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too extensive menu?

post #1 of 30
11/1/12 at 11:34am
Thread Starter 

hello there, I'm a line cook in a small restaurant that is suppose to be a bistro. We have 4 different menu depending on the day and the service. we are normally 2 in the kitchen on weekdays and two on the week-end in the low season. I was wondering if our menus are maybe too varied. We have 85 seat low-season and 120seat in high season, which gives us about 300 covers every shift.

 

The first one is the breakfast menu it has about 140 items, the week lunch menu another 120 main if we don't count the appetizers, the night menus which is about 175 items and then we have the week-end lunch menu which is about half of the week one, no table d'hôte and no appetizer.

 

Those menus sometimes add up because the breakfast menus finishes at 3h pm and the lunch one starts at 11h am so for about 4 hours every weekday we have a menu of about 260 mains and I was wondering is it normal to have such a wide menu or is it just us? Thanks

Trunks

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post #2 of 30
11/1/12 at 3:31pm

A bit more information would help. Based on your description, the menu would be several pages long. Prep alone would be near impossible unless it's all frozen. And you say it's a supposed to be a small bistro with only two cooks.  Something is missing.

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post #3 of 30
11/1/12 at 5:53pm
Thread Starter 

the menus are 6 or 7 pages each, prep does take a long time all vegetable are fresh we get the meat sous vide except sausages and bacon which comes in fresh, sea food and fish are frozen except calamari which is fresh but pre-cut, but we get the poultry and italian sausages fresh.

We bake muffins and viennoiseries, we make all sauces, cream and soups from scratch.

The appetiziers are all pre made when we get them which is why I didn't count them we just have to portion them, like the cheese curd.

We slice our own charcuterie and cheeses.

 

anything else missing?

 

Trunks
 

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post #4 of 30
11/1/12 at 5:56pm
Thread Starter 

we are three on the week end and we have two different kitchen too..

 

Trunks

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post #5 of 30
11/2/12 at 12:43am

A good menu should be between 5-7 appetizers and 10-15 entrees. I think you ought to go through the menu and choose what 20 items you know sells the best in the list of 200+ and get rid of the rest. From the sounds of it, whomever is in charge doesn't know what they are doing.

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post #6 of 30
11/2/12 at 1:28am

Agreed.

That menu is impossibly impossible.

"a small restaurant that is suppose to be a bistro", ~300 covers, "the menus are 6 or 7 pages each", ...

I think you may be taking us for a ride, so to speak.

 

Trunks? We're all too old to appreciate the reference.

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post #7 of 30
11/2/12 at 2:26am

Geez! Are you for real? You must be working 24/7 and then some!!!

 

My place is a third of the size of yours, I have three starters and 7-9 mains, soup and salad, all fresh and from scratch, and (being the only chef at the mo) I struggle sometimes...

 

Cheers,

Recky
 

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post #8 of 30
11/2/12 at 3:21am

Sounds like a nightmare.  

 

I know the type of situation you are talking about, I worked in a place with a lunch menu, a dinner menu, a bar menu, and a taco bar.  there were 12 varieies of fish and it was not even promoted as a seafood resto.  There is a class of menu design who's point is to have 500 different items available, like the cheesecake factory restaurant, but it has to be set up to mix and match all the prep for the different plates so that its like the crew is prepping for 50 items not 500.  - like how a mexican or pizza joint does a lot with a little, or how you can quickly bust out hundreds of menu items like soup, stew, salads and entrees out of a reach in and 4 or 6 bain-maries of mother sauce.  Check this menu out: http://www.cookstr.com/users/kenny-shopsin/profile  Nine hundred  menu items out of a hole in the wall with 2 cooks!  Epic.  

 

Weather or not your boss has it set up so you are not working yer arss off I don't know, but I think not because There is NO WAY I'd be slicing my own deli in a situation like that.   In a samich shop - okay, in the bistro that you have described its just stupid, its abuse of employes.  How many total hours are spent slicing and cleaning the slicer?  How much more does sliced meat cost?  Not to mention the cost of the slicer and maintences of it, or the space it takes up.  It's probably costing your boss more to work you even harder.

 

Weather or not the menu is too extensive depends on how smart its set up.  Are you under major stress?  Can you get all the prep done before service?  Does service flow well with good ticket times?  It can be a fun challenge or it can be pure ulser inducing hell.

 

I want to know more about your place.  Is there a menu posted online? 

 

CDF


Edited by Coup-de-Feu - 11/2/12 at 3:46am
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post #9 of 30
11/2/12 at 3:41am

 

I thought I'd post Shopsin's menu just because it is so over the top.  I can't believe it.  Only two cooks make all this stuff.  Not trying to hijack your thread, Trunks, but since we are on the subject of crazy bistros...

 

sliders3 mini cheeseburgers, caramelized onions 10

add bacon;chili; chipotle; hatch;mac’n cheese; lace potatoes +3 batter fried onions; fried spinach; chorizo + 4 bbq duck + 7

served on - waffled french fries; whole wheat french toast +3 mini-mac’ncheesepancakes;mapledonuts;potatolatkes+6

haMburgers 9 deluxe(lettuce, tomato,cheese, any type french fry) 14 {bacon; any cheese; chili; onion fry; chipotle; hatch} + 3; loco moco 15 {mac’ncheese;potatolace;wasabicoleslaw}+4; pattymelt 14

twin chicken cheeseburgers; twin vegetable cheeseburgers- 12

n1amarillo-bbq pork,chipotle salsa, jack garlicbread 13 n2 baa- lamb, potato, chickpea curry, sunflower hero 17 n3 brigette-chicken salad, avocado, tomato, garlic bread 13 n4carnivale-duck,sweetpotato,chipotlemayo,cilantro 19 n5choo-lamb sweet spinach tomato, fig cheese bread 17 n6 dang- pork, date, mustard bbq, jack, hero 17 n7done-duckmarmalade,chickenschnitzel,ciabatta21

