There's Very Little Meat in These Gym Mats: The Restaurant Industry Thread

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > There's Very Little Meat in These Gym Mats: The Restaurant Industry Thread

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

Skinny King Pimp posted:

Another thing cooking experience translates well to: molecular genetics benchwork.

Work with dangerous poo poo, sometimes sharp things, have to do a few things at once so you're not in the lab until forever, gotta be really accurate about things and keep things clean/sterile, and follow what are basically recipes when you're making up reactions.

And yeah, definitely still say "heard" and "behind" all the goddamn time and do that half slide thing to get around corners of the bench faster.

Most definitely. As a former lab monkey and devoted reader of this thread I think it's safe to say that cooking is one of the few careers that's even less financially rewarding than being a grad student and then a postdoc!

I once heard the maxim 'never trust a scientist who can't cook,' and I still agree 100% with that statement. If you can follow a PCR recipe you can cook, and (with the exception of baking) you don't need to be nearly as precise, plus you can eat the results, something you wouldn't do in a lab. Since leaving the bench, my few pangs about missing doing experiments can usually be calmed by doing some cooking.

# ¿ Jul 22, 2013 21:47

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# ¿ May 4, 2024 15:14

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

Warmachine posted:

My store does this. The place is halfway between McDonalds and Legitimate Bakery in attitude, in that it has a good deal more respect to it than a fast food sweatshop, but is still pretty much mass producing food. And of course, we have an assload of Medium sized gloves from when we opened because I guess we expected a lot of small-ish girls rather than the number of manbeast bakers we got. The large gloves weren't too bad, though not particularly amazing, they went on and came off easy and didn't mutilate your hands because of all the powder. The mediums, on the other hand, apparently get the same amount of powder in a smaller glove. So much that it puts a thin layer of dust on your hands when you take them off, will certainly mess our black t-shirts, and generally cause problems.

And of course, I remember around when we opened our previous regional director telling the new regional manager, "We use powdered gloves because when they wipe their hands on their clothes, it looks like flour marks." So glad he is no longer my superior and I only have to interact with him when he visits our other restaurant.

My performance review is tomorrow, so I'll know if I'm going to get a raise, a 'Good job Warmachine,' or a swift kick in the pants. Either way, I know there is another bakery in town looking for help...

Why not buy unpowered gloves? I couldn't stand the powered ones when I was a scientist.

# ¿ Aug 14, 2013 11:14

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

Oh wow I managed to misspell that not once but both times

# ¿ Aug 15, 2013 23:20

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

Wroughtirony posted:

Anyone ever helped out an employee with getting a work visa? I've had two GREAT applicants this past week get to the interview stage only to have the awkward "oh, bring proof of eligibility to work in the US? uh..." conversation. Neither are in the US illegally- one is here on a student visa which doesn't allow her to work and the other is the son of a diplomat and is also attending college here. Both said that me writing a letter indicating I intended to employ them might help them get a work visa.

1. How do I do this? Just write "Dear State Department, I, Wrought, General Manager of Disaster Diner do hereby offer the position of underpaid food schlepper to one Jane Smith, so please give her a visa, kthxbye"?

2. Am I being scammed somehow?

Uh, yes, I think you're being scammed. Having lived here on various visas (J-1, H1-B) before I got my green card, there is no way USCIS is going to accept a letter from you and go "oh, hey, yes, sure we'll authorize that."

They're probably on F-1 visas - here's the FAQ about what they're allowed to do: https://www.ice.gov/sevis/employment/faq_f_off1.htm

I can recommend a good immigration attorney in Bethesda if you're interested in getting a real answer or trying to pursue getting their status changed but it's not going to be cheap (to get them work authorization would probably be $1-3k?).

# ¿ Aug 28, 2013 00:31

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

Wrought - Yay on the marriage, I guess yay on the job?

# ¿ Sep 30, 2013 20:19

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

Eating brains or spinal tissue isn't edgy or adventurous, it's foolish: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/bse/

# ¿ Jul 21, 2014 23:07

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

Splizwarf posted:

it's ideally just under an hour

VA drivers on I-95 are unable to drive past an exit without slowing to a crawl and creating another jam. And there are exits every few miles.

# ¿ Sep 7, 2014 20:56

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

Splizwarf posted:

Come try the DC area, we built the nation's capital on disgusting swampland that nobody wanted. Maryland and Virginia couldn't give this garbage away until Congress rolled up looking for land. Absolutely everything outdoors and man-made around here has a fat slick of mold on it somewhere.

Or there's Baltimore, where it literally rains human feces sometimes.

DC wasn't actually built on a swamp. Some areas were built up without proper drainage though.

# ¿ Sep 22, 2014 02:25

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

Splizwarf posted:

I guess it's mostly weird because why not just buy one of those hanging tomato-cascade planters off the internet and hang it in the kitchen? Or just wing it with a little plastic bucket, wire or string, and some tomato seeds. For a restaurant, though, the commercial options sound loving awful. Sorry, Sweden goons.

Sounds like there's a boutique heirloom tomato business waiting to happen there, who wants to get rich?

He already posted that their growing season isn't long enough. Which can't be right, thinking about it, because the UK is as northerly as Sweden and Norway and you can grow tomatoes in England.

drgitlin fucked around with this message at 01:33 on Jul 7, 2015

# ¿ Jul 7, 2015 01:28

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

Sex Hobbit posted:

Super glue works ok? I have a weird fear of giving myself blood poisoning or something using it.

