If a steak is overcooked by a restaurant, what do you do?

[WhoDaresWins]

Which all goes back to my previous post within this thread. First, you order your martini....

 

[CuppaJoe]

My uncle always asked for a female waitress, if there were none, he went elsewhere. If he liked a waitress, he asked for her by name. If there was a salad bar with the meal, he would ask his grandson to put a salad together for him. He was a wonderful host at Christmas but never set foot in the kitchen. He outlived his DW by about 10 years, no housekeeper was good enough; did I say he was my favorite uncle? WhoDaresWins, he knew the rule about ordering the Martini first; of course that might have had something to do with being out with the in-laws.

 

[freebird5825]

The more of this thread I read, the more I wonder why I would ever go out to eat, beyond Mickey's or Jack in the Box, or a student dive or some place where if the meal doesn't poison you, you feel like you got your money's worth...
Ha

What a great opening for posting the link to this site... snopes.com: Grade D But Edible Meat

Re Jack-in-the-Box, I can assure you that the tacos made at the Jack-in-the-Box in West Haverstraw NY
in 1975 were perfect. Other than that, you're on your own.

 

[WhoDaresWins]

My uncle always asked for a female waitress, if there were none, he went elsewhere. If he liked a waitress, he asked for her by name. If there was a salad bar with the meal, he would ask his grandson to put a salad together for him. He was a wonderful host at Christmas but never set foot in the kitchen. He outlived his DW by about 10 years, no housekeeper was good enough; did I say he was my favorite uncle? WhoDaresWins, he knew the rule about ordering the Martini first; of course that might have had something to do with being out with the in-laws.

Your Uncle sounds perfectly charming! Isn't it great to have such good memories of people? I, too, had a favorite Uncle. He was a bachelor math teacher who used to bring us all kinds of puzzles and games and take his two nieces on woodland hikes, pointing out flora and fauna. He died young, in 1961. I still think of him often. Named my son after him.

 

[growing_older]

Jack in the Box has had some problems:
Jack In The Box Ignored Safety Rules - About E. Coli
Jack in the Box E. coli Outbreak - About E. Coli

The company’s reason, according to documents filed in court: “If patties are cooked longer ... they tend to become tough.” That comment appeared in a company response to an employee in a Jack In The Box restaurant who was concerned that cooking to the company’s standards left burgers underdone. That memo, obtained from company headquarters by plaintiffs’ attorneys, was written in August, four months before the epidemic.

Had the company in 1992 followed state regulations, which mandate that hamburgers be cooked to an internal temperature of 155 degrees, the epidemic would have been prevented, health experts say. State officials say a state law superseded a federal guideline at the time of 140 degrees.
“Either they didn’t believe in science, or they didn’t read the literature,” said Bert Bartleson, technical expert for the state Department of Health’s food program, in an interview. “If they followed the standards ... no one would have gotten sick.”

“Foodmaker made a conscious decision to disregard Washington law,” one of the attorneys - William Marler of Seattle - wrote in a declaration to the court filed in his and related cases. He also asserted the company showed “total disregard for the health of its customers.”

Diana Nole of Gig Harbor, whose 2-year-old, Michael, died in the epidemic, agreed.

 

[militaryman]

I would definitely try the steak before I did anything. Just cutting into it and seeing that it is cooked more than I would have liked says little as to its taste. If I tasted it and it was reasonably good prepared the way it is I would just eat it for the sake of eating with company and not having to wait for another. Then when asked if everything is ok, as often you waiter will do, I would comment that the steak was not the way I ordered it but i am eating anyways because i don't want to wait for another. Often they will discount the check for that.

If it does not taste good the way it was prepared then it goes back.

 

[lucija]

Someone who worked in the industry once told me never to send food back to the kitchen, the staff will do nasty things to the next plate. Even in upscale restaurants.

I'll second this... Not all places are like that, but some definitely are (I have seen it myself) and I am not about to take chances.

The food has to be pretty atrocious for me to send it back to the kitchen. I have done that only a handful of times with a request to keep it there, clear the charge on the check and get me a(nother) drink.

