Same Restaurant, Different day, Different chef, not the same taste..

[larry_stewart]

Im sure all of you have experienced this at one time or another.

You go to a restaurant that you frequent often.
Order the same dish, but its not as good some days as it is on other days ( lack of consistency).

Could be the chef is inexperienced / inconsistent
Could be the chef just had a bad day, maybe too busy, rushed ...
Or, could be just a different chef in the kitchen.

How does everyone deal with the disappointment of going to a restaurant you enjoy, ordering a dish that you've had in the past with high expectations, and it just not being the same every time you go there?

Should you find out who the chef is and just call in advance ?
Do you say something at the time of service ?
Do you just play your luck and hope for the best?

Just curious

larry

 

[CraigC]

That has happened so many times, that we basically stopped going out. We had a great Italian place (no pizzas) ran by a family from Umbria. Waiters in tuxes, fabulous food and service, but they were expensive, which I fear was their demise.

We found another one while vending at a reptile show, but it is 270 miles away!

 

[Cooking4to]

We have so many amazing restaurants in a short distance they have no choice but to be ontop of their game ALL THE TIME, I have had visitors from Italy stay with us and comment on how good the food around us was. We own a home in italy and comparatively there are 2 Italian restaurants that I put above anything I have eaten in country.

I think it is just part of the gamble of going out to eat, I worry more if the chef just came back from vacation in Africa and carried some ebola with my filet than if the dish is going to be exactly as it was on a previous visit.
I also worry that my filet was left out on the counter all night by accident, or that they didn't wash the counter and some janitor from the cleaning service threw the bathroom garbage bags on there the night before, or that someone didn't was their hands after using the bathroom then set my plate, etc etc etc, I think its just safer to eat at at home..

As far as what to do about a dish that isnt as good as it was before, I am not sure, I would never send something back, if it was not good enough to eat, I would just order something else that was fast and make like I changed my mind, I have seen what unhappy wait staff and cooks do when they get customers they don't like...

a couple weeks ago we went out and I ordered chicken rose which I have gotten plenty of times before, the chicken ws obviously over cooked and dried to death, but I woudn't ask for another one because 1-it will take 20 minutes to cook, 2-maybe the chef seen the chicken was "iffy" and said I better overcook it so none gets sick 3-I don't want anyone spitting in my food... So I just ordered a wedge salad and they rushed it out, I didnt even taste the rose, and at the end of the meal the waitress said "was everything OK?" and I said "yes", she said "you didn't touch your meal, I said "it was a little dry" and smiled, she looked at it and said "god yes it is, I will take it off the bill"... Simple, I didn't have to eat spit {I know it is unlikely, but I would be worrying the entire time and not be able to enjoy it} and I didn't have to pay $26 for dried out chicken...

When I ordered the wedge salad, I simply said "excuse me I am so sorry but I meant to order a wedge salad, is there anyway to rush one for me?" she said "sure, let me get it for you" and it was out in less than 5 minutes...

 

[CraigC]

Would your home in Italy happen to be in Puglia?

 

[Cooking4to]

Would your home in Italy happen to be in Puglia?

No, actually almost as far away from there as possible, lol.. We bought a villa in Liguria. I know it is very touristy and full of vacationers, BUT we fit in, lol.. We go there for that purpose and we don't have the translation issues I have had when vacationing there before we bought the place. I am not saying the food is bad in anyway and we have eaten at some amazing restaurant over seas {there was one in milan that was so good it explains why they are so religious out there, because you taste their Coq au Vin {french but when italians do it with the sausage, oh my god, its unreal} and you know god exists...

