The Gulf Coast Food Show
Navigating the Food Truck Maze, Restaurant Realities Unearthed
Let's talk about something delicious - the classic Reuben sandwich! We want to hear what you think - should it be grilled to perfection or served up as is? We tried ours from Harbor View Cafe and were thoroughly impressed. Let us know your thoughts, we're all ears!
We recently had an amazing chat with Aliyah, who started her own food truck business at 19. We discussed all the ins and outs of running a food truck. We talked about the importance of getting permits, understanding your customers' tastes, and how to make your food irresistible.
But our conversation didn't stop there! We also talked about what makes a dining experience truly unforgettable. We covered all the bases from having friendly and well-trained staff to creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere. And let's not forget about the importance of a good happy hour!
So, let's keep the conversation going! Remember, it's not just about the food - it's the whole experience that makes it special.
Let's talk about something delicious - the classic Reuben sandwich! We want to hear what you think - should it be grilled to perfection or served up as is? We tried ours from Harbor View Cafe and were thoroughly impressed. Let us know your thoughts, we're all ears!
We recently had an amazing chat with Aliyah, who started her own food truck business at 19. We discussed all the ins and outs of running a food truck. We talked about the importance of getting permits, understanding your customers' tastes, and how to make your food irresistible.
But our conversation didn't stop there! We also talked about what makes a dining experience truly unforgettable. We covered all the bases from having friendly and well-trained staff to creating a cozy and inviting atmosphere. And let's not forget about the importance of a good happy hour!
So, let's keep the conversation going! Remember, it's not just about the food - it's the whole experience that makes it special.
Welcome back to the Gulf Coast Food Show. I'm your host, tim Harrison. You know I've been complaining about the warm weather, the hot weather, and now, look at it, it's starting to get cold. But cold is different, our cold compared to cold up north. I'll explain in just a minute. So we're starting to get cold weather Now down here, and when I say down, I always say down here.
Speaker 2:It's real simple. It's because if we go another block and a half we're in the Gulf of Mexico. So I have to reference everything north of here. But I do have friends up north and when I say you know, they'll call and they'll say hey, tim, how's it going? You know how's the weather? Well, it's getting a little cool down here. You know it's going to be in the 50s tonight, oh. And they get the biggest kick out of that Because to them it's like oh well, we're going to be in the 20s for the next five days and then we're going to drop down into the teens, maybe single digits. And so you just can't talk weather with them because they have you beat every time, especially when it comes to the cold. We just get spoiled. I guess you know we just get spoiled with the good weather almost year round. So anyway, that's our little weather thing, we're not going to complain about it. Obviously it's good weather. It's good weather and it's going to, it's fine. So so here we are. This is today, sunday. It's it's. This isn't a late show, you know, we normally we get out Friday, saturday, but today's Sunday, latest Sunday, is when we'll get a show out, for the most part A special guest with us to.
Speaker 2:Before we do that, we went now tell you where we ate today. So we went and had lunch. Carrie and I, my wife and I went and had lunch, Went back to Harborview Cafe and can anybody guess what would Carrie had? For what it? I'll save it, I know. Look, I have Jenny here and her friend Aliyah. I know both of them. They're smiling because they know what she had. She had a salad, but here's what's, here's what's interesting about the salad. So today she you know, she tries to watch, you know and eat good, and that's fine. And today she said you know, I think I'm going to get a fried chicken salad. I'm gonna get fried instead of grilled. So the waitress comes over and says Okay, what would you like? She said I think I'd like a fried key lime salad. And lo and behold, you know what they brought a grilled key lines. She said you know, just the one day I wanted to kind of, you know, have a little something good, and you know, but it was okay, she ate it. She didn't complain about it, she ate it.
Speaker 2:Now I had a Reuben. I love the Reubens. They do a good Reuben there. And I tell you what I've always I like it extra grilled, you know, a little extra crispy. I like a little extra thousand island on it on the side. So I asked a waitress, I said you look, I'd like to Reuben, I'd like it a little extra grilled, you know, pressed toasted, and and I'd like a little extra thousand island on the side. And I got it just like that. You know, isn't it nice when you order and you get a little something different and they bring it just like you said. Now that's my food, carrie, she got the grilled instead of the fried, but that's okay.
Speaker 2:Here's a question, and send me an email on this, those of you who live in an area that really know the way a Reuben is supposed to be made Is it supposed to be grilled or is it supposed to be, uh, you know, not grilled, not toasted. So I've heard it said different ways that you're supposed to have it this way and no, you're supposed to have it that way. But I know there's certain areas of the country and if you're at one of in one of those areas, email me and let me know. Uh, or is both ways acceptable? Uh, but I've heard some people just boy they, oh no, you absolutely cannot get it like that or you have to get it like this. I don't know what the case.
Speaker 2:I know I like it grilled.
Speaker 2:You know I like mine toasted on the, on the grill.
