I will be scheduling a visit to Chicago in April 2012 specifically for the “pulled-pork sandwich on a pork-fat dough-nut” to be found on Stephanie Izard’s neo-diner, Little Goat.

 A chef’s first day at The French Laundry.

he (Thomas Keller) had to stop what he was doing to fix the mat. It’s just a mat to some people, but to Thomas it was an imperfection. It wasn’t meant to be. If you’re going to do something, do it right. You’ve got to make sure your station is properly organized and clean, and even though it’s a mat, it’s still part of your station [...] This isn’t a time to come in and say, ‘Hey, I worked at the French Laundry.’ This is your job. You do it like everyone else. You put in as much passion as everyone else. So if you’re not into it, then don’t come.

Previously, I said this was the secret menu at In-N-Out, but in reality that was mostly just a “how to order” guide. Now, I can provide you with a trusted source reporting on The Ultimate In-N-Out Secret Menu.

My new, standard order is as follows.

double-double, mustard grilled, protein style, raw onion and an animal style fries, well done

How have I been to Pueblo, Colorado three times and never had (or heard of) a Pueblo Slopper?

I just blacked out reading about Michel Richard’s tater tot recipe, the chef at Citronelle in Washington DC (best meal I’ve ever had, ps).

I decided to make my own by mixing things like cheese and truffles and diced vegetables with the grated potatoes, forming them into balls, and frying them in clarified butter.

Here’s his spuddies recipe.

Vaughn captures what is my only expectation of any restaurant (fast food joints included).

to be clear, i don’t expect restaurants to be cheap, what i do expect is good value for the price

One of the best burgers I’ve ever had is at The Squeeze Inn. One of the more memorable aspects of that burger was its cheese skirt. I’ve yet to attempt to replicate it on one of my homemade burgers, but I will. Here’s the basic instructions for creating your own cheese skirt.

Once one side of the burger is cooked on the flat-top griddle, the cooks flip it and smothers it with shredded cheddar cheese. Then the cheese melts on top and all around the sides, forming an underbelly of crispy cheese, also known as the cheese skirt.

Tips for buying wine in restaurants. My favorite two tips.

8. Don’t be intimidated by huge, clunky, leather (okay, naugahyde) wine lists. They’re your friends. If they’ve been around awhile, and most have, they almost always have beautifully aged bargains hidden away.

10. Decide if you love vintages or producers. Sommeliers love producers. They’re met them. They dined with them. They consider them infallable, even in terrible years. I love good years, full of surprises from unknown winemakers. You get wines that taste of a moment in time, not of a high-tech cellar.

The Avocado Pork Burrito smothered in Green Chile at El Taco Rey in Colorado Springs, CO is by far the best mexican food dish I’ve ever had.

[mappress]

330 E Colorado, Colorado Springs, CO 80903

From my vantage point, 4Food is the future of restaurants (or social media is just getting out of control and I’m a nerd). This interview with Rex Sorgatz is pretty informative on what 4Food is planning to be. It’s a lot of stuff I’ve dreamed up before (innovative loyalty programs using social media) and some stuff I haven’t (get 25-cents if you make your own burger and someone else buys it) along with the standard game mechanics.

And, if you’re interested in who is putting this sort of thing together, this Business Insider piece on Sorgatz does a nice job of detailing things he’s doing (with Kinda Sorta Media). God I’d love to get currentblend to a similar spot.