I have never been to the southeast part of the country {that is where puglia is correct?, I googled it quickly}... When we were looking for property, my wife wanted beaches and I wanted english, and it seems like the further south east you go the less english is spoken and understood, I know some Italian and it is getting better the more we go, but not perfect. We found a couple out of NY that were selling their place in Liguria because the husband was not well enough to travel anymore, they had no kids, and she would never go alone, so they were trying to sell it for almost 2 years, but needed an american buyer that could meet with them, so its just a drive for us, w shot over and met up with them. We fell in love with their stories and they loved our kids so we traded, no sa just kidding, I kept the kids, lol. But they showed us pictures and we started negotiating.
A week later the husband {Stanley} called me up and asked if we would like to go there, I said I would love to, so I booked a flight, they had us bring some of their belongings back with us, and while we were there my wife fell in love with the place, everything about it, 6-7 bedrooms, walk out onto a beach, 15 ft ceilings, french doors everywhere, its heaven on earth...

We bought the place fully furnished and agreed to bring back a list of belongings they wanted, some pictures, paintings, mostly art and personals they wouldn't trust to a shipper, probably about the nicest people I ever met..

Anyway thats my italy story, we are going for the kids vacation in February and in the near future {when my oldest is a senior} we are going to go for an entire year so he can do his senior year there. And my youngest will do his sophomore year, after that we will play it by ear, see how much we miss the US at that point I guess..

 

[Whiskadoodle]

O absolutely.
A favorite Diner / breakfast place. It’s a bit of a jaunt and I pass any number of places on the way which offer the same kind of meals. Weekends are the busiest. The weekend cook is excellent. Keeps up with orders, food prep is per what is requested, all the things one would want if not prepared at home. Going out for breakfast is a treat, not a necessity.
The M-F cook, I figured out after several visits this last year, how hard is it to screw up eggs +. Apparently pretty easy. Both cooks have been at this diner for a long time. I’m surprised mgmt. keeps the weekday cook. Maybe he’s the owner?> Oops.
At a more close to home restaurant we have dined at for years, we know many of the servers and chefs/cooks. They have the usual combo of chef turnover and a few long term. Being new/ or unknown to me is not in itself negative, my comfort level is increased if it’s someone I know and have learned to trust their skills. So yes, when our server runs off the Specials spiel before ordering, I may ask who is tonight’s chef.
Going out should be an enjoyable experience. There are a few places we like to go for specific dishes. Have learned that we like how Restaurant A prepares x better than Restaurant B. And if we are hungry for something else, we may go elsewhere even if it’s on R-/ A’s menu. I could see going to 3 different Chinese restaurants to complete a full take out meal. LOL.
If it’s a totally new dining experience for us, I look at several newspaper reviews, reader reviews, talk with people we know who have dined there, the usual. Can’t say any are more reliable than another. It’s part of the experience of choosing a restaurant. I tend to give a restaurant 3 chances to meet expectations before not dining there again. A very few places use up those chances in one visit, or we may go elsewhere anyway, there are options galore.

 

[jennyema]

We found another one while vending at a reptile show,

Quote of the day!!!

BTW I just sent back my go-to brunch dish at a place I eat at a lot.

 

[Mad Cook]

Im sure all of you have experienced this at one time or another.

You go to a restaurant that you frequent often.
Order the same dish, but its not as good some days as it is on other days ( lack of consistency).

Could be the chef is inexperienced / inconsistent
Could be the chef just had a bad day, maybe too busy, rushed ...
Or, could be just a different chef in the kitchen.

How does everyone deal with the disappointment of going to a restaurant you enjoy, ordering a dish that you've had in the past with high expectations, and it just not being the same every time you go there?

Should you find out who the chef is and just call in advance ?
Do you say something at the time of service ?
Do you just play your luck and hope for the best?

Just curious

larry

I learned to avoid my favourite restaurant on Mondays. The food was still fine - just one of my favourites wasn't the same.

To be fair, the same thing can happen at home when, for some unfathomable reason, your signature dish doesn't taste right even though you haven't changed the ingredients or the method.

 

[CraigC]

I learned to avoid my favourite restaurant on Mondays. The food was still fine - just one of my favourites wasn't the same.

To be fair, the same thing can happen at home when, for some unfathomable reason, your signature dish doesn't taste right even though you haven't changed the ingredients or the method.

