Some folks have responded negatively, comparing Buschel to a slavemaster, calling him “Massa Bruce.” The term “Nazi” has also been used. However, most of the response has been favorable. Very favorable. And I love these rules. Here are a few of my favorites.
5. Tables should be level without anyone asking. Fix it before guests are seated.
9. Do not recite the specials too fast or robotically or dramatically. It is not a soliloquy. This is not an audition.
32. Never touch a customer. No excuses. Do not do it. Do not brush them, move them, wipe them or dust them.
40. Never say, “Good choice,” implying that other choices are bad.
41. Saying, “No problem” is a problem. It has a tone of insincerity or sarcasm. “My pleasure” or “You’re welcome” will do.
51. If there is a service charge, alert your guests when you present the bill. It’s not a secret or a trick.
62. Do not fill the water glass every two minutes, or after each sip. You’ll make people nervous.
62(a). Do not let a glass sit empty for too long.
78. Do not ask, “Are you still working on that?” Dining is not work — until questions like this are asked.
88. Do not ask if a guest needs change. Just bring the change.
Remember, these are rules for Mr. Beschel’s restaurant, but I think they’re spot on for the most part (although I really think steaming off a wine label is above and beyond the call of duty). What do you think?
This is a video of a very intoxicated individual. But a brilliant intoxicated individual. I’ve never tried to open a wine bottle this way, but I want to now. Please attempt this at your own risk. The action begins around the 45 second mark.
(Note: This is the third and final part of a series describing my time spent working in the Herons’ kitchen. Part 1 can be found here, and Part 2 is here.)
I knew that the chefs at Herons had taken it easy on me on the first day, giving me plenty to do, but simultaneously allowing me to see what goes on and to taste dishes as they were being put together. I also knew that my second day might be a little different, as it was a big day – the biggest day for Herons since Chef Scott Crawford took over. The Umstead Hotel and Spa was hosting a group of powerful CEOs from across the nation for a few days – we’re talking Fortune 100 companies. I joked that if someone had dropped a bomb on the hotel that day, the US economy would be crippled. No one thought that was funny, of course, as they knew that 35 of these heavy hitters would come into the dining room at one time and our job was to feed them as quickly as possible.
Even though the menu was going to be limited for these guests, they could order whatever they wanted if they truly chose to do so. Herons is all about taking care of the customer, even when the customer is wrong. Yes, the customer can be wrong, but the customer gets what he or she wants. Read the rest of this entry »
618 Bistro, a Mediterranean-influenced restaurant, should be open by mid-week at Raleigh’s Marketplace at Lake Boone, according to its manager and operating partner, Carolyn Ghezzi. Chef Alex Azzam previously ran the kitchen at Ciao! Osteria in Apex, but his prior focus on Italian food is not what 618 Bistro is all about: the cuisine here is very broad, including Thai, Middle Eastern, and Italian influences. The lunch menu features salads, panini and a handful of other items.
The website is live, the prices are reasonable, the staff is excited, and they even have a nice outdoor dining area, which is great this time of the year.
But most importantly, this place is next door to my office, so it gives me another place to walk to for lunch. It is all about me, right?
(Note — This is the second of several parts regarding my two days spent in the Herons’ kitchen.)
Chef Steven Greene and I walked out to the front of the house to address the waitstaff, letting them know what tonight’s amuse bouche was and to inform them that we were not out of any items on the menu. They looked at me, the new guy, trying to figure out who I was. Later on, one of the waiters asked me if I were the new sous chef. I had to laugh after informing him that I was just hanging around for a couple of days.
Tonight’s dinner would not be particularly busy, with maybe only 35 or 40 customers. Chef Greene and I made a sample bouche, and he had me taste it. ”Too much salt,” I responded, as the 5 or 6 grains of sea salt overpowered the scallop and yuzu mignonette. We determined that two grains was the perfect amount, and this small bite of shellfish, apple, radish and citrus was a flavor explosion. The guests would like this one. Read the rest of this entry »
(Note — This is the first of several parts regarding my two days spent in the Herons’ kitchen.)
