A Guide to Modern Dining Etiquette Part 5: Your Table and Server

    

     You made it!  You chose where you wanted to spend your hard earned money.  You waited in the lobby, it's a busy Saturday night which made for a hectic and loud 40 minute wait.  You have your 6 year old and your 10 month old children with you so just making it to the table in a good mood was a challenge!  Now your heading through the dining room to your table, you requested a booth so there was no surprise when your table comes into view.  If you did not make it known you needed a booth rather than a table don't be shocked when your Host/Hostess guides you towards a four sided dinner table...

     Here we are again! :-)  I took some time off and it's long over due that I get to writing and cooking more often, and above all else sharing with friends, family, and friends to be; my thoughts on FOOD.  Why?  Well that is a good question that I plan on answering in length in my "I love my lil' kitchen!" post.  To sum it up quickly, it's who I am.  It's how I connect with people.  It's how I make a living.  It's how I try to maintain my health.  It's pretty much all I think about.

     The fact that your here could be for several reasons I know.  Maybe you Tumbled on to my page.  Perhaps you are a foodie just cruising blogs for ideas.  Or maybe just maybe you actually searched "Modern Dining Etiquette"!  Well what ever brought you here I hope you read on and find this series of articles fun, entertaining, and educational.  This is the point of view from someone with more than 17 years in the restaurant industry.  I also have 34 years of dining out experience!  I enjoy both sides of  the industry, being a guest in a great restaurant is a hobby of mine. 

     ...Do not be rude about it, I know you are stressed out from the kids and the wait but you choose your attitude.  You could choose to be snobby and point at a booth and say "Why can't we sit there?".  You can't sit there for several reasons I am sure.  The number one reason is that the Host/Hostess hates you!  They are out to get you man!  They come into work every shift with those beady eyes and devious smiles.  Tapping her finger tips together in classically maniacal bad guy fashion the hostess cackles "Who can I screw over today? Hahahahahah!"  Really??? Come on.  You know dang well that is not the case.  There is an order and structure to seating.  If you do choose to ask about the booth just be polite about it.  They may have no problem with it, it may even be in the same section of tables so you actually do not interrupt the flow of service.  Notice the word interrupt thrown into that last sentence?  Know that if you do switch tables on the fly you may have to wait longer.  That is why you were being seated at the table.  That server is more prepared at the moment to greet you and get your dining experience moving into full gear. 

     You should always let the woman choose her seat first fellas.  This is just classy and simple courtesy.  Beyond that I am not gonna try to tell you how to seat your children.  They are your kids and I am going to venture to guess you know best.  Once we get all settled in, everyone is in place and hopefully comfortable.  Now this is where location comes into play.  The concept of the restaurant you are in is going to dominate your experience from this point on if allow the staff to do their job and just enjoy your visit.  I feel a common factor for most tables gone wrong in my own experience comes from dinners who feel entitled and act as tho they are above me and try to do my job from their seat. I consider myself a professional server.  I am not the collage kid working through school.  I do it because I actually love it.  If you allow me to do my job your visit will be AWESOME! Toot toot! Yea that was my own horn LOL!

     Granted you are paying so I understand a level of expectation.  But be realistic.  Are you at the local Claim Jumper?  Burger joint?  Or did you treat your self to a restaurant with prestige and reputation?  If you are at an average family style restaurant it will be a loose experience with lots of room for you to control your experience in many pleasant fashions.  If you are at a nicer establishment you actually start giving up control over your experience.  You will be guided by professionals of mixology, and the menu you will be ordering from.  They will share their ideas and passions with the art of service and food.

     If you are at a family restaurant, especially a corporate restaurant, your server will have a short speech of offerings.  They are required to spout out all this information about specials and other offerings in the restaurant, and they do this over and over and try to make each speech unique.  Nothing like hearing your server rattle off the same robotic speech to the table next to you.  This can make the guest feel like just another table which will cause them to loose confidence in the service.  As a guest you should let the server inform you of specials and offerings as you may just be sold into trying something new and have a culturally blissful moment.

     I am going to go with a happy prompt hello from your server.  "Beautiful day out toady" He exclaims cheerfully.  The sincerity of his smile and the confidant eye contact strikes you.  This chap is in a good mood or really loves his job.  It's infectious.  My name is Charles and I will be taking care of you tonight, Nikki over there," he does not point but gracefully motions towards another server, "She and everyone else is happy to help you tonight so if you need anything you don't hesitate, you just let us know."

