Kevin's Watch

aliantha wrote:Why oh why can't restaurants serve bite-size pieces of lettuce in their salads? I *hate* having to take a knife to a salad....

I think I know the answer to this one...

Back in the day, before stainless steel knives, knives used on lettuce tended to turn the edges of the lettuce an unappetizing black. So the tradition of hand tearing the lettuce began. Chef training is full of "traditions." Apparently hand tearing lettuce is one that is living on beyond technical advances that make it obsolete.

I think even if a knife or kitchen shears are used to cut the lettuce, the pieces are left large to give the appearance of having been hand torn.

Any of our classically trained chefs around to confirm if this is the case?

aliantha wrote:Why oh why can't restaurants serve bite-size pieces of lettuce in their salads? I *hate* having to take a knife to a salad....

Oh, don't be so dainty. Just shove that mouthful of salad into your mouth, and then wipe the ranch dressing off of your face. You'll be fine!

heh

Ever have a wedge salad, dlb?
I'd like to see you do that with one.

dlbpharmd wrote:

aliantha wrote:Why oh why can't restaurants serve bite-size pieces of lettuce in their salads? I *hate* having to take a knife to a salad....

Oh, don't be so dainty. Just shove that mouthful of salad into your mouth, and then wipe the ranch dressing off of your face. You'll be fine!

Spoken like a real man!

Who's the mental midget that sends an appetizer out to a table that a couple is sitting at with 5 items on it? I realize that most waitstaffing jobs don't stress higher math, but 5 isn't divisible by 2. Someone's not going to get enough mozzarella sticks.

That's just piss-poor planning, and a surefire way to screw up a first date.

Cail wrote:Who's the mental midget that sends an appetizer out to a table that a couple is sitting at with 5 items on it? I realize that most waitstaffing jobs don't stress higher math, but 5 isn't divisible by 2. Someone's not going to get enough mozzarella sticks.

That's just piss-poor planning, and a surefire way to screw up a first date.

It allows you to be a gentleman and let your date have the final stick. Or offend her sensibilities by doing so... Hmm... Not as simple as I thought.

(Note that I refrained from saying "It affords you the opportunity to give her your cheesy stick")

Menolly wrote:Ever have a wedge salad, dlb?

Wedge Salad!

Why don't the call it Too Lazy To Make It Salad! Hey, waitress, none of these salads look appealing. Can you just throw a head of lettuce on my plate?

I hand tear my lettuce for salads. Into small pieces. It can be done!

wayfriend wrote:

Menolly wrote:Ever have a wedge salad, dlb?

Wedge Salad!

Why don't the call it Too Lazy To Make It Salad! Hey, waitress, none of these salads look appealing. Can you just throw a head of lettuce on my plate?

I hand tear my lettuce for salads. Into small pieces. It can be done!

I think there's a recipe for lettuce wedge salad in one of my Betty Crocker cookbooks. Like you'd need one....

aliantha wrote:

wayfriend wrote:

Menolly wrote:Ever have a wedge salad, dlb?

Wedge Salad!

Why don't the call it Too Lazy To Make It Salad! Hey, waitress, none of these salads look appealing. Can you just throw a head of lettuce on my plate?

I hand tear my lettuce for salads. Into small pieces. It can be done!

Yes it can...
But do you want a five dollar surcharge for your "labor intensive" small torn lettuce?

Menolly wrote:But do you want a five dollar surcharge for your "labor intensive" small torn lettuce?

Hey -- you're the one going out to a fancy restaurant and then asking for a head of lettuce on a plate. Don't question MY priorities!!!

I saw my first wedge salad just the other day.
My first thought was: "damn, that's some lazy ass preparation".

wayfriend wrote:

Menolly wrote:But do you want a five dollar surcharge for your "labor intensive" small torn lettuce?

Hey -- you're the one going out to a fancy restaurant and then asking for a head of lettuce on a plate. Don't question MY priorities!!!

Not me, silly.
I only asked dlb if he's ever seen a wedge salad.
Personally I'm with HLT in regards to them.

HLT wrote:My first thought was: "damn, that's some lazy ass preparation".

HLT, I think eating out with you would be like eating out with Andy Rooney.

"Did you ever notice that the appetizer is better than the dinner? What's up with that? And why do they always give you a spoon? What if I'm eating a salad? Should I eat my salad with a spoon? And I hate it when they take my fork when they take my plate away. Sometimes I want to yank that fork away from them and yell 'mine!'. And how come the waiter or waitress never likes me? I always have to wait and wait for my bill. Are they avoiding me? Are they hoping I'll leave quietly before they have to talk to me again? And what's the deal with those ... "

wayfriend wrote:HLT, I think eating out with you would be like eating out with Andy Rooney.

"Did you ever notice that the appetizer is better than the dinner? What's up with that? And why do they always give you a spoon? What if I'm eating a salad? Should I eat my salad with a spoon? And I hate it when they take my fork when they take my plate away. Sometimes I want to yank that fork away from them and yell 'mine!'. And how come the waiter or waitress never likes me? I always have to wait and wait for my bill. Are they avoiding me? Are they hoping I'll leave quietly before they have to talk to me again? And what's the deal with those ... "

Apparently I never enjoy what I get either.
And I would also like to know why everyone else gets bread and butter but not my table!
We always have to ask.

I hate waiters that don't listen.

"Water with lemon" as often as not is interpreted as "Heineken".

"Tonic and lime" invariably ends up with vodka in it.

Menolly wrote:But do you want a five dollar surcharge for your "labor intensive" small torn lettuce?

If it would mean I wouldn't have to lay down a tip, then yeah, I'd pay an extra five bucks for a meal. Why *don't* we Americans just pay our wait staffs a living wage already?

Actually, I loathe tipping in general, but that's a rant for another forum....

But, the "tip" doesn't wind up in the pocket of the prep assistant chef. And neither would the surcharge, actually. But, it is what would happen if extra time was taken to tear the lettuce into smaller pieces, I bet. At least, if management/owner became aware that the prep assistant was taking the time to do it...

Cail wrote:I hate waiters that don't listen.

"Water with lemon" as often as not is interpreted as "Heineken".

"Tonic and lime" invariably ends up with vodka in it.

Cail, seems pretty obvious to me - they just want to get you drunk.

dw