When it comes to deep-fried foods, restaurant dining has an advantage over eating at home. Preparing French fries and the like are tasks most household kitchens (and cooks) aren’t eager to take on, so consumers, when they hunger for something deep fried, are inclined to rely on the restaurant experience.
Restaurant do, in fact, have the capacity to produce top-quality deep-fried foods, thanks to sophisticated fryers, custom-formulated fats and kitchen expertise.
So why, then, are deep-fried foods in restaurants so often disappointing? The source of that problem lies in the nature of the deep-frying process itself.
The oils or shortenings used in deep frying - they should never be referred to as “grease” - have two relevant characteristics.
First of all, fryer fat breaks down with use. From the very first batch of fries on, exposure to heat (typical restaurant frying temperatures are around 350-375 degrees), air, and moisture from the food being cooked all cause the fat to slowly degrade into free fatty acids. Those, as they accumulate with continued use, can give the food a subtle but discernible “sour” flavor.
Additives to combat the fatty acid breakdown are formulated into commercial frying fats, and certain procedures, if practiced diligently, can extend the useful life of the oil. Such steps include frequent filtering, keeping the oil at a lower “idling” temperature when not being used to cook food, and making sure that fryer fat is replaced before it becomes heavily contaminated with the byproducts of heat and usage breakdown.
The last requirement - frequent fat replacement - is where a second characteristic of commercial frying products, their cost, becomes relevant. A container of fat can easily cost around $100, a not inconsiderable expense considering that replacement, in a high-volume operation, might be required every week or so in order to maintain top frying quality.
What therefore causes disappointing deep-fried foods in restaurants is usually not the process itself, but operational shortcuts, including inadequate fryer and fryer oil maintenance and/or too-infrequent oil replacement.
Both shortcuts save money but do so at the expense of food quality and customer satisfaction.
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Side Dishes
The Notch 8 Grille in Northampton has introduced a weekly Sunday Brunch.
Served from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., the brunch is billed as offering “the best of two worlds,” with both a buffet option and a selection of a la carte specialties available.
The buffet features a chef-attended omelet station, a selection of dishes for midday enjoyment, and a dessert table display.
The a la carte brunch menu lists the likes of Bananas Foster French Toast, Lobster Eggs Benedict, and a Smoked Salmon “Club” Sandwich. A Tomahawk Steak and Eggs for Two is also available.
The Notch 8 Grille can be reached at 413-326-4151.
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As part of this spring’s Culinary Passport Dinner series, on May 1, the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge is offering a tastebud tour of Brazil.
The Red Lion’s Executive Chef, Jon Sterrett, is planning a five-course overview of a complex and vibrantly flavorful set of food traditions. Those attending can also elect to enjoy beverage pairings designed to complement the meal.
The dinner, which begins at 6 p.m., will cost $133.35; the beverage pairings are an additional $40. Paid reservations for the event can be made on Eventbrite.com.
The Red Lion Inn can be contacted at 413-298-5545.
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The Student Prince Cafe and Fort Restaurant in Springfield will be hosting its Rock N Roll IV Beer Dinner on May 9, starting at 6 p.m.
A five-course menu will be paired with specially selected brews inspired by the greats of rock ‘n’ roll.
Live music by Andrew Henshon will be part of the evening.
The event is priced at $80, which includes tax and gratuity. Paid reservations can be made online at beanrg.com/shop/beerdinner.
The Student Prince answers at 413-734-7475.
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With four of the five institutions that comprise the Five College Consortium holding commencement ceremonies the weekend of May 17-19, the dining out scene in central Hampshire County will be busy those days.
To make things easier, the Inn on Boltwood in Amherst is offering a Five College Commencement Luncheon on Friday, May 17, starting at 1 p.m.
A special feature of this occasion is the option to reserve private seatings for large groups, with each party having its own table.
The event features a luncheon buffet with a beef sirloin carving station. Other main dishes available will include grilled salmon and chicken Provencal.
A cash bar with an option for bottle sales of champagne is also planned.
Tickets for the Commencement Luncheon are $60, service fee and tax included. Reservations should be made through Eventbrite.com, which will tack on a “convenience fee.” The deadline for paid reservations through Eventbrite is Monday, May 13.
The Inn at Boltwood will also be hosting a similarly-organized Amherst College Commencement Dinner on Saturday, May 25.
Questions about either event should be directed to the Inn at Boltwood at 413-835-2008.
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There’s only a week or so left to enjoy the Pancake of the Month at participating IHOP locations, with April’s featured hotcake presentation being Cinnamon Apple Pecan.
A stack of four buttermilk pancakes topped with cinnamon apples, dulce de leche sauce, a sprinkle of pecans, and a finishing garnish of whipped topping, the Pancake of the Month can also be enjoyed as part of a “combo” with eggs, a breakfast meat choice, and hash browns.
There are IHOP locations at Five Town Plaza in the Sixteen Acres section of Springfield and on Riverdale Street in West Springfield.
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One of the significant downsides of restaurant jobs is the need to work while the rest of the world is having fun.
However, one Seattle fine dining venue is trying to change that. Family-owned Canlis, a destination restaurant known for its dramatic design and the multiple James Beard Awards it’s received , is giving its staff weekends off this summer.
Canlis is planning to close weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day, forfeiting the revenue opportunity that Saturdays, the busiest evening of the week, represent.
The idea, according to the restaurant’s owners, is to give employees the chance to enjoy time off within the same time frame that family and friends are typically off work.
The restaurant is reaching out on social media, encouraging customers to support the scheduling experiment by coming to Canlis for dinner on Mondays, a night when the restaurant would normally be closed.
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Reaching out to value-oriented customers who have seen their dining-out options diminish with menu price inflation, KFC has introduced “Taste of KFC” Deals, a group of meal offerings priced starting at $4.99.
These include a two-piece meal with potato, gravy, and biscuit; a Meal for Two that includes four pieces of chicken, potatoes, gravy and biscuits; and a $20 Family Meal offering made up of six pieces, four sides, and four biscuits.
In announcing the new deals, KFC’s corporate leadership has stated that “value has become a bigger priority for the chain.”
There are KFC outlets on Center Street in Ludlow, on Memorial Drive in Chicopee, and on King Street across from the Stop & Shop Plaza in Northampton.
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The cafe chain Starbucks has signed onto the “swicy” trend by introducing three new sweet-spicy lemonade drinks.
A limited-time-only menu offering, the Spicy Lemonade Refreshers are available in three flavors - strawberry, pineapple, and dragonfruit; they get their spicy kick from a proprietary chili blend.
Starbucks is also offering a spicy cream cold foam as a customization option for the other drinks on its menu.
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The Dirty Truth Beer Hall in Northampton, in conjunction with Allagash Brewing Company of Portland, Maine, will be celebrating Saison Day on April 27. Saison, a “farmhouse-style” of ale traditionally produced in Belgium, will be the day’s featured beer, with ales from several domestic and imported producers available.
The kitchen at Dirty Truth will also be producing Belgian-inspired dishes that day from noon until 10 p.m.
Reservations for Saison Day are available on the Dirty Truth’s website. The establishment picks up at 413-585-5999.
Hugh Robert is a faculty member in Holyoke Community College’s hospitality and culinary arts program and has nearly 50 years of restaurant and educational experience. Robert can be reached online at OffTheMenuGuy@aol.com.