Waitering, Part Two
Unfortunately, Mr. Roberts comes across exactly like the spoiled blue-blooded wine merchant he so resentfully depicts. Gimme a break.
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You Want Fries with That?
I can vouch for 4 Northern Virginia locations of Five Guys burger joints. All of their fries are cut by machine from sacks of potatoes in the restaurant. The prep cooks store the cut, soaked, and dried fires in large 5 gallon buckets which are routinely brought out during service. Their fries also have enough deviations in both cut, texture, and color indicative of a cooked/crafted product rather than simply being re-heated/crisped. Their open kitchens also allow you to watch every single step of your order being prepared. For the record, I don't have an affiliation other than being a long-time customer.
Responses to Comments by bonsaitree
You Want Fries with That?
Try this for a change. Instead of double frying, par bake the potatoes let them cool for about 1/2 hr cut into nice thick wedges then fry away. Season any way you like my fave is grated parm and black pepper.
Fantastic results crispy on the outside light and fluffy on the inside.
Waitering, Part Two
I can completely sympathize with Adam. I waitressed for half a year and finally decided it just wasn't worth it and found a job not in the service industry. Not liking a job doesn't mean you're spoiled, it could just mean the job sucks. And it would be both stupid and masochistic to stay in a job you hated if you didn't have to do it. I considered myself a friendly, competent server and often went out of my way to do little things for customers. But so often people are cheap or just mean and will not tip well, regardless of how well a server does his job. Also, our kitchen was terrible and would constantly screw up orders or take forever to cook food, all of which I was blamed for. Waitressing is terrible and at times made me doubt that nice people actually existed in the world. Maybe it is better at some restaurants, but at the one I worked at, I wouldn't recommend a job to my worst enemy.
You Want Fries with That?
A HUGE problem with frozen fries cooked at home is how they were handled at the supermarket.
At the supermarket they have often been semi-thawed, and have tears in the plastic which let in moisture and freezer smells/flavors. That's why they have that off taste.
Looks for bags that don't "smell". Ideally, you can find them in bulk from places like "Smart & Final" that have just been unpacked. You don't want anything that has been sitting around in a freezer case.
Also everyone suggests Peanut oil.... but they are being PC, what you really want it beef tallow. If using commercial fat like "Fry King", the first few batches won't taste right, the fat has to "age" a bit.
Waitering, Part Two
This guy sounds like a spoiled brat and incompetent to boot. He probably did his employer a favour when he quit, although he'd certainly worked there long enough to know he was screwing his fellow workers.
I grew up in the restaurant business, worked as a waitress for years to put myself through college. I only worked in one place bad enough to warrant quitting without notice and the place in which he was employed was nirvana compared to that.
Hosting/hostessing in every place I worked was always a plum job given only to very experienced waiters/waitresses. I'm not surprised he wasn't able to do it. His employer should never have put him in that position.
Waitering, Part Two
I have to agree with the sentiments about how awful it is when people just don't show up. I worked a summer with a boss/chef who would throw plates at the waitresses and call us every name in the book - on girl (understandably) quit - but I had to spend the next three weeks working double shifts, 7 days a week to cover her lunch shift. It sucked, and it would have been great if she could so much have given a bit of notice, or forwarded us a name of a friend who could cover her.
And maybe it's because I paid most of my way through college/law school waitressing for every psycho chef out there, but I don't really see the big, dehumanizing aspect of having to get a kid a piece of bacon and picking up a fork. Count your blessings if that's this is the worst job you get.
You Want Fries with That?
I just came across your article on topgrubs.com and I have to say me and my wife just love your blog. Keep up the great work.
You Want Fries with That?
I'd respectfully disagree about the logistics of fresh cut fries.
Five Guys, In N Out, and numerous other chains and local restaurants- hell even some street vendors and fair stands all feature fresh cut french fries. Almost all the fry vendors on the board walk feature fresh cut fries.
I would almost guarantee that one Five Guys location does a ton more business than one of Mr. Keller's restaurants. It's perfectly possible for fries to be fresh cut and fried.
As far as telling the difference between fresh, not frozen, try it some time. You will be able to tell the difference easily.
You Want Fries with That?
My ex-husband's parents immigrated to the U.S. from Macedonia in the early nineties and they were overjoyed to find the fries at McDonald's - no more stinky house, no more sweating over the peeling, cutting and watching the temperature of the oil. She would make the main course and he would go over to McDonald's to pick up the fries just whistling all the way. They were so happy and really thought it weird that I wanted to make my own fries. These days I've settled on just making roasted potatoes when I want to dip something in ketchup at home and save the fry eating for when I go out.
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