How Restaurants Identify Different but Similar-Looking Foods

At Ramova Grill a few weeks ago a friend ordered chili with beans while I opted for beanless. The little pile of beans next to one of the bowls left no doubt which was which.



That got me to wondering about how cooks at restaurants identify different but similar-looking foods so servers can tell them apart. I would guess that certain of these schemes go unnoticed by many diners. A couple more examples came to mind.

John's Famous Stew in Indianapolis serves their signature dish at three spice levels. Hot is served in a red bowl, medium in yellow, and mild comes in white.



The Cavalier Inn, Hammond's great Polish tavern, offers three varieties of pierogi. Each type is sealed differently: forked (3 o'clock), fluted (6 o'clock) or plain (8 o'clock).



Waffle House is known for their cooks' code that enables them to keep track of multiple orders without writing. As I understand it (never been to a WH), the cook removes the cues before the food is plated. Any favorite examples of tricks used by cooks to help servers distinguish foods that might otherwise look alike?

Peter,

We've all seen the color coded steak markers used in some steakhouses. I've used frilled toothpicks the same way: red for rare, etc...

Lets say two orders of the same item are going out together and one is no salt or some other request...a bit of chopped parsley on top of the special request works well.

In a banquet situation with hundreds of plates in a heated cart, I like to use labels on the plate covers designating fish option, gluten free, etc...

When I was sous chef of in charge of breakfast in a large convention hotel, we often had large parties with multiple omelettes going out together and sometimes it was hard to identify which was which. I liked to use a few sliced mushrooms on top of a mushroom omelette, shredded cheddar, etc... to help the servers.

Bakeries often use a small colored dot of frosting to denote what kind of cake lies within a frosted layer cake. Perhaps a yellow dot for yellow cake or a chocolate dot for chocolate cake.

Anyone who's received a box of chocolates is probably familiar with the decoding guide that often accompanies them. A milk chocolate-covered caramel may have a swirled chocolate C at the top of the candy, for example.

When I've attended conferences, I've noticed that servers will sometimes put a paper doily on the saucer of anyone who's drinking decaf coffee.

Hendrickx Belgian Bread Crafter dusts it's chocolate croissants with powdered sugar to distinguish them from the plain one's. There also appears to be a pistachio covered in chocolate atop of their chocolate pistachio croissants.

chgoeditor wrote:Anyone who's received a box of chocolates is probably familiar with the decoding guide that often accompanies them. A milk chocolate-covered caramel may have a swirled chocolate C at the top of the candy, for example.

I wish every box of chocolates came with a guide, because gorilla tactics leave the chocolates quite unattractive to eat. One year a sister stabbed the underside to check before eating, except many didn't meet her approval. Who wants a stabbed chocolate?

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:

chgoeditor wrote:Anyone who's received a box of chocolates is probably familiar with the decoding guide that often accompanies them. A milk chocolate-covered caramel may have a swirled chocolate C at the top of the candy, for example.

I wish every box of chocolates came with a guide, because gorilla tactics leave the chocolates quite unattractive to eat. One year a sister stabbed the underside to check before eating, except many didn't meet her approval. Who wants a stabbed chocolate?

We have a few chocolate stabbers in my family, too! (I'm more likely to cut half, which might be equally offensive but is presumably a) more sanitary (since many stabbers use their fingertips) and b) obvious. I'd rather know I'm eating a candy someone's cut in half than be surprised to find a divot in my chocolate when I bite into it.

pairs4life wrote:Hendrickx Belgian Bread Crafter dusts it's chocolate croissants with powdered sugar to distinguish them from the plain one's. There also appears to be a pistachio covered in chocolate atop of their chocolate pistachio croissants.

They have chocolate pistachio croissants?!?! How did I not know this?

Their amarena cherry croissants are amazing.