True, but we only spent a fraction of what most restaurants charge.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

We are down to four go-to places. One is breakfast/early lunch only, so since we've been pretty slow in the mornings we haven't been there in a while! Of the other three, we've been there often enough we wouldn't hesitate to ask why our meal isn't up to its usual excellence. Except their meals are always reliable.

Like MC said, sometimes you can botch something at home you can usually turn out in your sleep wonderfully. But like Craig said, it's not costing as much. I've gotten to the point where I have to be desperate to go out - I've turned into a food snob for my own cooking.

 

[Cooking4to]

I've gotten to the point where I have to be desperate to go out - I've turned into a food snob for my own cooking.

There is nothing wrong with that, I agree, I like my cooking much more than most local restaurants. We do normally go out at least once a week with friends, its normally between 4-8 people and we alternate between restaurants, since some of us live in Connecticut and New York others in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, so we try to alternate locations and it gives us a chance to try new things.
I will say that there are some restaurants that just do everything right and I would NOT be able to cook like them, there is a restaurant in New York we go to called Eleven Madison Park and I can honestly say the 7 or 8 times we have gone there it was amazing each time {although its like $250 a person, lol}, and I could NOT cook like them. There is a big difference between good and perfect...

 

[Cooking Goddess]

...we go to called Eleven Madison Park and I can honestly say the 7 or 8 times we have gone there it was amazing each time {although its like $250 a person, lol}, and I could NOT cook like them. There is a big difference between good and perfect...

Sweetie, $250, is my food expenditure for 3+ weeks for the two of us. ;-) I'm thrilled Himself is pleased with "good".

 

[Cooking4to]

Sweetie, $250, is my food expenditure for 3+ weeks for the two of us. ;-) I'm thrilled Himself is pleased with "good".

If I could get $250 to pay for 1 week of our food in this house I would buy a new 650i, My kids eat like little horses, my wife is a vegan with expensive taste, and I am addicted to overcooking....

We entertain and eat at restaurants a lot, my wife added up what it cost us just in "party food and drinks" for 2013, it was almost $25K!!! Sickening, I know and I make a ton of stuff myself we don't buy premade breads, pastas, etc.. My wife makes our own laundry detergent, lotions, soaps {except mine I use Mistral sandalwood bamboo, I am addicted to that too, be soap EVER made, its amazing}, pajamas, hats, etc... Although, I have added up what it costs her to make a pair of pajama pants and I could buy them from target cheaper for some reason, that is really sad, but we will save that for another post...

But seriously, I know $250 {actually I just looked it up its $225} is a lot of money for dinner for 1 person, but its not all the time and I like getting a hotel in the city, getting all dressed up and going to a fancy restaurant, mostly because I love seeing my wife in little black sparkly dresses with tall high heels and wearing enough diamonds to buy a 3 bedroom condo ...

And like my grandfather used to say "You can't take it with ya and you can only give so much away before goblins come and eat you in your sleep" he had a lot of good sayings another good one was "after your done playing chess the pawns go in the same box as the king"...

 

[Whiskadoodle]

I think/ hope we all live within our budgets, and some of us have more to go around than others. Anywhere on the scale is ok for yourself.

I think we go out more than we used to, and only once in a great while is it a "splurge" occasion. I'm perfectly happy with that.

I think the original theme of this thread includes value, which is not the same as actual cost as much as well prepared food. Both contribute to a good dining experience.

 

[GotGarlic]

Cooking4to, no one really cares what you spend on anything, but mentioning all of your very expensive food, hobbies, a vacation home in Italy, etc., day after day does get old and is insensitive to many people who live on tight budgets. You might consider toning it down a bit.

 

[Aunt Bea]

"after your done playing chess the pawns go in the same box as the king"...

Great quote!