DAY 1 — PREP WORK
It was a week before I had planned on spending two days working in the kitchen of Herons, the ultra-swank restaurant in the deluxe Umstead Hotel & Spa in Cary. I had worked in a small restaurant the month before, but I knew this experience would be different. A lot different. I had asked Chef Scott Crawford what I needed to wear and bring, and I got this email response:
We are very much looking forward to seeing you next week. We are very busy next week, so you will see some action. You can arrive any time around 2:00 or shortly after and I will meet you in the lobby. If you give me your jacket size I will have one ready for you. I recommend you wear a white t-shirt under the chef jacket. Black pants are appropriate. I will provide you with an apron. You can bring a knife kit. We will have you doing a rotation through the stations so you get an overall understanding of how we organize. On some of those stations you will need some knife skills (I hope you’ve been practicing).
Crap. I don’t have any black chef pants, so I was wondering if I could get away with just some everyday, black cotton chinos. And what about the shoes? I knew this was a formal kitchen, so I needed to play the role properly. So I went and bought me a pair of black chef pants and ordered some black chef shoes. Heck they were on sale, so better to be safe than sorry. Read the rest of this entry »
I’ll be back in action this week, when I work a couple of shifts at Herons, the fantastic restaurant in Cary’s posh Umstead Hotel. I’ll be in the Herons’ kitchen on Tuesday and Wednesday from 2 to 11 PM, and I suspect this will be different than my last go-around at Raleigh’s Globe Restaurant. At Globe, I essentially just stepped in and did whatever was needed. They gave me a bib and then just started having me prepare for an unexpectedly busy dinner service. There wasn’t much organization, just a lot of craziness.
At Herons, I’ll have a training matrix. What the hell is a training matrix? I had to Google it, and I suspect that what it means is that Chef Scott Crawford is focused on making sure that I learn something out of this while not completely fucking up his dinner service. I’ll have a chef’s jacket. I have to wear black pants and have been told to bring my knife kit. I’ve been told that my knife skills will be tested. I can envision it now: “You call that a goddamn brunoise? Throw that crap away and do it again!”
Actually, that’s now how Crawford leads, and so I suspect that I’ll get treated better than that. But I’ll still probably be asked to do it again.
I know Herons is a little more expensive than Globe, but this is a completely different dining experience. Come on out and give the place a try on Tuesday or Wednesday. Scott Crawford won’t let me screw things up that badly.
As a health care attorney, I’ve had to work with the Federal Trade Commission, as they are the agency that enforces the antitrust laws (along with the Justice Department). Frankly, the FTC can be a royal pain in the ass, but I understand their purpose in the antitrust world. The FTC also regulates advertising to the extent that it may be deceptive or misleading, and they just adopted new rules that require bloggers to disclose whenever they receive anything in value in exchange for a review.
Wow.
Now I believe in full disclosure, and in the one instance that I accepted a fully complementary meal, I disclosed that fact. However, I also informed the restaurant that providing that gratis meal did not mean that I would review the restaurant and certainly did not guarantee that they’d receive praise. Frankly, I really don’t write restaurant reviews for the most part. In this case, however, I did write about the restaurant because I loved it. If I didn’t like it, I would probably not have written anything at all.
But with the new FTC rules, bloggers like me have to be worried whenever we receive anything of value. If I’m at a restaurant and the chef sends out an extra course, do I need to disclose that? What about if the chef has no idea who I am? I would argue that in the latter case, the extra course has nothing to do with providing something of value in exchange for reviews — it’s just a nice thing to do. And in the first case, assuming the chef knows me, I would argue that the extra course was sent out with the hope– but not the expectation — that I might provide a favorable review. That might fall short of the FTC’s requirement. However, the bottom line is that the FTC wants to ensure that reviews are not bought, and if they are, then it should be disclosed.
