Something seems to be missing in Portland restaurants. THE FREAKING CHEF – and a staff that cares!
When I was working in the bay area, the chef was always in the kitchen, expediting every plate. It wasn’t much different than the part Gordon Ramsay plays on Hell’s Kitchen. Before service, every sauce was tasted. Every bit of prep was examined. Every dessert was sampled. During service, it was rare that a plate left the kitchen without the chef’s approval. He had a pocket full of tasting spoons, and used them constantly. If a dish didn’t pass muster, he’d give a glare that would frost the grill, and dump it in the garbage. Needless to say, this didn’t happen very often, but no matter how long you had worked at his restaurant, he still tasted every dish, every night.
I think it was in a recent book by Michael Ruhlman he added up all the calories taken in by a major chef over the course of a night. It was some fantastic amount. This is the way it should be. Unfortunately, in Portland, this seems to be the exception rather than the rule. It is driving me crazy. Let’s look at a couple of examples.
23 Hoyt: On an early visit, I had spätzle with braised rabbit, chanterelles, leeks, crème fraâche, dill, chives and crispy shallots. Sounds good, was very good. The textures were great, all playing against each other to create a perfect combination that made the dish really interesting. A month later, I had the same dish again. Everything was somewhat mushy, the sauce wasn’t balanced, and I was embarrassed to have recommended it to someone at my table. A few weeks later I was back with a large group, and ordered it again. This time, it lived up to the first experience.
Ten 01: My first few visits concentrated on the bar food. In a word, it was stellar. Perfect little sliders packed with flavor, and pulled pork sandwiches that were some of the best in the city. Six weeks later, I went back. Those perfect sliders would now make perfect hockey pucks. The pulled pork was boring, the buns were burnt, and it took 30 minutes to get the food (not to mention the 15 it took to get our first round of drinks!) Since I had written an earlier post raving about the bar food, I felt like a complete ass.
Park Kitchen: One week I had an amazing meal of grilled sweetbreads, a beet salad, and a perfect dish of pork, cabbage dolmas, and kumquat relish. What really made this dish was the sauce: a thickened blend of spinach juice infused with duck liver. So damn good I wanted to lick the plate. A week later I went back, and ordered exactly the same meal. The first two courses were just fine, but the entrée was a huge disappointment. The pork was a bit overcooked, and the sauce was so thin and watery it didn’t stick to the meat. I was so annoyed I didn’t want to finish the meal, skipped dessert, and went somewhere else; this coming from a guy that loves Park Kitchen.
My point is none of these dishes should ever have made it past the kitchen. Somewhere along the line, they failed, and no one was paying enough attention (or cared enough) to catch it. If the chef isn’t going to be in the house, he’d better make damn sure his sous is on top of it. It’s his reputation at stake! It can also be the reputation of the diner. How many times have you recommended a restaurant to friends, only to be embarrassed because the food was totally different when you went back with them? You look like a fool, and feel like you have to keep apologizing all the way through the meal. Now then, put yourself in my shoes.
I raved about the sliders at Ten 01. Now they are lousy. While working on a review, I’ve been back to 23 Hoyt six(!) times, but can’t make up my mind because things are different every night. I really enjoyed Tabla, but now it has slipped. What if I’d written a glowing review of Park Kitchen based on my one sampling of that dish, but someone else had gone back and had the second version? They would have dismissed me as a talentless hack who knows nothing about food. I can’t say I would blame them. Sometimes I feel there should be a disclaimer at the end of every review, saying, YOUR EXPERIENCE MAY VARY.
More and more restaurants are open seven days a week. I’ve learned to go back Sunday or Monday, because the food is rarely as good as it is the rest of the week. What is going to happen if a national food critic happens to come in on that off day? Recently, a major magazine was in town. They went to a restaurant that should have been a shoo-in as one of the best in Portland. Unfortunately, the chef was off that night, and the food was embarrassing. Needless to say, they didn’t make it into the magazine.
While I’m ranting, I’m going to bring up holiday meals, specifically, Thanksgiving. When I first moved to Portland, I had dinner at Higgins and was served turkey so dry I couldn’t eat it. Wildwood? Ugh. The Heathman? I pushed food around my plate until they finally took it away. The only good Thanksgiving meal I’ve had in a Portland restaurant was at Paley’s Place, and even there it was below Vitaly’s usual standards.
Whatever happened to food being about the art? Has passion for perfection been pushed aside in favor of greed? Is it more important to have four restaurants that crank out money than one good one that gives you a comfortable living and a stellar reputation? Would you rather be a chef that your peers respect for your culinary talents, or who’s latest iteration of his home has been written up in Portland Monthly? Why did you get into this damn business?! Is everyone selling out?
I know Portland isn’t Chicago, or New York. I realize diners here aren’t willing to pony up the kind of money that they do in those cities. I also realize that costs are lower here, and restaurant’s prices have been creeping ever higher. When they first opened, many prices at Ten 01 were in the mid $30 range. Clarklewis recently raised their tasting menu from $38 to $50.00. I don’t mind paying for good food, but I had damn well leave full and happy. Unfortunately, I left their CL and made myself a snack when I got home. Would I order the tasting menu again? Probably not.
