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It seems I need to be concerned every time I go to a restaurant - if I order the fish special on Sunday will the chef think I'm a "rube" because no one in their right mind would order fish in a restaurant on a Sunday - it's OLD. And since I'm a rube let's just give him the stinkiest piece of fish.
Also, everyone knows only "rubes" order the special cuz the chef is just trying to get rid of something that isn't popular. Don't worry about that "special" - just toss it on the plate, after-all a "rube" ordered it.
And only a "rube" would listen to the server's recommendations cuz the chef has ordered way too much of one thing and not enough of another and hopes the server can trick the customer into ordering what needs to move. "I have two "rube" cube-steak, I mean custom filet specials - well-done."
I've kept my mouth shut on this whole "well-done is for fools" thread, but I'm thinking the "rube" is the chef who thinks he/she is in control.
I say to every chef listening - pray your only problem is having to serve those who order a steak well-done. Heaven forbid the customers catch-on to the real game going on behind the scenes. You have opened Pandora's Box in your open disdain for paying customers.
How sickening it is to hear some pompous chef refer to his paying customers as rubes and dumb bastards who are eating his garbage. Even more sickening is that some chefs agree with him. We never know if those types will be cooking at our next dining experience.
How sickening it is to hear some pompous chef refer to his paying customers as rubes and dumb bastards who are eating his garbage. Even more sickening is that some chefs agree with him. We never know if those types will be cooking at our next dining experience.
Bourdain writes for effect. He uses hyperbole and scatology just to make his rep. He's truthful to a point, but then takes the point over-the-top so his book(s) will sell.
As far as the hoo-hah about rare and well-done, it's (to quote another, better-known, author) full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
We were once refused to have our steaks medium rare, (my son and I) because according to the waitperson, "We can't serve anything less than medium well". I ordered a salad, he had a club sandwich. (There went the size of the check and thus, the size of waitperson's tip) Arriving home, I fired off a letter to corporate (This was a very well-known national company) and told them of our displeasure at such a rule. Within days, I received a phone call from the local manager, very apologetic, and explaining that said waitperson was confused - it was hamburger that they wouldn't serve medium rare. They sent me gift certificates. I donated them to a firefighter who was attending a seminar 2,000 miles from his home, and I have never been back.
I am not insisting that my food is better than yours; or that my palate is "more sophistocated" than yours; or that I am smarter than you. Eat what you like, I'll eat what I like. And I won't say a word, as long as you don't "Ewwwwwe" when my food arrives. TYVM
This thread reminds me why I rarely eat out even though I can afford to quite often. I've never had complaints about my steaks because I cook them to order on the bbq.
Bourdain writes for effect. He uses hyperbole and scatology just to make his rep. He's truthful to a point, but then takes the point over-the-top so his book(s) will sell
More recently I would agree with you to a large extent. However, Kitchen Confidential was written when he was effectively an unknown nobody, and was very much written from the heart and from his life. It is wildly succesful because it first resonated with so many chefs and cooks, and that quote is true pretty much.
I read most of the pages but not all. Sorry if this is a repeat. I saw on Hell's Kitchen ,I think, a challenge to make a well done steak but keeping it juicy. The chef went on to say that he wants to ensure all his customers enjoy the steaks however it's cooked. I liked that challenge. But you still can't convince me to sway from medium for me. However for my mil and husband, this is perfect as they prefer well done.
How sickening it is to hear some pompous chef refer to his paying customers as rubes and dumb bastards who are eating his garbage. Even more sickening is that some chefs agree with him. We never know if those types will be cooking at our next dining experience.
I'm not a fan of the arrogance either, but I don't disagree with the practice from a cost/supply exhaustion standpoint. If people are less likely to be able to detect "inferior" meat when it's well-done, it makes perfect sense to give the cuts with a bit less marbling to the well-done crowd. Again, I don't think this is because "well-done steak eaters have no palate," but rather, when you cook meat past a certain point, people in general are unable to detect such subtleties. If it bothers you that much, next time you're out at a steakhouse, order it medium well, say it's not done enough, and see if you can actually taste the difference.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1AngryTaxPayer
This thread reminds me why I rarely eat out even though I can afford to quite often. I've never had complaints about my steaks because I cook them to order on the bbq.
You can afford to eat out quite often? Hey there, 1 %er!
Last edited by ElijahAstin; 05-24-2013 at 09:19 AM..
It seems I need to be concerned every time I go to a restaurant - if I order the fish special on Sunday will the chef think I'm a "rube" because no one in their right mind would order fish in a restaurant on a Sunday - it's OLD. And since I'm a rube let's just give him the stinkiest piece of fish.