So to ensure that I don’t run afoul of federal requirements (which, at this point, aren’t really law, just guidelines), I offer the following blanket statement that addresses everything I write about in this blog:
“I don’t write true reviews, but I do offer my thoughts on various aspects of the food and restaurant industries. I also write about food and my family. I sometimes may receive a discounted meal or free drink or a slab of bacon, primarily because I’ve pretty much immersed myself in the food world. I generally only write about places I like, so if a restaurant gives me something for free, and it sucks, I won’t write about it. If they give me something for free and I like it, I’ll probably write about it. If they don’t give me a thing and I like it, I’ll probably write about it, too. I also am biased in that I’m much more likely to write about places where my friends work. I like to write about my friends who are chefs, and I have to admit that they have indeed given me something of value: their friendship. From time to time, they give me a free dish. I may not always disclose that, because I really think that what my friends do is our own business. I am horribly biased by that relationship, so please do not be misled into thinking I’m fully objective when writing about their restaurants. I try, but you know how friendships work. So if I write about a restaurant or a food item, just assume that my objectivity has been compromised in some manner.”
And if that’s not good enough for the FTC, then I guess I better start boning up on my legal defense skills.
Poole’s Downtown Diner is hosting a special fundraiser for a special organization, SAFEchild, on Sunday, October 18th from 6 to 9 PM. Y’all know plenty about Poole’s and chef Ashley Christensen, how she’s been featured in the national press, how she’s been invited to cook with the top chefs in the country — with an invitation to cook at the posh Blackberry Farm for the Southern Foodways Alliance’s “Taste of the South” in January. I write about Ashley a lot because she’s a fantastic cook, a better person, and a dear friend.
And now she’s supporting one of my favorite organizations in the Triangle: SAFEchild.
Never heard of them? Well, you should. SAFEchild is Wake County’s only non-profit private agency working to prevent child abuse. They offer nearly a dozen different programs, focusing on everything from helping new parents deal with the sudden changes in their lives to working with men who suffered abuse and are now struggling to fight the urge to act out violently against their own children. The frustration of parents’ struggles often is manifested in violence against children, and with so many families hurting economically in these trying times, the children suffer even more.
SAFEchild is a voice for those children, and this is an opportunity to combine your love for food with a contribution to a good cause.
So think about what you’re doing on the 18th, and if you’re free, consider heading to Poole’s, where you’ll have some amazing food and wine. There’s a minimum donation of $150 per person, but that includes all the food you can eat, plus wine. While you’re there, you also might learn a lot about SAFEchild and the wonderful things they’re doing for our community. And if you do have plans, please consider making a donation. Every little bit helps.
As I previously wrote, we in the Triangle are fortunate to have so many great chefs and cookbook writers, and one of my favorite collection of recipes comes from my good friend, Bill Smith, chef of Chapel Hill’s iconic restaurant, Crook’s Corner. I remember first meeting Smith about four years ago, and I was foolish enough to ask him if he thought Crook’s had become a Bill Neal museum. He was not at all offended, and he responded by saying that a large part of Bill Neal will always be with Crook’s, but that the restaurant is mostly his.
And it is.
Smith’s emphasis is on simplicity, using great ingredients, and one of his creations has become a Sunday staple in our house. It’s a basic roast chicken that is slathered with Jalapeño Tabasco Sauce, also known as “Green Tabasco.” The resulting bird and its fantastic sauce are only slightly spicy, but full of flavor. The chicken can be eaten hot, but it’s also great cold the next day. I particularly enjoy slicing the chicken for sandwiches, as with some fresh mayonnaise, it’s a combination that can’t be beat. One of these days I’m going to use the leftover chicken and sauce for an open-faced hot chicken sandwich. That might just be illegally good. {Recipe after the jump.} Read the rest of this entry »
I turned 46 on Saturday and celebrated with a big party, drinking lots of tequila, eating tacos, and just having a great time. A bunch of people ignored my “no gifts” requirement, of course, and now I have more tequila than I started with and a lot of great looking wines. But the best gift I received came from my wife.
My wife is a very practical woman. She doesn’t like material things, but she knows that I do. So this year, I was trying to think what she might be getting me. She knows I’d like a nice GPS system for my car. I know she’s aware that I dream of the day that I have a big screen, flat panel TV (we watch most television on an old, 19″ cathode ray set — yeah, I no longer am allowed to carry my “man card”). So I thought this might be the year that I get something grandiose.