This morning I’m walking the dog, and glance over at Willamette Week. They did a great job, with three reviews: Lovely Hula Hands (mixed review), Chapel Pub, and a complete review of Ten 01 by Heidi Yorkshire, titled “Looks: 10, Food: 01”. Clever title, and oh so true. Some choice pullouts:
“Ten 01 could have been a slam-dunk success. Instead, it’s a sad combination of confused ambitions and fumbled execution.”
“What I got at a recent lunch was a tough little nest of cold frisee with no apparent seasoning, a handful of room-temperature bacon bits and an egg fried hard, wedged onto a plate between school-cafeteria roasted beets and shredded raw carrots.”
“… knife-impenetrable tandoori-roasted chicken breast on a risotto of hard little rice pellets, with droopy, oddly sweet kale”
“…black cod topped with Dungeness crab coated in dry-as-dust bread crumbs, on bitter radicchio and fennel, in a puddle of sweet garlic cream sauce. All dishes were a dispiriting symphony in brown, and all were salted beyond edibility.”
I could sit down and write a long review of Ten 01, but what’s the point? My feeling is owners Adam Berger and Michael Rypkema are in over their heads. No one in their right mind opens three restaurants at the same time (If you count that sad little set of tables at the Armory with it’s plastic wrapped sandwiches a restaurant). Kudos to Willamette Week.
Pearl Insider says
Double ouch for Ten 01 today. Just this morning, a friend asked my recommendation for a great “new” restaurant to entertain clients at. I suggested Ten 01, having enjoyed their bar menu.
Looks like I’ll be calling her back to edit my response.
sgj says
Your column brought to mind my most recent dining experience in Portland. I have been to Simpatica 3 times for Sunday brunch, loved it, brought friends with me, they loved it. Great food, well prepared, good service, pleasant atmosphere (although a bit loud). On their mailing list, would drool over their weekend dinner menus. Finally got in on one that wasn’t sold out (cheeseburger night).
So, we are among the first to arrive, nice reggae music playing, pleasantly greeted and seated. Bottle of wine ordered. The place fills up and the din of a packed small place became so overwhelming that i had to practically shout to be heard by my friend across the table. We got the soup-a perfectly delicious (but lukewarm) squash soup, an hour after being seated, which would have been ok if only we could have actually talked with each other over our wine. Another long pause, and a yummy burger came our way with wonderful side of 3 onion rings, and a way over salted side salad. A painfully ear splitting pause, and a tasty but unexceptional cookies and ice cream dessert. As the 4 of us left, we all were unbelievably relieved to be done with our dinner, so we could actually talk with each other and recover from our headaches.
So here is an experience of the same restaurant, but a disappointing evolution from brunch to dinner. We dissected this, and came up with a resolve to avoid in the future any meals that demand serving too many people the exact same dinner in too small a poorly sound proofed space, no matter how enticing the food looks. We did tip the poor server 20%, not her fault!
Mostly Running. says
FD: “the Portland Mercury has gotten better”
I missed it if you explained how somewhere else. I’m curious how you think they have.
MR
Papaki says
Dude: Your rant is, I think, the best thing you’ve ever written. Congrats. You’re absolutely correct: There are lots of restaurants I really love in Portland, but now that I stop to think about them, I can’t think of a single one of my favorites where I haven’t been served a nearly perfect meal one time and something perfectly mediocre the next — not Park Kitchen, not Olea, not Fratelli, not Higgins, not Wildwood, not Fenouil, not Ten01. Interesting.
Anybody can cook a really fine meal some of the time. (Even me.) What separates the good from the great is the ability to to it ALL the time. And that’s what’s lacking in even the best restaurants around here. It seems that inconsistency is the one thing they all have in common.
Kim Nyland says
“Something seems to be missing in Portland restaurants. THE FREAKING CHEF (and staff that care)! ”
To continue on your vent. Our experience in the Bay Area was similar but that was then & unfortunately this is now. I think the web & those damn FoodTV people are the problem. Chef’s don’t want to be called out by the kitchen staff as a**holes. Potential customers will read it & simply not support. I wish Hell’s Kitchen was on FoodTV as well so the customer doesn’t think it’s as easy & rosey as it appears on their current Celeb shows. A busy kitchen is a stressful place after 7 hours of a busy, stressful prep/order/office day I cannot imagine working in an ‘open kitchen’ trying to manage our food for another 6 hours. I have a little experience now with my own staff, we’re just a pizza joint but it still has to be done the way we want it done…Thin Skin is in, & it scares the heck out of me how some react to criticism. I can’t be your boss & friend no matter how hard I want to be.
We will never be open 7 days a week because of this fact, it’s nearly impossible to find someone that cares half as much as we do. If & when we do, we will do most anything to keep them on board to cover if & when we are out.
Question for FoodDude though, you say, “I also realize that costs are lower here, and restaurant’s prices have been creeping ever higher”
What costs are lower? Rent yes but anything else I don’t agree.