 

[missionfinder]

A good waiter and check should be able to tell how a steak is done without cutting it. The less cooked a steak is the more it flexes when you push on its surface. I like chef Gordan Ramsay's explaination: rare is like your cheak, medium like your chin, well is like your forhead. If its a steak house, there's not much excuse for the staff not knowing the basics about cooking steak.

Send one back though... never. I have a friend who worked in the field for years. If you know what tea-bagging is... that's what they did to food when they weren't happy with a customer. .....shudder.......

 

[haha]

What a great opening for posting the link to this site... snopes.com: Grade D But Edible Meat

Re Jack-in-the-Box, I can assure you that the tacos made at the Jack-in-the-Box in West Haverstraw NY
in 1975 were perfect. Other than that, you're on your own.

Until animal rights groups shut it down I bought a lot of horsemeat from a local slaughterhouse. The box was labeled-"Unfit for human consumption, illegal for sale in the US." I asked the owner where they sent it- to restaurants in France. Last I looked the French were human, so I learned to prepare horsemeat. Very rich!

I told him it was for my pit-bull.

As far as fast food, I have never gotten sick from eating US fast food. The same cannot be said for some places that cost a lot more.

Ha

 

[Lsbcal]

The more of this thread I read, the more I wonder why I would ever go out to eat, beyond Mickey's or Jack in the Box, or a student dive or some place where if the meal doesn't poison you, you feel like you got your money's worth.

I agree but my wife doesn't. She has to go out at least once a week to feel like she's getting away from cooking. Can't imagine why as I really like her food .

Or Happy Hour. Happy Hour never disappoints. If the snacks are good, it's great. Otherwise, you are getting smashed anyway so you won't notice.

I've been doing Happy Hour for almost 50 years. Only a few other social things I have enjoyed that long.

Ha

Ha, hope you have a designated driver.

 

[NW-Bound]

I agree but my wife doesn't. She has to go out at least once a week to feel like she's getting away from cooking. Can't imagine why as I really like her food .

Maybe it's time for you to learn to cook. I did and it has been fun.

 

[Lsbcal]

Maybe it's time for you to learn to cook. I did and it has been fun.

That's what she's suggested. But then there is the car upkeep, finances, gardening, etc. We try to keep it equal but I have to stick up for my side as she is happy to relinquish tasks -- can't imagine why .

 

[freebird5825]

I agree but my wife doesn't. She has to go out at least once a week to feel like she's getting away from cooking. Can't imagine why as I really like her food .

I like to go on strike periodically and have dh2b "cook". That means takeout on his way home from w*rk.
Try "cooking" that way.

 

[NW-Bound]

Well, lsbcal, apparently you do not like cooking. Neither do some women. I never hated cooking. I just did not think about it, nor had the need to. One day, browsing through a magazine, I ran across a dish that I had while on our honeymoon many years earlier. I told myself that I could follow the instruction and do it. And I did. Then I served it on occasions to family and friends. And they loved it. The compliments got me hooked.

Now in my house, I sometimes have to fight with my wife for my turns in the kitchen. Perhaps she doesn't like my cooking. Or she feels that I am infringing on her turf. But my kids, extended family, and my guests like my food. And I do too, most of the time.

 

[Lsbcal]

Well, lsbcal, apparently you do not like cooking. Neither do some women. I never hated cooking. I just did not think about it, nor had the need to. ...(snip)...

I don't want anyone to think I'm a complete male chauvinist, not that you're thinking that ... In my defense I do the Bar-B-Q thing once in awhile. And when we get pizza, I'm the one who goes out and gets it -- bet you are all impressed by that . Also I make my own breakfast and lunch. Also really do a lot of things around the house.

I have thought about making a few dishes that are my specialties. But seems like things get in the way and I never quite get to it. Tomorrow my wife is going to visit a friend out of town and I have to fend for myself. Will have to make the spaghetti she left me and find something else for the next night.

Oh and I forgot, I'll have to make the dog his meals .

 

[NW-Bound]

I really think my wife feels threatened by my cooking. In a way, it reduces my reliance on her. Imagine if your wife suddenly learns that she can change the engine oil, pull the spark plugs, or do whatever you have been proud of doing.