     Now if you had been in just a horrific mood for some reason and cut your server off you may, I know that I am, have been reluctant to ask another server for help.  That is just a sample of how I greet my tables when I serve.  I am also obligated to inform you of new items and specials.  I happen to work at a fabulous restaurant that changes the menu often and they allow us to try all the new dishes.  I go to my table with an understanding of what I am selling and I will be honest with you.  If I don't like I will say so and inform you why.  This may seem a strange selling technique but I understand several things.  My taste and your differ and I have confidence in the food and the kitchen.  I have had plenty of people order my least favorite item on the menu after they question me about it.  It's because I don't leave off on a negative.  "I have to admit I don't care for that particular dish, I do not like a sweet sauce, but it is my Mothers favorite dish."  Hopefully as a guest I established a trust.  I was not that robotic server again who just loves the whole menu, I was up front and honest.  I also did not bash the menu and try to steer them away from something they found interesting.  I informed them why I did not like it and backed it up with a solid endorsement from someone I know who absolutely loves it. 

     The point I am going for is as a guest I look for a confident server.  I want to know they know the menu and when I tweak my order they are not coming back to the table to tell me "I apologize but onion is actually it the Ravioli so changing the sauce will not solve your allergy issue I am so sorry." As a server I take pride in my knowledge of the menu, I cook at this restaurant as well so I am really getting to know the food intimately.  As a guest I let that server guide me through a culinary venture, that is why I dine out, to experience something.  If you are just going out because of time constraints, or out of town don't forget that even tho it really is necessary and your not doing it for the joy of it; does not mean you still can't enjoy it for what it is meant to be.  Again I bring you back to the phrase, You choose your attitude!  So guests and Employees alike let's choose to be kind and courteous to each other while me make a brief pit stop in each others lives. Let us....

Love Food, Live Life!

South Western Breakfast Scramble

Second to Italian food I LOVE breakfast!  I worked at Denny's for a few years and I loved it just because I could eat breakfast at anytime.  There are so many ways to cook a simple egg.  I was a big fan of over-medium but have recently moved towards the scrambled.  I love to add peppers and onions to my scrambled eggs, squeeze in some ketchup, and dowse it with Tabasco!

Potatoes in general are a favorite of mine as well.  Again there are endless ways to cook the plain ole potato.  For breakfast I'm a big fan of small cut home fries with peppers and onions, just love peppers and onions I guess!  My favorite breakfast is the hash brown though.  I like them extra crispy.  I like them nearly burned in fact!

So being addicted to breakfast as I am, and having lots of friends who think they can't cook, I figured I would whip up a simple breakfast with everything all in one bowl.  It's jalapeno, carrot, peppers, onions, and sausage.  All cooked in one skillet so there is little to clean up!

South Western Breakfast Scramble

Here is what you will need:

a bag of your favorite hash browns with peppers and onions, or make your own

jalapeno

shredded carrot

sausage

garlic

chopped white onion

diced bell pepper

salt

black pepper

eggs

So I cheat with my hash browns as you can see from the picture above :)  These potatoes are great though, they are fresh never frozen and I found them in Albertsons right next to the breakfast meats.  As far as measurements it all depends on your taste and how many you are cooking for, you can not really mess it up, that is the beauty of a dish like this. 

 I shred my carrots so they cook faster, dice my onion and bell pepper.  I cut the jalapeno into rings and remove the seeds.  I like to start my hash browns first as I like them dark.  Then when ready add every thing else!  You may want to brown the sausage and crumble it up first tho, it was hard to get it to crumble and the hash browns soak up some major grease, but it is not impossible to do.  That is it, plate, serve, and enjoy!  A quick easy breakfast for all you people that say "I can't cook!" Oh yes you can!  I have said it before and I will say it again.  Cooking is only as hard as you make it!

What is your favorite breakfast?

Love Food, Live Life!



Whitetail Cafe!

If you know me then you know I am always on the look out for something new.  Well with word of my blog spreading around town I have gotten to hear a lot about every one's favorite places to eat.  I have even been approached by some restaurants to come in and give them a try.  I have some friends of the family that told me about this place and I am glad they did!

They feature wild game!  Now I grew up around hunting and fishing so I was instantly excited to go to a restaurant that served wild game. :)  The menu is not large, when you do something right and well it does not need to be.  I had a chance to speak to the owner Michael Powell and it was obvious he really enjoyed what he dose.  When we ate it became even more obvious!

I went with my usual partner in crime, my Mom, and her friends.  I love going out with them, they really crack me up and surprise me with some of the things they say :-D

They have a salad bar option, which is nice.  I like to make my own salad then you get exactly what you want!

Check out this Chicken Fried Steak! The picture does not due it justice, the thing is massive and cooked nicely.  Not tough as they can be if over cooked.

