Customers v Chefs

[Mabelline]

If I could possibly tell you of how many variations on a theme of 2 poached, grits, an English muffin, and hash browns I have nearly battled to the DEATH with slingers, I am sure you would not believe. I don't think I'm impinging the integrity of anyone to ask for that. But the variations I have gotten are incredible. Teach your breakfast staff what the terms and the product are everywhere else in the known world are, for cryin' out loud.

I don't think youall understood me about special dietary concerns. I did not mean a quick call 15 minutes before you are due. I meant to have the grace and class to discuss it when the reservation's made. I've never found anyone to be rude or insensitive if you use a little sensitivity to the job required.

[woodburner]

"customer is always right" is to me very valid as we are in the service industry.Is it annoying?Not if you train your mind to this simple quote,because we know it,s gonna happen.If i can accommodate a request and have the items needed to do the dish,i will.

                            dave s

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This is a deep black hole.

The customer has a right, as does any establishment.

That does not make the customer always right.

There is a small faction out there in John Q public, that knows how to manipulate, which in turn, puts them in charge of your business.

I live by the rule, the customer is right, as long as we can still show a profit, not disrupt harmony, or at the same time make another customer unhappy.

Sorry, but those are the rules.

woodburner

[MaxH]

One guy I know who became chef at a small intense high-end kitchen was a former saucier and known for the creative sauces he would develop, for example with grilled fish or meats. Still, he had customers who'd demand ketchup. He used to live for the thought of going out and tearing up their bill, like Fernand Point, saying "I'm sorry you don't care for the food we serve here." But the reality was that, not owning the business, he lacked that luxury.

... most diners with an allergy have no problem stating that they have an allergy

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No kidding. With full respect for serious, and sometimes life-threatening, food allergies, on the other hand I have noticed customers in some restaurants who appear to treat minor allergies as a cue for drama and fuss, almost a designer hypochondria. The same chef I mentioned above, working elsewhere later, partook in an amazing episode whereby several local food critics all variously mis-stated the content of the simple herb butter his restaurant routinely served. Ensuing outcry of multiplied anxieties over possible allergies to all of the herbs mis-named in the articles caused the herb butter to be withdrawn and replaced by boring frozen commercial butter balls.

[Bux]

In spite of the fact that it's been mentioned that not all requests are the same and that not all restaurants are the same, many posts seem to express a limited idea of what a restaurant might be. I can't recall seing more than one post that's dealt with the fact that there are no "side" dishes in a number of restaurants and that these restaurants are the ones a number of us might consider the best in the country. There may not even be what might be considered garnishes. Dishes are composed and the composition is dependent on a totality.

That the word "restaurant" conjures up different images in our minds may be at the root of many problems between diners and staff. People go to the wrong restaurant and sometimes have no idea what they're doing there, but they're sure they're right because they're the customer. Some people get upset because they can't have the sauce on the side or substitute salad for the beans in their cassoulet and others get upset because they don't get a bread plate. The other day I was shopping for a shirt and I got upset because the fabric I wanted didn't come in the style shirt I wanted, but it never occurred to ask them if I could have it my way, or berate the management for that.

[Daddy-A]

As I am not a chef, I cannot comment on how I feel when a client alters one of my creations. However, as a designer, I have some experience.

My stance is this:

If the requested change goes to the heart of what I have created (i.e. it completely alters the purpose of my design) as the creator I determine whether or not I will honor that change. I also decide what alters completely means. That is my right. I understand refusing to honor a change may result in me losing the client. That is their right. My experience is most clients respect my decisions and defer to my experience. After all, they hired me because of my experience.

I choose a restaurant (Denny's & its ilk notwithstanding ) because I want to experience the chef's expertise. If he says the salmon should be rare, then it should be. If I want it well done, I can ask, but if the chef refuses, I should order something else.

A.

[woodburner]

Doesn't this also depend on what kind of restaurant it is? One of my (former) favorite neighborhood places--stress the word NEIGHBORHOOD, although the food is very good--refused to substitute a baked potato, which is on their menu, for the au gratin side that came with one of the entrees. Now, call me crazy, but if I'm trying to avoid overindulging and I know the restaurant has a baked potato back there, why on earth shouldn't I be allowed to request it? That strikes me as an overly imperious chef, one who doesn't give a hoot about whether the diner goes away happy. (If this were a 3- or 4-star place I'd understand, but we're talking about an upscale tavern here...)

We don't go there anymore.

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Please, help me understand you.