For months & months we have been watching our costs increase either from the pathetic dollar vs the Euro or from additional ‘Fuel charges’, Drop off fee’s etc, another hike in the minimum wage, personal property taxes…man, I could sadly go on & on. We haven’t raised prices yet but we will have to eventually.
kim @ apizza
Diner says
Good rant. I, too, have experienced variation on food quality in many Portland restaurants. On a positive note, I would mention Carlyle and Giorgio’s whose chefs, wait staff, and management seem to work in a team approach to provide best service and food at each visit.
just me says
I love your rant, I agree whole heartedly. It is a tough business being a chef and doing it right, ALL THE TIME, it is physically and mentally demanding and I think that some of the people you mentioned are truly talented but also tired and need to step aside or direct, as you say, their sous chefs properly. Most restaurants are really just a “Mom and Pop” business, mom and or pop need to be there all the time or their vision and intent WILL suffer.
I voted for Paley’s because I have never had anything but an exceptional meal there. Mom and Pop are pretty much always there, proud of everything and when they do take their much deserved breaks there restaurant is looked after as they would want.
Food Dude says
Mostly Running: In my opinion, the Merc. used to be total crap with a targeted demographic of older teens. Since the last editor left, and they hired people like Matt Davis, I think the content has greatly improved. Yes, they still have a long way to go, but they are a hell of a lot more readable than they used to be. Pick one up, you might be surprised.
Diner: It is nice to see owners/chefs in the restaurant at dinner hour. Many “celebrity” chefs wander in during the morning prep, and are home by dinner service.
Kim, I agree with everything you say. As far as prices, I mainly meant rent, but because of our proximity to produce farms, from my experience, we pay a bit less for that here. On the other hand, I’m not sure how seafood prices compare.
Just Me: Stay tuned for “Rant Part II” ;)
apollo says
I agree completely. What is it with all the inconsistancy in this town. Eating at restaurants with open kitchens can be an eye opening experience. There are places in town where I have watched the kitchen staff during my entire meal and didn’t see anybody in the kitchen tasting anything the whole time. there are other places where the cooks are tasting every single sauce that they make. But even at those places you can have a bad night.
Diner mentioned Giorgio’s and Carlyle. I have had bad meals at both places. I had one meal at Giorgios that was so awful it made me laugh. I never got the fuss about Carlyle and continue to be unimpressed every time I go. I had one stellar meal there and everything else has been mediocre.
I have even had a bad meal at Paley’s. I can’t name one restaurant that I haven’t had an off dish at in this town.
Well Seasoned says
Great piece, FD! I’m reminded of the time I heard a very famous chef give a talk to some culinary students who were about to graduate. BTW, this chef had earned his fame the hard way, by working his ass off day in and day out to make his NY restaurant one of the most respected in the world. He opened his talk by saying that although many people compare chefs to artists, he didn’t agree with the analogy, because an artist can decide that he just isn’t inspired on any given day and can take the day off to re-charge his creative batteries, while a chef has to produce every day he’s at his restaurant, whether he feels inspired or not. Then the famous chef took a moment to make eye contact with every one of the students and said, “If you don’t love standing at the stove and cooking more than anything else in the world, GET OUT NOW.” There was an audible gasp in the room, and I thought about how no one had ever told these kids what it really means to be a chef. Sadly, all these years of Food Network hype and unreality TV shows about restaurants have taken their toll. Being a chef is all about pushing yourself to the limit physically, mentally, creatively and emotionally every single moment you’re putting out food. The reward is knowing that your diners are enjoying the best food you can possibly create – and, if you’re exceptionally talented, maybe the best food they’ve ever eaten.
Another important truth is that restaurant cooking is a group effort. I think it’s most like an orchestra, where the chef is the conductor and the cooks are the musicians. Every cook needs to know his/her part perfectly and how it fits into the whole; and it’s the responsibility of the chef (or the sous, who’s like the assistant conductor) to oversee everyone’s performance. The big difference between a conductor and a chef is that if a musician flubs a passage, a conductor can’t stop the performance and start over, but a chef who sees and tastes that a dish is wrong can, as Food Dude described, trash it and insist that it be replaced (while the server explains to the customer that there will be a delay and offers a comped appetizer or glass of wine).
-s says
I agree with Kim that Hell’s Kitchen should be on a network that the food crowd actually watches (actually even better than Hell’s Kitchen are the F Word and Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares which are on BBC America.) One thing that I like about him is that doing things right and being consistent isn’t just a matter of making happy mouths, but of economics (doing things wrong costs money) and ultimately of reputation (doing things wrong makes him look bad and of course costs money.) The F Word makes a game of it — Season 2 has amateur crews making the food which consists of a starter, entree, and dessert. After each course the maitre d surveys the 50 eaters and finds out how many will pay for the dish. It’s fun to watch, especially if one of the reasons is the recipe itself, which is all on Ramsey (e.g. the poached fish episode.)
Speaking of Food Network types, I’ve heard that it’s best to eat at a Bobby Flay restaurant on a night he’s in the house for service.
And someday I hope to try Kim’s commitment to quality, as that commitment currently logistically precludes me from trying said commitment to quality. Or…I’m only ever in Portland for lunch, damnit :)
Kim Nyland says
Well Seasoned..always on the money. I love that Ramsey’s kitchen ….gotta get Tivo
Amoureuse says
FD…SPOT ON !!!!!!!!!!
