A Buffet idea
- Thread starter Bill2006
- Start date
Heya all,
Yes, I am a sucker for buffets/cafeteria style places. I grew up in
the South where they were legion and were actually very good.
On Monday, I was making my way back to Pismo Beach, and stopped for
lunch in Barstow, CA. Yes, I know Barstow is not known for fine
dining, or even decent places to eat. However, I was starving, since
I had missed my breakfast stop.
I started casing out what might be decent, when I spotted a newish
restaurant/buffet in a mostly deserted mall. It was called Our Town
Buffet, and I thought it might be worth a look.
The door to the place was a tiny bit ratty looking, but I pushed it
open anyway, and went in. There was a hostess, who turned out to be
the hostess, and the only waiter/waitress. A few buffet tables were
there,..and a room full of tables, of which most were empty. The
hostess explained it was an all you can eat place, with dessert and
drinks included in the price..which was decent.
I decided to chance it.
The selection was half okay...in that the Mexican food was good
(except for the meatballs, which were tough and overcooked). The
vegetables looked like they were from a can or cooked from frozen. The
salad bar was a dinky little affair...with lettuce and a few
lackluster toppings. There was a fruit station, with cutup melon, and
a few other lackluster cut up fruits.
Okay. I tried out the bbq style ribs, the meatballs (which the
hostess said were spicy), a chile verde which was great, some
enchiladas, and a chimichanga. There were also taquitos on the steam
table. I skipped the vegetables and the salad and fruit bars.
The ribs were actually pretty good, although I think they were cooked
in some sort of bottled sauce. The enchiladas were pretty good as
well, as was the chimichanga. The hostess offered me something to
drink, and I chose a soft drink.
By the time I was getting full, the hostess offered me dessert. I
asked what was available, and she gave me a list of jello, rice
pudding, a strawberry cream cake and I forget what else. I decided on
rice pudding. Oh, there was also ice cream, which was storebought.
Big mistake. The rice was either overcooked and just added to a
watery pudding, and was gritty. Not the creamy rice pudding I
wanted. I ate a few bites, then said I was too full.
During this time the hostess talked to me, as I was about the only
person in the dining room. She said they had only been open a few
months, and that they made everything in house, except for the ice
cream. She was extremely proud of this..and said they were looking
for business...that they needed customers. I noticed that the cooks
were mostly Hispanic, and I think that attests to the fact that the
Mexican dishes were okay.
It was a mixed sucess lunch. I am thinking of writing them a note,
and mentioning what they could improve on, cause this looked like a
put together operation..a homegrown type of place. Definitely not a
chain. I think it has the potential to be good.
Aside from all of this, it got me thinking, and I entertained myself
all the way across the desert with my thinking. I wondered how if I
were to do something like this, what I would serve, and how I would do
it. Say, a smallish place, with all food prepared in house.... Not
elaborate food, but really good food. Good enough, so that word might
get out that it was a find, a really good place to find good food. I
know this is possible, cause of some of the places that are found in
the South.
I thought I would put it out to all of you, and ask what you would
serve, and how. For instance, I can see the above mentioned rice
pudding being a good choice, but only if it were done really well....
Say a Mexican rice pudding.. Or a rice pudding with dried fruit in
it...
Same with the other foods mentioned above. I could see the meatballs
being good, and being light instead of heavy and overdone.
So, you all..what would you put on the menu for a homegrown buffet?
Mind you, this food would have to be all made on premises.. Mind you,
none of this is in my plans: it is a theoretical but fun (at least to
me) exercise, which was entertaining to me.
I had an idea for fresh hot breads... Say big fluffy, yeasty rolls.
Maybe spoonbread. Or good cornbread. Maybe popovers, if I were to
get an established clientele, since they are not good after a bit.
They need to be hot and fresh. Oh, and homemade biscuits...different
kinds... Say regular ones some days...maybe sweet potato biscuits
some days, depending on what else is on the menu.
