NERRRRRRRD!

[madbaker]

I had dinner last night with my mother at a reasonably nice seafood restaurant last night. The following is a reasonably accurate transcription of my behavior when the bread arrived.

I pick it up and look closely, noting that the crust is rather pale and the crumb looks substandard, i.e. there aren't a nice pattern of holes in the bread as carbon dioxide forms during the rising and baking process. Sniff. They put a salt wash on the crust - that accounts for some of the color lack, but not all. Chew. The bread is cold, doughy, underbaked. I hypothesize that they routinely underbake and then finish off in the oven for ten minutes just before serving (which would complete the baking and give more color to the crust) but that our particular batch has obviously been missed.

I think about requesting a new batch of bread, but forego the temptation.
Yes, this pretty much is my standard line of analysis at a restaurant. I can't help it.

Comments

[tsgeisel.livejournal.com]

How often do you get a chance to not just geek out, but demonstrate your geek fu to people who should know better? I mean, it's one thing to do so amongst people who already know, but it's another when it comes unexpectedly.

You should have asked for a new batch, and explained what you thought the problem was, had they asked.

[patsmor.livejournal.com]

I mentioned to the manager of one of my favorite restaurants the other night that the cornbread had too much baking powder in it. Usually their cornbread is to die for, needing no butter or other assistance. But last time it was bitter, with little pockets of unmixed powder.

I showed her one of the pieces, and asked if they'd changed mixes, or if someone new had made the batch that day. She went back and checked, and, yup, the entire day's batch was made by a new employee and the three pans she tasted were all that way. I felt useful! I didn't say "this is terrible!" but rather "I wonder..," while singing the praises of their usual recipe.