Contact the FLB
There are so many ways to get in touch, it’s not even funny.
You can leave comments on the posts.
You can join the FLB on Facebook.
You can send a DM to the Twitter feed.
You can send a PM to Yelp.
But some people will just never be happy unless they can send a good old-fashioned email. And that’s fair. So here is the latest way to contact your friendly neighborhood FLB:
danielb [at] FUSSYlittleBLOG [dot] com
Maybe one day I’ll be able to spend the time to get the list of contact options up to eleven. It would really make the oblique Negativland reference come full circle. We have just so much power now, it’s ridiculous.
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Dear Profussor,
I have a service/etiquitte question for you.
If a chef/owner of a restaurant offers a comp meal, in response to a very bad meal, and then does not acknowledge it at the next visit..What to do?
Background info. My husband I have known this chef/owner for years. Not in a come over for a bbq way, but we have been big fans of his work. He did our wedding seven years ago and when we heard that he had opened his own restaurant several years later we were excited and found ourselves at “our” table every weekend. Truly, once a week for a couple of years and then 1-2 a month for a couple more. We knew the menu inside and out and the food was always outstanding. He is known for using local, fresh, and seasonal food. He is a bit of a celebrity chef for this area and is very well known for his ventures. We were treated like VIPs at his restaurant, brought countless people there, had him cater parties, and enthusiastically recommended it to anyone who had an ear. He would send out beautiful amuse bouche, seat us in the best corner table, and the service was spot on.
A few months back we were in for one of our dinners. These dinners, although fairly frequent, are special as we do have small children, and we do enjoy our food, drink, atmosphere and adult time…and we expected and dropped about $250 on a typical meal for 2 (I know, YIKES). Yet another reason that we expect this meal to be great near perfect. Both of us being creatures of habit (especially my better half), we tend to order many of the same things because they’re our FAVORITES and thus can tell if there is a slight nuance of something being off or different in the dinner. That night everything was off. From apps to cocktails, entrees and deserts. Everything. Just bad. The Chef was obviously not in the kitchen. It was very disappointing.
My husband then decided to drop the Chef an email, describing our experience, as we both felt that he should be aware of what was going on in his kitchen. This email was genial enough and we really didn’t get into the nitty gritty, and left out several things as not to appear too FUSSY. The Chef responded with a very nice email, apologized, said he hadn’t been in the kitchen and had been preoccupied with other ventures. He offered us a meal on the house on our next visit.
We hadn’t been looking for a free meal. Truly we just wanted to let him know what happened. We felt that as frequent customers we would have a unique view on how wrong that dinner was. If we had been first time customers that night, I would never have returned..
Finally we went back this past Saturday night. The dinner was good, service fine (no amuse), but no acknowledgment. We of course, didn’t say anything, paid the bill, and left.
So Profussor..what would you do?
Sincerely,
Toasted in Troy
I had a random question about what is considered vegetarian and one food item: eggs. I am not a vegetarian so i was confused after watching the Top Chef where they had to make a vegetarian dish, Michael served a whole poached egg in his vegetarian dish. To me an egg straight up can not be considered vegetarian, its still an animal albeit in its simplest form.
He served vegetarians a dead chicken zygote/fetus as the center piece of his dish and that’s considered vegetarian!? There was no mention of it on the show, maybe they had rules that said eggs were allowed in the vegetarian dishes but it didn’t sit well with me that he used it like that. It seemed so in your face to vegetarians that there was a dead animal in the middle of their dish.
I guess thats were all the different forms of vegetarianisms comes into play, but do vegetarians generally see eggs as not an animal since it never was a living breathing entity?
I tried to send you a DM on twitter but you are not following me. I have something to pique your interest if you are wine guy. You can send me a direct email or follow me @theresaJDRFneny
I’m following you now..momXchangeVG
and my interest is piqued..and I am a wine gal!
@C, the last part of your comment was pretty much as close as you’re going to get, but different people are likely to have different opinions on this.
In general, vegetarians do not eat ANY meat (although some will eat fish), mostly because of the ethics involved in slaughtering the animals. There is not really slaughter involved in the gathering of eggs, so while some may eat free-range based on ethics about cage overcrowding, and others may just not care, it really varies.
Vegans, on the other hand, do not eat (or generally wear) any animals products; thus cheese and eggs are not cool for vegans, while they are cool for vegetarians.
This is going to sound silly, but how I put a blog roll on my blog?
I would like to share with you a recent experience at the “The Bistro” Wine Bar in Latham Farms, and additionally get your take on it. The bar and restaurant are still very aesthetically appealing and comfortable (as was Vin Santo). The menu is relatively limited, which tends to make expectations high. We started with the pizza, since I love thin crust and it is marketed as such; (description as it appears on their menu:)
Pissaladière or Pissaladina is a type of pizza made in Southern France with a handmade thin crust.