First, you say "Great, I can have some rest". Then, you will soon find yourself standing over her shoulder asking "Are you sure that spark plug gap shouldn't be 0.032 instead of 0.030?" And she said "Butt off, you didn't even buy one of the right heat range last time". That gets you shaking at the knees, no?

Yeah, I can show my wife that I can fend for myself, in the kitchen and in the grocery stores. She's really worried now...

 

[Moemg]

... In my defense I do the Bar-B-Q thing once in awhile. /quote]


Is that when the wife decides what will be cooked , marinates the meat , make the side dishes and asks you to flip it on the grill and you get to claim you cooked ?

 

[FIREd]

I would not send the steak back if it was slightly overcooked or undercooked (unless it's still mooing). My MIL sends back food all the time though, I find it truly embarrassing.

By the way, in France, chefs are often revered and considered true artists. If you dine in a fine restaurant, sending food back to the kitchen would be worse than spitting in the chef's face. To truly enjoy the experience, you have to accept the fact that you are merely a pupil getting educated by a culinary master. HE knows how to cook meat properly and YOU have to learn how to eat it the way it should be eaten. That's how passionate people are about food there. And no, in a French restaurant, the customer is not always right...

 

[Lsbcal]

I really think my wife feels threatened by my cooking. In a way, it reduces my reliance on her. Imagine if your wife suddenly learns that she can change the engine oil, pull the spark plugs, or do whatever you have been proud of doing.

First, you say "Great, I can have some rest". Then, you will soon find yourself standing over her shoulder asking "Are you sure that spark plug gap shouldn't be 0.032 instead of 0.030?" And she said "Butt off, you didn't even buy one of the right heat range last time". That gets you shaking at the knees, no?

Yeah, I can show my wife that I can fend for myself, in the kitchen and in the grocery stores. She's really worried now...

Hmmm....worried like a fox? Has your DW exhibited any real threatened behavior patterns. Or is it just clever camouflage? I'm assuming you have not presented your cooking skills in a challenging way. Then again, I might be just the suspicious sort .

 

[NW-Bound]

Hmmm....worried like a fox? ... I might be just the suspicious sort .

Maybe!

But then if I can make the dish I want to try and she doesn't know how, I don't consider that I have lost.

 

[bbbamI]

Maybe it's time for you to learn to cook. I did and it has been fun.

I'm still trying to convince DH.

 

[NW-Bound]

...By the way, in France, chefs are often revered and considered true artists. ...That's how passionate people are about food there. And no, in a French restaurant, the customer is not always right...

The Italians are also very serious about their food.

There are "real" restaurants in the US where the chefs take their craft seriously. Not all of them are expensive, particularly the ones by younger chefs who have not been well established. We do not eat out much when we are home, but when travelling have been fortunate to stumble on a few restaurants where there were chefs, not cooks, working in the kitchen.

Michael Ruhlman in one of his books (The Soul of a Chef?) called steak houses "heat and serve" places. Think about it, this is all very true. So, the cook, not chef, should be able to prepare the meat to the degree of doneness as ordered. What else is there? Still, I would not send a steak back if it's just slightly off. It's not that big a deal.

 

[freebird5825]

I really think my wife feels threatened by my cooking. In a way, it reduces my reliance on her. Imagine if your wife suddenly learns that she can change the engine oil, pull the spark plugs, or do whatever you have been proud of doing.

First, you say "Great, I can have some rest". Then, you will soon find yourself standing over her shoulder asking "Are you sure that spark plug gap shouldn't be 0.032 instead of 0.030?" And she said "Butt off, you didn't even buy one of the right heat range last time". That gets you shaking at the knees, no?

Yeah, I can show my wife that I can fend for myself, in the kitchen and in the grocery stores. She's really worried now...

You should have seen dh2b when I installed the carburetor rebuild kit on the snowblower, without removing the carburetor linkages completely off the machine. That really blew his mind.
Or the time the generator wouldn't start. He was ready to do a complete teardown. I mentally went through the small engine troubleshooting sequence - check ignition, carburetion, compression, and power (stroke) systems. Spark was excellent, gas was flowing but we figured out it was old enough gas to warrant an empty and refill. One pull wonder!
Granted I have the advantage of being taught small engine repair by a master mechanic, but I am very careful not to gloat. Honest!