There’s a nip in the air, the kids are back in school and restaurants are empty. It must be Fall. The main giveaway is that restaurants are running “bottomless” specials. After buying uniforms and school supplies parents are tapped out. There’s no money left for a night on the town. For this reason it is the slowest time of the year for the restaurant industry.
Servers hate this time of year because it means they have to work harder for less money. Why? Because to lure customers in many eateries are offering all-you-can-eat specials at super low prices. This is great for mom and dad but not necessarily for that struggling undergrad trying to put themselves through school.
Now this lecture is not aimed at those of you who take advantage of such bargains and leave a proper tip for service received. It is for those of you who rationalize that if you don’t tip the neighborhood mega buffet then why should this be any different. The difference is that you don’t have to go get your refills yourself. Someone brings them to you, freshly cooked mind you not poaching on a steam table for hours.
There are probably some of you reading this wondering, “How could anyone think that you wouldn’t have to tip just because the menu says all-you-can-eat?” That’s the other reason servers hate this time of year. These specials draw non-tippers like politicians to a kickback.
It also brings out the bingeaholics as well. These are people whose goal is to make the restaurant lose money. They will actually skip meals so that they can put away five, six and even seven portions of the never-ending special. What’s worse many bingeaholics are also non-tippers but even those who aren’t need to realize that if you are going to make the server fill your trough a half a dozen times with unending meatloaf you need to up your tip. Hey, you are already getting a break on the price so why not throw a few extra George Washingtons at that single parent trying to make ends meat?
Now from the consumer’s standpoint - if they can possibly offer you all-you-can-eat for under ten bucks do you think it is something you want to put in your body? Doubtful.
Tonight Bobby Flay was in my old stopping grounds of Nashville, TN for a frigid Throwdown. Paletas is the Spanish word for ice pops. Las Paletas specializes in these frozen treats and is owned by sisters Irma and Norma Paz. I once asked Bobby what his guilty pleasure was and said, “Ice cream.” Talk about having your Paletas and eating it too.
Although Las Paletas wasn’t there when I lived in Nashvegas I know exactly where it its. I used to work at a bakery right across the street and some good friends of mine used to live about two blocks away. It is in one of those neighborhoods that was being rescued from the drug dealers and prostitutes. The reclamation was well under way when I moved ten years ago so I can only imagine that the neighborhood is glorious now. The episode was filmed at Fido in nearby Hillsboro Village which seperates the glitz of Music Row from the pomp of Vanderbilt University.
Las Paletas is all the rage in Music City these days. Here are a few reviews I found:
There should be a 12-step program for those of us recovering from Las Paletas addictions. I’m not sure how I lived here nearly five years and never found this place until I recently drove by and noticed the quirky architecture of the building that houses Las Paletas. The building gives you an idea of what you’re in for once you go in because these are no ordinary popsicles. They are amazingly fresh, and the assortment of flavors can be mind-bogglingly strange but wonderful. All of my experiences at Las Paletas have been great.
You just don’t find a better popsicle. Period. Whether it’s traditional cookies n’ cream or the exotic Chocolate Wasabi, it’s all good! And at just $2.50 a pop, who can resist? Seriously, awesome. Period.
My boyfriend swears by the hibiscus and the Mexican caramel; I prefer the basil and mixed berry varieties. And all of the fruit pops are light, delicate, and delicious, with big chunks of fresh fruit.
So the next time business or leisure takes you to Nashville venture a little south of town and visit the sisters at Las Paletas Gourmet Popsicles at 2907 12th Ave S. They’re good enough to take Bobby Flay in a Throwdown.
Despite what the media and politician’s (let’s face it; they are the same thing) keep saying, the economy is only getting worse. Americans love their sequels but I don’t think the Great Depression II is one they have been looking forward to. Never the less it is here. The big wigs in DC may not be feeling the pinch but the rest of us are and like our predecessors we are pulling ourselves up by our bootstraps.
Take Chef Susan Irby (the Bikini Chef) for instance who has just published her new The $7 a Meal Quick & Easy Cookbook (Adams Media, 2009). Irby is a cheflebrity who has cooked with the likes of Todd English and Ming Tsai and for the likes of Patrick Swayze, David Spade and Kate Segal. But in this 332 page guide she teaches you how to cook like a celebrity chef without blowing your fiscal or time budget.
The 301 recipes found within sound expensive but are not like the Grilled, Herb-Custed Pork Chops with White Wine Sauce ($6.96), Baked Tortillas with Crab and Basil ($6.60) and London Broil with Merlot Marinade ($7 flat). But what really sets Irby’s work apart from others is the way she gives you a basic recipe then teaches you how to elaborate on it. Take for instance the humble omelet; first the Bikini Chef gives her basic omelet recipe then she expands on it with the Roasted Red Pepper Omelet, Vegetarian Omelet and the Golden Apple Omelet made with both Parmesan and Bleu cheeses.
Each recipe is broken down with a chart that details prep time, cook time, total cost, calories, fat, protein, cholesterol and sodium content. The book consists of fifteen chapters thirteen of which are recipes. The first two are purely instructional with chapter one providing information for those new to the home cooking game include a list for a properly stocked pantry and freezer while chapter two is full of tips for shopping on a budget.
The $7 a Meal Quick & Easy Cookbook is perfect for the 20-something just starting out or the family that is having to reinvent itself because of trying economic times.
In the time period premiere for Kitchen Nightmares, Chef Gordon Ramsay travels to the Handlebar Restaurant and Lounge in Mt. Sinai, New York.
Handlebar Restaurant and Lounge looks like a flashback to the eighties. The restaurant’s décor is very outdated, but the owners Bill and Carolyn LeRoy are in denial. Handlebar represents their dream to “serve good food to good company.”
Dee Snider of heavy metal band Twisted Sister will make a special guest appearance on this episode. Kitchen Nightmares airs on Thursday, September 11 from 9 PM to 10 PM ET/PT on FOX.
Stuart is a celebrity chef, food activist and award winning food writer. Donald performs live cooking demonstrations and penned the cookbooks Third Coast Cuisine: Recipes of the Gulf of Mexico and Amigeauxs - Mexican/Creole Fusion Cuisine. He hosts two Internet cooking shows "Everyday Gourmet" and "Little Grill Big Flavor." He is internationally certified in Culinary Arts.
Servers hate this time of year because it means they have to work harder for less money. Why? Because to lure customers in many eateries are offering all-you-can-eat specials at super low prices. This is great for mom and dad but not necessarily for that struggling undergrad trying to put themselves through school.
It also brings out the bingeaholics as well. These are people whose goal is to make the restaurant lose money. They will actually skip meals so that they can put away five, six and even seven portions of the never-ending special. What’s worse many bingeaholics are also non-tippers but even those who aren’t need to realize that if you are going to make the server fill your trough a half a dozen times with unending meatloaf you need to up your tip. Hey, you are already getting a break on the price so why not throw a few extra George Washingtons at that single parent trying to make ends meat?