If they did substitute a baked potato for the au gratin for you, would you still go there?

If that one incident stopped you, your right... I'll call you crazy.

woodburner

[Chris Amirault]

Seems like we're talking about three things (and yes I realize that "reasonable" is relative):

(1) Customer makes what we consider to be a reasonable request: "I'm allergic to X; is it possible to have this dish prepared without X?" or the one I make with my seven-year-old, "Can you just plate some pasta with butter and bring cheese? I'd really appreciate it." These requests are made my a diner who has needs that are, I think, pretty easily met and are not an insult to the chef, dish, or ingredient.

(2) Customer makes what we consider to be an "unreasonable" request: "Can you make sure that toro sushi is done in the middle?" or, at a high-end restaurant, "I'm on an anti-fat diet. Can you remove all butter, olive oil, etc.? Thanks." Those requests misrecognize the entire point of the dish, meal, or restaurant. Why are you asking for tuna to be cooked all the way through at a sushi joint? Why are you asking for the "fat" to be removed from your foie gras, as if that's possible?

(3) Customer attempts to order a dish that is not on the menu.

Every restaurant should accommodate (1). Forgive my fascist leanings, but every restaurant that has a sense of integrity and mission should refuse to accommodate (2). (3) depends on whether the kitchen can accommodate it or not, and should be described as such. Al Forno here in Providence treats its Dirty Steaks that way (thick rib eyes cooked directly on the coals of the wood oven): the dish isn't on the menu, but if the coals are burning hot and you know to order it, they'll make it; if you don't know or the coals are a bit low, they won't shut down the ovens for your slab of beef, pal. C'est la vie.

[robyn]

Not all special requests are alike.  If a customer requests a piece of meat well-done because they have an immune deficiency, it should be prepared well-done no questions asked.  If they request it well done because they haven't been educated to appreciate properly cooked meat, the waiter should come back and suggest a more appropriate done-ness, and explain the reasoning behind it.  IF the customer still insists on well-done, it should be prepared this way.

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no questions asked? is the diner supposed to disclose his/her immune status, or how is it determined why the request is being made? i would opine that the diner's immune status is his or her own business, and not to be determined by the server.

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Or what if the diner is used to Kosher type beef which is almost always cooked to the point of being totally bloodless (not my cup of tea - but I know people who eat like that)? If the restaurant is willing to cook the meat well done - I don't think the diner's reasons for wanting it well done should matter. A meal at a nice restaurant isn't the right time or place to try to re-educate people in terms of their eating habits.

By the way - I think a simple solution for most of these problems is diners shouldn't go to restaurants that serve dishes they don't like to eat. Robyn

[robyn]

Seems like we're talking about three things (and yes I realize that "reasonable" is relative):

(1) Customer makes what we consider to be a reasonable request: "I'm allergic to X; is it possible to have this dish prepared without X?" or the one I make with my seven-year-old, "Can you just plate some pasta with butter and bring cheese? I'd really appreciate it." These requests are made my a diner who has needs that are, I think, pretty easily met and are not an insult to the chef, dish, or ingredient.

(2) Customer makes what we consider to be an "unreasonable" request: "Can you make sure that toro sushi is done in the middle?" or, at a high-end restaurant, "I'm on an anti-fat diet. Can you remove all butter, olive oil, etc.? Thanks." Those requests misrecognize the entire point of the dish, meal, or restaurant. Why are you asking for tuna to be cooked all the way through at a sushi joint? Why are you asking for the "fat" to be removed from your foie gras, as if that's possible?

(3) Customer attempts to order a dish that is not on the menu.

Every restaurant should accommodate (1). Forgive my fascist leanings, but every restaurant that has a sense of integrity and mission should refuse to accommodate (2). (3) depends on whether the kitchen can accommodate it or not, and should be described as such. Al Forno here in Providence treats its Dirty Steaks that way (thick rib eyes cooked directly on the coals of the wood oven): the dish isn't on the menu, but if the coals are burning hot and you know to order it, they'll make it; if you don't know or the coals are a bit low, they won't shut down the ovens for your slab of beef, pal. C'est la vie.

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Perhaps you've never had to dine with your parents???