n8 cuban-pressed pork, swiss, ham, pickle, mustard 16

n9 daniel- grilled chicken, beef chili, jack rye toast 15

n10donald-3-dduck,swiss,bacon,lettuce,tomato21

n 11 gallant- turkey, bacon, avocado, cranberry mayo 16

n12 golda- pot roast, cherry gravy, cheddar rye toast 17

n13 greekboy-grilled lamb, fried onions, feta/tahina 16

n14 gulf pride-bbq shrimp, avocado, cheddar, garlic 17

n18 ha-shrimp, cream cheese, bacon, tomato, horseradish 18

bbQ on a bun 9 (sweet; hot; both)

pork; brisket; chicken;

duck; turkey; shrimp

sandwiches toasted bun r1baconmarmalade 14

2 beef sloppy joe 8 3chicken salad 10 4chick-fil-a 12 5chorizo,cheddar 10

6 duck-fil-a 12
7 falafel burger 9
8 fried shrimp or chicken 14 9 grilled chicken 15
10 hoisin duck
12lamb mint curry 16
11 panelle (chickpea fritter,ricotta) 12 12 panko duck 15 13sloppyjudah 12
14 sweet curry(chicken or duck)14 15 vegetable batter fry 11

sandwichesotherbread

t21duck patty melt 16 22 grilled cheese 7

23bacon, lettuce, tomato 9 24blt, fried red tomato, pimento cheese, ciabatta12 25figs, pimento, gruyere 14 26falafel, pita, tahina 12

27 peanut butter&jelly 6 28duck breast, crisp, onions mozzarella, rye toast 14

29roast chicken 10
30 roast turkey 10
31 tuna 8; 32tuna melt 11 33mozzarella en carrozza 12

n19haveit-chicken&shrimpscampionwheatfrenchtoast21 shakes/malteds7

C beef mushroom barley 13 Dblack bean, hatch chile, lime 15 E bok choy bop 14
F Brazilian chicken garlic rice 19 G cheese burgers, french fries 22 H chicken’n dumplings 15
I chicken tortilla avocado 18
J chorizo poutine 17
K duck (dark meat) soup 16
l lamb, potato, mint curry 18
M oxtail stew 16
N oyster chowder (white) 18
o nigerian duck curry 17
P pea-leek thin dumpling 15
Q peruvian avocado, shrimp 19
R quesadilla cabbage 15
s shrimp gumbo 19
T tortilla, cheese, avocado 16
u vegetarian vegetable 14

(ask for a full soup menu)

n15 hawaii- fried coconut shrimp, mango bread, spicy slaw 18 n17 highschool- hot turkey, sausage stuffing,gravy,

cranberry sauce, white bread sandwich 22 n16homeboy-blackenedshrimp,creamycajunslaw 21 n20 home-duck breast, mango chutney, crisp onions 16 n21 IndIanboy -a.lamb mint fig curry, potato lace, peas 22

b. beef potato curry, carrots, crisp onions & potatoes 21 n22 jewboy -bbq brisket, grilled onions,swiss hero 16 n22 jewgoy -bbq duck, grilled onions,guyere hero 18 n23 jihadboy-beef, pomegranate, tapenade, feta,

pistachios, tahini dressing, toasted ciabatta 17 n24JOOKBOY-jerk shrimp,mango,okra, olives,feta 18 n25 Ko- chicken tomato creme, brussels, sunflower bread 18 n26 lannister burger-(1/2 sirloin 1/2 bbq brisket or bbq pork) 14 n27 luke’s lunch-a.bbq pork, chili cheese fries, ciabatta 16

b.lamb, fig curry,chili jack sweet potato fries 19
n 2 8 M o t h e r & c h i l d r e u n i o n - c h i c k e n & e g g s a l a d , t o a s t 14 n29 Miss Muffet- lamb, curds, waffle fries, gravy 18
n30 Moby-a.bbQ duck, hatch chile, black bean quesadilla 19

b. grilled chicken, pecan wild rice jack quesadilla 19 n31 Monte cristo- batter fried turkey, ham, swiss, fruit 18 n32ouch!-pita, lamb vindaloo, feta, crisp onions 18 n33 po’boy - shrimp or oyster, tartar sauce, dressed hero 18 n34 proZack- brisket bbq, hatch , jack, garlic bread 17 n35 rage-blt,hatchguacamole,jalapenocheesehero15 n36 rooster- chicken salad, garlic, cheese avocado 14 n37 ropa vieja- shredded beef, olives, raisins, jalapeno 16 n39 three little pigs-a.hatch bbq pulled pork sliders 16

b. hatch bbq pulled beef brisket sliders 18
n40 toy- fried chicken, avocado, chipotle, spinach, naan 17
n41 turducken- turkey cloud stuffing, duck, chicken 19
n42 t-rex- turkey reuben with spicy slaw, swiss, rye toast 16 n43 wicked- chicken salad, bacon, avocado, cheese sliders 18 n44 wonk- shrimp, bacon, peppers, creme 21 $26 lunch specials

batter fried vegetables, etc.

