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More restaurants need.....

2K views 47 replies 17 participants last post by  allanmcpherson 
#1 ·
I saw this thread in eater and wondered what all my foodie friends here at cheftalk would finish this sentence with [emoji]128515[/emoji]

I said ... Foie gras
 
#2 ·
Man, try eating at restaurants in France for a while: ALL restaurants serve Foie gras there, it's just.... too much. You get tired of it after 3 days. Appetizer: foie gras. Entree: something stuffed with foie gras. Dessert: foie gras ice cream.

Sorry, I'm more reacting than I am responding. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/smile.gif
 
#13 ·
In total agreement with the pro server comments.
My mentor had me shadow a few (as well as a butler) way back when I was starting out.
These day unless we are dropping a few hundred on a "destination" place it is all teenagers who cannot even bring cocktails to the table.

mimi
 
#16 ·
personal feedback from its customers. I can't recall seeing a chef out on the floor in years, even the mom and pop places.
I've never seen a chef come out unless it was to greet someone he knows. On the flip side, I've never seen a customer request to speak to the chef either. It goes both ways.

How does a chef wish to receive negative feedback? Because that is hard to do. Recently I went to a restaurant I've been frequenting for 17 yrs. it's my favorite Italian joint in NYC. I've ordered many items on the menu but my very top favorite is linguini a vongole. The pasta is cooked perfectly, the white wine sauce is briny and garlicky, the cherrystone clams are abundant and still in their shells. Simple cooking at its best.

However, last time I ordered it it was completely different!!! They used those little teeny tiny clams, the pasta was overcooked, nary a piece if garlic in sight. And the whole dish was watery and bland. That's a big diversion after 17 yrs. My impulse was to send it back but we were in a rush to get somewhere after dinner and so I stuck it out. I did complain to the waiter though, I asked if there was a new chef in the kitchen because the dish was so different. He shrugged and didn't know anything but said he would pass my comments on to the chef. Who knows if he did. Should I have been more insistent?
 
#18 ·
Yes it is. One shouldn't need a degree in culinary arts to dine out. So what if someone complains about te ribeye? They've also just learned a valuable lesson. I remember when I was a teenager I went to a restaurant with my mother and I wanted steak. So I ordered a halibut steak thinking it was beef. I was shocked to discover that halibut is a fish, that fish could be cut into a steak, and that halibut is delicious.
 
#19 ·
I have to say Im fortunate enough to have the time to go into the dinning area during service and chat with my patrons. Its because I am lucky enough to have people I can trust to do what I want in the kitchen even if Im not there. A majority of chef dont have this luxery.


@ Koukouvagia.

While I dont expect my patons to have a culinary degree There are some that dont have any common sense/ decency to even pay attention to what they order or to the descriptions that service personal give them. So yes, while you as a teen ordered Halibut steak, loved it even though it was fish, and had a positive memory, I expect that if a patron orders calimari when it arrives that they dont ask WTF is octapuss doing on my plate.
 
#20 · (Edited)
The typical guest who orders ribeye and then complain, because he wanted something like a tenderloin.

Educated in the way of knowing what they want, order and expect. Still elitist and unfair?
Well, in a way yes, still. You might consider writing your menu a little more clearly without being pretentious, or that the servers communicate clearly. These are paying customers by Toutatis. They came to the restaurant for a reason.

I imagine the menu could read something like:

14oz Ribeye. The star of the Texas steakhouse. For those who prefer a meatier flavor and don't mind a little extra fat. Not as tender as a filet mignon, but on the other hand, big eaters will appreciate the more substantial cut.
 
#21 ·
Well, in a way yes, still. You might consider writing your menu a little more clearly without being pretentious, or that the servers communicate clearly. These are paying customers by Toutatis. They came to the restaurant for a reason.

I imagine the menu could read something like:

14oz Ribeye. The star of the Texas steakhouse. For those who prefer a meatier flavor and don't mind a little extra fat. Not as tender as a filet mignon, but on the other hand, big eaters will appreciate the more substantial cut.
@kuan I agree. But it´s just one of many examples. Some people ask legitimate questions when it comes to culinary phrases and words, and I have no problem with someone not being used to our "language". Others are just plain good old fashioned stupid, and its our job to make them happy. That doesnt change the fact that I would wish they were more educated. Luckily Im used to work with skilled waiters who are able to maintain good communication with our guests, so Im not very bothered by this.

On the other hand you have the overly "educated" guests who love Chablis, cant stand chardonnay and present themselves as wine experts.

@Koukouvagia

What I find annoying is the guest finding out he is having fish instead of meat, and then make a complaint. That guest is basically complaining on its own lack of knowledge. I will do anything I can to make him happy, but I will never be happy about what is going down.
 
#22 ·
@Kuan

Just curious and Im not being sarcastic but how many different cuts of meat do we compare a ribeye too? The sirloin, flatiron, tbone, and porterhouse?, or just the filet of beef? What Im looking at now as s customer is a wordy menu that becomes a chore to read. We dont need culinary degreed people for evey customer but we do need people to kinda, sorta understand what it is they are ordering. Keeping that in mind we need trained, professional service staff to give them information when they ask, but darnit they need to ask if they dont know b
 
#23 ·
See the key in communication is not in the words.  People want to feel, get the overall picture, understand there is a difference, subtle, a lot, etc.  They don't need to know very specific stuff, just stuff that puts them at ease.  When you can do that the whole world opens up.
 
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