The OSUT #228...Snow Mageddon 2022

[COOPADUP]

I worked in the restaurant business for about 15 years and have cut more steaks than I can count, so I'm not worried about trimming the silver skin. I miss the days when I could get the whole tenderloins at Atlas Grocery in Broadripple (where David Letterman used to work!) for $4.89/lb even when other places were charging double that back in the 1980's and 1990's. $4.89 tenderloins and cheap guns... *sigh* Those were the good ol' days for sure!

Yes that place was the best! I must be a little older, but I can remember getting them for 3.99 lb.
Canter & Cutter If memory serves me correct.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Yes that place was the best! I must be a little older, but I can remember getting them for 3.99 lb.
Canter & Cutter If memory serves me correct.

I didn't find out about Atlas until probably 1986 or 1987. I was living up near 106th and College (Ruckle St. actually) and working at Friday's at Keystone at the Crossing. Kept going to them even when I moved over on the west side (not far from CM!).

 

[Lpherr]

Hey DD and COOP!

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Yes that place was the best! I must be a little older, but I can remember getting them for 3.99 lb.
Canter & Cutter If memory serves me correct.

I remember working at this one place in Lafayette in the early 80's. It was a brand new restaurant (P.J. Honeycutt's), owned by a guy that had no idea about the restaurant business (He owned a general contracting company and was very good at that!).

When we were getting close to opening day, I saw a bunch of beef tenderloins in the walk-in cooler, so I asked the owner if he would like me to start cutting them into steaks, and if so, how much he'd like them to weigh.

He looked at me and said, "I thought those were for the fried tenderloin sandwiches!" I explained the difference to him. But damn, those would've been some pretty good (and expensive) fried tenderloin sandwiches!

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Howdy Lpherr!

 

[DoggyDaddy]

how much he'd like them to weigh.

That got me to thinking... I guess I've always been pretty gifted(?) when it comes to weight and volume estimation. With steaks, the first cut would be my "calibration" steak and I'd usually get pretty close to my target weight, but I'd adjust appropriately and pretty much nail it after that.

And as to volume, I remember getting ready to make Bordeaux sauce at Friday's (when they still made everything from scratch), and I was in the back bar walk-in with my pot in my hand, pouring from the bottle of wine when the GM walked in.

He was like, "Doggy! (not my real name) You've got to use a measuring cup for that!" I was like, "Manager! (not his real name) I'll show you how much wine I poured!" (2 qts.) Went and got the gallon measure and dumped my pot of wine into it and it was dead on the 2 qt. line. He never bothered me after that.

Did the same type of thing for dry measuring too. I know what a tablespoon of something looks like in my hand. Same for a teaspoon, etc.. Now for baking, I'm more precise when it comes to measuring stuff.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Now for baking, I'm more precise when it comes to measuring stuff.

When I worked at that P.J. Honeycutt's place, I became known as
"Grandma Daddy" (not my real last name) from my baking. I made these yeast rolls that were almost as big as your head! Everybody wanted to be back in the kitchen when those were baking. I made them by the trash bag full.

 

[target64]

Good evening people.

 

[GregD]

Evening Target

 

[Lpherr]

Evening target.

 

[Lpherr]

Hi GregD.

 

[GregD]

Howdy Lpherr

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I also nearly burned the restaurant down (P.J. Honeycutt's). I was working the grill one of the first few nights we were open, and the main premise of the restaurant was "charcoal and mesquite" grilled steaks.

We had a grill with a hood over it, that had 2 gas burners to light the charcoal, and then we'd put on the (dry) mesquite. Well, I overdid it on lighting it since we were expecting to be busy. I filled that sucker up with charcoal and cranked up both burners.

Once the charcoal got going, I threw on the mesquite (which burned much hotter). Went to the break room to have a smoke, and all of a sudden I heard what sounded like a jet taking off, coming from the area where the grill was.

I went over and realized that the hood and ventilation "flue" were on fire. Ran back to the break room area where the fire extinguisher was and ran back to the grill, where I did a knee slide that ended up right at the grill.

I emptied the fire extinguisher into the hood and got the fire out, but by that time the fire department had been called. They just verified that the fire was indeed out before they left.

I don't know if you've ever fired off a dry chemical fire extinguisher or not, but they really make a mess. We closed the kitchen and spent the rest of the night wiping all the white powder off everything and cleaning up in general.

Owner was cool about it though. Even though I'd just nearly burned down his restaurant, he was very forgiving. I'd have fired my butt!

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Evenin' Greg and target!

 

[GregD]

Evening DD

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Sorry for all the wordiness. One thing led to another with all the restaurant memories! Guess my long term memory is still okay. Just need to work on the short term memory thing!

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Sorry for all the wordiness. One thing led to another with all the restaurant memories! Guess my long term memory is still okay. Just need to work on the short term memory thing!

I blame @COOPADUP . He brought up beef tenderloins.

 

[ancjr]

I've made a few tbones/porterhouses but never messed with any tenderloin/filet by itself

 

[klausm]

beef short ribs ina gravy over polenta

 

[ancjr]

I never had proper polenta