[Pete]

Hey! I thought we were all artists. Who cares if anyone likes the combinations we come up with as long as it satsifies our creative urges. Charlie doesn't care so why should we?

[shroomgirl]

LOL Pete there are always going to be shock guys (either they need shock therapy or they are shooting to just shock you cause they don't have finesse) and then there are others artists if you will that have some method to the madness and actually think out what they are doing.....it's like any art it's in the eye of the beholder.....but peers are the best(?) critics.

[chefjohnpaul]

I think bar food should be easy to eat and assertive enough to stand up to the drinks. Sometimes different works, sometimes it doesn't. We just put macaroni and cheese on our menu because it is a comfort food, but we added Sonoma chevre and white cheddar topped it with fried onion bread crumbs and a roasted tomato, a little different but all things are pretty much still familiar. I heard of a chef doing a vanilla crusted rack of veal that some said was awful, would it have been better if it was just "old hat" with a Dijon and breadcrumb crust and cooked to perfection? Probably.

[lynne]

Grown up Mac n' Cheese - sounds wonderful! And familiar.

[shroomgirl]

Putting thought into what you do....where, who are your customers, casual/upscale, other dishes in the restaurant, what sells in your area, finger or fork foods, at the bar or at tables,how far can you go, how far do you need to go, what's your competition doing.....Boy free consulting.
this is what I think before I even get into what to do.....art or craftsmanship depends on whether your copying or creating.

[Stephanie Brim]

Rock Bottom Brewery in Des Moines does a lot of great things...they have Italian and Greek pasta as well as burgers and the good old fashioned pickled eggs. One of the times I was there to eat I got an alfredo with artichokes, shrimp, and scallops...and a Pinot Grigio to go with it. Heavenly.

[shroomgirl]

5 year old thread.....not much has changed. Sweet Potato fries with chipotle/orange aioli or salt and pepper fries with pickled onion aioli still win my heart.

[Stephanie Brim]

Yeah, I'm pulling up the old ones. I found the horrible kitchen injury thread and had to see what else there was back there. Good stuff.