All the restaurants you mentioned are different when the Chef/Chef owner are actually there cooking. Higgins is night and day different…even Paleys ( which is pretty good ) but still Vito doesnt cook on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday night ( unless its a special event – everyone knows Ben Bettinger does all the hard work at Paleys ( and Kim ) .
I thought the WW title was GENIOUS. And guess what? They are going to open up this vegan place, and doing the food at LEos’ ( investor ) new bar on Burnside.WASSSUUUP???
It ( Ten01 ) is a great concept, but they cant pull it off. Sure they changed the “Sliders” they are getting killed by them….so popular . I think also the cost of goods doesnt equate to the “expectaion”/”bang for the buck”.
One night I didnt get lardons in my frisee salad, and my sliders took 30 plus minutes…
But they have to charge a lot ( big rent, HUGE PAYROLL, expensive grocery bill ) Big difference from running Tabla to Ten01…But i hope they figure it out…..because Portland needs a big concept restaurant like Ten01….we ( Oregonians ) will pay big dollars as long as it is good. Maybe they should have started out smaller….i dont know.
As stated before on this site, no one knows for sure, but Ten01 HAD TO COST A MINIMUM 1 MILLION ( EASY ) I dont think they will get their money back at this rate.
But hell, this is a tough racket…long hours, and lets be honest, after its all done, you hope for 5cents return on every dollar…T-bills are an easier, safer bet…..this is a hard racket…..At least they ( Ten01) have the guts to lay it all out there ( and all indepenant owner operators ) gotta give them that. You know Erica and company read these posts, it cant be easy….it is ( Ten01 ) a lot of good peoples livlihoods we are ragging on.
sidemeat says
Nicely done dude, and glad that you’re over your bout of writers block. BTW, what ever happened with the rogue chef thing?
Ellie says
Man, I used to love Tabla. I rue the day that Ten-01 came in and ruined my all-time favorite Portland restaurant. The staff is still super, but the food quality has taken an incomprehensible dive – waaaaaa! Our last meal there was a dinner where we invited a group of friends to an early holiday celebration, dropped a grand, and shook our heads all the way home. We were embarrassed, and apologized to everyone we had brought to dinner. It was that bad. It seems as though most Portland chefs prefer the excitement of opening a hip new restaurant to the mundane reality of cooking every day. Diners like me, on the other hand, prefer the excitement of having an incredible meal at a place they know puts out consistently good food rather than hopping to a new, mediocre restaurant every week.
And Amoureuse, rumor among industry folk sez they spent closer to $2 million…
DR says
Great peice FD and great thread contributions from everyone else. My take leans a little towards the sociolgical side.
Ever since I moved to PDX in 2001, I’ve ALWAYS been amazed at the ever-growing number of restaurants this town had.
Is it outrageous to suggest that maybe PDX has hit its “tipping point” as far as being able to staff and maintain the numerous dining outfits?
Just as one quick (maybe not approprioate) example, but look at the Bruce Carey deal: BAck in the day he had Zefiro and absolutely killed it! Then he progressed with Bluehour and Saucebox maintaining pretty good food, service experience with both. Then he adds a third place which fails and replaces it with another. Some would say that Saucebox has suffered and now it seems like even 23 Hoyt is suffering.
Is this one small example of the bigger picture in our local restaurant scene? I don’t know, but for me it seems like it makes sense as I know there are myriad situations here that have unfolded exactly like this.
I’d be curious to hear the “professionals’ opinions” on this theory.
Thanks.
D
Papaki says
DR has a really valid point. One thing that’s struck me as I’ve kept an eye on all those kitchens around PDX is that most of them are staffed overwhelmingly by very young (read: inexperienced) men. Food is no different than any other art form in that respect — acquiring an appreciation for it takes a lot of education, interest and time. I know that when I was as young as most of these guys look, I hadn’t even had a chance to eat at enough good places yet to know what really great food was.
I don’t know why this is (low pay? high burnout?) but it sure looks like a lot of people with culinary training must abandon the restaurant business for other lines of work as soon as they hit their early 30s.
Flask Mama says
My husband and I often joke (only partially) that someone should open a school to teach people really basic things. How to politely pass someone on the road. How to be a courteous yet sassy barista that keeps the customers coming for more. How to be a server in a mid – to – high-end place and not be a complete snob or overly friendly (don’t even think about touching me!). I am constantly amazed by the often overly casual service and standards at many food and non-food establishments. There is really something to be said about the old school career waiters that started at the bottom of the ranks and worked their way up. Chef’s egos get in the way of themselves. Having a restaurant that is associated with a “name” chef is certainly no guarantee that it will be good, and really, we should all take it with a very large grain of imported fleur de sel.
lexuh says
“Prices have dropped, they are now open for lunch…”
Well, THAT’S the kiss of death. Wasn’t increasing the hours one of the first signs of a moribund Balvo?
I never made the connection before, but I think Kim nailed the lack of committment and over-extension as a side effect of the cult of celebrity chefs. I remember working FOH in the 80s and early 90s in DC and Baltimore and witnessing chefs who would have screaming hissy fits if someone mislaid something in the kitchen. Holy hell, you DID NOT want to mess with one of those guys’ mise en place.
