I wanted to make a point to address some issues and disappointment that have been brought to my attention from a particular group of diners. There was even one couple who went so far as to make their grievances public on Urban Spoon. So for these guests I would like to start by sharing a thought from Frank Bruni – restaurant reviewer for the NY Times

 

“… restaurant experiences are subjective, and they’re never the same from night to night, or based on one patch of a menu versus another. The restaurant appraisal is different from the movie appraisal, the book appraisal. It assumes, because it has to, that one moment in time is reflective – and predictive – of others. It’s invariably flawed in that manner”.

 

This being said quite a few of these guests were first time diners who chose to come visit us on Valentines weekend. All diners were made aware a head of time that we would be only serving a special five course menu (that offered options, for the second and fourth courses). This clearly did not sit well with some of them, but please allow me to explain why I did a set menu, which is same thing that the restaurant has been doing for years during special events, but that is not the point. The reason that I choose to offer fixed menus on New Years or Valentines is simply because we see such a large flux in business. We are a small staff, 12 in total for the entire restaurant (6 for the front, and 6 for the back). For 12 people to execute a service for say 100 people the menu has to be streamlined.

 

Regarding the food itself, I personally feel that some diners did not understand what we were trying to accomplish. Food like all things is subjective to personal taste. When we feel that something does not meet our personal taste we allow that to change our perception of the experience.

 

There are a few remarks that I feel deserve to be addressed directly –

 

“The first course arrived and we were shocked by the small size of the portion. Actually, we were shocked each course by the small size of each portion.”

 

The first course was the amouse-bouche portion of the meal. A one or two bite offering from the chef to wet the appetite. As for the rest of the courses it was a tasting menu, and personally I don’t like to walk away from a meal uncomfortable, because I ate too much. I try to carry that philosophy over to the tasting menus that I create.

 

“The sea urchin tasted like detergent.”

 

I my self have never tasted detergent, but can only assume that it is unpleasant tasting. When I ate the sea urchin (or uni) I experienced a soft buttery morsel that had a nice oceanic finish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The braised pork belly was seriously undercooked, extremely tough and without the full pork flavor that comes from patient braising. The fried oysters (2) that accompanied it were over-breaded and my wife thought they tasted frozen. We sent the dish back, and the kitchen decided that there was no point in replacing it with another portion: in other words, the chef recognized that all the pork was in the same shape. I enjoyed the chicken thigh & foie gras Ballontine. Not great, but good enough for a modest restaurant.”

 

I was sorry to read this remark, again I think there was a lack of understanding. As for the pork I chose to use Gordon Ramsay’s technique as seen in Three Star Chef. We brined our bellies in a maple brine to enhance the flavor, and trimmed up the belly, then rolled it up and tied it off. We braised the pork belies in a liquid consisting of rich pork stock, white wine, and aromatics, for a little over three hours. Once they had rested in their braising liquid we removed them and cut the strings, and pressed them over night to ensure a uniform shape. The meat of the pork belly was not plastic fork tender, but this was by design. I wanted there to be a little chew for the meat, and as far as the fat it melted in your mouth. Regarding the oysters they were not frozen! We lightly dredged them in seasoned flour and deep fried. The boys and I later treated our selves to fried oyster po-boys with cocktail sauce. There was a unanimous consensus and verdict rendered, “Delicious”.

I specifically chose not to replace their dish because when it was returned to the kitchen only a small portion of the belly remained. Everything else was wiped clean. I did not see a point in sending out a second dish. If it was so bad, then why was so much of it consumed? Perhaps they had to keep convincing themselves that they did not enjoy it?

I did send a ballontine out, and the above comment regarding the dish is forgettable. I am very proud of that dish. In fact so much so there is a posting about it, and I recently placed it on my regular menu.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 “The smoked blood oranges tasted like an ash tray.”

 

This remark was directed at the intermezzo of the tasting, which was a champagne gelee with smoked blood orange, citrus granite, and bull’s blood. Again I have never tasted an ash tray, but I will again assume it tastes unpleasant. I would rather have to agree with the comment below.

 

 

“The third course was a palate-cleanser: champagne gelee with citrus granita and smoked blood orange. The gelee was mild and pleasant, the small piece of smoked blood orange just wonderful, imparting a gentle smokiness to the rest of the bite or two."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I honestly could not have said that better! So I won’t even bother.