(with dipping sauce) 11 pickles; bananas; onions, artichokes; brussel sprouts; rutabaga;tapenade; avocado; chorizo; okra, haricot verts; cheese curds; peas; grapefruit, eggplant

zazie

tex-Mex
guacamole 7 nachos + beans 9

1.ducklegÉtouffée,rice shrimp, chorizo fingers

v1 abel- pumpkin, peanut butter, haroset (dried fruits & nuts) english muffin 15 v2 aha- sweet potato flapjack sandwich with veggie cheeseburger 17
v3 allyummy- thirty cloves garlic, artichokes, green sauce, pesto ciabatta 16
v4 black beans, goat cheese, hatch chile, red onions, cilantro,english muffin 14 v5 bronco- fried potato, okra, spinach, peas, mango lime curry 16 kid’s v6 bronx-broccoli mustard greens over falafel latkes, avocado salad 19 food 6 v7 chewy- fried rutabaga, veggie sausage chickpea curried rice 17

v8 cleopatra-batter fried rutabaga, sunflower bread, butter okra tomato 16 v9 deen- corn & peas potato latkes, dijon gruyere sauce, pecan bread 17 v10 eve- avocado, grilled tomato, cheddar, russian, wheat toast 10
v11 evermore- bow ties, kasha with fruited gravy over rye toast 12

v12 extra- panelle, goat cheese, mozzarella, wheat toast, tomato pesto dip 17
v13 fabo- sweet tomato haricot verts, macaroni’n cheese, corn bread 15
v14 filégree- tomato okra, artichokes, cheddar gumbo garlic bread 17
v15 fred-spicy coleslaw, veggie sausage, waffle fries, wheat toast, spinach gravy 16 v16 frog-spinach pine nut bleu cheese, sweet potato fries, 7 grain toast 17 v17greenday- mixed vegetable pumpkin curry over spinach and papadum 14 v18gyron- dates, chunky pistachio butter, spinach, corn bread 14

v19 hi de ho- fried goat cheese sliders, garlic, mustard greens dip 19
v20 india- sweet potato poutine, mumbai falafel, naan 19
v21 Krisp-spinach, bean, avocado,hatch, feta chimichonga 18
v22 lion- waffle fries, avocado, tomato, salsa, lettuce, grilled cheese ciabatta 14 v23Melanzana-ratatouille, mozzarella, hash browns, pesto garlic bread 18 v24Munch-friedbroccoli,cheddar,chickpeacurry,wheattoast17 vegetable v25 nosher- mixed vegetable chutney, mini potato latkes, rye toast 17 sausages v26 okrahoma- bok choy bop, okra, black beans, scallion, kati naan 16 feta, olives v28 Quisp-turnip, spinach, hatch, ricotta pocket, veggie link gravy 18 12

v29 rave-pumpkin artichoke, pecan bread pudding, peanut gravy (celery, carrot) 18 v30 sez u- dry sauté haricot verts, vegan sausage, over basmati rice 15
v31 spin- spinach latke poutine, corn and pumpkin gravy 19
v32 supplies! - crisp corn quesadillas, tomato, basil mac’n cheese 15

v33 swedie pie- maple rutabaga, potato, carrots, whole wheat french toast 18 v34 sweet- fried banana & avocado pumpkin peanut bread 17
v35 taka-falafel latke pancake sandwich, avocado, tahina, lettuce, tomato 16 v36tamalee- cashew, corn, jalapeno tamale, ranchero sauce, cheese 17

v37 tempty- crisp corn quesadillas, kale, feta, onions, avocado 14
v38 turnip road- rutabaga, leeks, green peas, spinach 7 grain open face 15 v39wombat- sunflower kernel, dates, cream cheese on whole wheat french toast 16

vegan (no dairy, no eggs, no meat, no fish) lunch plates vg1acuka- eggplant, tomato, muhammara, garlic whole wheat 15
vg2 agra-veggie curry rice bowl, potato, okra, peas 16
vg3 egad- guacamole, waffle fries, wheat toast 11
vg4 genoa- veggie links, peppers, eggplant, onion, tomato hero 14
vg5 graveyard stew- many veggie gravy over cubed 7 grain toast 14
vg6 Kosh-artichokes, sunflower, guacamole, english muffin 15
vg7 Mazel tov-5 green vegetables peanut curry papadum 15
vg8 Moxie-pecan,corn wild rice enchiladas, mango salsa 19
vg9 Music-brussel sprout potato salad, black bean bread17
vg10noah- irish beans, tomato, onions, spinach, toast 12
vg11twist- bulghur wheat, veggies, caramelized onion, mint, tahina, naan 17 vg12 victory- eggplant cubes, tomato black lentils, guacamole garlic bread 18

happy three part vegan lunch trays (sandwich; soup; salad) 21

beef or veg chili 7/12; pork tamales 4 ea
quesadillas;tacos al pastor; shrimp,chicken,chorizo

enchiladas;tamale pie; burrito;special nachos;

2. jambalaya, rice
3. pecan chicken wild rice

cream enchiladas
4.taco fried chicken,refried

chimichongas; macacha 15
with any of these: pork or turkey bacon; brisket; cheese rice, avocadosalad

shrimp; chili; pork; 3 cheese; duck; chicken; turkey; ribeye steak; beef or vegetarian chili; chorizo; lamb; veggie or pork sausage

pancaKe & egg Quesadilla 9 bacon or chorizo 11; chickpea curry 13 bbq lamb; duck; or pork spinach potato 16

Kati rolls (grilled & filled egg coated paratha) 15

5.roast duck l’orange haricot verts, mango stuffing

6.patsy’s cashew chicken basmati rice, spinach

cajun meat loaf, okra gravy, 7.cheese grits,corn bread

spinach, pea, potato curry; hoisin veggie 8. thai grilled pistachio

links, ricotta; mango/peach melba; saag chicken, coconut sweet

dan

these are the only vegan menu items

broccoli, kale; haricot vert tomato curry

rice, fried bananas

desserts
stuffed- chocolate, banana; butterscotch; pb&j

9. moonpie meat loaf, guacamole, pork tamale

black bean rice

the ten condiment sandwich 18

soft-cut hero,garlic, waffle fries,avocado, red onion, lettuce, tomato,cheddar,jack,

sunflower & poppy seeds,wasabi cole slaw

I baconorsausage&eggs II bbq pulled pork or beef III jalapeno chorizo IVbutter chicken or duck

