing others who are cooking; and 2. Every performance is unique and has variations, some intentional, some unintentional.

I'm not sure why I care so much about this distinction. Eh. But a restaurant is a business enterprise. As are publishing houses and theaters. A commercially successful artist has to negotiate her way through the marketplace if she wants her material to reach a wider audience and earn some cash.

But there's always the choice of staying out of the marketplace and just doing what you love to do, whether it's writing, singing, or cooking. What I have not heard from any of the chefs who espouse Their Way Or The Highway aka The Vision Thing was whether they would choose cooking without customers and the potential to make money.

[BarbaraY]

I had a rather nasty comment card from a guest who complained that I did not have enough on my menu for a health concious diet. That in it's self is ok but here is the part that really pisses me off.

In the middle of the rush on a busy Xmas lunch, a server let's me know that a guest has a series of special requests. Rather than rely on second hand info, I go to the table, introduce myself and ask him what he would like. It was a rather long list of things that he wanted, all of them prepared in a very specific manner.

I proceeded to make him exactly what he wanted, in the exact manner that he wanted it made. There was no way on God's green earth that all of these things could have been combined in a meal on a menu that anyone would have bought so I really do not see what his problem was.

He got exactly what he wanted. Exactly !

Period.

Why the parting shot ?

What a shithead !

Sorry about that !

Thanks for listening.

←

I remember almost the same exact thing. A couple came in and ask the waitress a lot of questions which were running her ragged so I went out and discussed their meal with them. I always had vegetarian items available because we had enough call for them to warrant it.

After giving me all the details of what they were to served they still weren't satisfied.

I wasn't to sautee the vegetables for the pasta Primavera, no butter, no garlic, blah, blah.

Some people shouildn't go on vacation without their own cooking facilities. It was obvious that these two hadn't a clue about how he rest of the world operates.

[robyn]

I've probably said this before somewhere in this thread (and I know I've said it elsewhere) - but some of the current fashions in food are simply not good cooking (by the standards of a fair number of high class chefs). Fish (other than things like sushi and sashimi) should not be served almost raw. Ditto with almost raw veggies (except as crudites or in one of those "raw food" restaurants). Properly cooked al dente pasta shouldn't be "almost crunchy".

As for beef - I don't eat it that often. And I like it rare. But - especially at high end places - it is hard to get a piece of beef which is rare. It is usually so thick that it is charred on the outside - and almost raw (and usually cool if not cold) on the inside. So I generally eat beef at home (I buy thinner steaks - which are easier to make rare). Of course - my brisket - which is to die for - is never cooked rare. Robyn

[Grub]

Isn't this just a natural selection kinda deal for a chef?

The only way a chef can get away with any Stalinesque tendencies, would be because he or she is very, very good -- good enough to attract the attention of customers who are knowledgeable enough about the subject matter to understand the chef's greatness. Thus, if such a chef finds it necessary to tell a dressing-on-the-side, rare-but-with-no-pink, bearnaise-without-butter kinda customer to go take a flying fuck at a rolling doughnut, it won't put the other customers off too much.

Basically, you can only get away with being a soup nazi, if your soup really rules.