For main dishes, I was also thinking it would be a good idea to have
at least one vegetarian/vegan dish on the steam table. A lot of
dishes can be that way, and still be enticing to omnivores too.... As
for others, maybe something like Chicken Country Captain, with coconut
rice served as well.
Maybe a few varied well made salads, on the salad station. Maybe
something like the old classic Perfection salad. A type of
slaw...changing from time to time. Say a mayo based one, then maybe a
sweet and sour slaw, or a spicy Asian slaw. Maybe something like
Waldorf salad.
Desserts. I can think of tons. A really good poundcake, with maybe a
berry compote, or a dried fruit compote served alongside. Or to take
a tip from Chez Panisse, an almond cake served with the above. A tart
or pie... I love tarts, so those might be my choice-maybe a fruit
tart, or a lemon tart. Something chocolate... A pudding of sorts...
All this would depend on how much of clientele there was. I would
think starting small would be smart..with maybe only a very few
selections. Then, as the customer base grew, start adding more, and
more things that need to be eaten soon.
Oh, and I was thinking (since I love appetizers myself) an appetizer
station!!
So, you guys wanna play along on my theoretical exercise?
Christine
--
http://nightstirrings.blogspot.com
Yes, I am a sucker for buffets/cafeteria style places. I grew up in
the South where they were legion and were actually very good.
On Monday, I was making my way back to Pismo Beach, and stopped for
lunch in Barstow, CA. Yes, I know Barstow is not known for fine
dining, or even decent places to eat. However, I was starving, since
I had missed my breakfast stop.
I started casing out what might be decent, when I spotted a newish
restaurant/buffet in a mostly deserted mall. It was called Our Town
Buffet, and I thought it might be worth a look.
The door to the place was a tiny bit ratty looking, but I pushed it
open anyway, and went in. There was a hostess, who turned out to be
the hostess, and the only waiter/waitress. A few buffet tables were
there,..and a room full of tables, of which most were empty. The
hostess explained it was an all you can eat place, with dessert and
drinks included in the price..which was decent.
I decided to chance it.
The selection was half okay...in that the Mexican food was good
(except for the meatballs, which were tough and overcooked). The
vegetables looked like they were from a can or cooked from frozen. The
salad bar was a dinky little affair...with lettuce and a few
lackluster toppings. There was a fruit station, with cutup melon, and
a few other lackluster cut up fruits.
Okay. I tried out the bbq style ribs, the meatballs (which the
hostess said were spicy), a chile verde which was great, some
enchiladas, and a chimichanga. There were also taquitos on the steam
table. I skipped the vegetables and the salad and fruit bars.
The ribs were actually pretty good, although I think they were cooked
in some sort of bottled sauce. The enchiladas were pretty good as
well, as was the chimichanga. The hostess offered me something to
drink, and I chose a soft drink.
By the time I was getting full, the hostess offered me dessert. I
asked what was available, and she gave me a list of jello, rice
pudding, a strawberry cream cake and I forget what else. I decided on
rice pudding. Oh, there was also ice cream, which was storebought.
Big mistake. The rice was either overcooked and just added to a
watery pudding, and was gritty. Not the creamy rice pudding I
wanted. I ate a few bites, then said I was too full.
During this time the hostess talked to me, as I was about the only
person in the dining room. She said they had only been open a few
months, and that they made everything in house, except for the ice
cream. She was extremely proud of this..and said they were looking
for business...that they needed customers. I noticed that the cooks
were mostly Hispanic, and I think that attests to the fact that the
Mexican dishes were okay.
It was a mixed sucess lunch. I am thinking of writing them a note,
and mentioning what they could improve on, cause this looked like a
put together operation..a homegrown type of place. Definitely not a
chain. I think it has the potential to be good.
Aside from all of this, it got me thinking, and I entertained myself
all the way across the desert with my thinking. I wondered how if I
were to do something like this, what I would serve, and how I would do
it. Say, a smallish place, with all food prepared in house.... Not
elaborate food, but really good food. Good enough, so that word might
get out that it was a find, a really good place to find good food. I
know this is possible, cause of some of the places that are found in
the South.