V roast chicken or turkey VI grilled duck or lamb VIIboneless rib eye steak VIII pork or veggie sausage IX chicken or tuna salad

X fried shrimp or chicken Xichicken or veggie burgers

A peanut butter, pimento
B peanut butter, banana
C pistachio butter, avocado D chickpea curry, spinach
E mango chutney, potato curry F pumpkin, pistachio
G eggplant, tapenade
H black lentil, haricot verts

1 tomato rice 2 filé gumbo

3 beans’greens 3

1 guacamole 2 mescalun

3 iceberg 3

10 ebelskivers (cinnamon tossed)

donuts or donut dots

glazes- chocolate; vanilla; cinnamon; rum; maple pecan cajeta (goat cheese caramel, crepe)

fried burrito (pineapple, coconut, raisin) bread pudding (banana; peach; mango)

pancake burrito-coconut sweet rice +

pineapple raisin;raspberry peach; strawberry banana

4 black bean lime 5 chipotle corn

4 garlic potato 5 spinach

luke’s faMous ducK gyro 15

luke

orange julius 6

zack

red grapefruit 8 drinKs 2.50

iced tea/icedcoffee apple juice, coke; diet coke; ginger ale; red

birch beer; hot coffee

or tea; chocolate milk egg cream 4 brown cow 5 florida squeezed oj 4

smoothees / slushies 6

souPs A african green curry

X

X

mocha nutella; vanilla; chocolate; strawberry__ guinness malted 10
slutty shake; brandy; cake shake;toasted marshmallow

askforfullbeveragemenu

rice bowl lunch 14 1. two duck legs au jus
2. chorizo, black beans, hatch 3. veggie links, broccoli saag 4. panko chicken, apple bbq 5. oxtail stew
6. shrimp parmesan
7. duck, string beans, sweet

black bean sauce
8. veggies, chickpea masala 9. turkey, sage gravy, mire poix 10. brisket tomato chili
11. bbq pulled pork gumbo

no parties larger than 4 served; everyone must eat a meal weds-sat 9AM-2PM; sun 10AM - 2 PM we cannot accommodate severe food allergies! www.shopsins.com 266

14 Bbeef burrito cheese melt 14

vegetarian (ovo-lacto) lunch plates vegetarian lunch plates

french fries {regular; waffle; sweet cinnamon corn chips;

chips; wedges; skins} 6 cheese; hatch;gravy+3 chili, onion, cheese +5

tater tots plain or cheddar 11 chorizo;hatch;bacon 14

tater titties plain or cheddar 9

jalapeno or corn 12 poutine 10

(fries, cheese curds, gravy)

a chorizo 13
b broccoli saag 14
c bbq pork or chorizo 15

Mac’n cheese
plain 7; hatch 9; shrimp;

chorizo; bacon; sausage; duck; grilled chicken 12

5
6 broccoli saag 7 spinach barley 8 bulghur mint

5
6 romaine
7 tahina slaw 8 yam fries

plain pancaKes or french toast 8 (1/2 orders 1/2 price + $ 3)

syMphony 24 poached eggs, bacon marmalade pumpkin cheddar, french toast

bread pudding french toast 16 jpumpkin, raisin, cinnamon kchocolate chip cornbread lbanana, pecan, brown sugar

bread & breaKfast sandwiches
bastard - eggs, cornbeef or pastrami hash, cheese ciabatta 15 bingo- fried brussel sprouts, guacamole, jack, tapenade bread 16

caprij-egg, avocado, tomato chutney, jack, soft quesadilla 16kchimi 19 castle- 3 mini-egg cheeseburgers 14 stp- corn bread egg & cheese 11 Minda- egg whites, turkey bacon, cheddar, english muffin 11
Mr. softee- eggs & american on a steamed, toasted bun 6 saxelby- eggs, cheddar on toasted ciabatta 8 + bacon 11

sigh- potato pancake sandwich, egg, cheese, bacon 16
soft- american cheese egg pocket, large english muffin 9 south pumpkin bbq chicken, cheddar eggs, corn bread 16 str ider-maple veggie sausage, eggs, avocado, english muffin 15 tigerpaws-eggs&cheeseon3buns 8;+bacon 12
what?- waffle-cake grill cheese, egg 9; macaroni 11; bacon 12 wow-eggs, bacon marmalade, cheddar, ciabatta 15

fig 10 raisin cinnamon coconut pecan walnut cashew pistachio

pumpkin 12 chocolate chip butterscotch bacon

pound cakeft banana blueberry raspberry

red velvet poppy 14 matzoh brei
lime mint white chocolate cinnamon apple, raisin chocolate peanut butter lemon or lime ricotta

apple, pecan, brown sugar 16
mac’n cheese (chorizo; hatch+3 each ) s’mores (chocolate or butterscotch) peach melba (raspberry-lime), pecan mustard greens,vegan sausage, asiago blueberry lemon ricotta
brown sugar banana pecan

s lutty caKes 18
original (pumpkin, peanut butter, pistachios, cinnamon) iran(banana, pistachio butter, peanuts, brown sugar) M’lady(fig, butterscotch, pecan , poppy cream cheese) egypt (chocolate, peanut butter, marshmallow, banana) tupelo (banana, bacon, peanut butter, brown sugar) Melba(lime, raspberry, peach, bacon cream cheese) Miami(butterscotch pumpkin cakes, peach bbq pork) Quack(apple, cinnamon, raisin, raspberry bbq duck) yolo (cocoa, chocolate chip, sunflower, marshmallow) don ho(macadamia, coconut, pumpkin, date cream cheese) swine blues (bacon, in the batter, blueberry pancakes) Mark trail ( trail mix, banana, chunky pistachio butter)

eggs & toast 6 cheese in or over 7;poached or egg whites 8 omelets (2 ingredients)10; western12

