Serious Eats: schwartz's Profile

All-Star Sandwich Bar in Cambridge, Mass.

@Zach Brooks: and I can´t think why anybody would ever set foot in Revere!

Seriously, All-Star is the tops. They had a sandwich, I can´t remember the name, but in addition to all the standard ingredients they put on a shmear of chopped liver. Who does that? A sandwich place worth returning to is who.

Plus the beer selection is small, but very good for a place of this type. They have really good pickles too. And while I know that the free Oreo jar is a minor point, it does help to endear this place to my heart.

schwartz at 11:35AM on 05/20/09

From Serious Eats

Served: Why Tipping Makes Everyone Uncomfortable

Here's the thing. The fact that is that you made the right call in this circumstance. They happened to be a group of people who had meant to tip well and messed up. It happens. On my birthday last year the kid who collected the money from the group later confessed that he had assumed included gratuity for our 12 top but realized his mistake later on. The waitress would absolutely have been right to ask where her tip was.

But the reason you got flack over this was because most of the time when a bad tip is given it is because either A) the service was bad or B) the customer is a lousy tipper.

In the case of the lousy waiter, asking is only going to make things uncomfortable. We all have off nights but nobody wants to be given a laundry list of why they were a lousy server.

In the case of the cheap tipper, asking is probably going to result in nothing more than a complaint to your manager. Poor tippers are often the most bitchy and demanding of customers. So yes, it worked out for you on this particular occasion, but more often than not, asking would have been a wrong thing to do.

I'm firmly of the belief that there are swings and roundabouts in the service industry. There are times you'll get 5% and times you'll get 50%. With rare exception, you're better off not worrying about the size of an individual tip, and instead thinking about your overall income.

schwartz at 1:15PM on 04/23/09

From Talk

Bloody Mary Is the Girl I Love

V8 Juice? Ugh. Clamato is fine, because I usually like to put in a dash of clam juice anyway. The real key is the more horseradish the better. Hot sauce is fine but it has to be red Tobasco. I was at one restaurant that gave me rooster sauce to put in my Bloody.... ew.

But V8... That's not a Bloody Mary. I like V8 just fine plain but...

Really it should be tomato, horseradish, vodka (absolut peppar for a real treat!), tobasco, clam juice, maybe some worcestorshire, and if you have it around a little olive brine too. If you serve it without celery, it's not made correctly.

schwartz at 1:46PM on 01/16/09

From Talk

Sugar-Free Free?

Lacto-fermented sodas are naturally low-sugar. The fermentation process eats up the sugar and creates a lovely natural carbonation. Kombucha tea too.

schwartz at 12:28PM on 01/16/09

From Talk

Know of any great sandwich shops in Boston?

First step is to get the hell out of Boston proper. In Inman Square, Cambridge you'll find the All-Star Sandwich Bar. It's been one of my favorite spots for everything from traditional sandwiches (think BLT, Gobbler, Reuben) to wackier stuff. I've had 2 different sandwiches there that had chopped liver as one of the several ingredients. Not to mention they have decent beer and awesome pickles. And on your way out, a big bowl of free Oreos for dessert.

For some more specific stuff:
Eagle Deli in Brighton has a great Gobbler and great breakfast sandwiches. I haven't tried any other kinds though.

The Sevens on Beacon Hill has the best Reuben I ever had.

schwartz at 10:09AM on 01/08/09

From A Hamburger Today

Would You Send Back an Overcooked Burger?

Chisal, spot on. At a chain restaurant like a Friday's (not that I often go to Friday's) I wouldn't expect a burger done to temp. But I also wouldn't expect anything there to be done exquisitely.

schwartz at 10:09AM on 01/06/09

From Talk

Old Kitchen Equipment

Oh whoops. I misread and thought it said you were IN your early 70s. :P

schwartz at 2:22PM on 12/30/08

From Talk

Vegitarian-ism EPIC FAIL

On the contrary, Karyn, I love tofu. But vegetarianism is a worse fad than bacon because nobody kids themselves about chocolate covered bacon being healthy. Or ethical. There's nothing unethical or unhealthy about meat consumption if it's done properly. That's not to say you can't eat tofu, but you shouldn't eat it every day.

schwartz at 2:22PM on 12/30/08

From Talk

Vegitarian-ism EPIC FAIL

There's nothing sexier than a woman and steak. That's why I can't stand the vegetarian trend. And that's all that it is. A dietary fad. There will always be a few, but come on... Tattoos and tofu.

schwartz at 2:04PM on 12/30/08

From Talk

Anchovies: Way or No Way?

I use them on pizza all the time, and I always have to steal a couple to eat plain. I love them so salty, delicious much.

schwartz at 1:50PM on 12/30/08

From Talk

Old Kitchen Equipment

@CanadianFoodieGirl, No offense, but... yes.

schwartz at 1:45PM on 12/30/08

From Talk

"Fancy" Food

My great-grandfather used to give me waffles with jam spread on them. Not too fancy, but we would eat them with our hands! HANDS!

schwartz at 9:51AM on 12/28/08

From Talk

Can you buy sourdough starter in stores?