I thought I would put it out to all of you, and ask what you would
serve, and how. For instance, I can see the above mentioned rice
pudding being a good choice, but only if it were done really well....
Say a Mexican rice pudding.. Or a rice pudding with dried fruit in
it...
Same with the other foods mentioned above. I could see the meatballs
being good, and being light instead of heavy and overdone.
So, you all..what would you put on the menu for a homegrown buffet?
Mind you, this food would have to be all made on premises.. Mind you,
none of this is in my plans: it is a theoretical but fun (at least to
me) exercise, which was entertaining to me.
I had an idea for fresh hot breads... Say big fluffy, yeasty rolls.
Maybe spoonbread. Or good cornbread. Maybe popovers, if I were to
get an established clientele, since they are not good after a bit.
They need to be hot and fresh. Oh, and homemade biscuits...different
kinds... Say regular ones some days...maybe sweet potato biscuits
some days, depending on what else is on the menu.
For main dishes, I was also thinking it would be a good idea to have
at least one vegetarian/vegan dish on the steam table. A lot of
dishes can be that way, and still be enticing to omnivores too.... As
for others, maybe something like Chicken Country Captain, with coconut
rice served as well.
Maybe a few varied well made salads, on the salad station. Maybe
something like the old classic Perfection salad. A type of
slaw...changing from time to time. Say a mayo based one, then maybe a
sweet and sour slaw, or a spicy Asian slaw. Maybe something like
Waldorf salad.
Desserts. I can think of tons. A really good poundcake, with maybe a
berry compote, or a dried fruit compote served alongside. Or to take
a tip from Chez Panisse, an almond cake served with the above. A tart
or pie... I love tarts, so those might be my choice-maybe a fruit
tart, or a lemon tart. Something chocolate... A pudding of sorts...
All this would depend on how much of clientele there was. I would
think starting small would be smart..with maybe only a very few
selections. Then, as the customer base grew, start adding more, and
more things that need to be eaten soon.
Oh, and I was thinking (since I love appetizers myself) an appetizer
station!!
So, you guys wanna play along on my theoretical exercise?
Christine
--
http://nightstirrings.blogspot.com
rebelsoldier21
New member
In news:rec.food.cooking, Bryan posted on Wed,
16 Feb 2011 04:21:45 -0800 (PST) the following:
Just go into the buffet, ask for the manger, and ask the manager which
foods cost them the most. Then just make sure you keep refilling your
plate with their most expensive foods.
I'm not serious, of course. I always just eat what I like. I don't do my
best to keep the restaurant from making a profit by eating what I think
will cost them the most. But if I go to a catfish restaurant, I do want
to eat mostly catfish. I just like it, and I'm usually never that
impressed with the fries at most of the catfish places I've tried.
Damaeus
16 Feb 2011 04:21:45 -0800 (PST) the following:
Just go into the buffet, ask for the manger, and ask the manager which
foods cost them the most. Then just make sure you keep refilling your
plate with their most expensive foods.
I'm not serious, of course. I always just eat what I like. I don't do my
best to keep the restaurant from making a profit by eating what I think
will cost them the most. But if I go to a catfish restaurant, I do want
to eat mostly catfish. I just like it, and I'm usually never that
impressed with the fries at most of the catfish places I've tried.