I understand that people don’t want to be in the kitchen all day every day. I just wish that they’d be open fewer nights rather than delegate to people who don’t seem to care. I’d rather not pay $100 per head for dinner if the BOH isn’t going to bring their A game.
heps says
More than once, I’ve been embarrassed after raving about a place and finding it mediocre-to-bad when I return with friends.
The inconsistency also has made it impossible for me to form good opinions about a lot of restaurants, because my experiences differ so much each time I go. After a bad experience, I never know if it was an aberration or if the restaurant has genuinely gone down hill. Naturally, we all tend be most influenced by our most recent experiences, however. With so many options, the incentive to give a place a third (or forth, or fifth) try isn’t all that great.
fuyuk says
agreed, agreed, agreed, there are so many restaurants in town that many do not warrant even a second try after one bad experience. the same goes for most other cities as well. a good example is bouchon in yountville. went once a few years ago and it was pretty good, not brilliant but pretty good. went back a year later and it was not hear as good, anywhere close, but now it has one star michelin. guide is new to the states and the usual suspects are in it. is le bernardin in new york 3 star? not the last time i dined there. maybe 2 star at the best. anyplace that is chef run will certainly do better when poppa in in the house, unless the sous has been with chef so long that he can do it all if not better but stays out of loyalty instead of going out on their own. if you are standing at the stove everyday, not to say you have to be open 7 days, then chances are pretty good that you will have a good consistent experience. many of the newer places are open 7 days because they have a big nut to pay at the end of the month. ten-01 is probably a good example of that. in addition to spreading themselves thinner than thin by opening multiple restaurants at the same time, they should have focused on one and really done it right. you don’t see the “celeb chefs” opening multiple restaurants all at once. and the guys that do have an empire have a pretty good plan and team in place to execute there business plan. wolfgang puck, charlie palmer, emeril, todd english, danny meyer, mario batali etc. also, many restaurants open today with a total lack of experience in the back of the house. a couple of stages here, a little time there and bingo, i can open a restaurant! keep it simple, succeed and then take the weekend off or open a new place. or plan to take two days off and don’t blow your brains out with 6 or 7.
Mateu says
As a counter-example…I think…I hope…I’m surprised nobody has mentioned le Pigeon. As far as I can tell, the chef (Gabriel Rucker, right?) is always there.. I finally went the other night with a friend from Spain, and he noticed how well Gabriel monitored not only the food, but the servers and the progress of the diners. Looking through the quick hit comments, it looks like most diners have agreed for the months it’s been open. I imagine he’ll have the off day like everyone does, but overall, he seems to stand up as a nice example of what happens when the chef is there.
Also, our server/hostess was attentive and coped well with serving us in a cramped space at the end of the bar. Of course props to him for having a few veg options!
adeu,
Mateu
Well Seasoned says
I just thought of another counter-example: Marco Shaw. He’s always there, nothing goes out of the kitchen without his approval, and he also keeps an eye on the dining room. I’m not usually a fan of open kitchens, but Marco uses his as a way to be constantly aware of the whole picture at Fife. The result is consistently wonderful meals. And not surprisingly, both his kitchen staff and FOH staff do their jobs with skill and enthusiasm.
FoodGroupie says
FD,
Great post. I completely agree with your assessment of Portland’s restaurants. Inconsistency is a big bugaboo here.
AG says
The first and last time I ate at Fife Marco Shaw was there and the food was adverage, the service rushed, and the desert horrible.
Food Dude says
Fife lost their dessert chef to… er.. Carlyle I think. That was about a year ago. After that, desserts dropped dramatically. I haven’t eaten there for a long time. Should put it on my revisit list.
Jim Arterberry Maresh says
I love ten 01. I’ve been in on ten times and I’ve had nothing but that bomb cuisine. The bar menu is awesome, the blue cheese and carmalized pizza can bang with any pie in the city. The food is modern, flamboyant, experimental. Eddie has a genuine love and passion for this and when he writes the menu he will go big and take risks. It’s just like a lot of things in life, risk vs reward. Gotta let it hang for greatness and that is what ten-01 is doing. I can respect that and I’ll be up in there.
Food Dude says
john –
One big problem with working in the same restaurant all the time, is, unless your menu is constantly changing and pushing the envelope, it gets boring. How many times can you grill a flatiron steak? How many times can you make the same salad? I don’t have a problem with chefs jumping around; I’m sure I’d switch now and then too. I would have a problem standing at the grill making the same things every day.
john says
I agree as well with almost all, but especially Ellie. Tuesday, before the WW review, we went to Ten-01 prior to Portland Center Stage. Burned bun on the slider, average lasagna for my son — overall not very good at all. They had a drink special with ginger but …ooops, they were out of ginger and had to run to Whole Foods if we wanted to wait. I’ve always liked Tabla so this is a surprise, although our last visit to Tabla wasn’t quite as good, especially for the $300 plus we spent for four. We’ll go back to Bluehour, our regular stop, for our appetizers before the play.
Ellie is right about wanting an incredible meal, whether the chef is tired of running the place or not. Does is seem, speaking of that, that there seems to be ever more chef roulette these days with chefs switching from here to there?
forager says
the former pastry chef at fife went to Clark Lewis a year ago, before fife she was in eugene.