My mother always wants the wine with ice - the meat overdone - this that and the other thing on the side - or totally different sides. Used to drive us nuts - but my husband is now an expert on ordering ice to dilute fine wine - and he deals with the other issues as well. Would you consign us to culinary h*** just because we take our parents out to dinner? Robyn

[winegeek]

I believe this discussion was started because of a post by culinary bear

One happy moment, in the vein of Ramsay vs Gill. One of the HC's friends runs his own (fairly highly rated) restaurant, and a customer complained about a pave of salmon that had been sent back because it was "raw", i.e. not cooked to death (I'm sure I don't need to educate any of you how salmon should be served). The chef patiently explained, through the waitress, that the salmon was cooked perfectly, and that if it wasn't to the customer's satisfaction he could order another dish; he made it clear (politely so) that the salmon would not be cooked any further.

The customer then sent back a snotty remark, via the (trembling) waitress, to say that 'only an arsehole would serve raw fish'.

The chef then emerges from behind the pass, out of the swing doors to the kitchen, up to the gentleman's table (in the middle of a 100+ cover service), and shouts, from a range of about four feet :

"If you don't like the salmon, why don't you just fuck off, you miserable old cunt?"...

... and then marching straight back behind the pass and plating food as if nothing happened.

Oh, how we rejoiced on hearing this.

My response;

I gotta say, having worked in the business for over 2 years, that there have been "too many times to count" that I've wanted to explode whan a guest wants their salmon "cooked through", their tenderloin "well done" or the worst of all,, in my opinion, "can I get the seared ahi cooked all the way through??".

Having said that, while I am happy to recommend "proper cooking temps" for all of the above, especially the tunna, if a guest wants to destroy a beautiful piece of fish, it is their choice. And while my kitchen may on occasion raise an eyebrow, if a guest wants their salmon cooked through, they get it cooked through. If I was in a restaurant when the above scenario happened, I would lead a boycott against that pompous, arrogant, SOB chef. A guest at our restaurant (fine dining) can get anything they want anyWAY they want. It's all about the guest, not the egomaniac of an Executive Chef.

Where as I do believe that a chef should have the right to cook his dishes the way he wants to prepare them, he needs to understand the ramifications of such an action, which is to lose the customer and anyone who the guest may complain to. Fair enough for both parties. What the chef does not have the right to do is verbally assault a guest for making such a request. A simple "It's my way or no way" would suffice. I stand by my belief that someone who does such a thing is not only bad for business, but a complet a**hole in his own right.

[stovetop]

For me I have to put one thing into perspective, when you buy a car you kind of have to have something in mind, type, colour, model, brand; then you go shopping, you have the opportunity to test drive the vehicle that you want to purchase. You finally decide on a vehicle, now the hard part the fine print and details. The add ons and the standard or special editions, this is where my point becomes clear, you pay for every addition and change you make and sometimes you will have to wait because of those changes, like 3 months. You can jump up and down and leave because you can not have your car now.

That is life. I have more analogies but I will spare you because I believe you will get the point.

I have been an owner, chef, waiter, busboy, cook, dishwasher, and have worked in the food retail business and I can not understand sometimes the request of spoiled, unreasonable, picky and just demanding customers who want everything for free and who I suspect get it.

When I write the checks things are a little different when dealing with customers; at this point the restaurant is an extension of my home, sometimes it is my home, cause I spend more time in the restaurant then I do at home.

I am able to deal with the customer one on one and I am not afraid to refuse service to a customer because of their unreasonable request or that they are just an asshole.

You guys think that the CHEF is the asshole; well I have to tell you that you have not been out there, people are out there, just to get as much free food as possible and make restaurant people mental and push cooks to the brink of insanity.

The customer is not always right and I will never be your servant, I will always choose who I want to do business with and will send any but head out on their arse if I feel that they will never be good for my business or for my staffs mental health and disrupt the paying and loyal customers. This is also a detail so many threads miss is we like to deal with the regular customer. This person has developed a relationship, they know what they can get, they become a customer because of this, they demand and you supply.

If they demand something you cannot supply why the hell they are there.

You do not go to ford looking for a Toyota.

Customers are not always right, but if they are a regular customer and 90% of the time they are a reasonable human being most of us would bend over backwards to accommodate their requests.

But still you can’t get a ford at a Toyota dealer.

Lawyers, Accountants, Accountants, Mechanics, Plumbers, and any other business that I did not mention charge you for every detail, so why can not we charge you and when it is very busy and you have twenty people making changes to the MENU, it is the “fucking” menu for a reason it is what we sell. If you make those changes are you willing to wait and pay for it???????? The answer 90 % of the time is: “no”; the customer does not want to wait, no they will not pay for it. So who is the unreasonable one here?

steve

[Tess]

Perhaps you've never had to dine with your parents???