It was created as a battlefield surgical glue (or very rapidly pressed into service as one).

# ¿ Jul 31, 2015 18:32

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

Trebuchet King posted:

Hrm, weird, I don't think of myself as thin or athletic. I guess I was being paid a compliment, then?

Do you know what a bear is? An otter is a smaller bear.

# ¿ Sep 9, 2015 21:19

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

Turkeybone posted:

All the fancy Sazerac bourbons went out today (Buffalo Trace antique, pappy van winkle etc) -- only like 25 restaurants in Manhattan got the coveted 23yr -- 1 bottle each. Ugh.

The 23 year is nowhere near as good as the 20, either.

I remember when you used to be able to buy a bottle of Pappy 20 in February for msrp. I think I bought my current bottle in 2011, also for $95. It's great bourbon, but I don't think a bottle is worth $500 or whatever the current street price is.

# ¿ Oct 31, 2015 21:17

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

MAKE NO BABBYS posted:

Don't waste money on Pappy. It's not even very good.

The higher end Michters, Black Maple Hill (if you can find an old bottle, not the new poo poo in the new package,) Old Forester Birthday or the old Smooth Ambler are all far superior for less than $100 a shot.

Black Maple isn't that good, and it's just a blend from warehouse stocks. Certainly doesn't justify the price. Alternatives to Pappy 20 (not the 23 which isn't as good, just rarer) are things like Buffalo Trace's Single Oak Project.

Noah's Mill is a good mid-price bourbon.

# ¿ Nov 12, 2015 10:11

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

MAKE NO BABBYS posted:

...as are the majority of bourbon, ryes and scotches on the market. What's your point?

As the other poster clarified above, BMH 's original blend was really incredible.

I've been through at least two bottles of BMH, it was ~$40/bottle back in the mid-2000s when I lived in Lexington. I never really thought it was any better or worse than Noah's Mill.

# ¿ Nov 13, 2015 16:35

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

MAKE NO BABBYS posted:

...as are the majority of bourbon, ryes and scotches on the market. What's your point?

As the other poster clarified above, BMH 's original blend was really incredible. When the finisher/blender couldn't get enough juice from their source any longer, they switched to a bulk distillate from Oregon. That's also when they redesigned the packaging. It's not nearly as good as it used to be (I still have dreams about the old 23yr rye...) but I don't enjoy any whiskey from Oregon, even from other distilleries who's products I do enjoy.

E: the old BMH came in a wine-looking bottle like this:
http://m.wine-searcher.com/wine-407602-0001-black-maple-hill-23-year-old-premium-single-barrel-straight-rye-whiskey-kentucky-usa and the Oregon one is squat and squared off. That's an easy way to tell.

As I said, Smooth Ambler Old Scout 7yr if you can find it. I'm also enjoying the Alley 6 rye (good packaging, too) from Healdsburg which is brand spanking new (my two cases were from their fourth batch ever made, they are now out of stock until more finishes aging) and excited to get my allocation of the Leopold Bros. Maryland Rye this afternoon.

Dickel Rye is a great budget rye. Wild Turkey 101 Rye is also a good bang for your buck. The 80 is too mellow. You may also enjoy Pendleton Rye. gently caress everything made by Sazerac. Angels Envy is a dumb gimmick brand and not at alllllll worth the price.

If you want a real laugh, the (actually quite good) liquor store in our neighborhood just got a few bottles of Pappy 12 year in. Their asking price? $350. AYFKM? I actually burst out laughing when they told me the price.

# ¿ Nov 14, 2015 22:07

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

GhostofJohnMuir posted:

My favorite yelp review I ever saw for a place I worked at was a 5 star review with the simple text "the hostess was very pretty." She was happy when I showed it to her.

Your username doesn't refer to a weird talk that James Woolsey (former head of the CIA) gave, does it? IIRC it had to do with a conversation between the ghost of John Muir and George Patton.

# ¿ Feb 11, 2016 20:55

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

GhostofJohnMuir posted:

I generally try to make sure the seafood I prepare at home is odorless, the fishy smell you get with seafood is a sign that it isn't super fresh. Not something I would have freaked out about serving to a customer though, but then again I cooked in kinda lovely places.

No, but now I have to go look up this talk.

This might be a current version of his talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nhhv9RMvMw

I think I heard him speak at a AAAS meeting in 2008 and remember thinking it was quite engaging but also really quite odd.

edit: yup, it was 2008: http://arstechnica.com/uncategorized/2008/06/us-senate-begins-debate-on-climate-bill/

# ¿ Feb 11, 2016 22:13

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

AnonSpore posted:

I thought it wasn't blood

It's not.

# ¿ May 12, 2016 13:34

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

Errant Gin Monks posted:

Well that was a brutal review.

But apparently the drinks are good

# ¿ Jun 9, 2016 00:55

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# ¿ May 4, 2024 15:14

drgitlin: Jul 25, 2003; luv 2 get custom titles from a forum that goes into revolt when its told to stop using a bad word.

Samizdata posted:

As I understand it, curry dishes are quite big in the UK, FWIW.

Ireland isn't the UK.

# ¿ Jan 12, 2017 00:13

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Goons with Spoons > There's Very Little Meat in These Gym Mats: The Restaurant Industry Thread