You absolutely love good food and love dining out. Perhaps you’re preparing for semi-retirement. Maybe you worked in a restaurant when you were younger (or do so now). You have some money saved, or somehow miraculously have a funding source — a backer, a fan, a parent — someone with a fat checkbook who believes in you and your talents. You’re inspired by your culinary experiences and think, “Hey, why not? Let’s open a restaurant!”
Continue reading So you want to open a restaurant?
Category Archives: Commentary
Robin Garr’s musings about food and restaurant matters that don’t fit neatly into the “review” category.
First-degree mischief
It’s so hard to be good.
French fries are delicious. So is duck confit, and a fluffy croissant from your favorite bakery. Macaroni and cheese should be its own food group. Mashed potatoes? More, please. Pass the butter.
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Build your own top restaurants list
Well, the end of the year is here again, and with it come dozens of “Top Lists,” hustled upon us by media of every flavor. Most of these lists are forgettable and disposable — including the ubiquitous “Top Restaurants of the Year,” written by someone who may know something about the industry, but who may not share your palate, your wallet or your geographical location. So, what if you built your own personalized list of favorite and potential eateries? Then you might never again have to have that dreadful, circular conversation that begins with “Where do you want to eat?”
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Lily-gilding
We’ve all been there: You’re out for dinner, hungrily anticipating your entrée. You watch as the kitchen door swings open. Is that your food? What in the world is sticking out of it? Indeed, that is your entrée — the server stops at your table and sets down what someone surely thought of as a masterpiece of presentation. What is sticking out of your mashed potatoes is a giant sprig of rosemary. It’s practically 9 inches tall. Whoever finished off the dish — and it could be the person who cooked it, an expeditor, or even your server — is guilty of over-garnishing.
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To your every whim
I recently joined the catering division where I work, so catering has been very much on my mind lately. The Oxford English and American dictionaries define catering a few different ways: to provide food and drink at a social event or other gathering; to provide what is needed or required; to take into account or make allowances for; to try to satisfy (a need or demand).
Continue reading To your every whim
The wearing of the whites
Who gets to rock the color white after Labor Day and all year ’round? Millions of us chefs and cooks all over the world. Our uniforms are called “chef’s whites.” Although the entire ensemble isn’t always white, the jacket, apron and toque (hat) usually are. For verbal shorthand, we just say “whites,” as in “Good grief, I gotta do a load of whites tonight or I’ll have to go to work naked tomorrow.”
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The Service Triangle
In full-service restaurant dining, to provide guests with a satisfying experience, a delicate balance must be struck between three components: the server, the kitchen staff and the diner.
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Addis Bar & Grill offers tastes of Ethiopia and more
Ethiopia is a historic East African country that most Americans probably don’t know much about, save perhaps for sad images of hungry children suffering from famines in that troubled region.
But Ethiopia is worth getting to know. The only country in Africa that largely escaped colonialism, it boasts a proud heritage as a monarchy with roots extending back more than 2,500 years. It has been a Christian center since missionaries from Carthage planted a church in the third century. Haile Selassie, its emperor from 1930 until 1974, is known not only for his long, stable reign, but for having been declared the second coming by the Rastafari, for whom ganja, perhaps not coincidentally, is a sacrament.
Fortunately, no ganja is required for the enjoyment of Ethiopian food; and we have a new place to enjoy it with the recent arrival downtown of Addis Bar & Grill, named after Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.
Addis, formerly Lunchbox, has had a name transplant to highlight the Ethiopian aspect of its eclectic cuisine. It appears to be a popular spot for downtown workers on a quick lunch break, doing a very heavy takeout and eat-in business on a recent weekday, and even the bar seemed to be selling a lot of Bud and Bud Light to workers whose job situation permits such midday indulgence.
The venue is attractive, bright and clean, tomato-sauce red with accents of cream, heavy blonde wood tables and comfortable chairs, paper napkins and plastic service ware.
I can’t briefly describe the scene any more effectively than the folks at Addis do themselves, in lovably accented Ethiopian English on their Website: “Addis grill is the vegetarian paradise, and our appetizer such as our hummus, Kabobs, freshly grilled Fajita or Burritos, curries and Ethiopian vegetarian are the most admired dishes, that why we become the second busy lunch place in few months.”
Sounds good to me! We met our pal Jerry, who works nearby, and settled in for a hearty, affordable lunch.
As you may have discerned from the reference to burritos and fajitas, the bill of fare here extends well beyond Ethiopian. In fact, at first glance, Middle Eastern dishes such as hummus with pita ($3.25), stuffed grape leaves ($4.35), tabbouleh ($4.25) and a falafel wrap ($4.95) seem to dominate the lunch menu, not to mention those burritos and fajitas (mostly $5.35) and a chicken quesadilla ($7.95). Obligate gringos can satisfy themselves, too, with such simple fare as a burger ($5.95 with or without cheese), a fried fish sandwich on a hoagie bun ($5.95): a Philly cheesesteak ($6.25), and a steak sandwich ($6.50).
A list of more expansive Mediterranean and American main courses are $12.95 (For chicken kabob with rice, hummus, pitas and salad) to $23.95 (for the Addis Special for two, including a skewer of shish kabob, another of chicken kabob, two ground-meat kufta kabobs, rice and salad).
You’ve got to drill down to the bottom of the menu to find the serious Ethiopian fare, though, but it’s well worth the dig: Colorful and prepared well, these dishes are delicious and offer a filling meal for prices that are still more than fair.