Damaeus
On Feb 16, 11:37?am, "Nunya Bidnits" wrote:
Two years ago we went to "Golden Corral", people were dumping food on
the floor. Plates heaped with food were on the table with huge fat
people returning to the buffet. Yes the food was horrid. But to go
and blatantly waste food like that is inexcusable. And the giant fat
people with little kids that were lined up to get plates for the kids
and have you ever seen a kid eat anything in a restaurant? LOL
Two years ago we went to "Golden Corral", people were dumping food on
the floor. Plates heaped with food were on the table with huge fat
people returning to the buffet. Yes the food was horrid. But to go
and blatantly waste food like that is inexcusable. And the giant fat
people with little kids that were lined up to get plates for the kids
and have you ever seen a kid eat anything in a restaurant? LOL
Dogs Totally Rock
New member
On 2/15/2011 9:54 PM, Christine Dabney wrote:
You reminded me of my mom's dream long ago. She at one time had a
catering business. She partnered with someone else, mainly for
weddings, and that's what got me interested in decorating wedding cakes.
She always wanted to open a restaurant.
I can't wait to see the ideas you get.
You reminded me of my mom's dream long ago. She at one time had a
catering business. She partnered with someone else, mainly for
weddings, and that's what got me interested in decorating wedding cakes.
She always wanted to open a restaurant.
I can't wait to see the ideas you get.
Azerkeruth
New member
On Feb 16, 11:15?am, "Nunya Bidnits" wrote:
Must be a Midwestern thing. All the Chinese joints here are run by
Mexicans, too. And all the Mexican joints are run by Asians. Very
odd, indeed.
Must be a Midwestern thing. All the Chinese joints here are run by
Mexicans, too. And all the Mexican joints are run by Asians. Very
odd, indeed.
On Thu, 17 Feb 2011 01:23:53 +0000 (UTC), [email protected]
(Steve Pope) wrote:
I don't see how a Portuguese sausage station would be any better than
Portuguese sausages cooked and held, but something whose quality
deteriorates quickly, like eggs cooked any way other than hard boiled,
would work.
--
Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
(Steve Pope) wrote:
I don't see how a Portuguese sausage station would be any better than
Portuguese sausages cooked and held, but something whose quality
deteriorates quickly, like eggs cooked any way other than hard boiled,
would work.
--
Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
DiscGolferPro
New member
On Tue, 15 Feb 2011 22:50:14 -0500, Cheryl
wrote:
Mind you, this isn't a plan of mine. It was just fun thinking of how
such a homegrown operation could be improved upon. And what could be
done to improve it.
Christine
--
http://nightstirrings.blogspot.com
wrote:
Mind you, this isn't a plan of mine. It was just fun thinking of how
such a homegrown operation could be improved upon. And what could be
done to improve it.
Christine
--
http://nightstirrings.blogspot.com
serenityone2000
New member
On Wed, 16 Feb 2011 11:37:02 -0600 in rec.food.cooking, "Nunya
Bidnits" wrote,
Here in California, sanitary regulations require that you NOT take a
used plate back to the buffet... get a clean plate every trip.
I can only guess that there is something notbob isn't telling us.
Dumping food on the floor under the table should NEVER happen.
Bidnits" wrote,
Here in California, sanitary regulations require that you NOT take a
used plate back to the buffet... get a clean plate every trip.
I can only guess that there is something notbob isn't telling us.
Dumping food on the floor under the table should NEVER happen.
Goddess of Laundry
New member
"Christine Dabney" wrote in message
news
[email protected]...
There used to be a place here in Edmonds called Angie's Little Italy. She
did a buffet on Fridays that was out of this world! There was a small salad
bar, soup and several different Italian dishes. I can't remember now if she
put pizza on the buffet or not. Probably so since people seem to like it.
It was never a favorite of mine so I'm sure I took other options rather than
that. I can't remember if there was dessert or not. I was never a big
dessert eater so likely wouldn't have taken it if there was any.
I think the reason her buffet worked so well was that she had it only one
day a week. So people looked forward to it! Of course you could get her
excellent food any other time, but the buffet was a good way to try small
amounts of a variety of things and for a good price!
