Food?

Auggie said:
It is a great degree to get. I work in that world when dealing with national retailers. If you can speak Chinese and have any idea on how to deal with Chinese businessmen, (true negotiations don't start until after the contract is signed over there) then Teamsters & Longshoremen over here you can make a great living.

By the way here is how an expo works at a mid tier restaurant, same thing but no fancy color coded paper but basically the same gist. My fave is a server trying to steal another tables entrée, quite a common occurrence at this level when things are slammed.

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That video, why are restaurants getting away from using actual plates?

reddit.com/r/wewantplates
 
eastisbest said:
The wood boards are kind of cool. I'd suspect that they'd clean as well as plates.
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Actually they do not clean as well as ceramic plates. Anything organic is porous and food/bacteria can get deep into these various opening; creates some health issues if not washed properly. Now modern dish cleaning systems do a great job of sanitizing everything in a restaurant so you should feel safe eating if the dishwashers did their job right but the detergent and more importantly the temps these things are set at can really degenerate the surface of a wood board, after a few months these things can look like driftwood. Some stone surfaces are also porous but they can take the heat so a block of granite is OK to eat off of. Also in a kitchen you never see wood cutting surface, everything these days is plastic with stainless steel counters.
 
OhioBobcatFan06 said:
Yappi family,

Serious question. How do you roast a pig? same t
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Call up a pro and pay them to do it. Seriously.

I went once to an amature pig roast and it was gross. It takes forever and since it was so big a ton of people were invited and it was not ready even very late into the evening. Also everyone wants it to look like it does in those medieval movies with the apple in the mouth on a spit and such but the bottom line is the white meat will probably over cook and dry out and the dark meat will be raw. Also have to navigate the skin and all the fat that a butcher usually trims off, they are chubby animals. Finally there is only so much tender meat to go around and people get roast cuts served like a chop and it feels like you are chewing on stringy shoe leather. At least a pro knows how to mitigate the above challenges so you get a decent meal. Ox roasts are the same thing.
 
My whole thing with the flat planks is that I'm seeing piles of fries and saratoga chips and how they could easily fall off the servingware. Or what about a burger or anything else that has sauces or juices? Where are those going to flow? The obsession with looking chic throws all practicality out the window.
 
oxat622 said:
My whole thing with the flat planks is that I'm seeing piles of fries and saratoga chips and how they could easily fall off the servingware. Or what about a burger or anything else that has sauces or juices? Where are those going to flow? The obsession with looking chic throws all practicality out the window.
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I don't care how fancy the place, they're still best to just have the wax paper wrapper like McDonald's. Keeps them warm, doesn't drip through and why not? Request a plate if you're a knifer.
 
Who needs plates? A sheet of good wax paper will do for desert:

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Ever cook your steaks Pittsburgh style? I'm wondering if it is normal to cook it to medium instead of rare or medium rare. Love the char on the outside but rather have it medium. Seems most places talk about only rare or medium rare.
 
Yappi said:
Ever cook your steaks Pittsburgh style? I'm wondering if it is normal to cook it to medium instead of rare or medium rare. Love the char on the outside but rather have it medium. Seems most places talk about only rare or medium rare.
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Never heard of a Pittsburgh style steak. What is that?
 
Blackened on the outside and rare or medium rare on the inside. Just heard of it for the first time last month.
 
Yappi said:
Ever cook your steaks Pittsburgh style? I'm wondering if it is normal to cook it to medium instead of rare or medium rare. Love the char on the outside but rather have it medium. Seems most places talk about only rare or medium rare.
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Yes, Pittsburgh style is traditionally charred on the outside with rare to medium rare inside. It is for those that like their steaks with a bark outside yet cool inside, need the heat really cranked up for this to work. If you like medium to well most of the times unless the heat is medium or lower you should be able to achieve the needed crust.

