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Am I the only one who wishes dishes like this would widely be available in restaurants??
I am getting so very tired of seeing the same, mostly mediocre food on most restaurant menus. Of course there are a few exceptions, but these are mostly very high-end and not within reach of most of us on a regular basis. Then there are the ethnic restaurants, but most of them serve the same, “Westernized or Americanized fare. Same steaks, same salads, same sandwiches, same pasta dishes, same stews, etc, etc, etc.
I long for “the good old times” of food service, when restaurants had personality and the menu was a mirror of the chef’s ideas, passion, culinary abilities and standards, as well as the seasons and regions offerings and the owners personal and professional pride.
Going to a new restaurant used to be about discovering new dishes, new ingredients, new pairings, new preparations, new presentations. Most of all, it was about food – how it looked, smelled, tasted. People used to eat not one monster-sized dish, but a menu consisting of dishes of different textures, colors, fragrance, taste and presentation, harmoniously presented in logical order and appreciated for the effort that went into it to be as perfect a meal as possible. Most of all, one was able to identify the food that was presented, by its looks, aroma and taste. Customers appreciated any food that was prepared to a high standard, no matter how expensive and rare or how simple and ordinary the raw ingredients were. What counted was the mastery with which raw ingredients were transformed into food that could be enjoyed for its own sake.
My point, you ask?
A few days ago I was invited to one of the most famous, most expensive, most “in” restaurants in Miami, situated in one of the very fancy and famous hotels down by the beach.
The surroundings were breathtakingly beautiful, the service excellent, the menu sounded exciting and alluring.
There were eight of us, mostly hospitality professionals and the host of our party who has traveled the world and is a food-fanatic. We ordered twelve appetizers,three different soups, twelve main courses, a variety of desserts and cheeses, all to be tasted and shared between us. Most folks had wine, a couple had beers and I had water. We had apéritif’s (OJ for me) and coffee.
The bill was $2330.00, plus tip.
While this seems reasonable for the location, the amount of food and the good wine, the quality of the food would have warranted a total bill of maybe $800.00 😦
While some of the dishes were complete misses, most of what we ate was decent and some of it was actually good, NONE of it was very good, let alone outstanding. Halfway through the meal we started talking longingly about really good food we had in other restaurants, cities and countries (none of it in Miami).
I have read numerous reviews about this place, some good, some bad, some so so. But my own experience at this place has once more convinced me that the main reason we have so many mediocre restaurants around here is because most of the clientele at such “modern, popular dining establishments” are not handicapped by good taste, experience or common sense but rather solely interested to see and to be seen by like-minded folks for which the quality of the food is secondary. Therefore so many “Chefs” who are less than qualified to be at the helm of a great restaurant are heading a bunch of restaurants who exist only because of huge sums of money spend on PR instead of being spend on talent in the service and the kitchen.
Well folks, I had to vent a bit here……….
So, back down to earth and to the dish at hand, which I and most of my fellow diners in our group would have gladly exchanged for the offerings we received at said restaurant 🙂
And there you have it.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
Please note that I am aware that there are many excellent restaurants to be found in this country (very few in Miami)
However, it usually takes a good amount of luck, insider knowledge and/or money to find and enjoy them.
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Click here for more Soup on ChefsOpinion
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Potato Soup With Smoked Pork Shanks, Fried Shallots And BBQ’d Corn
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Potato Soup With Smoked Pork Shanks, Fried Shallots And BBQ’d Corn
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Potato Soup With Smoked Pork Shanks, Fried Shallots And BBQ’d Corn
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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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- simmer 3 lbs smoked pork shanks in lightly salted water until tender, about 2 hours
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- when the pork is tender but NOT falling apart, (there should be 2 qt of broth at this point), add 2 lbs diced potatoes, 1 tsp majoran 1 tsp thyme, 1 tblsp garlic paste, grated nutmeg, kosher salt, cayenne pepper and maggi seasoning to taste, simmer until potatoes are soft
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- remove pork shanks
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- remove and discard bones, cut meat into large cubes
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- blend the soup in a blender or with a stick-blender until smooth
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- add 2 cup heavy cream
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- check/adjust seasoning
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- to serve, ladle 1/4 of the soup in a soup plate or bowl, top with 1/4 of the meat, sprinkle with bbq corn, fried shallots and chopped cilantro; serves 4 main courses or 10 appetizers
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- Potato Soup With Smoked Pork Shanks, Fried Shallots And BBQ’d Corn
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- Potato Soup With Smoked Pork Shanks, Fried Shallots And BBQ’d Corn
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