WARM bread please! Is that too much to ask?

Is warm bread too much to ask? I don't know about you guys but it makes a huge difference to me. Ahh, good warm bread. REally though, if you're going to serve bread as a starter, don't you think you'd want it to be SOMEWHAT significant to the dining experience?? Case-in-point, My wife and I went to MAS yesterday and they had this awesome black bean paste served with this kinda useless, not-warm, bread. I understand that the paste is so awesome that you may not want to take away from it by having an outrageous bread, but I'm not asking for much man! Actually, we had the seafood stew which was served with these little garlic-toast-slivers. They would've been perfect.

I think I'm digressing a little. Back to the original point: don't you guys agree that warm bread can make a huge difference?? Like right now, I'm thinking about my favorite starter-bread: CONNIE'S PIZZA ON ARCHER! Man, that bread kicks major butt!

not too much to ask, nor is non hard butter- for the love of god you can't spread it if it's rock hard.

Hallelujah!! HALLELUJAH! I'm so glad you brought that up! How stupid do we look squeezing a little butter packet b/w the palms of our hands trying to warm up this little rock-hard ball of cholesterol? That's if you're lucky enough to get a packet. If it's just hard butter in a bowl or plate...well, then you're just screwed.

Okay...this is related and may turn this into a sort of "restaurant pet peeve" thread...but I cannot stand little tiny cream packets. Is it really that difficult to have cream pitchers on the table? is it that much side work to worry about refilling them -- I just hate those little guys --- they make your table such a dang mess (if you're a cream user like I am) and I bet they don't break down in like a million years.

And who decided that one of those little cream cheeses actually is enough for a bagel?

shannon

earthlydesire wrote:Okay...this is related and may turn this into a sort of "restaurant pet peeve" thread...but I cannot stand little tiny cream packets. Is it really that difficult to have cream pitchers on the table? is it that much side work to worry about refilling them -- I just hate those little guys --- they make your table such a dang mess (if you're a cream user like I am) and I bet they don't break down in like a million years.

And another thing: what is in those creamers that makes them OK to sit out for days without refrigeration? I take my coffee black rather than use those things!

earthlydesire wrote:Okay...this is related and may turn this into a sort of "restaurant pet peeve" thread...but I cannot stand little tiny cream packets. Is it really that difficult to have cream pitchers on the table? is it that much side work to worry about refilling them -- I just hate those little guys --- they make your table such a dang mess (if you're a cream user like I am) and I bet they don't break down in like a million years.

And who decided that one of those little cream cheeses actually is enough for a bagel?

shannon

It is a question of food cost and waste. Some individuals use 1 packet in their coffee, others use 4. If you pour the same amount of cream into a little pitcher for each person or table you might waste a lot more. Additionally, since half-n-half in the little packet is ultra-pastuerized versus just plain pastuerized for the cartons you get a much longer shelf life. Although, they still need to be refrigerated.

Flip

I cannot stand little tiny cream packets

But how else can you amuse your tablemates with the Penn & Teller fork-in-the-eye trick?

>>Brent

brotine wrote:But how else can you amuse your tablemates with the Penn & Teller fork-in-the-eye trick?

A true classic.

earthlydesire wrote:Okay...this is related and may turn this into a sort of "restaurant pet peeve" thread...

Wow, thanks for destroying my thread.

the sleeve wrote:

earthlydesire wrote:Okay...this is related and may turn this into a sort of "restaurant pet peeve" thread...

Wow, thanks for destroying my thread.

puhleeeeeze

Thanks for the support, CG.

Didn't mean to piss anyone off -- just thought I was contributing to a similar conceptual idea.

Mea maxima culpa.

shannon

the sleeve wrote:

earthlydesire wrote:Okay...this is related and may turn this into a sort of "restaurant pet peeve" thread...

Wow, thanks for destroying my thread.

