Restaurant Nicholas [Red Bank, NJ]

Got an email from Nicholas letting me know I should eat there again. I always do what I am told so I found myself there for brunch today. They were less than full at noon, explaining the marketing email.

It took about ten minutes for me to explain to my online date that 1) No, I am not really vegan and 2) I am paying so either get over it and order or leave me to eat my burger in peace.

So here I am alone with my burger. Sucker is up to $17 and still a bargain and still likely the best thing on the menu.

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The fries, done medium-well, minus the garlic. 100%

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Curious…it comes w chips but you ordered fries on the side, or do you get both for $17? Also curious to know about the greens I can see…side salad?
I still haven’t been there.

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Only half a pickle? Day-um.

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It only comes with the house made potato chips. I wanted fries so they were $8 extra as a side.

As for the salad, I may have exaggerated my date’s upsetness at my order :wink:

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Technically I think that’s a 1/4 of a pickle.

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I will concede that it could be 3/8s of a pickle.

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Having spent a large portion of my life around commercial kitchens, I can say that I have seen un-eaten pickles placed back into the pickle bin. My lifelong research has led to my theory that about 1/3 off all pickles in circulation have been recycled, some dating back to the Carter administration. It’s because of this I have taught my children that regardless of personal pickle preference (the original PPP) it is every citizens obligation to bite the pickle they are served to ensure it can’t be put back in the pickle bin.

Personally, I’m not a huge pickle fan, but if I’m served one at a restaurant etc. I will bite the SOB and put it out of its misery. It’s the only humane thing to do to end this epidemic.

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This is absolutely true.

Had a friend who waitressed at a diner and they made her not only “recycle” uneaten pickles but also the small ramekins of coleslaw that also appeared untouched as well. Needless to say, I’m sure this was not isolated to that one diner and since coleslaw has a dairy element, being refrigerated and then out, and then refrigerated and out again, is actually kind of terrifying. Needless to say, I have never eaten coleslaw at any restaurant since, and if it happens to come with any meal I am served, I make sure to pour it out onto my plate after I am finished eating or stick something in it so it cannot be used again.

You’re a brave man for even taking one bite of a pickle!

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I’m a humble man Greg, but I will admit I’ve never met a pickle I couldn’t bite. Just sayin’

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People are better off not knowing what goes on in most restaurant kitchens. Ignorance can be bliss. I will often pick apart any bread/rolls that are leftover so they can’t be used again.

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Between working in food service and seeing things that I really want to write about but just can’t, and watching shows like Kitchen Nightmares and Restaurant Impossible, it is truly amazing how more people do not 1) get very sick, 2) die, 3) have incredible diarrhea after eating out.

You are right that ignorance can be bliss.

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I know! Sometimes I think maybe we are too careful with respect to food safety. I know some “rules” have changed since I first worked in kitchens - so there must be some leeway. There’s a whole world that is much more lax than we are here in the USA.

On a side note - when did you leave JMs?

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When we were in NYC last week, one of the restaurants we went to always provides a copious bread basket (including bagels during brunch), all baked in-house. There was quite a bit left which they gladly let us take home along with other leftovers.

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No, its not about leeway. The standards are actually higher now, I think, but vary establishment to establishment. Which chefs/managers are strict vs. which will tell you to pick up a piece of ham that fell on the floor, rinse it off in the hand sink, and save it for a rude customer. Did I slip that in there? Whoops. And regardless, they are almost always ServSafe certified, which I have heard from everyone I know who has taken it that its one of the hardest exams in existence. But anyone can take a test.

I’ve been gone a month. At a place to remain nameless. Can’t say its much better but I get to work with Justin and they are flexible with my lecture schedule, plus health insurance which can be rare in this industry.

I don’t want to derail this thread so I’ll stop there. I’d love to go on, in detail, about what I’ve seen and what I was forced to do, but I’d probably get sued. LOL

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Agree completely. Serv Safe is not that hard - I passed it.

Congrats on what sounds like a step up in the food service world.

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If there are two things, I think should be MANDATORY in this country they are:
1.) Everyone has to go to college, trade school or military after high school
2. Everyone has to work in retail / “hospitality” for 1 summer. ( or some period of time)

I think the public is largely clueless how rude they can be, intentionally or not. I also think if the public could see how things are “actually done” there would be a lot more understanding and sympathy for restaurants when they are “in the weeds”. This also includes food handling; I think people have a vast misunderstanding of how commercial kitchens actually work and how food is handled long before it hits the plate.

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People would never eat out again! LOL

But I agree 100% with your post.

Seriously, I have some, shall we say “entertaining” stories. If someone were to create a restaurant horror stories thread, I’d consider sharing them.

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Voila! Tne new thread, Restaurant Horror Stories!!

Paging all your current and former restaurant workers…

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Just made my first contribution!

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