Mo’jeMiMa poached eggs stuffed bacon mac’n cheese pancakes 23

plain 11

H pancaKe burrito H eggs, rice, cheese, beans 12 (add bacon; duck; pork; beef; chorizo)+5

french toast sandwiches 15 jfluffernutterkbanana foster peanut butterlnutella-fluff, butterscotch

mmango foster, pistachio butter nraspberry bbq pork white choc. gravy ochick-fil-a, pecan french toast
∆ peach melba, whole wheat ft

three berry pecan leMon ricotta, banana foster

corn pancaKe lasagna 21

poached eggs; cubed toast 16 phudi-spinach, broccoli, saag tito-chorizo, jack, cilantro shirley- bacon, lettuce, tomato oleg-bbq pork,hatch chile, onions

B1ABC-chicken schnitzel, s

2 ADoBE -egg burrito, coconut pancakes, cranberry salsa 19 3ARTy- artichoke,vegetable frittata, mozzarella, toast 17 4 BAlly- duck curry, black lentil basmati, eggs, papadum 21 5BuBBAj-panko friedshrimp, eggs, grits, corn bread 19

k-blackenedshrimp,eggs,dirtyrice,cornbread 18 6CAPT’J- fried chicken, eggs, 2 mac’n jack pc 19
7DIEGo- poached eggs, poutine (curds,fries, gravy) 15 8GoyA-chorizo,whitebeanmarmalade,eggs,toast 17 9IlIANA- mango, avocado, eggs, refried rice, corn chips 13 10 JEwGIRl- open face hot bbq bacon mac’n cheese omelet, rye 16 11 JoE BluE- beef chuck, eggs, onions, spinach, bleu, toast 17 12JuANITA- chili, cheese omelet, pork tamale, toast 16 13JuNIoR - bbq pork, mac’n cheese, eggs, toast 16 14KRAKAToA- eggs, sausage stuffing, potato, lava sauce 17

15 lEEKy BoATj-fried potato shells, leeks, ricotta, garlic, eggs 16 k-fried potato shells, chili, cheddar, eggs hatch 16

16 MAGIC-eggs, bacon marmalade, lace potato, toast 17
17 MAKE ME-bbq pulled duck, mac’n cheese, eggs, toast 19 18 MAINE- mini-blues, eggs, maple cream, english muffin 14 19 MExICAN- tortilla lasagna, chili, eggs, ricotta , cheddar 15 20 MoE-maple bacon pancake sandwich, sunny’s on top 13

k- maple duck breast, pancake sandwich, sunny’s on top 15 21 Mo’BETTA-maple bacon, egg, mac’n cheese pancake samich 18 22 MoMMy-eggs,porksausage,cinnamonraisinfrenchtoast15 23 MouNT FuJI- poached eggs, steam asian veggie, grits 18
24 NEssIE-two bacon mac’n cheese pancake nest eggs 19
25 ovA- poached eggs over bacon cheese grits, toast 14
26 PIAF- eggs, gruyere sauce, fried onions, toast 14
27 PIGNEwToN-eggs, grits, pork, fig gravy sandwich 21
28 RAJ-jvegetable, black lentil, tofu scramble, toast 16
29 k-tofu, spinach, mustard greens, broccoli, toast 18
30 RoPE-A-DoPE- duck leg confit, eggs, toast 14
31 sHAKsHuKA-sizzling peppers, onion, tomato, eggs 16
32 sINGAPoRE-poached eggs, Kaya toast, soy sauce 11 33sPRINGsTEEN- bacon & cheese flat omelet, toast 12 34soGooD-3dfrenchtoastgrilledcheese,poachedeggs 16
35 k-3d corn pancake grilled cheese, poached eggs 17
36 soT-chorizomac,eggs,cornpancake, eggplant lasagna 19
37 souTH PoRK - eggs, grits, sausage gravy sandwich 16
38 sQuAw-eggs, bacon, peppers, cheese, toast 15
39 ToKE- eggs,cheese on 3 bacon, maple glazed donuts 19
40 TREIF- 3 bbq brisket, jack, onion egg sliders 18
41 zACKzuKA- sizzling chorizo, eggs, cilantro, peppers 15
42 zEBRA - egg whites, veggie sausage, black beans, rice 12
43 zEsTy-3 bbq duck, egg, sliders on mac’n cheese pc 19 44zITo-shrimp scampi mutzi omelet, garlic cheese bread 18
45 zoRRo-oxtail stew, poached eggs, on banana ft 21

the petes (this section has spicy garlic bread and a special topping) pete moss- veggie sausage, jack, tomato, scallions 15

tommy pete - turkey bacon, cheddar, tomato, scallions 15 santana pete-chorizo, hatch, jack,scallions, cilantro 15 pete seager-panko fried shrimp, dill, carrots, scallions 18

little bo pete- lamb mint curry, tomato, scallions 19 sneaky pete- monterey jack, bacon, tomato, scallions 14

wiggly pete - pork sausage, jack, scallions, tomato 14 More petes (this section has different breads and toppings)

blisters on My sisters
original-sunny’s, cheddar, r ice, beans’ n greens, corn tortillas 9

add-bacon; shrimp; chicken; duck; ribeye; sausage(pork/veggie/chorizo) +5 indian u-chickpea, potato curry, peas, basmati, papadum, feta 15