Tangential conversational on LTHforum are frequent, expected and simply happen. If you want to bring the topic back to your focus, then add some additional information and thoughts.

No such thing as hijacking here, just conversation that ebbs and flows.

Regards,

The only thing worse than cold bread is nuked bread.

-ramon

Josephine wrote:

earthlydesire wrote:Okay...this is related and may turn this into a sort of "restaurant pet peeve" thread...but I cannot stand little tiny cream packets. Is it really that difficult to have cream pitchers on the table? is it that much side work to worry about refilling them -- I just hate those little guys --- they make your table such a dang mess (if you're a cream user like I am) and I bet they don't break down in like a million years.

And another thing: what is in those creamers that makes them OK to sit out for days without refrigeration? I take my coffee black rather than use those things!

pasteurization helps it, plus all the preservatives in them- most european countries buy their milk warm and in cartons- americans have just never gotten used to it, hence milk is sold cold in refrigeration.

jpschust wrote:pasteurization helps it, plus all the preservatives in them- most european countries buy their milk warm and in cartons- americans have just never gotten used to it, hence milk is sold cold in refrigeration.

You need to distinguish between the various kinds of pastuerization. The shelf stable packets are UHT pasteurized - it's the UHT process that provides the stability. If the package is labeled as "cream," or (more commonly) "half & half" it won't have any preservatives in it unless they're declared on the label, and they almost never have them, because there's no need for them. Same with the UHT-processed, aseptically packaged European milks, and many American soy milks. (And, years ago, Europeans had significantly smaller refrigerators than Americans, making shelf-stable milk more popular there.)

If it's labeled a "creamer," then just about anything could be in it.

The reason more shelf stable UHT products haven't caught on here is that the high temperatures denature some of the protiens and caramelize some of the milk sugars, resulting in a product that's somewhat less functional for cooking applications, and has a flavor that's different than most Americans are used to.

Of course, refrigerated American milk is also pasteurized, almost always by the far more gentle HTST process.

I totally agree with warm bread and easy to use butter, however as a restaurant manager whose seen far too many nice ceramic creamer pitchers disappear into purses, etc. I have to say restaurants (especially those smaller independent places) really have to take theft into consideration as well. cute salt and pepper shakers, pint glasses, votive holders and yes, even the fresh flowers in the restrooms sometimes have an unfortunate and costly habit of disappearing There was an interesting article in the trib about this a while ago.

annie- I completely agree. I was at the cactus club last week for some after work cocktails, and washed my hands. Went back to the bathroom, and the soap dispenser was gone. The waitress said somone stole it, I mean how gross and stupid is that? Stealing a hand soap dispenser that has been touched by thousands, and putting it in your purse.

I'm sure there are others, but we don't want to hijack the thread...

the sleeve wrote:Is warm bread too much to ask? I don't know about you guys but it makes a huge difference to me. Ahh, good warm bread. REally though, if you're going to serve bread as a starter, don't you think you'd want it to be SOMEWHAT significant to the dining experience??

At El Rinconcito Cubano last night, waiting for our apps, The Wife and I were served not only warm bread, but warm bread pre-smeared with decent butter -- a simply excellent way to begin a meal that may be traditionally Cuban but that was certainly much appreciated.

El Rinconcito Cubano
3238 W. Fullerton
773.489.4440

Went out to dinner on Sunday night and the best part of the meal was the beer bread I ordered as an appetizer, came out nice and warm. It was unfortunate that the honey butter (which tasted great) was near frozen.

We ate at the Great Dane (Hilldale location) in Madison, well because I live here.

I looked for a forum based in Madison that compared to this place and couldn't find one. I hope nobody minds me crashing the food party.

-Brandon

brandon_w wrote:I looked for a forum based in Madison that compared to this place and couldn't find one. I hope nobody minds me crashing the food party.

Heck no, welcome!

Given how close Chicago and Madison are, we always have people going between the two. So let us in on Madison's secrets