Sometimes Corporate gets in the way of a good experience.
I myself have become leery of PearWasp's NOT because the quality of service locally has declined, no! Instead, the marketing department seems to have gone beyond setting the menu and started interfering in the kitchen.
I ordered a medium steak. Not because I like medium steak, but because I like medium-rare steak and my experience at the majority of places that serve steak is to undercook the meat a half level, because it is easier to refire an underdone piece of meat than replace an overdone steak.
My "Medium" steak arrived still bleeding. I grew up on a beef farm, and all that I've ever learned of steak says that a medium steak should be bright pink in the center with clear juice. (Medium-well= pale pink, well=no pink). By that definition, my "Medium" steak had definitely been delivered Rare.
The manager was quick to rush over to my raised hand and send my meat back to the kitchen (for microwaving, I am sure), but then blamed the situation on a "southern focus group who liked their medium steak cooked to 135°".
That might work if one were to then cover the steak and let it "rest" and finish cooking for three minutes before sending to the table, but I somehow doubt that is the plan in a time strapped restaurant setting.
It disturbs me that a group of folks off of the street, as it were, somehow have the power to alter the food science definitions used in all the kitchens of a nationwide chain, just because they seem to prefer their steak rare.
I'm tempted to bring a probe thermometer along the next time I wind up there, just to see if the kitchen is even making it THAT far in the cooking process.
I myself have become leery of PearWasp's NOT because the quality of service locally has declined, no! Instead, the marketing department seems to have gone beyond setting the menu and started interfering in the kitchen.
I ordered a medium steak. Not because I like medium steak, but because I like medium-rare steak and my experience at the majority of places that serve steak is to undercook the meat a half level, because it is easier to refire an underdone piece of meat than replace an overdone steak.
My "Medium" steak arrived still bleeding. I grew up on a beef farm, and all that I've ever learned of steak says that a medium steak should be bright pink in the center with clear juice. (Medium-well= pale pink, well=no pink). By that definition, my "Medium" steak had definitely been delivered Rare.
The manager was quick to rush over to my raised hand and send my meat back to the kitchen (for microwaving, I am sure), but then blamed the situation on a "southern focus group who liked their medium steak cooked to 135°".
That might work if one were to then cover the steak and let it "rest" and finish cooking for three minutes before sending to the table, but I somehow doubt that is the plan in a time strapped restaurant setting.
It disturbs me that a group of folks off of the street, as it were, somehow have the power to alter the food science definitions used in all the kitchens of a nationwide chain, just because they seem to prefer their steak rare.
I'm tempted to bring a probe thermometer along the next time I wind up there, just to see if the kitchen is even making it THAT far in the cooking process.
Comment