I know it is familiar but it wild game, Catfish! Served with Hush Puppies and Beans!  Delicate texture and breaded with corn bread.  I like this stuff now which surprises me O_o Taste changes try things constantly and you will surprise yourself one day!

I had to be more bold and try the Wild Pig and Venison Sausage.  There are two versions of this on the menu.  One is the sausage in its simple form (really not simple, it is bursting with flavor) and one that is stuffed with jalapeno and cheese.  I tried them both as my aunt ordered one and I the other. They are both good but I prefer spicy foods so I liked the stuffed version.

I have to admit I was jealous of my Mom's choice.  To me this is the star of our trip!  It is a Venison Burger.  It was so juicy and not gamey at all.  The bun was a type of jalapeno bread which just set it on a new level.  When I go back I am ordering that for sure! 



So in my jealousy I'm posting this picture of her digging in! HAHAHAHAHAHA! Love ya Mom<3



Love Food, Live Life!

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Blackened Rib Eye with Bacon Wrapped Scallops and Spicy Herb Potatoes

So one of my favorite cuts of beef is the Rib eye.  It is essentially a piece of Prime Rib.  One of the most flavorful and tender cuts, it is hard for me not to order one when I see one on a menu.  When I cook a steak for myself I tend to use one, and I have posted a couple recipes that I like to use already.  This time it is a little bit different. I had been collaborating with Chef Kevin Smith and found out he made his own spices which he sold on the Etsy online market.  He no longer sells these spices as he has moved on to other ventures but I was lucky enough to get my hands on some.  He grows his own herbs and blends them with his own recipe of assorted spices.  There are three types, one for meat, seafood, and a veggie blend.  He also whipped up a batch of his blackening seasoning for me :) Now you wont find to many seafood recipes on my blog because I really don't care for seafood.  I am learning tho!  Your taste changes and since I have started exploring food with a greater depth I am learning that I taste food much more differently than I used to.  Food has more flavor and I can actually taste the different spices and layers of flavor.

With this discovery I had to try some scallops.  I had tried some at work and realized that if cooked properly I liked them.  Kevin suggested I do a Blackened Rib eye with Bacon Wrapped Scallops so this it what I came up with!

Lets start with the steak.

Blackened Rib Eye

Here is what you need:

a cast iron skillet (Teflon dose not like the extreme heat you'll need)

olive oil

blackening seasoning

Start by getting your skillet warming up.  The key is to get it to the point it is almost smoking!  Then rub down your steak with olive oil and apply the blackening very liberally.  Put a little olive oil in the skillet and add the steak.  It will smoke!  That is ok, you want the seasoning to form a nice crust and stick to the steak.  If you get nervous and try to flip the steak to soon there is a chance you will scrape the seasoning right off the meat.  I like mine rare so it dose not take to long to cook.  If you want yours more well done, turn down the heat after you have formed a nice crust on both sides of the steak.

Spicy Herb Potatoes

Here is what you'll need:

thin sliced potatoes

thin sliced jalapeno to taste

thin sliced sweet whit onion

rosemary to taste

thyme to taste

salt and pepper to taste

butter to taste

I did my potatoes in a foil pack and cooked them out on the grill.  I did this because my old roommate Joe and I lived in a small studio at one time and all we had was a fire pit.  We used to make foil pack potatoes all the time so it was sort of nostalgic for me :)  This would be a great veggie idea for your next camping trip too!  Just trow all the ingredients minus the butter in a mixing bowl and toss.  Place the mixture on foil, a large enough piece that you can wrap them, top with a couple nubs of butter.  Close up the pack, you may want to double wrap them as the butter will want to run out!  Just use you finger to test the pack every now and then, it will have a lot of give when done, and make sure to flip it often so it dose not burn.

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

Here is what you'll need:

lemon juice

olive oil

black pepper 

fresh chives

I used the seasoning I got from Chef Smith so just use what ever you want, skip the sat tho!

bacon

Ok so I put no measurements because it really depends on how many your cooking for.  Just use your best judgement.  I juiced a lemon and mixed in some olive oil and whipped it together with some black pepper and marinated the scallops for about a half hour.  You are going to want to chop your chives real fine.  The bacon needs to be cooked off but be sure not to get it to crispy as you need to be able to wrap the scallops.  When your ready lay the bacon out, you will probably use about a half piece of bacon for each scallop.  Lay the bacon out coat what one side with the chives.  Season the scallops if you like and wrap them up with the chives on the inside.  Secure the bacon with a toothpick and cook away!  Scallops cook fast and get real rubbery if over cooked so make sure not to turn your back.  For presentation I tied some chive around each one, this was quite an irritating task!  The chives kept breaking on me :(  but I must say the end result was beautiful!