 

Now that the first portion of the meal has been discussed let us move on to the entrees.

 

“The chicken breast was stuffed, rolled into a log, breaded and then fried. I found the meat moist with good chicken flavor, but the whole thing tasted like an upscale KFC ware. My wife thought that the roasted cauliflower was good, the curry puree tasty (but cold), and the braised collards rather unrecognizable, in color, texture, and flavor.”

 

First of all the chicken most certainly was not breaded and fried. The skin was perfectly pan roasted as can be seen in the photo. As far as “tasted like an upscale KFC ware” I was completely unaware that the Colonel had incorporated curry puree and dill yogurt in to his repertoire. Well, at least we still have the chicken thing in common.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The scallops (all two of them) were done nicely, but the mussels were quite tepid and rubbery with unchewable bits still attached. The scallop sausage was quite disgusting – we were hoping for something like quenelles, but what we got had a revoltingly squishy texture and no flavor. Also not nice was the suggestive presentation of this dish, which caused some smirks at a neighboring table. Very juvenile.”

 

Regarding the mussels, if they have a mushy texture it probably should not be consumed. That can be a characteristic of a bi-valve that is well past its prime. I am sure that the mussels were prepared properly. I can’t count how many I had to prepare during my days at Tizi Melloul.  Any one who works that hot line inevitably becomes an expert in mussel cookery. For the scallop sausage I was actually after a delicate texture. The sausage in fact is not a sausage; there is no casing or force meat. It is only called a sausage because it is similar in appearance.  In fact it is actually a light and delicate mouse, which tastes like scallops of all things. How ironic! As far as the suggestive presentation of the dish that was juvenile. What exactly was I suggesting? I see two scallops with a scallop sausage, braised fennel, roasted salsify, mussels, and marinieres froth.

 

 

 

 Some of the comments regarding the veal were not worth typing out, and again I proudly stand behind the dish. If a picture is worth a 1,000 words, I hope that this one gets my point across.

 

 

 

 

“Dessert was dry and relatively tasteless red velvet cake, with a chocolate glaze and salty caramel I had to fight to taste. My wife didn't touch hers - ("not worth the guilt", she said) and we left it on the table.”

 

After hearing reports that the cake was dry I went and ate scraps that were left over from portioning. I have to honestly say that I and the other staff members did not think that the cake was flavorless or dry. It certainly was not a “Mom’s Duncan Heinz”, and trust me my mom makes a mean Duncan Heinz cake. However to me it tasted like a cake made from scratch. There was kirschwasser syrup that was lovingly brushed on top, to enhance the flavor. The cake was then brushed with chocolate glaze, stuffed with sweetened cream, and garnished with salty caramel.

 

 

 

 

The final chocolate raspberry truffle, made by The Original Good's Candles in Indiana, was superb--fine chocolate with just the right amount of great raspberry.

 

Everyone seemed to enjoy my friend Kathy’s chocolate raspberry truffles, which I am truly grateful for. In my humble opinion Kathy and her husband are making some of the finest candy in the country. Please feel free to check them out at http://goodscandies.com, I guarantee if you order from them you will change your expectations of candy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I always make a point to taste my food, especially when working with new dishes. I have to honestly say that if I am not happy with something I don’t serve it. Before going in to the weekend’s service my staff and I made a point to taste all of the new dishes and take a moment to listen to our greatest kitchen tools (the palate) and critically think about each dish. I have to say that I was pleased with the overall out come. There were many other patrons who were very happy as well. In fact our first table on Valentines evening drove over two hours from south west Missouri to dine with us. When asked why us they simply said “Your menu looked different, and we appreciated that.” They later asked for an autographed menu (a request that I happily obliged, but always feel awkward about), and expressed how much they appreciated everything.

While I as a Chef appreciate the fact that there were a few patrons who took the time to express their opinions, and they certainly are entitled to. However I would say to some I think they should use a little more caution when criticizing some one publicly, and also take a moment to think if they would like to have others express their opinions positive or negative about their work. Is there any one out there who wrote these comments willing to invite me to their job, and allow me to criticize them and share my thoughts about there work publicly? I am guessing no, but that is just a guess.

In the end I still am very proud of the effort that was put forward by the entire staff of An American Place. I was also pleased with the execution of the menu. For us in the back we could not have had a more seamless service.

 

Until next time friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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