My mother always wants the wine with ice - the meat overdone - this that and the other thing on the side - or totally different sides.  Used to drive us nuts - but my husband is now an expert on ordering ice to dilute fine wine - and he deals with the other issues as well.  Would you consign us to culinary h*** just because we take our parents out to dinner?  Robyn

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I think one problem, in a fine dining place, is that if you have too many people requesting complicated changes it can take up everyone's time and disrupt things. You only have so many cooks in the kitchen. Honestly, if your parents constantly do this, I don't think you should take them to certain kinds of places. I think it's not so much a question of whether they have a right to do this as "What would happen if everyone did this?" A chef may lose business from people s/he refuses to accomodate, but may lose even more if his or her energies are squandered on these kinds of demands. Things that merely offend the sensibilities, like ice in the wine, are different. (Although I think there is no point in going to a good restaurant if you don't want to have the food the way it was intended and if you want to bring your picky eater to one, you should have them eat before you leave.)

[Bond Girl]

Having read the Sirio Maccioni memoire, one of the more memorable quotes there was:

"The customer is not always right...but the customer always get what they want."

Some said that Daniel adopts the same philosophy for his regular customers.

[stovetop]

Having read the Sirio Maccioni memoire, one of the more memorable quotes there was:

Is/was the owner of Le Cirque???

I have been in the bus. all my life, Is this book worth reading.

Some said that Daniel adopts the same philosophy for his regular customers.

That is what our business is all about, some people walk into a place with such an attitude, who the hell are you?? You do not have a history here to have such a bad attitude and heavy demands. Relax then maybe we will get you all those weird request, but to walk into a place and think you are god is a lousy way to bring someone onto your side.

"You draw more fly’s with honey then with vinegar"

steve

[Jake]

I will always choose who I want to do business with and will send any but head out on their arse if I feel that they will never be good for my business or for my staffs mental health and disrupt the paying and loyal customers.

steve

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Steve, just wanted to highlight the above statement you made upthread. To me, it shows a professional touch that would make me want to try your establishment -- it's not all about the chef or the problem customer, it affects your staff and other customers as well. Thank you for noting that VERY important point.

[robyn]

Perhaps you've never had to dine with your parents???

My mother always wants the wine with ice - the meat overdone - this that and the other thing on the side - or totally different sides.  Used to drive us nuts - but my husband is now an expert on ordering ice to dilute fine wine - and he deals with the other issues as well.  Would you consign us to culinary h*** just because we take our parents out to dinner?  Robyn

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I think one problem, in a fine dining place, is that if you have too many people requesting complicated changes it can take up everyone's time and disrupt things. You only have so many cooks in the kitchen. Honestly, if your parents constantly do this, I don't think you should take them to certain kinds of places. I think it's not so much a question of whether they have a right to do this as "What would happen if everyone did this?" A chef may lose business from people s/he refuses to accomodate, but may lose even more if his or her energies are squandered on these kinds of demands. Things that merely offend the sensibilities, like ice in the wine, are different. (Although I think there is no point in going to a good restaurant if you don't want to have the food the way it was intended and if you want to bring your picky eater to one, you should have them eat before you leave.)

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None of what my mother asks for is complicated. Unaesthetic at times - yes. Time consuming - no.

Seems like a lot of this discussion is about differing opinions in terms of what constitutes the proper "doneness" of certain ingredients. And I think there are different professional points of view concerning this topic. For example - I've always hated getting veggies almost raw. But many professionals said this is the way they should be done - and they looked down their noses at people who didn't like veggies almost raw. Then I read one of the books about the CIA (perhaps "Making of a Chef"?) and one of the first things in that book was the chef/teacher saying that cooked veggies should be cooked (not overcooked - but cooked - not almost raw). So I felt somewhat vindicated.

Then there's the issue of fish. A lot of chefs seem to confuse cooked fish with sashimi. Again - we're not talking about overcooked fish - not protein cooked past the point of turning into rubber - but the difference between raw and cooked. Sometimes I like raw - and sometimes I like cooked - but cooked shouldn't come out like raw. And then I read a Wall Street Personal Journal article to the effect that the way a lot of chefs "cook" fish could be very hazardous to one's health. So I felt somewhat vindicated again.