I think she left for the simple reason she didn’t want to use frozen 6 month old berries…
mrg says
When we’re talking about high end restaurants, I don’t buy the excuse of “How many times can you make a dish without getting bored”. I’ve been in those shoes and overcame it through understanding that professionalism means doing whatever you’re doing as well as you can do it EACH time. Look at any great musician. The best preformances of even the oldest songs have a freshness to them. If you can’t step up to the stove with the attitude that what you’re cooking TODAY is the most important food you’ve cooked, then maybe it is time to go do something else. Or lower your prices and my expectation level!
Food Dude says
forager: I think you are mistaken. The former pastry chef was a man – Steve Smith, and not from Eugene. He moved over to Carlyle
Dave J. says
One big problem with working in the same restaurant all the time, is, unless your menu is constantly changing and pushing the envelope, it gets boring.
Fair enough, but as the customer, I don’t care how many times you’ve made a fried chicken before, I want the one you make for me to be perfect. I think more than anything else, inconsistency betrays a total lack of respect for the clientele.
pastry gladiator says
forager is correct.
fuyuk says
ditto, no matter what you are making, make it the same way everyday. club sandwich, burger, pizza, foie gras etc. the great restaurants have signature dishes that they cook the same way everyday, day in day out and it might be the same guy for the last 5 years cooking it. or maybe not. i think that the reason for musical chefs in town is that they place they are vacating does not give them the full reins to run things their way. insert clarklewis here, or that if they are not personally invested in the operation the writing may be on the wall that the biz is on the way down. consistency comes from practice and you can’t be consistent if you are hopping all over the place. everytime a new chef comes in something changes and there goes the consistency. it has nothing to do with stagnation, if you are truly dedicated to the craft you will find some way to keep from stagnating even if you are making the same boring dish for the customers day after day.
Papaki says
EVERY job eventually involves doing the same thing over and over again and dealing with the boredom that results. Doctors treat the same ailments over and over, all day long. Bankers count the same bills over and over. Teachers teach the same lessons. Even bloggers post the same opinions over and over again. Why should cooks be exampt?
As a former boss of mine once said to me: “Of course your job sucks. That’s why we have to pay you so much money to do it.”
foodrebel says
I think that most of you are right there. However, I think there’s a few points missing…
Yes, the food should be the same time after time. Yes, some chefs get tired or burned out, either by years of cooking, or a management that piss them off.
But as well, there are times when “you get in the weeds”, when a cook doesn’t show up or has to dash to the hospital with his finger in his pocket or with a burn all over his arms, and so on…
It is very hard to keep a line of cooks under control. You got the new guy that didn’t get all the training he needed. The other lost his grandma last night or her boyfriend ran off with her little sister, or another one got stuck in the snow. Then you got the one that “knows better than you” and freelance behind your back. It’s almost everyday that we have to deal with stuff like that. And then there’s the 15 hours days that just pile up on you and I don’t care who it is, you can’t perform as well than that banker or doctor who pull 8 hours and go home watch TV before his 8 / 9 hours sleep…and that doctor doesn’t have to deal with a staff of 20 / 30 or more employees…
Shit happens. In our business, it’s everyday or close. And even though there’s chefs out there who don’t give a shit, i rekon, you have the others that spend many hours in the joint making sure no servers smells like BO and knows the wine list, and cooks use enough salt, garlic, not too much pepper, etc…
And then there’s the night when it’s not too busy so you think you can dash early and catch up on your sleep or play with your kids for a half hour and, of course, as soon you out the back door the entire town decides to come have a snack and it all goes to hell. And YOU”RE ONE OF THEM!
I’m not complaining. Just want to explain what can happen in the back!
And if all of you tell me their work out there is absolutly perfect and consistant all the time…guess what: I want the proof!
FR
sidemeat says
I don’t think we can overlook the genuinely horrible pay that most cooks receive. Many cooks have spent big money going to culinary school, with the dream perhaps of becoming a chef. When reality (for most) is working in someone elses kitchen, preparing someone elses menu, for perhaps $12 per hour. Cooks come and go, looking for something better,(it may be as little as a buck raise, it may be as much as respect from the chef), and it’s hard for any chef to run a kitchen with a challenging menu when it’s got a revolving door.
I think part of the reason chain restaurants do so well is that they don’t set their bar very high, a sizzler is a sizzler is a sizzler. It ain’t gonna be great, but it’ll be the same every time.
Food Dude says
bc – that could be. Steve Smith was there when I did my original Fife review. At the time, he was really good. As a matter of fact, we listed him when I did the “pastry chef musical chairs” piece back in 2005.
I haven’t been to since I wrote the last review, but will try to get there before the summer and update my review. The last time I went, the pastries were pretty bad, but under steve, they were some of the best in the city. The website lists Jessica Howard as PF now.
As far as clarklewis, last time I updated their review, Naomi told me that she was acting pastry chef.
bc says
Sorry FD, but there was a pastry chef from Fife that left about a year ago and is still working at clarklewis. She also worked at Marche in Eugene. Maybe this Smith guy was before or after her….
