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From Talk

100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do

On second reading, #23 would be in the realm of above and beyond service, I don't think anyone expects that. When I really like a wine during a tasting service and they offer to write it down for me, I do notice and appreciate it though (and I tip accordingly.)

From Talk

100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do

I agree 100% with this list. Especially #3, 5 and ESPECIALLY #41. I would add to #9, when reciting specials, always include the price of said specials.

@happyeats - it doesn't cross your mind before hand, but when any of these rules are broken you notice right away and it is at best off-putting. This has nothing to do with being uptight. It's about being polite and offering good service.

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Recent Comments | Response to Comments

From Talk

100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do

On second reading, #23 would be in the realm of above and beyond service, I don't think anyone expects that. When I really like a wine during a tasting service and they offer to write it down for me, I do notice and appreciate it though (and I tip accordingly.)

From Talk

100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do

I agree 100% with this list. Especially #3, 5 and ESPECIALLY #41. I would add to #9, when reciting specials, always include the price of said specials.

@happyeats - it doesn't cross your mind before hand, but when any of these rules are broken you notice right away and it is at best off-putting. This has nothing to do with being uptight. It's about being polite and offering good service.

From Recipes

French in a Flash: Bouillabaisse Pasta

No worries, just thought I'd clarify it :)

From Recipes

French in a Flash: Bouillabaisse Pasta

Crème de cassis is from Dijon. In this case cassis is the fruit, black currant, used to make the liqueur. The town of Cassis in the south has nothing to do with it. They do however have their own AOC, making reds, rosés and whites, which they are most famous for.

From Serious Eats: New York

Yankees vs. Phillies: The Serious Eats World Series

Sorry, as much as I love NY and the Yankees, Philly wins hands down when it comes to greasy low brow street food. They also have some award winning BBQ pitmasters, and some amazing Peking duck, better than we have in here.

From Talk

NYC: Mia Dona?

Called to check, they're open. Reviews on Yelp are good for the most part, but it is Yelp after all, home of the most vappid users on the internet.

From Recipes

Seriously Italian: Broccoli Romanesco

I don't find it creepy and weird at all. It's stunningly gorgeous. I wish all our veggies had such an amazing fractal symmetry. It looks like a jewel.

From Serious Eats: New York

Shake Shack, Bill's, and RUB: It's Rainin' Smashed Burgers In This Burg

I agree. Bill's is good but totally over rated. This noise comes from the unstoppable PR machine that is Josh Ozersky and his mini me, Nick Solares, as they shill incessantly for their buddies over at Pat Lafrieda. Not that there is anything wrong with that. But we shouldn't pretend it's anything else. And I also agree that the smashed burger method is getting way too many accolades, also artificially by those with the influence and means to make their voices heard. Bruni was correct in his opion that smashed burgers need to eaten as doubles, because otherwise there is too much bread etc in each bite, since the patty becomes so thin. Last time I checked burgers were about beef. Give me a big, plump, tender, crispy crusted juicy burger cooked BLOODY RARE please. Can't do rare with the smashed burgers.

From Serious Eats

Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal

The ban in NYC was lifted in 2007 but restaurants that wish to use sv in their kitchens must complete and submit a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point plan, which can be prohibitively expensive for all but the most high end restaurants.

From Serious Eats

Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal

@rajin - this is a lot more expensive than using a PID with a rice cooker/slow cooker/electric hotplate.

The Reynolds HandiVac sucks and is not up to the task. The foodsaver is a good investment regardless, and is the bare minimum necessary to do it right without dropping some serious money on a chamber vac.

From Serious Eats

Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal

I have used sv at home many times, so far so good, no one dead or sick. Cooked steaks at 125* for ten hours in various infusions and marinades, then quickly seared the outsides in clarified butter. Perfect temperature, nice crispy seared crust. It's awesome for making custards for ice cream, sabayon, etc. If you follow basic hygiene rules and use clean, fresh ingredients you will be fine. The NYC DOH has ridiculously draconian rules. They don't even allow restaurants to cure or ferment their own products without following a strict Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point plan. For a process which has been used by people all over the world for tens of thousands of years. They would rather ban a process like sv just because it's easier for their bureaucracy to deal with.

From Serious Eats

The 10 Worst Food Trends? Really?

Top Ten lists are for idiots, and David Letterman.

From Serious Eats

The Food Lab: Animal Fat Mayonnaise

Awesome. This is SE hall of fame material.

From Serious Eats

Video: André Soltner Makes an Omelet

"I don't know any capable younger chefs who would even touch the stuff"

You should get out more. White pepper is awesome.

From Serious Eats: New York

Is Locavorism For Rich Folks Only?

@foodinmouth - can you please write a coherent comment? Trying to parse some meaning out of your rant is painful. You seem to think that the Union Sq market is much more important than it really is. Sure, they should take EBT and food stamps. What I think is even more important is that the markets in the poorer neighborhood take them. And they largely do. You are making a lot of angry assumptions, about the people who shop there, about the farmers who sell there, and about the organizers. You are asking a lot of rhetorical questions, I bet you've never bothered to get involved yourself.

From Serious Eats

Cook the Book: The Southern Italian Table

Pasta is NOT cucina povera. Only until after WW2 did pasta become something Italians could eat on a regular basis. Pasta was special occasion food, sometimes eaten only a couple times a year, most of the time in a soup.

My favorite cucina povera dish is polenta, with a little dollop of mushroom ragu to go with it.

From Serious Eats: New York

FergusStock at The Breslin

No thanks for the eyeball, but I'd love to try the head. It's all pork skin and fat what's not to love?! Lamb neck looks amazing too.