Some steak cooking tips:

  • Take the steak out at least 1 hour before cooking to bring up to room temp.
  • Rub with a little high smoke point oil as a binder and then season with you favorite rub. Let stand at least 30 minutes.
  • I like to bring my heat source up to very high, my preference for steaks is a charcoal grill. Do not set steak on a cold surface, make sure it is up to the highest temp you want to cook at before placing on the surface.
  • Do not use time but feel for how long to cook to the correct doneness. I was instructed to use the hand doneness test and if in question double check with an instant read thermometer. I like 115-120 for medium rare.
  • After taking off the heat let it rest for about 5 minutes to redistribute the juices. Expect this to add about 5 degrees of cooking to the temp.
Bon appetite.

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Medium rare for steaks/prime rib for me. It always amazes me when a waiter or waitress will ask me if I want steak sauce (A1/Heinz 57, etc). I tell them if the steak is cooked medium rare, I shouldn't need any sauce. If you need sauce for you r steak, that's a bad compliment for the chef/cook if you ask me. And now I'm also adding when I order, "please tell the chef not to over cook my steak, if anything, under cook it". The last several times I've gone out and order steak medium rare, I swear it comes back over cooked. If I have over cooked steak, then I must have Heinz 57.
 
El Indio said:
Medium rare for steaks/prime rib for me. It always amazes me when a waiter or waitress will ask me if I want steak sauce (A1/Heinz 57, etc). I tell them if the steak is cooked medium rare, I shouldn't need any sauce. If you need sauce for you r steak, that's a bad compliment for the chef/cook if you ask me. And now I'm also adding when I order, "please tell the chef not to over cook my steak, if anything, under cook it". The last several times I've gone out and order steak medium rare, I swear it comes back over cooked. If I have over cooked steak, then I must have Heinz 57.
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I actually go with chef's suggestion when ordering for all my proteins. I have freaked out friends when I allow for medium rare pork and especially medium rare duck. I was in a very nice restaurant in NYC and when the chef suggested medium rare Hudson Valley Duck, the waiter famously told the balance of the table that the duck they used lived in more sanitary conditions than probably 75% of the residents in NYC.

On the steak side I like to add in some sort of fat to my filet cut, the cut is so lean it does need some sort extra moistener to go with the nutty meat flavor. Preference depends were I am dinning: At a French restaurant a classic bearnaise sauce is in order, at a clubby steak restaurant usually a mushroom sauce or just plain crumbled blue cheese, and at home the wife has a family blue cheese sauce that is to die for. I also like a classic strip done au poivre; the balance of the cuts, especially rib steaks, need no sauce.
 
El Indio said:
Medium rare for steaks/prime rib for me. It always amazes me when a waiter or waitress will ask me if I want steak sauce (A1/Heinz 57, etc). I tell them if the steak is cooked medium rare, I shouldn't need any sauce. If you need sauce for you r steak, that's a bad compliment for the chef/cook if you ask me. And now I'm also adding when I order, "please tell the chef not to over cook my steak, if anything, under cook it". The last several times I've gone out and order steak medium rare, I swear it comes back over cooked. If I have over cooked steak, then I must have Heinz 57.
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If I'm asked if I want A1, I say only if the steaks are bad...
 
Auggie said:
A1 is bad, I get that some folks need their steak cooked longer than it should be but there are many better sauces to use out there than that stuff.
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There are three pages of posters talking about the crap they put on their perfectly fine meat to season it and they think taking a shot at A1 is what, epicurean? That rub? It's flavoring. 🤷

Someone asks me if I want A1 I say "yes" or I say "no." "Clever" retorts on some poor waiter is just butthole being butthole. Not referring to you specifically there. Referring to clever retort guy.
 
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Yappi said:
Blackened on the outside and rare or medium rare on the inside. Just heard of it for the first time last month.
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This is also called Blue Rare.

I had it once but the inside was so cold it takes away from the flavor aspect. You just feel the cold and it's a bit perplexing.

I like rare though and would rather have blue rare than medium any day.
 