v-spinach, mustard greens, broccoli, basmati, papadum, feta 16 italian- eggs, strozzapreti bolognese, garlic bread, mozzarella 17 chinese- eggs, duck fried rice, crisp pancake, cheddar 19 tijuana- eggs, chipotle, black beans, rice over pork tamales 16 cajun-eggs, hoppin’ john (bacon, gumbo), corn bread 17

israeli- kasha varnishkes, brisket, rye toast 19
cali-duck marmalade, mango pecan bread, mozzarella (no rice) 19 ché-chorizo/chipotle enchiladas, jalapeno eggs, cheddar (no rice) 19

the petes all get 3 poached

eggs

crisp hash, eggs, toast cornbeef; pastrami; chorizo; brisket; white trash chicken; ga bbq pork; bbq pulled duck; turkeycloud; reuben 17 duck(confit or bbq breast);shrimp scampi 19

ausage gravy, eggs, grits 21

swee’pea-cornbread,maple bacon,peas,cheddar 14 pedro-chorizo, cilantro, scallions, pork tamales 19

pete’s sake-batter fried shrimp, pesto garlic bread 19
peter pan- mango, raspberry bread, corned beef reuben 17 peter lorre-bacon blue cheese bread, hosin duck, scallions 18

the petes all get 3 poached

eggs

cereals

country scraMbles & toast (yolk coated firm egg whites) 7

fresh MoZZarella, eggs and: m1 corn, roast garlic, jalapeño 14 m2 tomato, basil, eggplant 18
m3 avocado, brussel sprouts 16 m4 turkey bacon, tomato 18

m5 veg sausage, peppers, potato 18 m6 fried shrimp creole 19
m7 chicken cacciatore 17
m8 spinach, avocado 14

m9 sausage & fried dough 19

cs1 corn, cheddar, chorizo 15 cs2 bacon, potato, cheddar 14 cs3 bleu, avocado, spinach 12 cs4bacon, potato, goat cheese 16 cs5 corn, cheddar 9

cs6hatch, veggie link, pimento16 cs7shrimp, tomato, salsa 17
cs8 corn, peas, scallions, garlic 15 cs9 fried dough, sausage 17 cs10 macaroni, chorizo, cheese 15

happy three part breakfast trays 25 h1 s’mores pc; mac’n cheese pc; iran slutty pc
h2 chorizo mac’n cheese; chocolate pc; banana brown sugar pc

h3 tupelo slutty; blueberry pecan pc; fried dough, chorizo scrambled h4 mac’ncheesepc;chorizoft;spinachbleueggs
h5 raspberry pc;walnut,raisin,bread pudding ft; cheddar corn eggs h6 2 sliders; eggs with chorizo & potato; mac’n cheese pc

h7 Melba slutty; banana foster ft; ham/cheese/eggs
h8 egg burrito; egypt slutty pc; brown sugar raisin, cashew ft
h9 chorizo,hatch, mac’n cheese pc; pound cake ft; pork tamale
h10 chili omelet; bacon mac’n cheese pc, white chocolate poutine
h11 yolo slutty; tomato chicken curry, rice; chocolate macadamia ft h12 sneaky pete; butterscotch s’mores pc; chocolate ft
h13 original slutty; duck leg confit; orange bread pudding ft
h14 2 bobcat sliders; blueberry pc; eggs with peas and swiss
h15 Quack slutty; banana brown sugar ft; corn & cheddar scrambled h18 bbq pork marmalade, scrambled eggs, toast, pork tamale
h19 oxtail stew; poached eggs over grits; cinnamon pumpkin raisin pc h20 chicken tomato cream, rice; cinnamon donuts; spinach, blue omelet h21 don ho slutty, chorizo bean stew, eggs, rye toast
h22oxtail curry over rice; chorizo chili mac; artichoke gruyere omelet h23duck leg confit; spinach blue cheese scrambled; fried bananas
h24 chicken schnitzel; 3 fried eggs, banana bread pudding ft
h25 swine blues; chocolate chip corn bread ft; potato chickpea curry

h26 trail mix pc; egg chimichonga; bbq pulled duck
h27 eggplant parmagiana, scrambled eggs, hash browns h282 sliders, egg/cheddar stuffed corn bread; s’mores ft h29 bacon, egg/jack stuffed corn bread; iran ft; coconut pc

pc= pancake ft= french toast

PlAIN PoTATo lATKEs- 13 cheddar; spinach; hatch; falafel; sweet potato; pumpkin 15; artichoke; brussel sprouts 17; (pastrami;corned beef)reuben 18 ; indian mutton curry 19

tex-Mex breaKfast
huevos rancheros -eggs, cheddar, veggies, tortillas 14

bacon; chorizo; brisket; pulled pork; duck breast 18 chilaQuilles-tortillas,eggs,cabbage14;+chorizoorchicken 17

Migas- eggs, corn hay, avocado, hatch 14 + chorizo 17 egg nachoes- cheese, beans, tortillas 15
egg- Quesadilla; beef enchiladas; potato tacos 14 egg burrito- 9; chiMichanga- 14 chorizo + 3 choriZo open oMelet- veggy, cheddar, toast 17 encachuata-eggs, peanut mole enchiladas 18 ZaKstacK- crisp tortillas, eggs, chili, chorizo beans/greens,cheddar, crema, guacamole 21

veggistaK-crisp tortillas, eggs, broccoli, mustard greens, veggie chili, beans, cheddar, guacamole, hatch chile 23

stainless breakfast trays with toast 29
h30 springsteen; lamb gyro, sweet potato fries raspberry lime ricotta pc
h31 castles; white chocolate macadamia pc, chili mac poutine, guacamole h32 jewish pot roast, kasha varnishkes, eggs, potato latkes
h33 chicken tonkatsu, coconut sweet rice, eggs, duck marmalade, donuts
h34 taco fried shrimp, chipotle cheese grits, scrambled eggs, waffle fries h35 duck gyro, bacon blisters on my sisters, chorizo mac’n cheese pc h36 shrimp po’boy, tupelo pc, spinach goat cheese scrambled, corn bread h37 bacon saxelby, duck confit, tijuana blisters, mac’n cheese pc
h38 potato latkes; pulled bbq duck, banana pound cake ft, eggs, toast h39 glazed brussels, shrimp scampi, slutty pc, spinach blue eggs, toast h40 M’lady pc, iran pc, turkey cloud hash, poached eggs, toast
h41 egypt pc, butter chicken curry, rice, duck confit, waffle fries, lb. cake ft