Another buffet I remember well was in Eastern WA. I can't remember the name
or the city. It was either Yakima or Wenatchee. I was told that the best
thing there was the cinnamon rolls. So good that the person who told me
about them told me to take a plastic bag in my purse so I could take some
for breakfast. Sadly they were not open for breakfast or we would have gone
there. She was right! The rolls were excellent. And I did leave with one
in my purse. I wouldn't dare do such a thing now, but I was in high school
then. I also remember that I didn't eat much more than the cinnamon roll so
that in and of itself didn't make me feel so bad.
Mostly what I look for at a buffet is the salad bar. As long as there is
tons of fresh produce, I am happy. I do not usually eat much in the way of
prepared salads unless I make them myself. I need to know what is in them.
The same goes for other foods. Things like plain baked potatoes or most
rice dishes work well for me.
Cheeses are also nice. I remember going to some weird seafood buffet place
in downtown Seattle many years ago. I don't eat seafood but they did have a
cheese board. I thought that was a bit strange because I don't think the
two necessarily go together, but I guess I could be wrong.
news
[email protected]...There used to be a place here in Edmonds called Angie's Little Italy. She
did a buffet on Fridays that was out of this world! There was a small salad
bar, soup and several different Italian dishes. I can't remember now if she
put pizza on the buffet or not. Probably so since people seem to like it.
It was never a favorite of mine so I'm sure I took other options rather than
that. I can't remember if there was dessert or not. I was never a big
dessert eater so likely wouldn't have taken it if there was any.
I think the reason her buffet worked so well was that she had it only one
day a week. So people looked forward to it! Of course you could get her
excellent food any other time, but the buffet was a good way to try small
amounts of a variety of things and for a good price!
Another buffet I remember well was in Eastern WA. I can't remember the name
or the city. It was either Yakima or Wenatchee. I was told that the best
thing there was the cinnamon rolls. So good that the person who told me
about them told me to take a plastic bag in my purse so I could take some
for breakfast. Sadly they were not open for breakfast or we would have gone
there. She was right! The rolls were excellent. And I did leave with one
in my purse. I wouldn't dare do such a thing now, but I was in high school
then. I also remember that I didn't eat much more than the cinnamon roll so
that in and of itself didn't make me feel so bad.
Mostly what I look for at a buffet is the salad bar. As long as there is
tons of fresh produce, I am happy. I do not usually eat much in the way of
prepared salads unless I make them myself. I need to know what is in them.
The same goes for other foods. Things like plain baked potatoes or most
rice dishes work well for me.
Cheeses are also nice. I remember going to some weird seafood buffet place
in downtown Seattle many years ago. I don't eat seafood but they did have a
cheese board. I thought that was a bit strange because I don't think the
two necessarily go together, but I guess I could be wrong.
On Tue, 15 Feb 2011 19:56:41 -0800, "Julie Bove"
wrote:
When I was musing about this on my trip back to CA, I was thinking
that it would probably be best to only be open a few hours every
day...maybe from 11am to 2pm. Or maybe dinner hours instead.
Hmm...that would be another interesting idea. Maybe a composed
cheese plate every day? I see often that cheeses are served with a
fruit compote, or something else.... Just a few of those...
I am not looking at cost management or anything. This is just an
exercise in how one could go about making a homegrown operation into
something interesting so that maybe "foodies" would want to come to
it...
Christine
--
http://nightstirrings.blogspot.com
wrote:
When I was musing about this on my trip back to CA, I was thinking
that it would probably be best to only be open a few hours every
day...maybe from 11am to 2pm. Or maybe dinner hours instead.
Hmm...that would be another interesting idea. Maybe a composed
cheese plate every day? I see often that cheeses are served with a
fruit compote, or something else.... Just a few of those...
I am not looking at cost management or anything. This is just an
exercise in how one could go about making a homegrown operation into
something interesting so that maybe "foodies" would want to come to
it...
Christine
--
http://nightstirrings.blogspot.com
sf wrote:
I have never been on a norovirus ship, er cruise ship.
Fancy hotels tend to cater mass events (like conference dinners) using a
pseudo-buffet approach, where some fraction of the items have a human doing
some preparation on the spot (such as slicing a roast, or
perhaps grilling something). Usually this is nothing better than
ordinary due to cost-cutting, but in theory the approach could work.