You could just make her a starter as an easy, although slightly late, Christmas present.

schwartz at 9:38AM on 12/28/08

From Recipes

Meat Lite: Eggs Any Style Shaksouka

Shakshouka is one of my personal favorite dishes. I picked it up in Israel. A nice touch, albeit not a traditional one, is to serve this with a dollop of ricotta or cottage cheese on the side. The cool cheese and hot tomato stew is a great contrast.

schwartz at 3:51PM on 12/16/08

From Sweets

Mike's Pastry vs. Modern Pastry Shop: Holy Cannoli!

Mike's is for tourists. If somebody says they were raised in Boston and prefer Mike's I would challenge you to ask them what part of Boston they are from. I'd put money down they were from well outside the city. Being from Boston and going to Mike's is like being from NY and going to Times Square.

schwartz at 6:03PM on 12/15/08

From Talk

Goofy kitchen appliances (please don't buy that for me!)

Regarding the Magic Bullet... It's a very useful device, but if you already have a blender, you probably don't also need a Magic Bullet. Doesn't everybody know the mason jar thing by now?

schwartz at 10:58AM on 12/13/08

From Serious Eats

Served: What to Do When There's Nothing to Do

Rollups! I love doing silverware rolls. I'll do them all the live-long day. Sometimes, I like to trade my end-of-night sidework in exchange for doing other people's rolls. It keeps you busy all night and means that you can run as soon as you're cashed out.

schwartz at 10:29AM on 12/02/08

From Serious Eats

So, What Did You Make?

I made:
1 Cornish Game Hen,
Sweet potato casserole
Cranberry sauce (for ice cream or hen)

The girlfriend made:
Stuffing
Roasted Squash
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Store bought:
Jelly cranberry sauce (it's soo good)
Pumpkin Pie (we made the ice cream!)
Pirogis

schwartz at 1:22PM on 12/01/08

From Serious Eats

Photo of the Day: The Menu at Mitsuwa

Actually, I went to Mistuwa recently for the first time in years. I just moved back to Edgewater (my home town) after living elsewhere for a while. I was really disappointed. A big part of the problem was the lack of fresh sushi. It used to be there was not 1 but 2 sushi vendors. Now the only sushi is in the market part. WTF?

Also my Tempura was very very soggy. I don't remember which vendor we went to but ew. Thank god for taiyaki or else lunch would've been a total wash.

schwartz at 12:34PM on 11/21/08

From Serious Eats

Thanksgiving Foods We Love to Hate

@teenagefoodie, there are recipes on Serious Eats containing bones in a much more prominent way: Whole birds. And racks of lamb. And pork chops. I mean, are we really frightened of bones?

As far as turkey goes, I'm not a huge turkey guy, but I do enjoy a turkey burger from time to time or a turkey sandwich. I guess the reason why I don't usually roast a turkey when it's not Thanksgiving is because being single, how the hell am I going to eat a turkey alone?

schwartz at 11:40AM on 11/20/08

From Talk

Pickled Snap Peas

Sure! I got it from this site: http://machineproject.com/2008/09/16/pickling-how-to/

Because snap peas float, you have to weigh them down with a ziplock bag full of water.

"Rules of thumb:

If you’re pickling your veggies in brine, that is, covering them with salt water, you will want to premix your salt and bottled water at the following strengths: 2 tablespoons of sea salt per quart of water (a 3.6% brine solution) is a pretty standard strength for most pickles. 3 tablespoons of salt per quart (5.4% solution) yields a salty but extra long lasting pickle.

The directions are simple:

1. Clean and cut veggies and fill a very clean jar. Add any spices.

2. Pour brine to cover. Leave a little breathing room at the top of the jar—about 1/2″.

3. Cap and wait"

schwartz at 1:46PM on 11/19/08

From Talk

Koreatown NYC Restaurant - Suitable for Vegetarian

Most of the places should be able to substitute tofu for beef in a bibimbap. There's not always a ton of veg options, but there's always at least one or two dishes on the menu that can easily be substituted.

schwartz at 12:56PM on 11/19/08

From Serious Eats

Served: The Perfect Waiter Job

These are all solid points, especially pooled house. There's nothing worse than having huge inequities which breed jealousy and frustration, i.e. you make $75 when your co-worker makes $200.

I think the point that should also be mentioned is price. When I apply for jobs I make a point of looking at restaurants that charge $15-20 per entree. This is high enough that you'll be able to have some decent sales for the evening, but low enough that it's not fine dining. Am I the only one who looks at a menu before applying?

schwartz at 10:12AM on 11/18/08

From Serious Eats

Alien Fruits and Vegetables

Durian for me. It smelled bad, to be sure, but it tasted ok. I agree with SuzeZeeQ that it was very custardy. I commented to my friends that it might be nice inside some kind of pastry. Some death-smelling pastry.

Later while watching Andrew Zimmern spit out a piece of Durian on TV

schwartz at 2:00PM on 11/14/08

From Serious Eats