And I did, but this gift was nothing electronic. What I got was so much better: a garden.
See, I’ve always wanted a garden. I tried to do something this year beside the house, but that area just didn’t get nearly enough sun. Even though we have over half an acre of land, there is only one spot that gets sun nearly all day, and that’s on a hill where nothing could be planted. So my wife got in touch with one of her close college friends, who is a landscaper, and they’re going to create a two-level terraced garden on that hillside. It’ll only be about 150-200 square feet, but I can grow a lot there. And we can set it up properly, with good drainage and fertile soil.
Construction begins next month, and the difficult part will be waiting until next spring to get started. But dammit, I’m gonna have me a garden, thanks to my wonderful wife.
We’ve all participated in food drives where you donate canned goods or other shelf-stable items to go to a food bank. It’s a great gesture, and I’m sure that lots of people get fed that way, but these are, by there very nature, processed foods.
I’ve never really seen a food drive involving fresh food, until now.
The Carrboro Farmers’ Market is holding the “FoodShare Challenge” tomorrow, September 26, from 8 AM until noon, where patrons of the market are encouraged to donate an extra bag of fresh food to feed the hungry. The Farmers’ Market has always been active in helping with hunger causes, donating over 7,500 pounds this summer, but on Saturday, the goal is for customers to donate over 1,000 pounds in a single day.
Andrea Reusing of Chapel Hill’s Lantern Restaurant, has provided generous support to this cause, as have a number of local organizations and businesses.
For more information on the FoodShare Program call or email Margaret Gifford at 919.967.6464 or mgw@well.com, or Sarah Blacklin at 919.280.3326 or info@carrborofarmersmarket.com.
I wrote a “guest blog” for the News & Observer’s Mouthful, and this is what got published today.
We’re quite fortunate to live in an area with a plethora of great chefs and restaurants, with the quality of food improving each year. We have chefs who have won Beard awards, chefs who have been prominently featured in national food magazines, and even chefs who have won silly Iron Chef competitions.
But did you know that we also have an amazing number of cookbook writers here in the Triangle? Sure, a lot of those cookbook writers are chefs themselves, such as Ben and Karen Barker of Durham’s Magnolia Grill, Bill Smith of Crook’s Corner, Mildred Council of Mama Dip’s, or Andrea Reusing of Chapel Hill’s Lantern, who has her first cookbook coming out next year.
We also have a bunch of folks who are not chefs. There are a few people who write for the News & Observer, such as former food editor Debbie Moose and columnist Fred Thompson. Moose has written entire books on single topics, such as deviled eggs, wings, or potato salad. She’s also written about food for tailgating! Thompson also has written his fair share of single topic books, but his are typically focused on beverages, such as lemonade, iced tea, hot chocolate, and, soon enough, bourbon! He’s also written about seafood and grilling with gas.
We’re also blessed to have Raleigh native, Jean Anderson, one of the country’s most prominent cookbook writers, living in the area. Anderson has written over 20 cookbooks, including “A Love Affair With Southern Cooking” (which won the Beard award for best “Americana” cookbook) and “The New Doubleday Cookbook.” Anderson’s books have received numerous awards, and ten years ago, she was honored for her body of work by being inducted into the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame.
One of my favorite people in the world, and a super cookbook writer, is Nancie McDermott of Chapel Hill. Her “Southern Cakes” has been a big hit in my family, and we recently made an ultra-rich peanut cake from that book (recipe to come in a future blog post). This book continues to be a strong seller on Amazon, and that’s because the cakes are fantastic and not overly complicated. I also understand that she’ll soon be coming out with a book on Southern pies, so that’s good news for all pastry chefs in the area. Interestingly, McDermott is perhaps better known for her cookbooks on Asian food (she was a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand), and these are great sources to folks who have no clue how to cook Asian dishes. I can personally vouch that these books have helped me become a much better cook of Asian food.
