Let's Cooking: TNL!

[Josh]

Challenge yourself.

[Drewbacca]

Touché?

No, I mean Shakey's being rather touchy about veggie burgers.

[Tones]

To open I'm thinking 8 - and people can custom order whatever they like with what we've got. Might branch out into a chorizo style burger as our first foray from beef after everything gets moving.

Because of this thread, I went to the "create your own burger" place that's within walking distance today to challenge my own notions of a good hamburger. What resulted was a monstrosity that had just about everything that I found interesting sandwiched between two buns. The resulting hamburger was a single patty, jalapeno peppers, banana peppers, green peppers, dijon, lettuce, tomato, onion, mushrooms, and guacamole. The problem is that cheap-skates such as myself will frequently choose getting the most out of my money vs. the best combination, if I am given the option. Within all of the extras that I added, I could barely taste the meat.

I guess where I'm going is that I prefer smaller, structured menus, that really scream quality. I like going to restaurants that broadcast "These four items are all that we have today. We have these four items because we do them very well, and because nothing has been in the kitchen for more than a day. You are not a magical snowflake. This is what we serve." This is a bit of a tangent, but when dating, picky eaters are much more polarizing then girls that are religious.

[icarusfall]

I guess where I'm going is that I prefer smaller, structured menus, that really scream quality. I like going to restaurants that broadcast "These four items are all that we have today. We have these four items because we do them very well, and because nothing has been in the kitchen for more than a day. You are not a magical snowflake. This is what we serve." This is a bit of a tangent, but when dating, picky eaters are much more polarizing then girls that are religious.

This is, like, my entire cooking ethos. I do these things really well, so that's what I do. I don't make spanakopita because I have no idea how to make a good one, and have no emotional attachment to the dish.

I've never had any problem telling someone we're out of something.

Where were you earlier when they were flying out the door? Come earlier next time.

I don't want leftovers when I eat out, do you?

[icarusfall]

I mean, sure, I'll slop all that shit onto a burger for you - but i really recommend you try one of our creations we've put a lot of care and concern into making tasty. But if you insist...

[icarusfall]

Like, there'll be ketchup in the house because we serve fries and it'd be unfair to deny ketchup with fries, but you'll have to request it. It doesn't come standard with anything on the menu.

And the salads will have whatever dressing I've designed for that salad, or the one for the other salad. There is no Ranch, Italian, 1K, Honey Mustard, etc in the house.

Take that shit to Applebee's. That's not what we do here.

[Tones]

Working in the restaurant business, do you get a lot of yelpies and other reviewers chasing their internet fame demanding a free cocksucking? Or at least, hear about it from the servers?

One of my greatest disappointments from a restaurant was getting baklava from a place that had no right selling baklava. It was the saddest, gummiest, I don't know the hell what that I've ever had.

[icarusfall]

This is my policy on food writers / critics / reviewers: I treat everyone the same. If a random customer asked me for 20 minutes of my time before opening on some specific day, I'd do my best to make sure they get the 20 minutes. I don't care if it's for an interview or just for a young cook to pick my brain a little - my door is open. No one gets a free ride unless they're a friend in from out of town, or a visiting cook.

Especially for cooks - if I give special treatment to anyone, it's to line cooks coming up in the world. They do a very hard job for very little respect and I try to encourage them to tell Angry Chefs they won't stand for their bullshit. If someone comes to me and tells me they want a shot at the show, I'll give it to them - I pay a dollar more than the going rate to all my employees, I expect you to do a better job, and to be a pleasant person to be around. In return, you get better pay, a chef that won't scream at you, a family run business that really does care about you as a person, the opportunity to be creative - and actually be rewarded for that creativity. Come up with a great special we can run? I approve it? Let's do it Friday night. There is no other restaurant in the city that would let a line cook put their own creation on the menu - even for a night. I want the best and the brightest in my kitchen. But it's just burgers! I don't give a fuck if it's chicken or foie gras - how about a little care and concern in preparing someone's meal? And just because it's a burger doesn't mean I can't make it look nice, and keep it tight. Don't just dump parsley all over everything, place the bits where they belong. And wipe your fucking plates!

I don't believe in secret recipes. If someone asks I'll tell them every ingredient I put in something. If no one passed information to me I wouldn't be where I am opening a restaurant of my own creations - it's, literally, the least I can do to help further the collective consciousness of my craft.

This has turned into more of a manifesto than I intended.

[Advocate]

I don't believe in secret recipes.

This one I wholeheartedly agree with, because the current place I work at the owner has half her menu as a secret recipe and she's now in her 70's. The problem is her son now runs the kitchen and we have to call her in too make meals, due it being a secret. When she dies those recipes go with her and guess what happens to the business?

[Hubbitron]

Basil fins!