Speaking of Steak... Not the best steak I have had but one of the cooler dinning experiences I have had:

Note that A1 is on the table ;)
 
Auggie said:
Speaking of Steak... Not the best steak I have had but one of the cooler dinning experiences I have had:

Note that A1 is on the table ;)
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Crazy what it's come to isn't it, getting excited about 8-10 oz steaks? Even as single ma income kid we got that one lb t-bone from the corner grocery. Smather with butter, salt and pepper, slap it in a the cast iron. Mashed potatoes and some frozen vegetable or other. It's wasn't a special meal. It was a meal. IB probably called it appetizer.

What's a one lb t-bone or sirloin even cost these days?
 
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Best (apple crisp) muffin I ever ate, found this little walk-in counter at the base of a non descript residential tower after getting lost in Ann Arbor.

Went back today. After getting lost again. Fortunately I knew it was near the VA and that was easy getting directions to.

The granola was actually beautiful to look at. I wish I could find a photo online. Big low ceramic bowl, yogurt on the bottom. On top of that a half moon of sliced banana. Homemade granola on the other half ( I asked if I could buy some to take home, it was that good). The brightest red sliced strawberries in the middle and a sprinkle of blueberrys on the other fruit. The granola even had little dounut sprinkles init, gave it a cool look.

The cinnimon toast, why did I never think of this? "buttered" and cinnimon sugar on BOTH sides. Sure, why not?

And the prices weren't jacked.

Vegan. The place is vegan. I had no idea that crap could taste that good. I got what I got because I didn't want to be adventurous but everything in that place smelled so good, even the bathroom soap. Next time, getting something tofuey. But not tofu bacon. I hate when they do that. If you don't like killing animals, don't call your stuff .... bacon, .... sausage,.... burger.
 
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eastisbest said:
Best muffin I ever ate, found this little walk-in counter at the base of a non descript residential tower after getting lost in Ann Arbor.

Went back today. After getting lost again. Fortunately I knew it was near the VA and that was easy getting directions to.

The granola was actually beautiful to look at. I wish I could find a photo online. Big low ceramic bowl, yogurt on the bottom. On top of that a half moon of sliced banana. Homemade granola on the other half ( I asked if I could buy some to take home, it was that good). The brightest red sliced strawberries in the middle and a sprinkle of blueberrys on the other fruit. The granola even had little dounut sprinkles init, gave it a cool look.

The cinnimon toast, why did I never think of this? "buttered" and cinnimon sugar on BOTH sides. Sure, why not?

And the prices weren't jacked.

Vegan. The place is vegan. I had no idea that crap could taste that good. I got what I got because I didn't want to be adventurous but everything in that place smelled so good, even the bathroom soap. Next time, getting something tofuey. But not tofu bacon. I hate when they do that. If you don't like killing animals, don't call your stuff .... bacon, .... sausage,.... burger.
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The Mrs. and myself try to go vegetarian one day a week, more for the health benefits then the animal rights angle. The Mediterraneans have this thing down and we tend to gravitate that direction or some Cali inspired dishes. Some faves are falafel sandwiches, stew with some cool different root veggies, and a summer favorite; grilled portabella mushroom burger.
 
Auggie said:
The Mrs. and myself try to go vegetarian one day a week, more for the health benefits then the animal rights angle. The Mediterraneans have this thing down and we tend to gravitate that direction or some Cali inspired dishes. Some faves are falafel sandwiches, stew with some cool different root veggies, and a summer favorite; grilled portabella mushroom burger.
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That stew sounds good. Chick pea stuff, I've not found a groove on yet. Someone maybe does it a way I'd like. Thai and Indian I can enjoy without the meat but not cheap. But at least those allow you to milk a cow and squeeze a chicken. They must be some special kind of good to make that vegan stuff taste that good.

I could never do it. One person, stuff spoils and it gets expensive. That and I cannot cook. I PROBABLY could survive on McDonald's fries, which I think are vegan.

Anyhow, if in Ann Arbor, maybe you both will like The Lunch Room. Unlike nearly all of AA, there's easy getting to and easy and free parking. First time I went, it wasn't much more than a counter and a couple tables. Now its decent size with some outdoor tables too. Now, if you want MEAT with your breakfast, Angelo's.... Make their own hash and the raison bread is so good.
 
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