Meat-bacon(pork or turkey); sausagelinks(pork,veggie);chorizo; ham; pork tamale 5; fried shrimp; chicken schnitzel; bbq pork, bbq beef, bbq pulled duck, chicken, (sweet; hot), grilled duck breast, duck leg confit 8

toast-white; whole wheat; english muffin; rye; papadum; ciabatta;cornbread; naan; pound cake; corn tortillas; whole whole wheat Kaya toast 3; cinnamon raisin white toast 5 potato-(french; waffle; yam)fries; hash browns 5 (butter grilled +2) grits- plain 3; cheese 5; add bacon; shrimp; sausage 5 delta-okra, collards, peppers, celery, hominy, spinach 9 Mexican- chorizo, hatch chile, monterey jack, cilantro 11 usa- ham, butter, carrots, egg, peas, corn, cheddar, garlic 14 bahia-shrimp, artichokes, palm oil, coconut, tapenade, kale 16

oatmeal 6+ fruit, nuts 8 ashura 10(bulghur,beans rice, fruit, nuts, rose water)

nshima & ndiwo 12 (corn porridge & greens) 

Reply
post #10 of 30
11/2/12 at 5:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Coup-de-Feu View Post
 
<menu edited out for brevity>

 

OMG that's like Chinese restaurant big, only in a Chinese restaurant you have 1/10th the ingredients.

Reply
post #11 of 30
11/2/12 at 6:27am

I have never seen a menu like that in my life, a patron can get nauseated  just reading it .This was an interesting line in the menu  :

 

"we cannot accommodate severe food allergies!"

Petals
Réalisé avec un soupçon d'amour.

Baby Cake
(4 photos)
Fruitcake - decorated
(5 photos)
Victorian cupcakes
(10 photos)
Reply
post #12 of 30
11/2/12 at 7:07am

As everyone suggested, you should reduce the number of items. Even customers would feel overloaded with so many items to choose from. 

I'd suggest if you really want to try how most of the recipes will be accepted, add a "special menu" or 'today only' list where you rotate some of the items. During the time you'll be able to tell what works best and what should be taken out from the menu entirely.

Reply
post #13 of 30
11/2/12 at 7:56am

Not trying to beat a dead horse here.

Just IMHO "you can't please all of the people all of the time".

Maybe your boss could do a market survey and then pare that Webster of a menu down a bit, ;-)

 

mimi

Reply
post #14 of 30
11/2/12 at 10:58am

holy smokes! i am speechless which hardly ever happens....normal you ask?....NO...by definition, bistro means small restaurant and usually one that serves alcohol, but no matter that for the moment...it's your menu size, i don't care how many kitchens you have....the question in my mind is why? it's as if the owner put everything he ever ate or anyone who said they liked something on the menu.. god, how do you even turn over the tables in a timely manner when it takes an hour just to read the menu...i agree with petals, the menu is nauseating. restaurants need to have a 'concept', a mission statement, to be defined....i can just hear someone saying to their friends,"let's go get something ot eat at the thai, mexican, cuban, greek, peruvian, american,cajun, southwest, japanese place...oy! god, the waitstaff must pull their hair out every shift

how do you even do that menu?(sous vide? elves?)  store all those ingredients and move all that food equally? it's what specials are for! how much waste do you have? where's the kitchen manager? the head chef?...if the menu is the 'brainchild' of the owner then it is up to the kitchen mgr and head chef to re educate him...sooner, rather than later.....it is later....the bottom line is does he want to make money or not.....god, i can't even imagine what the kitchen scene must be like on a busy night, or any night for that matter.......

how long has this place been in business? where is it? geez, what an incredible waste of talent, food and resources......cut,cut, cut and then cut some more! or move on......need scissors? 

 

joey

food is like love...it should be entered into with abandon or not at all        Harriet Van Horne

Reply
post #15 of 30
11/2/12 at 11:45am
Here is how to do it. Plot a chart with price on one axis and sales on the other. Get rid of the low sales high cost items.
Reply
post #16 of 30
11/2/12 at 6:08pm
Thread Starter 

I have copy of the menus online but only in french, the lunch menu and the week end one have been updated on paper but not online yet.

http://www.bistrolaccent.com/index.php

 The restaurant has been opened for 15 years but we have a different owner for the last 3 and its not going really well. He keeps adding to the menus, last week he added 20 items on the week-end menu without even asking or telling the chef... He added menus items that we do on the week when the chef is there but on the week end we don't have the time to prep for it.

 

Trunks

Reply
post #17 of 30
11/2/12 at 7:22pm

OMFG  eek.gifdrinkbeer.giflaser.gifchef.gifWhat are they thinking?  Owner adds 20 more items on a whim?

Reply
post #18 of 30
11/3/12 at 2:34am

Chef Meez weighing in ........