Maybe I'm not going to fancy enough hotels. ;-)
S.
I have never been on a norovirus ship, er cruise ship.
Fancy hotels tend to cater mass events (like conference dinners) using a
pseudo-buffet approach, where some fraction of the items have a human doing
some preparation on the spot (such as slicing a roast, or
perhaps grilling something). Usually this is nothing better than
ordinary due to cost-cutting, but in theory the approach could work.
Maybe I'm not going to fancy enough hotels. ;-)
S.
Alice B-Rabbit
New member
On Wed, 16 Feb 2011 13:12:57 -0800 (PST), projectile vomit chick
wrote:
I couldn't get my mouth past the name Fuddruckers... that's hardly a
suitable name for an eatery... probably okay for Fuddrucker's Septic
Pumping. hehe
wrote:
I couldn't get my mouth past the name Fuddruckers... that's hardly a
suitable name for an eatery... probably okay for Fuddrucker's Septic
Pumping. hehe
world outside my window
New member
On 2/15/2011 8:54 PM, Christine Dabney wrote:
(lotta snips)
This exercise sounds fascinating. The big hurdles most likely are
'timing' and 'quantities' (or the other way around!) for the various
selections of foods, cooked & uncooked. What's the largest population
of diners expected, and when is the 'prime time' for dining? Seems
'timing' is critical for good quality food, but if the diners aren't
there to eat when the dishes are 'just right', what then? Not to
mention the opposite scenario -- too many diners and not enough food?
What happens to the surplus food after it's been out for so long? Dang,
certainly not something easy and definitely a venture gamble :/
Sky, who wonders if this is a bit like 'construction management' ?
--
Ultra Ultimate Kitchen Rule - Use the Timer!
Ultimate Kitchen Rule -- Cook's Choice!!
(lotta snips)
This exercise sounds fascinating. The big hurdles most likely are
'timing' and 'quantities' (or the other way around!) for the various
selections of foods, cooked & uncooked. What's the largest population
of diners expected, and when is the 'prime time' for dining? Seems
'timing' is critical for good quality food, but if the diners aren't
there to eat when the dishes are 'just right', what then? Not to
mention the opposite scenario -- too many diners and not enough food?
What happens to the surplus food after it's been out for so long? Dang,
certainly not something easy and definitely a venture gamble :/
Sky, who wonders if this is a bit like 'construction management' ?
--
Ultra Ultimate Kitchen Rule - Use the Timer!
Ultimate Kitchen Rule -- Cook's Choice!!
On 2011-02-16, David Harmon wrote:
Must be recent. I took back same plate last buffet I dined at. That
was about 8-9 yrs ago. The place I worked has been gone for at least
30 yrs. CA is now so screwed up, I'm surprised they haven't outlawed
buffets entirely.
DOH! Looks like the HMB R-C big buck buffet has been banished.
WAH-wah.....
nb
Must be recent. I took back same plate last buffet I dined at. That
was about 8-9 yrs ago. The place I worked has been gone for at least
30 yrs. CA is now so screwed up, I'm surprised they haven't outlawed
buffets entirely.
DOH! Looks like the HMB R-C big buck buffet has been banished.
WAH-wah.....
nb
On Thu, 17 Feb 2011 06:26:03 +0000 (UTC), [email protected]
(Steve Pope) wrote:
I gave up on buffets long ago. They provide no satisfaction for me.
I don't do hotel buffets and prefer to let hubby graze the cruise ship
buffets on his own. I'd much rather eat in the dining room and have
table service, even if I am by myself.
--
Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.
(Steve Pope) wrote:
I gave up on buffets long ago. They provide no satisfaction for me.
I don't do hotel buffets and prefer to let hubby graze the cruise ship
buffets on his own. I'd much rather eat in the dining room and have
table service, even if I am by myself.
--
Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.