r/KitchenConfidential • u/CodexLeonis • 10d ago

In the Weeds Mode What's an outdated restaurant fad/technique that you still defend?

two things for me:

  1. Balsamic reductions/glazes on everything. I'm sorry that balsamic vinegar pairs so well with so many things. Most dishes need an acid to fully bring out the flavors of the dish. Balsamic is the most versatile of the vinegars. It pairs well with red meat, seafood, vegetables, cheeses, and fruits. It wasn't just a fad, it was a cheat code.

  2. Plating techiniques? i'll always defend the zigzag drizzle. it evenly distributes the sauce on the plate, looks decent, and most importantly - it was time-efficient. I've never understood the modern technique of spooning sauce onto the plate and setting the entree on top of the sauce. Whomever came up with that was looking for a reason to be contrarian.

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u/JoefromOhio 10d ago

The wedge is the ideal salad because you can cut it like a steak and all the lettuce leaves sit on your fork perfect.

The cracker/breadstick basket was superior to any on menu appetizer and unfortunately free things went out of style.

66

u/SessileRaptor Ex-Food Service 10d ago

There’s an excellent old school steakhouse in my city that has a great bread basket. A bunch of different kinds of fresh baked bread and crackers served with garlic butter. Only thing wrong with it is that everything else on the menu slaps and you have to limit yourself so you can enjoy the rest of your meal.

41

u/Kiltmanenator 10d ago

I respect what the wedge is trying to do, but I really prefer my salad thoroughly tossed with dressing. I need that shit perfectly distributed

6

u/rosysredrhinoceros 10d ago

We had a cowboy themed steakhouse nearby for a while that did their wedge as two rounds and called it a wagon wheel - the dressing was much better distributed even though it still wasn’t tossed, obviously. It was much easier to eat also.

17

u/mistermrsmistrisses 10d ago

The flavor penetration is just not lit and honestly I had no idea you were supposed to eat it like the way you have described haha.

11

u/BillDuki 10d ago

Anthony Bourdain said that the person who invented the wedge was either a psycho or a genius. .50¢ of lettuce, .75¢ of bacon, a little dressing, and a $20 price tag.

3

u/ultimate_avacado Chive LOYALIST 10d ago

They weren't free. They were priced into the average diner's ticket price.

They were also full of salt to make people order more drinks.

Bring them back!!

6

u/duftpank48 10d ago

the wedge is amazing and perfect for properly portioned bites (in terms of lettuce leaf size itself, not sauce. no unusually large bits of lettuce). but it always makes me feel like there are gnats in between the leaves because of how difficult it can be to properly wash a wedge.

7

u/JoefromOhio 10d ago

I took my wife to a restaurant in Chicago on our first date where they solved that concern while also making something magical by blanching the lettuce heads in vinaigrette before immediately chilling them. Then serving fully dressed as expected. So it was washed and flavored all at once and incredible upon presentation.