[Sca-cooks] OT, OOP Since it is Pennsic I have a totally off-topic rant

[David Walddon]

RANT AWAY!! 
Did you complain to the establishment? 
Write a letter to the editor? 
Post something on your blog or on a review site? 

I agree this is getting out of hand. 

But it happens at the best of places. I had looked forward to Babbo for years. 
The service and food were mediocre. The wine was AWFUL! And when I said something the waiter reached for my glass, tasted it, said it was supposed to be that way and put it BACK on the table! 

Eduardo 

________________________________________________________

Food is life. May the plenty that graces your table truly be a VAST REPAST. 

David Walddon
david at vastrepast.com
www.vastrepast.net


On Aug 6, 2011, at 1:27 PM, Michael Gunter wrote:

> 
> I am getting sick and tired of restaurants advertising something on their menu and not delivering
> what they say it is.
> 
> A couple of weeks ago I went to a decent Italian restaurant where they had grilled sea bass with
> saffron risotto. That sounded great so I ordered it. What I got was a piece of fish with some yellow
> rice in a cup shape on the plate. Risotto does not hold its shape and is not long grain rice. They 
> just did a saffron rice and called it risotto in hopes none of their diners know the difference.
> 
> Last night we went to what I'd hoped was a fairly fancy place for our anniversary. The place was
> a bit of a dump but the food looked good. My lady ordered a Steak au Pouivre with Shrimp Scampi.
> What she got was a NY Strip crusted in crushed black peppercorns and the "Shrimp Scampi" was
> broiled shrimp with some garlic. Her "Parmesian French Fries" turned out to be regular french fries
> with a light dusting of parmesian cheese.
> 
> For those who may not know, steak au pouivre is usually a hangar (or onglet) steak dusted with
> pepper and served in a brandy cream sauce with green peppercorns. Shrimp Scampi is shrimp 
> in a butter garlic sauce and usually dusted with breadcrumbs broiled in a small casserole dish.
> Parmesian fries usually are lightly doused in a garlic butter sauce with parmesian and parsley.
> 
> I kind of blame the "Food Network generation" for some of this. The soccer moms watch this and
> see risotto on a menu. Well they saw Anthony Bourdain have this in Italy so they have to have it, even
> though they might have no idea what he thell it is. That sweet Rachel Rey says that steak au poivre is
> "Yum-O" so they have to have it as well. And everyone just LOVES it when Red Lobster has their
> Shrimp Platter with 10 kinds of shrimp and the scampi is so delish! 
> 
> The restaurant runs with it and takes the rubes for their cash. It goes back to the whole "the food business
> is far more interested in trendy marketing than real food" deal that seems pretty endemic lately. 
> Look at the fact that a high end butcher I visited last weekend was selling pork belly for $6.99 a pound
> and they told me they can't stock enough. Because all the top restaurants are now considering pork belly
> to be the next golden cow and so every soccer mom just HAS to make it at home. And the bacon fad
> has gotten to ridiculous extremes.  When I make bacon I go to the local Oriental market and pick it up
> for practically nothing. Heck, even Central Market sells it for just $1.50 a pound. 
> 
> I still maintain that I can become a millionaire by selling my "Tuscan Chiplote Bacon Panini with East Asian Sauce"
> recipe to the right fast food distributer. I think that pretty much covers every catchphrase popular with
> the dining public at present.
> 
> Growl
> 
> Gunthar 		 	   		  
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