A similar issue arises with regard to beef. I happen to like rare beef - but not cold beef. And in many higher end restaurants - the beef portions are thick. Now I could never cook a thick piece of beef at home and have it come out rare inside but not tepid inside (so I use thinner cuts). So I had to try a high end steakhouse with one of those huge BTU grills once. Know what. Its rare beef was just as tepid inside as mine was when I tried to cook thick pieces.

Now I don't like mushy overcooked veggies - or rubber fish - or cooked past gray beef - but it seems to me that a lot of chefs have erred on the side of undercooking to avoid these potential culinary disasters. And some with no talent at all are applying the undercooking principle in a totally ridiculous fashion (last night I ate something that was supposed to be osso bucco - and it was an almost raw veal shank without the end bone cut off - yuck). So - perhaps in at least some of these cases - it's the chefs who are wrong - not the customers. At a minimum - there is room for a reasonable difference of opinion Robyn

[stovetop]

None of what my mother asks for is complicated. Unaesthetic at times - yes. Time consuming - no.

Seems like a lot of this discussion is about differing opinions in terms of what constitutes the proper "doneness" of certain ingredients. And I think there are different professional points of view concerning this topic. For example - I've always hated getting veggies almost raw. But many professionals said this is the way they should be done - and they looked down their noses at people who didn't like veggies almost raw. Then I read one of the books about the CIA (perhaps "Making of a Chef"?) and one of the first things in that book was the chef/teacher saying that cooked veggies should be cooked (not overcooked - but cooked - not almost raw). So I felt somewhat vindicated.

Then there's the issue of fish. A lot of chefs seem to confuse cooked fish with sashimi. Again - we're not talking about overcooked fish - not protein cooked past the point of turning into rubber - but the difference between raw and cooked. Sometimes I like raw - and sometimes I like cooked - but cooked shouldn't come out like raw. And then I read a Wall Street Personal Journal article to the effect that the way a lot of chefs "cook" fish could be very hazardous to one's health. So I felt somewhat vindicated again.

A similar issue arises with regard to beef. I happen to like rare beef - but not cold beef. And in many higher end restaurants - the beef portions are thick. Now I could never cook a thick piece of beef at home and have it come out rare inside but not tepid inside (so I use thinner cuts). So I had to try a high end steakhouse with one of those huge BTU grills once. Know what. Its rare beef was just as tepid inside as mine was when I tried to cook thick pieces.

Now I don't like mushy overcooked veggies - or rubber fish - or cooked past gray beef - but it seems to me that a lot of chefs have erred on the side of undercooking to avoid these potential culinary disasters. And some with no talent at all are applying the undercooking principle in a totally ridiculous fashion (last night I ate something that was supposed to be osso bucco - and it was an almost raw veal shank without the end bone cut off - yuck). So - perhaps in at least some of these cases - it's the chefs who are wrong - not the customers. At a minimum - there is room for a reasonable difference of opinion Robyn

Robyn I am with you all the way, you bring up all valied points, you want things just done right, so do I.

It is kinda like goldy locks and the three bears

steve

[hshiau]

I think that as long as the kitchen and front of house are on the same page, we're ok. There are going to be some dishes where the chef may refuse to change the way he prepares it. The waiters should know this and inform the customer if a change is requested. At that point, the customer can decide to order something else or complain to management. Either way, it shouldn't get to the kitchen. Other requests that the waiter thinks may be reasonable can be conveyed and obliged or not.

[Syrah]

This has kind of grown from a comment I made, and the responses to it, in the Festivus thread.

You know the scenario, regardless of which side of the divide you normally see it from.  A customer wants his wild salmon or his venison fillet cooked well-done, or complains that the seared foie gras isn't cooked in the middle.

Marco Pierre White famously charged a customer 30 pounds for the bowl of chips they'd been cheeky enough to ask for in his michelin 3-star restaurant.

At what point are chefs justified in drawing the line?  Should customers always get what they want, on the basis that they're the ones paying for it?  Should chefs have the opportunity to say that they're not prepared to serve tomato ketchup with their foie gras, or to cook that pigeon breast well-done?

I'd appreciate your views, from all sides of this.

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I think that if the customers’ request is reasonable it should be accommodated. People that have to have salmon done well and other things we would find distasteful are not worth loosing sleep or time on. People that make outlandish requests like eggs over easy but no fat or butter can be used; no onions in french onion soup; no onions in shrimp Creole or better yet no butter in sauce béarnaise should die slow lingering deaths as expediently as possible.