From Serious Eats

The Food Lab: Animal Fat Mayonnaise

You know they already sell Baconaise in the stores but it isn't made with real Bacon. It tastes really good though. I am going to make your version as I have some rendered bacon fat in my refrigerator. Never thought of making it myself. I can just imagine what that lamb mayo tastes like! Yikes. Lamb is such a highly flavored fat as it is.

From Talk

100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do

I love this list, and, with the exception of # 23, I am heartily in agreement. When I am eating out, which is not all that often these days, I want the experience to be as good as it possibly can be. And, aside from the food, the etiquette (or lack thereof) of my server is what most affects that experience.

From Talk

100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do

@lemonfair - what a great idea! What would you put on this list?

From Talk

100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do

I'd love to see a similar list for the chef, considering some of the things we know go on in the kitchen. It matters as much as what goes on in public.

From Talk

100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do

Did anyone else hear the author of this article on NPR today? He said that he's never been a "professional waiter" but he waited tables in college, which to me sounded like he was trying to grant himself some kind of exemption from his own rules.

From Serious Eats

The 10 Worst Food Trends? Really?

Funny, I make cheesecake pops when I have a chunk of cheesecake that's too big to toss but too small to serve on its own. First I shove a plastic spoon into a big chunk of cheesecake, then dunk it in melted chocolate, then put it in the freezer. I served a tray of these things and all I heard were moans of pleasure. (My cheesecake is made from scratch. I've seen Shamdra Lee do this where she murders a frozen cheesecake with a scoop, winding up with a cheesecake carcass.)

Re: Soup Sips - do you mean in small cups? That does seem rather silly. I like to serve "dessert bites" on Chinese porcelain spoons. Even if you have 2 it's not like wolfing down an entire dessert - but you get to have a tasty sweet in small measure.

From Serious Eats

The 10 Worst Food Trends? Really?

So can someone do a list of the 10 worst catering trends? #1 Everything as a lolly pop. I believe David Burke started this with his cheese cake lollly pops.

When are we going to find a replacement for soup sips?

From Serious Eats: New York

Sandwich Alley: New York's West Village Block of Sandwich Deliciousness

@wburg913: Didn't forget it! (In fact, we stopped by Grey Dog during our visit.) But we kept incredibly strict parameters on Sandwich Alley. Precisely one block, all with storefronts ON Bleecker (in the case of Bleecker Street Pizza, it's on the corner on the in-bounds side of the street). Once you wander outside the boundaries, there's just too much to include.

From Serious Eats: New York

Sandwich Alley: New York's West Village Block of Sandwich Deliciousness

how could you forget Grey Dog? It's less than half a block off of Bleecker and has my favorite sandwiches in NYC.

From Talk

100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do

My desire to order apps and drinks has less to do with a restaurant's bottom line as it has to do with the comfort of those of us who are waiting. I'm not "assuming" anything. If a DINNER reservation was made it stands to reason that at least one entree per diner will be ordered. This does not include salads, a la carte sides and additional cocktails. I state again with certainty that if I were ever refused seating because one member of my party was delayed, I'd go somewhere else. I'm extremely punctual to the point of OCD. If I'm on time with most of my party, I damn well better be seated or I'm happy to spend my money somewhere else. It's wise to make the customer happy under ideal circumstances but in this down economy it makes even more sense.

Sometimes the word "assume" is the most suitable to use in a particular sentence. The cutesy Felix Unger reference has become passe.

From Talk

100 (okay, 50) Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do

Therealchiffonade. You're assuming a reservation was made, assuming the 4th is coming shortly, assuming the first 3 will order apps and drinks, assuming the 4th will even order. We all know what happens when we assume.

From Serious Eats: New York

Yankees vs. Phillies: The Serious Eats World Series

Whoever did this list, you do realize Philly has a Papaya King too, right?

From Serious Eats: New York

Shake Shack, Bill's, and RUB: It's Rainin' Smashed Burgers In This Burg

Ed, you need to get somewhere to try a Smashburger. I would love, love, love to know how they compare in the field of smashed burgers.

From Serious Eats

The Food Lab: Animal Fat Mayonnaise

Who knows if they really use bacon fat to make theirs, but there is a bacon flavored mayonnaise on the market called Baconnaise. It's been the butt of a running joke on the Daily Show.

From Serious Eats: New York

Sandwich Alley: New York's West Village Block of Sandwich Deliciousness

@EZ: It's mesmerizing, isn't it? That photo was my laptop background until it became just too distracting.

@Nikki: Yes, but is it a sandwich? :)

From Serious Eats: New York

Sandwich Alley: New York's West Village Block of Sandwich Deliciousness

faicco's is the BEST. their sandwiches can do no wrong. good call. but don't give it too much attention or it will start getting on "top 5 lists" etc and then be full of dweebs that live for that ish.

From Serious Eats: New York

Sandwich Alley: New York's West Village Block of Sandwich Deliciousness

You missed my fave at Faico's--the prosciutto roll! One of the cheapest items there and one of the tastiest. Have them pop it in the toaster for a quick minute and it's rather delicious!

From Serious Eats: New York

Sandwich Alley: New York's West Village Block of Sandwich Deliciousness

Anyone who quotes Liz Lemon and finds delicious sandwiches in one spot is a winner in my book! :D Thanks for this awesome post!

From Recipes

Seriously Italian: Broccoli Romanesco

I just saw these at my local co-op the other week and believed them to be either alien food or actual aliens lying in wait for an unsuspecting hippie to take them home. I suppose I'm somewhat of a newbie when it comes to "unusual" ingredients, although I do have a 23-year-old co-worker who had never heard of or seen a fig until a few weeks ago when I brought in your delicious fig and almond cookies. At any rate, I'm going to go hunting for these tonight -- alien or not, if it gets an endorsement from Gina, I'll definitely try it!

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