I have to admit I will be making this again.  I loved the steak which is needless to say.  The sweetness of the onion gave the potatoes a nice balance of sweet and heat.  The use of fresh herbs is away a good choice if they are available to you, they have much more flavor and go further.  I was so excited about the scallops!  They where bursting with lemon and bacon makes everything taste better right?  I was happy that I took Chef Smiths advice and went outside my comfort zone and tried some seafood.  It was a nice play on surf and turf and the scallops had such a clean flavor.

What is your favorite steak recipe?  How about your favorite seafood recipe?  If you have a blog link it in the comment box so we can share!

Love Food, Live Life!

Thanksgiving 2011 :) A Foodie holiday if ever there was one!

Well first off I need to apologize for my absence. I was going astray but with the help of good family and friends who kept on me about stopping my blogging I have made it a mission to make a comeback! Thanks to you all who helped me through this difficult time in my life and pushed me to get the help I needed and made me realize what is important to me! :D I love you all and can not stress enough how much you all mean to me.

So with Thanksgiving in sight the family decided I should do the cooking.  Don't get me wrong I was excited to do so, but my family loves the IDEA of me cooking more than my Style of cooking.  They are steak and potato people.  So am I but I don't do simple!  Everything I do has my own twist, a signature if you will.  Don't all the great chefs try to test themselves with every thing they do?  So my Mom and I had dinner at Applebee's one night and planned out a menu that would meet both worlds in the middle. 

I tossed a few ideas her way and she responded with "Now remember who your cooking for."

I had to laugh and said "No, they need to remember who they asked to cook!"  You would not go into Gordon Ramsay's Maze and expect hamburgers and hot dogs would you?  I hope not LOL!

We did end up with a great and fun menu in the end.

The star of the show was Prime Rib.  My favorite cut of beef aside from Veal Osso Bucco.  

All I do for my Prime Rib is rub it down with McCormick Spicy Montreal Steak Seasoning and garlic powder.

For our first side we agreed on Scalloped Potatoes, right out of the box :) I did talk her into getting the Loaded ones with bacon and sour cream!

Next I got to play with green beans!  My Mom got me a subscription to Food Network Magazine so this was the first recipe I talked her into letting me try.  It was really good.  Fresh green beans, bacon, roasted pecans with crushed red pepper!  It went over really well of course, because everything is better with bacon :)

This is the LINK to the recipe! for Green Beans and Bacon

My sister in law brought over a classic Sweet Potato dish.  It was yummy and usual!

The next dish I talked her into was easy.  I played on her love for Black Beans.  This is an idea I had, sure it is not original but it was for me.  I call it Black Bean and Corn Salad.

Here is what you need:

1 can black beans rinsed

1 can corn drained

1 can Rotell

dry cilantro to taste

garlic salt to taste

butter to taste

Just throw it all in a pot and heat! Simple and delicious!

The next recipe I stole from Albertsons!  They have a great Tomato Mozzarella salad that I am addicted to.  I of course put my own spin on it!

Wichita Falls Foodie Italian Salad

Here is what you need:

1 package each of yellow cherry tomatoes and red cherry tomatoes cut into bite size pieces

and all the other ingredients are to taste,

sliced black olive

sliced green olive

fresh basil

oregano

minced garlic

balsamic vinegar

olive oil

sliced mini boccocini mozzarella balls

This is best to make the night before serving, stirring it whenever you think about it.  This will let all the flavors marinate and the cheese soaks in all that flavorful goodness!

Dessert was a good ole cheese cake with cherries!

My Mom and I also agreed on a Sweet Potato Pie!  I had never had one before and was so pleasantly surprised at how much like pumpkin pie it tasted like.  If you have never tried one I suggest you do so as soon as possible! (I must mention to you all my Mom burnt the marshmallow :) for those of you at work who have heard me joking about my Mom burning everything this is the proof! I love you Ma!)

Ok I lost the recipe we used but there are no shortages of good ones out there! Just pick one that sounds good to you and do it!

This Thanksgiving was so fun and delicious.  I got to cook with my Mom who was the one who got me started in the kitchen and my Blog!  I love her so much and am one lucky guy to have a mother that taught me to be a gentleman and a lover of food.  I hope you all enjoyed this Foodie holiday and the friends and family it brought together on that day. 

Love Food, Live Life!

What was on your Thanksgiving Menu? Leave a comment or a Link to your Blog and share!