Another great writer is Sara Foster, who scored a big hit with her “Foster’s Market Cookbook” in 2002. Durham’s Foster’s Market has been a mainstay for area foodies for years, and her three cookbooks have sold well.
I’d be remiss if I failed to mention what I still consider the most influential cookbook ever to come from the Triangle, “Bill Neal’s Southern Cooking,” by the late, great co-founder of Crook’s Corner. My food epiphany came at Crook’s over 25 years ago, and Neal’s wonderful book came out shortly thereafter. ”Southern Cooking” is not just a collection of recipes, it’s a book focusing on the history and sociology of Southern food. Neal’s influence on Southern cooking is unquestioned, and his three books remain definitive sources on the cuisine.
So which local cookbook writers have I omitted? I’m sure there are plenty, so let’s get a solid list put together, and then we can remind ourselves of how lucky we truly are.
It’s my birthday on Saturday, and rather than going out to dinner, I decided to do what I enjoy the most: cook for others. I suspected it might be a sizable crowd, so I decided to just serve tacos, which are easy, can be eaten while standing up, and are still incredibly tasty.
So last weekend, I smoked a beef brisket and two pork shoulders (thanks for the use of the Weber Smoky Mountain Cooker, Chad). The brisket was too lean and is consequently a bit dry, so I’ll be sure to toss it with some sort of sauce before serving, maybe a roasted tomato chipotle salsa. Any suggestions.
The pork is nice and unctuous, with lots of fatty parts throughout. I may cut it up into cubes and through it in a hot cast iron skillet to give it some more brown bits — a quick style carnitas, of sorts. I’m thinking a green chili salsa would work with that. Or I could do a quick “pastor” style dish with some roasted pineapple.
I’ve got a bunch of boneless chicken thighs that I want to cook, but I haven’t figured out what to do with them. Any ideas, folks?
My friend Phoebe is getting me freshly made corn tortillas from Taqueria La Vaquita in Durham.
The only side I’ll make is a big pot of Rancho Gordo beans that can be served in cups. It will be vegetarian, so there will be something for my non-carnivorous friends.
Other than that, we’ll have some queso fresco, cilantro, lime, onions and avocado. Am I missing anything?
Oh, tequila and cerveza, of course. I picked up 5 bottles of tequila and 2 bottles of Cointreau. That’s a good start.
For dessert, we’ll have Mexican chocolate sandwich cookies (filled with dulce de leche), Mexican wedding cookies, cinnamon pound cake, and vanilla pound cake.
It should be a lot of fun, and I’ve already done most of the work, except for the chicken and the salsas. This way I can just put out food at a casual pace and not worry too much. I may not know much about Mexican cooking, but that’s not gonna stop me. Now where did I put that shot glass??
I really don’t know what I’m doing, just winging it as I go along.
I’ve always preferred to host a dinner party than to go to one. My birthday is this Saturday, and rather than hitting the town, I’m doing what I enjoy the most: cooking for friends. I think I’ve finally figured out why this is: I’m somewhat of an antisocial individual.
Now if you know me personally, you may argue, but hear me out. I love being around other people, but unless I’m in control of the situation, I’m often uncomfortable or at a loss for words. Cocktail parties are somewhat difficult for me, as I’m terrible at making small talk. When my law firm holds social functions, I struggle to find the right thing to say, even with my friends.
But when I’m cooking at my house, I’m in charge of everything. I don’t have to maintain a conversation if I don’t want to, because I have the food to attend to. I can always leave the dinner table to take care of something in the kitchen. Sure, I love company while I’m cooking, and I love to make cocktails and pour wine, but those are interactions where I’m controlling the situation. And I don’t have to sustain any lengthy dialog. If you know me, you know I like to host dinner parties.
I also love being the center of attention, strangely enough.
And it is these characteristics that I often see in chefs. They are most comfortable behind the stove, when they are in control. They love to “perform” for others and enjoy receiving feedback and adulation from their customers. But take many (not all) of those chefs away from their kitchens, and they’re somewhat awkward. Just like me. Or except when they’re around others in the industry, and then all bets are off.