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LOL

[Farmer Dave]

I think MaxH brought up an interesting point back there....the allergy being a "designer" mentality.....in the fine dining kitchen I am in , I hear requests every service....a lot based on allergies.....it is always described as "a severe allergy"...and then usually a long list of ingredients.....I had maybe 40 allergies myself as a kid. (luckily grew out of them).....still have "sensitivities" to some foods....but there is definately a trend to label a sensitivity or dislike of an ingredient used on a plate as an allergy........

It disrupts service for sure when you have cooks running through the recipes and mise en place to see what and what can't be used.....I usually end up "qualifying" these "allergies" ....if the person says they are allergic to garlic....I will find out if that would include chives, or leeks, or shallots as well.....are sulfuric compounds in these alliums going to have them gasping on the dining room floor.....is the pungency of the garlic going to disrupt their meditation session at the spa.....or do they just not like the taste of garlic.....in other words.....am I going to kill them if I use no garlic on the dish but some shallot sneaks in a sauce on another course..?

Making them happy is a challenge sometimes......killing them is ...well...bad...m'kay?

[MaxH]

I think MaxH brought up an interesting point back there....the allergy being a "designer" mentality.....in the fine dining kitchen I am in , I hear requests every service....a lot based on allergies.....it is always described as "a severe allergy"...and then usually a long list of ingredients . . . there is definately a trend to label a sensitivity or dislike of an ingredient used on a plate as an allergy........

It disrupts service for sure when you have cooks running through the recipes and mise en place to see what and what can't be used.....

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I should add that I wasn't kidding in my respect for real allergies. As a diner I carry three dry medications and, under prescription, an emergency injector, to deal with my own various limitations with foods (none of them known to be life-threatening). But I deal with those things, rather than making them into the center of attention. Better to focus on enjoying the food, and the hard work and artistry that the kitchen is putting into it.

[Farmer Dave]

Priorities are in the right place.......great attitude ....a diner like you is a pleasure

to serve...and that really is what we are there to do........

[stovetop]

I think that as long as the kitchen and front of house are on the same page, we're ok. There are going to be some dishes where the chef may refuse to change the way he prepares it. The waiters should know this and inform the customer if a change is requested. At that point, the customer can decide to order something else or complain to management. Either way, it shouldn't get to the kitchen. Other requests that the waiter thinks may be reasonable can be conveyed and obliged or not.

[nwyles]

I am not one thinks the customer is always right etc. , but they still are the customer.

I own my restaurant and have learned a thing or two as we bumped along. Here is a little gem that never fails to make me smile.

A few months after we opened, I put a dish on the menu - Black and Blue Ahi with ponzu and wasabi mayo - served up like sashimi and very popular. People were having multiple orders, one table had 12 orders one night. Next week I put it on the special sheet again and did so for the next 5 weeks. The next week I decided to try something else on the special. I felt I was shortchanging my guests by not coming up with new stuff etc. I needed to spread my wings and show them what I could do etc.

A regular guest walks in and says " hey, where is the tuna ?"

I told him that it was time to make something new and quite frankly, I had got a little tired of making it.

He says to me " I did not get tired of eating it ! "

I changed the menu the next day. I realized it was not about me or my ego, it was about making my guests happy and comfortable. If this was what kept them coming back, who was I to deny them that ? No reasonable offer refused !

A guy wants an all egg white omelete for dinner on a Friday night. In my head I think " what the fuck is this all about ? " but I proceed to make it. I charged him $25. He did not flinch. Next week same thing. Oh well, I am here to run a business. I can certainly find a use for all of the yolks ! If I was just the Chef here, I might have told him no but as the owner / chef, hey, good food cost on that item ! He still comes here after 8 years but now has discovered lamb shanks ! Thank God, cuz' I hate making omeletes

If it is not too much trouble to do something a little extra or different to please your guest, why not ? Why did you get in this business anyways ? To stamp your feet, tell everybody how much you know, hear me roar for I am the Chef and you will have it my way ? Time to change jobs !

Edited January 1, 2005 by nwyles (log)

[robyn]

I am catching up on things (we had kind of a rough time this week - my husband's father died - but after a long illness - it was his time - and I'm glad he went peacefully at the end).

One of the things I'm catching up on is holiday presents. My husband bought me a DVD called "Big Night". A foodie movie about 2 Italian brothers trying to run an "authentic" Italian restaurant in the US in what is probably the late 1950's. A must have/must give for chefs who bang their heads against the wall when their customers from he** are ordering. Note that it is a poignant movie. Don't watch it when you need to be cheered up. Robyn