Rocky

Thursday...

Well it's the day off for the week and I have no idea how I will spend it. Beer comes to mind, but beer with food sounds even better. I have been called upon to cook for some friends this evening. What am I going to cook? Well, chili was asked for, and this is actually a different set of friends then a few weeks ago so I guess I can't complain.

This week is unbelievably slow at the restaurant. Maybe politics to come into play with the state of.. eh fuck, I could care less why it's slow. I just know it is and I won't start with excuses on as to why. So not exactly the most exciting week in the kitchen.

Last night wasn't all that bad but one clip from last night I want to share is this conversation that took place between a server and I. He walked into the kitchen and said, "Chef, please just say no so I can got tell the guests we cant do it." I replied, "Why are you even asking something you already have an answer for?" He goes on, "Well the guest would like to know if you can filet the whole fish for them." My reply, "That's something you do table side for the guest." The server finally exclaimed, "Oh hell no, thank you."

Let me fill you in on this before you think I'm smoking crack by only telling a part of the story. It is all that you should need to know about that server in particular, but I can't tell you if it is laziness or just the server does not know how to do it. The server did not even ask how it can be done, and this guy has been serving for at least 10 years in this city at numerous upstanding restaurants. Don't ask me how that person has gotten this far without ever having to do such a thing.

But I did just tell him to get the Rockfish that I had on the menu from my special the day before. The whole fish for the evening was striped bass. Kinda the same fish, it's a constant discussion with everyone who brings it up...what is the difference between Rockfish and striped bass?

For me it's simple, leave the tri-state area and ask for a Rockfish. They won't know what you are talking about. It's a Maryland thing, like crab cakes and football, ya know?

The other difference here is whenever I get Rockfish it is wild, while my striped bass is almost always farm raised. Rockfish is also a marketing name too, kinda like Chilean Black Sea Bass...do you think it would be so popular if we called it by it's real name, Toothfish???