Also, everyone knows only "rubes" order the special cuz the chef is just trying to get rid of something that isn't popular. Don't worry about that "special" - just toss it on the plate, after-all a "rube" ordered it.
And only a "rube" would listen to the server's recommendations cuz the chef has ordered way too much of one thing and not enough of another and hopes the server can trick the customer into ordering what needs to move. "I have two "rube" cube-steak, I mean custom filet specials - well-done."
I've kept my mouth shut on this whole "well-done is for fools" thread, but I'm thinking the "rube" is the chef who thinks he/she is in control.
I say to every chef listening - pray your only problem is having to serve those who order a steak well-done. Heaven forbid the customers catch-on to the real game going on behind the scenes. You have opened Pandora's Box in your open disdain for paying customers.
You're not getting it. We're not going to sell you rancid meat or spoiled fish. At least not where I work. And I guarantee you, if you are a foodie, you know the name of the restaurant where I work.
We are absolutely OCD about picking out and preparing the absolute best, freshest ingredients. Price is no object, and it reflects on the prices on the menu. When someone sits down and then orders well done, it flies directly in the face of everything we're trying to do for our guests -- put the absolute best product in front of him or her.
And the people here who are trying to argue that well-done is just as flavorful as rare are simply wrong. It's as wrong as saying, "There really is no difference between grape soda and old-vine zinfandel. It's all grapes." These people simply do not know what they're talking about.
So, yes, when someone sits down and orders a well-done filet, we automatically know two things about this person: 1) The guest has the palate of a child. 2) The guest isn't going to care if we send him or her our "worst" cut of filet.
Granted, our "worst" cut is better than anything most people can find anywhere. Not even at their specialty butcher, if they have such a thing. But it's still not as good as our best. The well-done crowd can't tell the difference.
Bourdain is right -- we love these people. Because they pay us to eat the cuts that we would normally throw out. Not because those cuts are "bad." But because they don't measure up to our crazy fastidious, almost OCD levels of fussiness about sourcing the absolute best food.
You know those steakhouses where they wheel the raw beef to the table and let people select their steak? I guarantee you these places have "save for well done" selections that they substitute for the well-done crowd. They can't tell the difference. And that saves the choicest pieces for the people who can appreciate them.
You're not getting it. We're not going to sell you rancid meat or spoiled fish. At least not where I work. And I guarantee you, if you are a foodie, you know the name of the restaurant where I work.
We are absolutely OCD about picking out and preparing the absolute best, freshest ingredients. Price is no object, and it reflects on the prices on the menu. When someone sits down and then orders well done, it flies directly in the face of everything we're trying to do for our guests -- put the absolute best product in front of him or her.
And the people here who are trying to argue that well-done is just as flavorful as rare are simply wrong. It's as wrong as saying, "There really is no difference between grape soda and old-vine zinfandel. It's all grapes." These people simply do not know what they're talking about.
So, yes, when someone sits down and orders a well-done filet, we automatically know two things about this person: 1) The guest has the palate of a child. 2) The guest isn't going to care if we send him or her our "worst" cut of filet.
Granted, our "worst" cut is better than anything most people can find anywhere. Not even at their specialty butcher, if they have such a thing. But it's still not as good as our best. The well-done crowd can't tell the difference.
Bourdain is right -- we love these people. Because they pay us to eat the cuts that we would normally throw out. Not because those cuts are "bad." But because they don't measure up to our crazy fastidious, almost OCD levels of fussiness about sourcing the absolute best food.
You know those steakhouses where they wheel the raw beef to the table and let people select their steak? I guarantee you these places have "save for well done" selections that they substitute for the well-done crowd. They can't tell the difference. And that saves the choicest pieces for the people who can appreciate them.
So when someone sits down at a sushi restaurant and insists that the sushi chef (who doesn't have any form of heat nearby) cook all the fish to well done, what does that tell you about the guest? Now what would you think about a guest going to a world-class sushi restaurant that just paid $3,600 PER POUND at auction for tuna (Google it) and then asking them to cook their portion well-done? It's a waste. It's a crime against nature. We'll do it. But don't expect us to select the best piece of fish. There is no reason to do so.
You're not getting it. We're not going to sell you rancid meat or spoiled fish. At least not where I work. And I guarantee you, if you are a foodie, you know the name of the restaurant where I work.
We are absolutely OCD about picking out and preparing the absolute best, freshest ingredients. Price is no object, and it reflects on the prices on the menu. When someone sits down and then orders well done, it flies directly in the face of everything we're trying to do for our guests -- put the absolute best product in front of him or her.
<SNIP>
You can HAVE OCD but you cannot BE OCD. That erroneous usage, oddly gaining ground, doesn't make any sense.
You're picky about meat and fish. I'm picky about language.
I'll have my steak medium rare, please.
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