Hwy Cafe

I found me another lil place none of my friends have heard of!  Hwy Cafe Bar*B*Q -N- Grill is the type of place I have been looking for.  I am a HUGE breakfast fan and have not found a place that is not a cooperate owned restaurant that serves a good one.  They have a good breakfast and offer something for everyone for lunch and dinner. 

Breakfast is from 6 A.M. till noon I believe.

I have been back to this place twice! That is a rarity for me as I am always on the hunt for a new spot.  I love the service which was friendly but not overbearing.  I recently went to lunch with a good friend and we sat there for about two hours just enjoying each others company and never felt pressured to leave.  It was a nice lunch and I hope we can do it again soon :)

On my first visit I went with my usual partner in crime, my loving Mom.  We also had a great first experience.  The owner came by the table and made sure we were enjoying ourselves and made small talk with his obviously regular customers.

Let's get to the food!

My Mom had the Hot Link Sandwich.  It is served with real home made french fries, and corn chips all smothered in their signature chili and topped with jalapenos.  This thing was a huge plate of country style goodness.  The smoked sausage link was amazing how can you go wrong with home made chili fries?  The chips where a great addition as it gave the plate some texture.

I love BBQ so I had to try the smoked ribs.  They were astounding!  So smokey they almost had me coughing lol :D The seasoning was perfect and I felt it would be a sin to dip them in BBQ sauce.  In classic Texas style they are served with Texas toast, some raw onion rings, dill pickle, beans, and a most delicious potato salad.  I love Texas style potato salad, in California it's big chunks of potato and no vinegar.  I love the tang of the vinegar and the mustard!

I hope you give them a try, and if you do don't forget to mention the Wichita Falls Foodie sent you their way!

Love Food, Live Life! 



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Muffin Pan Meatloaf with Balsamic Parsnips

I am having so much fun trying all these new foods!!! I like to watch British cooking shows and they are always eating things we as Americans do not.  Parsnips are a common thing served in British cooking but I have never been to a restaurant here that served them.  I have never even known anyone to cook them at home. So in the spirit of being an adventurous Foodie I made it a goal to try them.  I whipped out my Flavor Bible and put this combination together, and I must say it turned out superb!

When I lived in Pahrump NV. my roommates mom would invite us over to dinner and she usually treated us to her most mouth watering meat loaf.  I do not know her recipe all I know is that she made it with Italian sausage and beef.  I decided to make a play off of that with my own twist.  We would always fight over the end pieces so I though why not put them in a muffin pan and make each piece an end piece!

Of course one of my favorite sides of late is my Tabasco mashed potatoes so I whipped up a batch of those as well :)

Muffin Pan Meatloaf

Here is what you'll need:

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 pound ground Italian sausage

1/2 cup grated carrot

1/2 cup grated sweet onion

1 cup or more seasoned bread crumbs

2 table spoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

fresh thyme to taste

fresh rosemary to taste

salt and black pepper to taste

Start by sauteing your carrot and onion. Do there is no need to cook all the way through, but a shorter bake time due to the small size of the meat loaf muffins will not allow the veggies to cook all the way.  Add the remaining ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands.  You will probably need more bread crumbs than a cup, the key is the texture.  You want it to be firm and hold shape, if it feels loose and dose not hold shape then you will have a melting affect and just have meat blobs.  :'(''' Bake at 350 for about an hour, make sure the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. I topped a couple with a little A1 towards the end of baking and I really liked it, when I make them again I will do it for all of them for sure.

Balsamic Parsnips

Here is what you'll need:

serves 4 to 6

Three large parsnips, peeled and sliced

two strips cooked bacon for bacon bits

5 scallions (green onion) for garnish

6 table spoons shredded Parmesan cheese

balsamic vinegar to taste

Boil your parsnips. To plate layer parsnips and Parmesan cheese. Top with bacon bits and sliced scallions.  Drizzle balsamic vinegar to finish! Easy, adventurous, and packed with flavor!

The meatloaf turned out sooooo goooood! It was moist, tender and the addition of veggies and the mustard gave it layers of flavor. Using fresh herbs whenever possible also adds a more dynamic taste to any dish. Fresh herbs are so much more flavorful and they even smell more pungent, and that in turn greatly affects the way things taste.

The parsnips are sweet like carrots once cooked.  The cheese and bacon of course make anything better! I like the balsamic finish because it leveled off the sweetness of the parsnips and pairs well with Parmesan and bacon. You NEED to try this for sure if your looking for something new to try as a side dish!

I have been loving using my Flavor Bible to come up with dishes that are as original as can be these days. Most everything has been done before, but you can always find some new flavors to combine and play with. If you try one of these I would really appreciate some feedback :) That is the only way I will know if you my readers like it! Remember to....

Love Food, Live Life!