BC says
Maybe Portland isn’t the most sophisticated fine dining town in the country, but I think it is sad and untrue to suggest that Portland restaurants have a problem with consistancy as opposed to any other city. I have had a great meal at Chez Panisse and a pretty mediocre meal there also. Some great sushi in Seattle and then gone back to the same place to find that the fish wasn’t quite as fresh as it has been in the past.
I have had some awesome meals at Le Pigion and the last time we went a couple of the dishes were warm at best (as if they sat in the window). It was pretty busy at the time and being in the business I realize that shit happens, even when you are really good.
I think that no matter what the restaurant is, there is going to be an off day/dish or two. If the entire meal sucks or if the food is consistantly bad on multiple visits, the place probably needs attention or a different chef. But if it is a random disappointing dish amongst many other good ones (read: Le Pigion) it was probably just an off day or even just an off dish. Which just makes them human I guess.
P.S. Le Pigion is still my favorite restaurant right now, even with the small disappointment.
Diner says
This has always been an interesting site. But what are the qualifications for Food Dude. Is he or she a chef of consequence. Or maybe just someone who goes out to eat now and again, likes to control restaurant success, and has fires to burn with places he or she ranks low in a public forum. I have been to several restaurants that Food Dude scored low and found them to be amazingly high. In contrast, I have been to restaurants Food Dude ranked high and found them to be wanting. Who pays Food Dude?
OldServer says
Does anyone complain? Send the food back to the kitchen? I think part of the problem is that people in Portland are just too darn “nice”. It’s not rude to tell your server that your food isn’t hot, or that it’s oversalted, or whatever you think is wrong. Yes, restaurants have bad nights, even bad cooks sometimes. But if you tell them about it, they will try to correct the problem. If they don’t, then you shouldn’t waste your hard-earned money there ever again.
sidemeat says
The line to defend food dude goes THIS way people, plenty of room in the back, watch your step, stand away from the doors, no pushing, no, I don’t know who you are, nor do I care, BACK OF THE LINE PLEASE! Everybody gets a turn, due to an unexpected volume of support your wait may be a long one, sandwiches are not available,
women and children are not first, oh man, if the fire marshal gets wind of this crowd…..
Tim L says
I do not know who Food Dude is. I have followed and occasionally contributed comments to this site for quite some time. Always, I emphasize, always I have found all of Food Dude’s writing to be fair, well thought out, and credible. When, on occasion, Food Dude has made an error, corrections or apologies have been immediately and fully made. Thanks for letting me get behind you in line, Sidemeat.
Emily says
So, Diner..are you saying that the only people who are qualified to write about food are professional cooks?
Kristi says
Diner, if you have a problem with this website or with Food Dude’s opinions, then don’t log on. It’s that easy and it’s your choice. I enjoy Food Dude’s reviews and those of the other contributors and I have never thought to question any of their qualifications. They are simply sharing their opinions. This is Food Dude’s website, if you want something different, start your own. By the way, what are your qualifications? Oh wait, I really don’t care.
Food Dude, you know there are countless people who appreciate you and what you do, thank you.
Sidemeat, thanks for organizing the line, it could have easily gotten out of control!
bc says
geez, i thought i was the only bc around here. now i’m screwed.
Cuisine Bonne Femme says
Diner: Seriously. I think the tone and language of your post was a little more than just asking a couple of questions: i.e.
In addition, one of the reasons no one answered your question is because it came across to me anyway as, well, silly at best. What are the qualifications for anyone reviewing anything? Is there a national reviewer certification that I don’t know about?
Who is paying Food Dude? There is sometimes a little donation box on the right side of this page. So in essence, you could be paying Food Dude.
As for your experience dining at Food Dude rated restaurants – well, he did just write a whole little piece on the propensity of restaurants to be inconsistent.
Diner says
Yikes. What’s all the bristling about? I just asked a couple of questions. (Which, incidentally, no one answered).
Well Seasoned says
Diner:
First, de gustibus non est disputandum. Food Dude’s tastes are not yours, and vice versa. This is a given.
Second, as you may already have gathered, none of us care who FD is or what credentials, culinary or otherwise, he/she brings to reviewing restaurants. We’re just happy to have a comfortable site on which to share and discuss our opinions about food in Portland, knowing that FD will keep the conversation interesting by posting thought-provoking reviews, comments, and interviews, while weeding out abusive or obscene posts.
Third, I suggest you read what FD has to say about how the site started and how it’s managed (click on “About Us” at the top of the page). What FD says (and I have no reason to disbelieve this) is that he/she pays personally for all restaurant visits and accepts money only from occasional book ads on the site and from the donation link at the top of the page, which some of us click on occasionally to help FD keep the site going.
That’s at least a start on answering your questions.
Food Dude says
Really; thanks everyone for jumping in. After spending an entire day debugging on little search page on the new site, I’m frazzled enough already.
(Anyone interested in being beta testers?)
Diner: See the “About” page. Button on the upper left part of the site.
Well-Seasoned: I’ll have you know I’ve made $12.76 off of those book links!
Emily says
Who pays FD?
