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Cake day: July 6th, 2023

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  • Belgian beers in general can be so lovely. Of the three big brewing traditions, the Belgians seem to have the most variations. The Germans with their lagers and hefes, and the Brits with their various ales are both very strict with regard to rules for ingredients and methods. The Belgians, however, went crazy with their ingredients and adjuncts and methods. They are also the culture whose monasteries make some of the best beers in the world, the Trappist ales. Those are pretty tightly regulated, but so are any other culturally significant historical products like Parmigano Reggiano…

    One of the best beers I’ve ever had, bar none, was a saison I brewed myself from an extract kit I got from Northern Brewer. It was amazing. It was unlike any beer I’d ever had before. It was malty, slightly hoppy, and I used some coriander seed during the boil. Absolutely lovely.








  • I’ve known some career food service folks. Even if the money is good, I don’t think it’s something to stick with long term if you can avoid it. It’s hard to be present for a family and kids when your working hours are often when the kids are home from school. There’s little to no retirement prospects and it’s difficult to set up long term savings for such since it’s all on you (totally possible, but you’ve got to be intentional about it). Plus most restaurants don’t offer things like health insurance. Everything is in the moment with those jobs… nothing is planned for the long term. As such, it’s difficult to grow.

    Folks in food service have my respect. I always hope the best ones find a way out eventually (proprietors excluded). Or I hope they find a way up where they can grow and get access to those employment benefits at whatever restaurant they’re at…


  • The most lucrative setup I had was actually not a waiting gig but as a waiter’s assistant (WA) at a fine dining joint where I live. Amazing food. I’d been a waiter at Ruby Tuesday’s and a good buddy of mine helped me out and got me a the WA thing where he was. That’s where I got a real appreciation for good food. I made minimum wage plus a tip out every night. Main duties were to run food, fill water and tea, but the big one was flipping tables. Doesn’t sound like much, but I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. It freed the actual wait staff to spend more time paying attention to the guests.

    Friday nights were awesome b/c I worked expo, and didn’t have opening or closing duties. Got to know the head chef well too. That place had the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had, and this mind blowing pancetta gravy that they’d made up one night several years prior when a bunch of the BoH folks were drunk partying together. Soooo glad I got that recipe.