Pissaladière Traditionelle ~ Sautéed Caramelized Onions, Olives, Tomatoes & Anchovies ~ 12
When the pizza arrived, it looked good. However, as we found out, looks and description were deceiving! It only took picking up the pizza to give you the first clue that it was not good. When you picked up a slice it … flopped over! The crust was soggy and limp; making the obvious deduction that it was not yet cooked. Our server had stepped away, so I asked the gentleman behind the bar if he was the GM, he said he was the owner; so, I called to his attention how soggy/damp the bottom of the pizza was; even picking it up to give him the visual. He quickly took the pizza back to the kitchen, and tried again a few minutes later (the same pizza as the two slices we had eaten were still missing!) The only noticeable difference in the exchange was that this pizza had been heated, it was warmer; still soggy – lacking any texture. He stayed with us as we tried it again, and asked if it was better. I wanted him to get my point so again I picked up a slice, to again! visibly illustrate how soggy and limp the crust was, telling him that he accomplished only to heat it. Much to my surprise, he attempted to convince us that any pizza that has vegetables on it like tomatoes and/or onions is going to be soggy. I countered with the almost ridiculously obvious: crispy or at least firm pizza with veggie toppings have been alive and well for quite some time now; and took it a step further by suggesting that if he truly believed that pizzas with veggie toppings are inevitably soggy, then perhaps he should take it off the menu; to which he replied “people order it all the time”. He then simply turned away and that was that. We wound up eating only the toppings on the pizza, since the wet dough was inedible. I have been in the restaurant business myself for some 20 years. I found the owner’s attitude particularly arrogant, inappropriate and self serving, especially in light of the blatant evidence, and the newness of the establishment. His reluctance to offer any resolution was even more baffling considering that he took a moment to educate us on his entrepreneurial acumen via the Epicurean, etc.
I am just curious about your/your readers take on this experience. Is restaurant etiquette dead or is it too much to expect the owner to rectify a customer’s dissatisfaction? Do tell !
i’m trying to find the post you did recently? – maybe not recently – where you mentioned the bread you prefer to buy from the supermarket. i searched “bread” but could only find the all good bakers post, and that’s not what i’m looking for. if you know which post it is, could you direct me to it? if not, or if it’s easier, could you just remind me which bread it was you mentioned? thanks! :)
The name of the post is Not Quite the Staff of Life.
The name of the bread is Heidelberg.
Now that you have this information, would you mind sharing with the class what you intend to do with it?
thanks! (i ended up finding the bread at price chopper & have been buying it ever since – or making my own). BUT i am back to this page today for a different reason: while we’re on the subject of “happy meat,” can we talk about “happy milk?”
#1 Watch:
#2
as far as i can tell, it is virtually impossible to find (purchase) “happy” (pasture-raised/grass-fed) milk anywhere around here. i have been purchasing dairy products from battenkill valley creamery at the farmer’s market and troy co-op for quite some time, but upon further investigation it appears that i have been duped by their website’s photos of rolling pasture and seemingly happy cows standing on or near grass. these cows don’t graze on pasture. they don’t even leave the barn. after getting a “tour” (which only includes the processing facilities — the cow barn and milking parlor are across the street and apparently not open or visible to the public) one blogger writes: “I was surprised to hear they keep their milking cows inside despite having 80 acres of pasture. Seth said that allows them to maintain uniformity in the milk flavor which their customers prefer.”
This article made me feel a little better: www.thespiritofsaratoga.com/story_Oct10.htm
“The McEachrons grow their own feed — a mix of hay, corn, alfalfa and other forages — on 1,000-plus acres.” –OK, so that’s what the fields are used for. i understand it’s near impossible to operate a dairy based 100% on grass-grazing because of winters, etc., and growing up, i spent hours helping out on one of the farms in the area whose many endeavors included growing and baling hay to be consumed by cows, but keeping the cows inside ALL THE TIME? YEAR ROUND? yikes. and keeping the public away from them and the milking parlor? double yikes. their feed sounds not-too-awful — if you’re a cow that isn’t allowed outdoors, i guess, but is the only other difference between this dairy and the factories the fact that they use glass bottles? i emailed “Seth” to ask for a tour.
update: maybe you are able to have a look at the cows at their places in the barn – i found this photo on flickr.
www.flickr.com/photos/divik/4455207434/
I saw your comments on the Table Hopping BLOG regarding MezzaNotte. I agree, and have had two very mediocre to bad services from that place, but it seems that it is still considered in high regards among the local populous so I didn’t bother to bring it up. I went there on a restaurant week event once, and received rubbery fish (monkfish,) two advertised dishes not in stock (on the first of three nights, and on a limited menu specifically for the event?!)
I came back to see if they could redeem themselves at a time that was more typical, a Friday night in mid November. Both me and my guest received very icy treatment by the wait staff, an ok shared app, then entrées that sounded delicious but in my case bland, and hers overdone to the point of a salmon colored hockeypuck (the fish AGAIN?!?!)
Did I mention that both experiences proved that you don’t always get what you paid for? I’d have a better night if I just went over to La Gioia’s for a sandwich or Marino’s for a pizza. Albany has some good food, and even some good upscale offerings, yet I will not ever back a recommendation for the guys down at Mezza Notte. No matter how much of a nice guy the chef is, or how innovative/delicious his menu advertises.
Hi!
I was wondering if you might make mention of this local food/wine/music/art event on your blog – www.chefsconsortium.com/albany-spring-celebration-historic-st-josephs.html?
Also, attached is a word document with info on the event if it makes cutting, pasting or editing a bit easier. Also, there is a link about the event on my blog below. Anything you can do to help us get the word out would be super appreciated!
Noah
P.s Lover your blog!
www.hudsonsaratogachefs.blogspot.com/
www.chefsconsortium.com/albany-spring-celebration-historic-st-josephs.html
Dear Profussor,
A long time ago (ok, only late last year) you extolled the virtues of drinking black coffee and weaning off milky coffees.
My favourite coffee used to be the very antipodean flat white. But now I’ve discovered pourover filter coffee. My life is complete and it no longer needs milk.
Thanks for the shove in that direction!
Hi–Thanks for posting a comment on my Nooks and Vales blog! Indian Ladder doughnuts are great too, but, in truth, the ones I make at home are even better. Still hoping to get around to making them this season. –Virginia
The negative land link is not opening on my phone. Want to share some of your cheap happy meat. Josh (Roxbury)