Ethiopian vegetarian entrees are all $7.95, all come served on thin, spongy injera bread, and include Misir Wot (lentil stew), Kil Alicha (split peas), Gomen Wot (sauteed collards) and Atkilt (fresh veggie stew). A combo of all four is $10 at dinner time, $7.95 at lunch.
Prefer something more meatful? Ten carnivorous choices are $9.50 (for Doro Wot, spicy chicken-drumstick stew with fiery berbere sauce and a boiled egg, an Ethiopian tradition) to $13.99 (for Kitfo, hand-chopped lean beef, fired up with spices and customarily served “mitmita.” raw or lightly cooked. If the idea of Ethiopian steak tartare doesn’t appeal, they’ll cook it to your preference. Lamb dishes, Yebeg Wot and Yebet Alicha, are $12.95, or you can pick a three-way meat wot (stew) combo for $14 for one, $25 for two. Pescavores might go for Ye-Assa Tibs ($11.95), cubed marinated fish sauteed with onion, tomato, pepper and garlic.
Mary’s choice, Kufta Kabob ($7.25) brought her three football-shaped, tender beef meatballs – one more than the menu had promised – lightly flavored with onions and spice and served with a pool of creamy hummus, a ration of excellent basmati rice, pickles, tomato and a simple side salad topped with crunchies that appear to be squares of fried pita.
Jerry asked for chicken kabob but got chicken curry instead, a small language-barrier issue that didn’t bother him at all. The replacement dish was delicious: A generous bowl of tender, boneless chicken chunks swimming in a savory bath of thick brown onion sauce with the distinctive hot-and-spicy flavor of berbere.
I was delighted with my Ethiopian veggie combo, a bright assembly of red and green lentil stews, fine-chopped collards and onions and a yellow grain, neatly arranged on an oversize injera round and three more rolls of the spongy bread for eating with the fingers, Ethiopian-style. Don’t mind if I do!
A filling lunch for three, with two fresh iced teas and a diet cola, was a very reasonable $26.26, plus a $6 tip.
Addis Bar & Grill
109 S. Fourth St.
581-1011
www.addisgrill.com
Rating: 85
Cook wanted
With the economy barely keeping its feet amid record unemployment levels, I thought I’d give you a peek behind the kitchen office door — and perhaps educate a few job seekers — with a look at the restaurant hiring process.
Continue reading Cook wanted
A June wedding
It’s June, and love is in the air. Some say the month is named for Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage, which is why it’s considered good luck to be married in June. In ancient times, June’s abundance of flowers was not only decorative but helped mask body odors not banished by the traditional “annual bath” in May. June weddings also gave soon-to-be-pregnant brides time to recover from the following spring’s blessed event before the fall harvest. So, all bases covered — except for the catering.
If you’re getting married this June, this advice may be too late for those who are organizational geniuses. You’ve probably got all this stuff on lockdown already. But pay heed, 2011 late-niks and geniuses wisely organizing for next June: You have more options for wedding catering than you may think.
Many wedding venues have a list of “approved caterers” they’ll require you to use … but others don’t. With no such restrictions, you don’t have to limit yourself to businesses listed under “catering” in the phone book, nor to the results of an Internet search. Get creative. Be proactive.
Ask yourself a couple of questions: First, what is our favorite restaurant? Maybe it’s the place you had your first date. Perhaps it’s your go-to couple’s-night favorite. Make a short list of your top four or five local independent eateries (you’ll know from their advertising whether corporate chain restaurants offer catering) and jot down their phone numbers.
Then ask yourself Question No. 2: Does this restaurant excel in the sort of food our invited friends and relatives would enjoy? You and your fiancé may appreciate adventurous sushi, but your guests, by and large, may not. Know your target market. If you have to cross out that sushi restaurant, move on to the American bistro or barbecue joint you also love.
Now, before you start dialing, look at the clock. Is it 6:30 on a Friday night? Don’t call now; during their “rush,” you may not get good answers to your inquiries about catering. Call on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday at 3 p.m., the best time to catch the attention of a head chef or manager. You’re not likely to get them on a Sunday or Monday, when many restaurants are closed. Nor is it a good idea to call when they’ve just walked in the door or when they’re on their way out. And calling on Friday or Saturday might make you seem like an amateur. You wouldn’t call Wall Street at 9 a.m. on a Monday, would you?
Open with this: “Hi, we’re getting married! You’re one of our favorite restaurants, and we were curious — do you do any catering?” You may be surprised how often the answer is “yes,” or at least “sure, sometimes.” Most well-rounded chefs have a lengthy catering résumé. It’s an integral part of our business. And many good restaurants do a healthy catering operation alongside their brick-and-mortar service establishments, even if they don’t advertise as caterers.
If they seem interested, ask for the person who books catering events or make an appointment to meet them. Have a list ready of your favorite dishes from their menu. Their representative will have plenty of other ideas, as well. However, don’t make the mistake of asking them to do food completely outside their area of expertise. Don’t ask that Greek restaurant to serve individual Hot Browns, and don’t expect an Italian restaurant to make a great duck taco. Be realistic. You’ll want a fabulous spread — not a lame menu tortured by unrealistic expectations.
Finally, guess what? This advice is not just for brides. It’s the same if you’re planning a wedding, graduation party, prom dinner or anniversary celebration. Your favorite restaurant may hold the key to your dream event’s culinary component. Don’t limit yourself; the possibilities are endless.
Marsha Lynch has worked at many Louisville independent restaurants including Limestone, Jack Fry’s, Jarfi’s, L&N Wine Bar and Bistro, and Café Lou Lou. She now works for her alma mater, Sullivan University, as sous chef at the residence hall Gardiner Point.