It’s a known fact, Sonny Jim,
that a secret society…..of the five wealthiest people,
known as the Pentavirate….run everything in the world,
including the newspapers…and meet tri-annually at a secret
mansion in Colorado known as…”The Meadows.”
-Who’s in the Pentavirate? The Queen, the Vatican,
the Gettys, the Rothschilds…
…and Colonel Sanders,
before he went t*ts-up. I hated the Colonel,
with his wee beady eyes…
Today’s random quote brought to you by So I Married An Axe Murderer. But I think you get the idea.
Ted says
Emily, brilliant !!! I’m still laughing. Stuart’s rant is one of the best ever and I thank you for trying to somehow use it to explain who pays FD. Your post is a perfect example of what makes this site great.
FD, keep up the great work.
Sidemeat, the fire marshall won’t let the line get any longer unless you get a parade permit.
Ted
gustoeater says
silly foodies, everyone know that fooddude is extraMSG
gustoeater says
silly foodies! everyone knows that food dude is xtraMSG! (or is it the other way around?)
Cuisine Bonne Femme says
We’ll know 10-01 is really in trouble when:
1. They start having Jazz Brunch on Sundays
2. They start issuing “Twofer” Coupons
3. They join one of those discount coupon dining clubs or coupon books
4. They start advertising on a billboard or bus stop or one of those advertising boards you sometimes see in public restrooms
I do wish them the best however and hope they can turn things around. It is a beautiful and well located space with a lot of potential.
Ellie says
I beg to differ…
I think Diner is Extra MSG (or the other way around.)
Ellie says
Oh, and FD, could you pass me a hot toddy? I’m stading near the back of the line, which is nearly to Canby at this point. It’s getting cold out here.
sidemeat says
Ellie,
No way…
Diners posts are way to short.
Ellie says
I stand corrected. Diner kept his misguided post to a mere paragraph.
Hunter says
Just returned from a trip to Carmel and the Napa Valley. This phenomenon is by no means limited to PDX. The erstwhile chef is a problem anywhere and everywhere. I witnessed it last week. One other issue that feeds this problem is an obvious one. There is no business that’s more transient than cooking. I never worked in a kitchen that didn’t have amazingly large turnover. Consistency just isn’t that easy when you’re dealing with new people on the line or even as sous all the time. That’s no excise, just an observation.
Kevin Peck says
I agree
There are becoming fewer and fewer GOOD restaurants in Portland where the Owner and Chef are one. Every good owner and or owner/chef, or head chef for that fact needs to taste everything as it is being made, nothing should be leaving that kitchen that doesn’t have that stamp of approval. As a chef you are only as good as the last item served.
Marco Shaw says
I rarely have the time to read blogs, mostly because I’m at work 85 hours a week, but tonight a customer told me there was some information out about my new restaurant and I thought I should check it out and I found this site and eventually this thread. How nice that there is a place for people to discuss what’s going on in the food world even if you are not actually shaking pans or serving dishes! Steve Smith did leave Fife in October 2005 and is now at Carlyle. He was replaced temporarily by Danielle Pruett who is now at clarklewis and she was replaced by Jessica Howard in early 2006 who has taken us to a new level which I am very proud of and happy to be associated with. We do freeze berries which we get from our farmers or pick ourselves in the summertime, then use for dessert sauces in the fall/winter; I wouldn’t have it any other way because I don’t like to by anything except for citrus from outside of Oregon because it doesn’t grow here, and it’s nice to have something other than chocolate to offer in the “rainy months”. I agree that consistency is something that we all strive for but there are circumstances that effect that. When you sign up for the role as chef/owner you make a commitment to yourself, your staff and your potential guests that you are going to bring it everyday. The problem lies in that fact that what you are working with can sometimes be an inconsistent product. When you try to go completely local/organic sometimes the weather can foul you up and your product is not always available, then you are left with trying to present your guests with a menu with very limited ingredients. I don’t want to make excuses for what can happen because I love the fact that we try to only source from local growers/farmers and ranchers but sometimes there just isn’t much available in Oregon and you have to make do with what is available. Yeah a menu with nothing but rutabagas and kohlrabi can be boring and unexciting but sometimes that’s all there is. In the long run it is just food and we as people who love to eat and cook can only hope that everyday we give the best that we can and hope that people get it and like it and continue to come in and enjoy. Good Work Food Dude and thanks to all of those who care about food in Oregon!
sidemeat says
Uh, Marco? You were interviewed on this site a little more than a year ago.
KD says
Dude, spot on! So true about lack of consistency in Portland, OR restaurants, as well as lack of training in waitstaff. (‘sort of vegetarian….!!!!!’)
It is quite awful when after singing the praises of a favorite restaurant, we bring out of town guests and unintentionally force them to sit through abysmal food and/or service, sometimes ending in food poisoning!
Moved away from Portland several years ago, but one restaurant we had good luck with in terms of food quality consistency (although service could be spotty, and sherry selection wasn’t the best) was Le Pigeon. The dishes were always well executed regardless of whether we liked it or not. (Their sister restaurant Little Bird in downtown unfortunately was hit or miss in terms of food, amazing one night, horrible the next, and rude/poor service.)
PDX Food Dude says
And all these years later this is still an issue!