Text 20316, 147 rader
Skriven 2007-09-13 17:37:00 av Dave Drum (1:10/345)
     Kommentar till en text av MICHAEL LOO
Ärende: AYCE
============
On 08-28-07 Michael Loo Scribbled to Dave Drum about Candy & Food Bars 

ML> DD> Same way that almost all buffet type places make money - 
ML> DD> 1. Economies of scale
ML> DD> 2. Decreased employee expense
ML> DD> 3. Prominent featuring of low-cost salad and starch items
ML> DD> 4. Prominent featuring of medium cost vegetable items and
ML> DD> chicken items.
ML> DD> 5. Meats not cooked to order

ML>Yes, the above are true, especially the first 3, or 4. The
ML>meats thing is often but not always the case - I've been to
ML>plenty of places with a grill station, with the added expense
ML>that that entails (semi-skilled labor at least).

I have been to several Oriental AYCE places that feature a "Mongolian 
BBQ" which is a huge flat grill where Benihana rejects perform stir-fry 
from ingredients that you have selected ... for tips.

We used to have an AYCE called Duff's that had a "we cook it" station 
that did exceptionally bony, very thin-sliced pork steaks to request. 
And the occasional stir-fry. After the third owner of the franchise went 
tits-up there was a tragic fire and the insurance company owned it. Bv)=

ML> DD> An acquaintance who used to have a couple of Bonanza Steak
ML> DD> Houses here told me that his average food cost per meal for his
ML> DD> food bar (which was  U$4.99 as a stand alone and included with a
ML> DD> cooked to order meat entree)  was 42c per person. And chicken
ML> DD> livers/gizzards, fried chicken, ham and  scalloped potatoes were
ML> DD> always on that food bar. Other things like meat  loaf, pork
ML> DD> steaks, etc. from time to time.

ML>42c seems a bit low. I would have guessed 1.42 maybe. I figure
ML>your buffetgoer packs down a couple pounds of chow, and 21c a
ML>pound doesn't buy you much, even wholesale. Of course, you are
ML>an old man.

That price point was as of 1992. Certainly prices have risen in the past 
15 years ... about 60%. Heck, call it doubled. That's 84c/diner.

ML> DD> Most people who go to a buffet restaurant load up on mashed
ML> DD> potatoes and  gravy, etc. And there IS a good reason that most
ML> DD> of these places have  really tasty gravy (even if from a can).
ML> DD> Also on lettuce salads - which  are cheap to stock.

ML>Lettuce salads go bad pretty quickly, unless they're treated with
ML>multisyllabic preservatives.

ML>  By the time they get to the protein they
ML> DD> will likely  eat less meat than if they had gone to a regular
ML> DD> (sit-down) casual  dining place and ordered a typical meat and
ML> DD> two (or three). And because  patrons who front-load on starches,
ML> DD> etc. at a buffet usually go away  with a semi-uncomfortable
ML> DD> stuffed feeling they tend to think, "Man, I  really hurt them on
ML> DD> that 9 dollar buffet". Without realising that the  buffet joint
ML> DD> just made nearly 8 buck gross profit on them.  

ML>I guess I'm the exception: I do the raw bar and then a pound
ML>of protein. But of course the places take into account the likes
ML>of me, and the pricing is such that they probably break even on
ML>the patrician mandarins and make mints off the smashed taters and
ML>mac'n'cheese crowd.

As I pointed out to Mr. Weller - item 3 in my list is the AYCE's dirty 
little secret. Even at my currently reduced ability to pig out they 
don't make much off of me. But, there is always some little old lady 
with the nicely coifed, blue-rinse hair who take about enough to feed 
the average house wren to make up for my depradations.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
 
      Title: Emerilized Barbecued Shrimp
 Categories: Emeril, Seafood, Shrimp, Bbq
      Yield: 4 servings
 
      2 lb Medium-large shrimp in their
           - shells, about 42
      2 tb Creole Seasoning
     16    Turns freshly ground pepper
      2 tb Olive oil, in all
    1/4 c  Chopped onions
      2 tb Minced garlic
      3    Bay leaves
      3    Lemons, peeled and sectioned
      2 c  Water
    1/2 c  Worcestershire sauce
    1/4 c  Dry white wine
    1/4    Salt
      2 c  Heavy cream
      2 tb Butter
     12    Petite rosemary biscuits
 
  Peel the shrimp, leaving only their tails attached. Reserved the
  shells, sprinkle the shrimp with 1 tablespoon Creole Seasoning and 8
  turns of the pepper. Use you hands to coat the shrimp with the
  seasonings. Refrigerate the shrimp while you make the sauce base and
  biscuits. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over high heat.

  When the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic and saute for 1
  minute. Add the reserved shrimp shells, the remaining Creole
  Seasoning, the bay leaves, lemons, water, Worcestershire, wine, salt,
  and the remaining 8 turns black pepper. Stir well and bring to a
  boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the
  heat, allow to cool for about 15 minutes, and strain into a small
  saucepan. There should be about 1 1/2 cups.

  Place over high heat, bring to a boil, and cook until thick, syrupy, 
  and dark brown, for about 15 minutes. Makes about 4 to 5 tablespoons 
  of barbecue sauce base. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a 
  large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the seasoned 
  shrimp and saute them, occasionally shaking the skillet, for 2 
  minutes. Add the cream and all of the barbecue base. Stir and simmer 
  for 3 minutes.

  Remove the shrimp to a warm platter with tongs and whisk the butter 
  into the sauce. Remove from the heat. Makes about 2 cups.

  Mound the shrimp in the center of a platter. Spoon the sauce over the 
  shrimp and around the plate. Arrange the biscuits around the shrimp. 

  Garnish with chopped chives.
  
  Yield: 4 servings
  
  Recipe downloaded from www.emerils.com
  
  MM Format by Dave Drum - 01 MAY 2002

  Stored in Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives
 
MMMMM

ENJOY!!!
--------
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