 

Quote:

 opened for 15 years but we have a different owner for the last 3 and its not going really well. He keeps adding to the menus,

Not sure what you mean by not going really well, but if the restaurant's not doing well

then the LAST thing to do is add more items to bog down the chefs, give customers

15 more minutes worth of figuring out what they want which, as Joey said, reduces

your FOH turnover by a great deal, (though you seem to be serving a lot of people as it is)

and possibly even increasing food costs.

Also agree it doesnt sound much like a Bistro, in the usual sense; mefeareth the owner

hath no clue how to run it, and mistakenly thinks when things slow down, more choices

will speed it up. Just wait til the holidays hit, and owner pops 20 or 30 new holiday items on

there. An eventual meltdown is approaching....as Agent Smith said: "It's inevitable!"

Yeah, clueless.

Reply
post #19 of 30
11/3/12 at 8:22pm

Thanks for providing more info and the link. After visiting the website and reading the other comments, I'll offer this. Print this thread out if you can and show it to the owner. Explain to him in a professional manner that some changes are in order. i.e. cutting down the menu, having a definite focus, quality over quantity, etc.

The menu is ridiculous. And from your description of buying practices, you are not working with alot of quality products or utilitzing any professional techniques. If the owner is not willing to make substantial changes, and you are seriously interested in a career as a culinary professional, you should give him your notice immediately.  If you've lasted more than a month in this environment, you should be able to make it in just about any kitchen. You deserve better.

Reply
post #20 of 30
11/4/12 at 12:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by kuan View Post

Here is how to do it. Plot a chart with price on one axis and sales on the other. Get rid of the low sales high cost items.

 

What if they only sold 1 of each 200 items? lol :p

Reply
post #21 of 30
11/4/12 at 6:22am

just curious,

why do people come into the restaurant in the first place? what attracts them?

 

joey

food is like love...it should be entered into with abandon or not at all        Harriet Van Horne

Reply
post #22 of 30
11/4/12 at 8:40am

I run a small bistro on a vineyard in Connecticut.With the shear volume of offerings at your place there is no way to support the local farming communities.

 

The menu should be small and focus on classic bistro fare & what is available from your local Agra-aquaculture.
 

700

Line caught ahi

 

700

Choucroute Garni

 

700

Consomme made with heritage white feather chicken

700

Where I buy my shiitakes

700

House cured bacon, hen of the wood shrooms and leeks from down the street form my soup du jour

700

A local market. This is one of the ways we should get our inspiration as chefs

 

Purchased apps and a menu with no clear direction will keep people away

Baruch ben Rueven / Chanaבראד, ילד של ריימונד והאלאן
Reply
post #23 of 30
11/4/12 at 10:37am

Holy smokes, that looks like a catering menu.........I feel sorry for the cooks who work at a place with a menu like that.  What is the food cost at a place like that?  How much product goes bad or is thrown away?  I have to many question, which is not going to help you at all.

 

I say run, run, run as fast as you can from that place.

Reply
post #24 of 30
11/5/12 at 5:25am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cookers View Post

 

What if they only sold 1 of each 200 items? lol :p

Uhm, oh yah, sure they do. ;)

 

Capechef your plates look stellar as usual.

Reply
post #25 of 30
11/5/12 at 8:59am

I may have to make a small trip up from Montreal to come taste your fare.


 

Apprentichef - Six stitches to go home early and you can't die until your shift is over.

 

Reply
post #26 of 30
11/5/12 at 2:18pm
This might seem a little immature biut what the heck is tattor titties?
Reply
post #27 of 30
11/8/12 at 10:17pm

Not to be self-promoting, but I wrote a blog article called Creating a Manageable Menu that talks about the dangers of big menus. As a restaurant consultant, I see that big menus are the culprit in MANY struggling restaurants. Menus MUST be constrained by the size of the kitchen, the size and talent of the staff, and the expectations of the customers. Having a big menu doesn't equal "appealing to more people". Usually, it means appealing to less because you can't be an expert at everything. More importantly, it takes longer for customers to order, servers to input and cooks to prepare from a big menu. All of which cost the restaurant money.

 

Some rules of thumb I keep in mind when helping to create menus:

  • Each employee can reasonably prep for and produce about 10 different scratch made menu items
  • Each employee can reasonably prepare around 30 scratch made plates per hour in a rush in most full service restaurants
  • Every piece of equipment should share a proportionate amount of the workload from the menu so that no one piece of equipment gets overloaded and slows down the ticket as a whole
  • Every station should share a proportionate amount of the prep and production so that no one station gets overloaded and slows down the ticket

 

There are exceptions to every rule. For example, Mexican restaurants often get away with bigger menus because they only have 20 or so items they make every dish out of, and also because they can precook the majority of the menu so production is reduced to just "plating" dishes. This doesn't work when items still have to be grilled, sauteed, fried and broiled to order. Reason-being, running four different burners on the saute station for four different items will slow down production a lot more than if all four items were the same thing made in the same pan. This example is an over-simplification, but the truth remains that less selections means less pans and hands necessary to produce the food, and faster ticket times.

 

Brandon O'Dell

Brandon O'Dell

 

Friend That Cooks Home Chef Service

www.friendthatcooks.com

O'Dell Restaurant Consulting

www.bodellconsulting.com

 

Reply
post #28 of 30
11/23/12 at 7:29pm
Thread Starter 

thank you every one. I managed to talk to my chef about it and he agreed to talk to the owner about it.

He did and now we are going to have a completely new menu...hopefully its going to be shorter or at least less varied so we can perfect one part and not be completely divided....

Reply
post #29 of 30
11/23/12 at 8:53pm

Great to hear. Keep us posted.

Reply
post #30 of 30
11/24/12 at 10:03am

I'd love to see the 'new' menu also - don't forget to come back.

----

 


"Plus, this method makes you look like a complete lunatic. If you care about that sort of thing".  - Dave Arnold

 

Reply
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