So, is this somewhat dichotomous antisocial/center of attention personality as common with chefs as I think. Or is it really — and I mean this literally — just me?
Of course, parents and animal rights groups were up in arms. They claimed that the kids could have learned about how wool is made instead. The money raised from the lamb was supposed to be used to buy some piglets to raise. Those plans are now on hold.
I actually applaud the school for doing this. We are a society of meat eaters. Whether it’s the burger or nuggets from McDonald’s, the pepperoni on the pizza, or the bacon you had for breakfast, an animal gave its life for that meal. Teaching children about the reality of the source of our food is important. Might it result in more vegetarians? Probably, and that’s not a bad thing. I try to remind my children about meat, and no matter how you look at it, it’s inhumane to eat it. But it’s also the way our world works, and as long as we attempt to understand this process, we’re better off. And as you know, I’m nowhere close to being a vegetarian.
I almost wonder if groups like PETA would actually be better off if they promoted this type of exercise everywhere. Yes, one animal would be sacrificed, but if just one child becomes a vegetarian as a result, think of how many animals would be saved. It’s a philosophical and moral dilemma for sure, but an interesting one.
When I made the decision that I wanted to try working in a restaurant, I knew that I was not cut out for the business. I’m too old, too fat, and too lazy. I have some decent skills, but what works at home probably doesn’t translate to the restaurant kitchen. Speed is king in the restaurant, so I’ve been told, but not at the expense of precision. So, you have to go fast and still do it right, eh? No problem. That’s the beauty of volunteering to cook in a restaurant, as the worst thing that can happen if you fuck things up is that they’ll ask you to leave. So really, it’s no pressure at all.
If you want a copy of the CD, just contact Mel through the restaurant’s website at contact@papamojosroadhouse.com or by calling at 919-361-2222, telling him you want to buy a CD to benefit Ashley’s family. He’ll take care of the rest.
After a 2 week “vacation” from blogging, I’m back. Thanks for sticking with me while I was gone, but I have a lot to write about in the next few weeks.
We’ve all seen the various lists of 100 places to go before you die, or the 1,000 recordings you must own to ever be considered moderately cool in a musical circle.
There’s a new list for cocktails, and frankly, I like this one. A lot.
It’s the “100 Cocktails To Try Before You Die” and it all fits on one page. It was developed by the folks at Houston’s Anvil Bar & Refuge, and although on first blush it may appear to have been designed to be a marketing gimmick, it’s really a great instructional tool. As stated by Robert “Bobby” Heugel, one of the Anvil’s co-owners, on eGullet, “[T]his list was about giving people who might be new to cocktails a walk-through that would give them an appreciation and historical perspective on a decent drink.”
I like the fact that the list was not designed to be the “100 Best Cocktails Ever.” It’s different than that. It shows how a change in an ingredient can substantially affect the flavor. It offers a broad range of cocktails to give the casual drinker a chance to explore intelligently. Of course, discussions have already started about what drinks were improperly omitted and which ones should be removed from the list. Heugel responds, “The point though is that this is how our bar has chosen to go about educating people about cocktails. It shares our perspective on drinks with guests to our bars and was never intended to be a online list about the best 100 cocktails ever. If this was the goal of the list, it would definitely be different.”
I went through the list and am embarrassed that I’ve had maybe a third of the 100. I’m not planning on dying anytime soon, but I’m going to start moving my way through this list pretty quickly — just in case.
The Toronto Maple Leafs just checked into the Umstead. Use your imagination to find a way to help the Canes win. Might be the only way. 20 hours ago
I may have 2 stop following @poolesdiner RT @poolesdiner: 2nite- "Fish & Chips" w Ahi tartare from Brown Trading, oil cured olive, & frites. 22 hours ago
Posted by Varmint 
Posted by Varmint 
Posted by Varmint 
I turned 46 on Saturday and celebrated with a big party, drinking lots of tequila, eating tacos, and just having a great time. A bunch of people ignored my “no gifts” requirement, of course, and now I have more tequila than I started with and a lot of great looking wines. But the best gift I received came from my wife.