 

[RPCookin]

I consider us lucky. We now live in a tiny farm town out on the Colorado plains. We have one restaurant/bar in town, and lucky to have that (aside from that we have a post office, bank, community center and town hall - the Co-op has a single gas pump with 4 diesel and 2 gasoline nozzles). The restaurant is open 4 days a week, Wednesday through Saturday, serving lunch and dinner. I don't know how late the bar stays open, I've never been there past about 9 PM.

Anyway, the owner is always the dinner cook. He has help but he does most of the cooking for the dinner seating. The food is always good - not fancy, but good. He is a former meatcutter, he buys meat locally and cuts all of his own steaks. You won't find a better steak for twice the price. Saturday's dinner special is prime rib, and it's outstanding, as good as I've ever had anywhere. This is the only restaurant I've ever eaten at in Colorado with Walleyed Pike on the menu. They seat mostly by reservation on Friday and Saturday, and if you don't have a reservation, it can easily be an hour and a half wait for a table.

I've never seen any inconsistency in the taste or quality of the food served. It's always good, plentiful, and the place is busy for every meal they serve. It's nice to have a place like this that we can depend on just 4 blocks from the house. We can drink in the bar, eat dinner, then walk home with no worries about drinking and driving.

P.S. They also serve an excellent Rocky Mountain Oyster (it's the Wednesday dinner special), with both regular and spicy (Balls o' Fire) on the appetizer menu.

 

[mattdee1]

In my area, restaurants really seem to struggle, unless they're some crappy chain like Applebee's. Higher-quality establishments in particular.



I think sometimes you get places that start out really strong and make a great first impression, but the business doesn't take off like they hope, so over time they start to cut corners to bring costs down. Discerning customers aren't fooled.

 

[Cooking4to]

Cooking4to, no one really cares what you spend on anything, but mentioning all of your very expensive food, hobbies, a vacation home in Italy, etc., day after day does get old and is insensitive to many people who live on tight budgets. You might consider toning it down a bit.

I worked hard to get where I am, I am not going to be ashamed of it, I always love hearing about people that do well {in anyway}, you wouldn't yell at the tv when watching house hunters and someones budget is $3m? It takes all kinds, if my comments make someone uncomfortable maybe that is something they have to deal with about themselves...

I am not judging anyone, I am just being myself, I don't think I should have to hide my belongings, I like sharing my experiences with others, I am sorry it makes you uncomfortable, I truly am, I am just a regular guy that worked hard to build a company that a larger one came along and paid me well for, I respect my good fortune and GIVE back much more than anyone ever gave me, for you to judge me and accuse me of being "insensitive" is wrong.

I used to live in a $400 a month apartment with 2 kids before I was 20 years old, if you shadow your world to not see what else is out there you will grow old in the dark, my friend...

I do sincerely apologize if my posts annoy or make anyone uncomfortable, I am sorry, but please do not take it as I am trying to put someone down, I WOULD NEVER judge anyone for what they own or spend on food, that is non sense, "stuff" is just that, don't let what anyone has effect what you think of them for better or worse. I pride myself on being a good person, I will be staying up all night tonight with my cell phone next to me in case someone needs me, after the blizzard is over me and my 2 teenage sons will be out with shovels helping people that cant afford to or cant physically help themselves, I organised a drive that bought 300 turkeys on thanksgiving, broke 2 of my toes delivering 1 to a 3rd floor apartment this year!!! So please do not tell me "no one really cares" because that is insensitive...


I have a feeling this will get erased by a mod , but I hope no one was offended by me sharing on this sight, I am retired and have been home A LOT. I would have never sold my company, some family issues arose and taught me that time with my family is much more important than making a little "more". I have met some interesting people in a short time, but I am not so attached as to stick around somewhere I am not wanted...

PS I know a lot of people doing a lot better than me, my neighbor just bought a 2 million dollar boat, we are members in another forum {audio equipment} and he posted pics of his boat, no one was offended and there are all types of people on that site too...

 

[Cooking4to]

Great quote!

He was full of them, sadly he passed at 58 and my kids didn't get to know him like I did. I swear I remember every word he ever said to me..