Some Like It Hot

One of my pet peeves, when working as a cook in the very fine restaurant in which I toil, is watching hot food cool for lack of runner, or someone, anyone, to take it to the table. I just busted my ass to get everything up and hot and ready at the same time. Watching it sit there is excruciating. For one thing, we don't use heat lamps, which is, I think, a good thing, nobody wants their food to be sitting there for mad long, dessicating under the lamps while the herbs and salad go brown and the steak overcooks. Also, I think that heat lamps provide cooks with a false sense that food can wait a little while... It can't. Everything has to be ready together. Otherwise, you're an asshole. In the best of circumstances, we are constantly asking "do you have the pasta for 10?... how long on 8?... start 13 now... etc. etc."

But I have also been shocked, when trailing (or eating) at other restaurants, at the lack of importance having the food arrive hot is given. At Aquavit, we took our sweet ass time making the plates look nice, at the expense of the (barely cooked) salmon or tuna arriving even vaguely warm. (Sidenote: the kitchen was hot as balls, so no matter what, I'm sure it would seem warm to those chillin' in the AC.) My one criticism of Babbo would be that my quail was warm, not hot. But then again I like my quail lightly handled, so I was in a good place from that point of view.

I noticed while traveling in Argentina that the food there was served extremely hot. While staying with Sheena's former host family they would put their food back into a hot oven while they finished their first helping. It kept cooking, perhaps too much... The pizza just kept getting darker and darker, but they seemed to have a system and to like the results.

I like my food to be piping. I like my coffee scalding. I like my white wine chilled and my hot food hot. What can I say? Perhaps its a personal thing...