Speaker 2:It's always good, it's kind of like. You know they have this. I say they in New Orleans. You know the Muffaloida sandwich. You know so many people there and in some areas where they serve it they say no, no, you can't have it toasted. You know you got the Muffaloida bread and it's got to be just regular. You can't toast it because that's not the way you do it. I absolutely love it toasted a warm Muffaloida with a, with a semi crispy bread. When I say bread, it's a special, it's a special bun. Uh, that uh a loaf. You'd call it really that you put on it and I'm telling you, it is delicious when it's when it's toasted. So I don't know. I guess all you know what the right way is, the way that you like it, that's the right way to do it. So that was our little excursion today, and if you know about that, drop me a line about the the Rubin. Is it supposed to be grilled or can it? Uh, you know, can it pass either way? Oh, what's the proper way? And why.
Speaker 2:So, anyway, pass me a line on that and let's see what we come up with. So today, you know what we have. Jenny's friend, a good friend, family friend, aliyah is here Now. Aliyah is just this wonderful young lady entrepreneur had a nice little venture into. Well, I'm going to let you tell us about it. So, aliyah, as young as you are and I'm not holding that against you that's a wonderful thing. But you decided that you know what I'm going to do a food truck and tell us a little bit about the basics of what it was, what you were doing with your food truck experience.
Speaker 4:Well, basically I had a food truck. It was called Lili's Sweet and Savory, so we had just a pretty simple menu. It was like chicken wings cooked differently with different sauces. We also had milkshakes, sweet desserts. That's how we started. That's basically where everything began.
Speaker 2:So now, this was so evidently this was a full service food truck you had, because you know when you was it fried. Yes, Okay so yeah, so you had a full set up there. Full set up, yes, indeed. So what was? And again, I go back to being young doing this, because it's not everybody that decides when they're 20. You were what? 20 years old, 19 years, I'll say 19 is when.
Speaker 4:I started, yeah, and then finally at 20, that's when everything was hit the ground running.
Speaker 2:Okay, so here it is, and I love that because here it is. You know, you just have this little vision, this is what I want. I know your mother loves to cook, yeah, so that's. I'm sure she was very supportive of this. And so here you are. Young lady decides hey, I'm going to do something totally different. I'm going to have a food truck and this is what I'm going to serve. It had to be a whirlwind experience, and I say had to be because I know that COVID really just knocked you for a loop. You're up and going and everything is looking good, and boy, here comes COVID. Yeah, covid is very interesting yes.
Speaker 2:Well, that's unfortunate. But for the tell me this, and here's what I'd like to know, for the ones who are listening out there who always thought about getting a food truck Now, we're not saying that this is something that you know everything about, because you know. Well, you certainly know a lot about it. But for those who may be thinking, hey, you know what I'd like to do, this In your experience and what you did, okay, what would be your advice to somebody, just like you were sitting there saying, hey, I want to do this. What would be your advice to them?
Speaker 4:Well, honestly, I would tell them think about everything, and I mean just about any and everything, even though it's not going to go perfectly, but you can at least start somewhere. If you consider all of the factors Finances, budgets, as well as just time, how much you're going to put in your time into it, and then how much it actually is going to take to start the business and keep it going.
Speaker 2:Mm-hmm Time is because, you know, I had a, we had a seafood market, but we did cooked seafood and it was. It's a job, right? So I would venture to say, when you closed the doors and you for the evening and you went home or wherever you went, that wasn't the end of your evening. Now you, now the work begins, right, right, cleaning and getting everything set up, and then how, what is the? So what is a typical day, time-wise?
Speaker 4:I just say, first off, being an entrepreneur, you're never really going to have the perfect schedule because you're always working. It's your own business, so you're going to go ahead and do everything on your own at any time. So just a typical day at wake up, just to get the day started, prepping food items, just to make sure everything has its daily checks, the food truck is running properly, all the things are up to code, up to guidelines for the city, then you go in to cooking the food, making sure everything is still within those guidelines for food safety, and just basically going through the day. Once that part is over with, you have all your customers served, then you have to clean, like you said, and you have to make sure everything is still packed up properly, safely, and then you're going to have to repeat the process for the next day.
Speaker 2:And then the same thing starts again Same.
Speaker 4:thing.
Speaker 2:So what was? Let me ask you this If you have thoughts on it, Would you recommend someone? If they go on into this, would you recommend that buying a new rig or a used rig and I guess it depends on yeah.
Speaker 4:It depends on budget and what exactly you're you're looking for, because if you buy something new, you can pretty much customize it. You don't have to worry about what the past owners have done inside that food truck, because of course everybody says they're running things Properly or up to code and guidelines, but really that's not the case sometimes. So when you buy a used, you just want to make sure it's an authentic buyer or an all an authentic purchase, that the person that you got it from Kept the standards of the food truck prevalent. Everything is still running as it should be. With buying new, you don't have to really worry about it. You can customize it as much as you want. You can put on two friars, three ovens, um, for vent fans, different tiles, different kind of things that make it easier for cooking. That's pretty much the difference, okay.
Speaker 2:What is? What was one of the biggest Obstacles? And again we're talking to people, listening that that may hey, I might want to do this. What was one of the biggest obstacles? Even after you got started, I Would say the visit.
Speaker 4:The biggest obstacle would be Making sure you have enough time to do everything, because no one has enough time to do everything. So it would be about time management. Okay. So if you know you need to get x, y and z done, you need to go ahead and put forth a plan, have a schedule. Even though everything get you're doing, you are the boss, okay. So if you're not implementing it, nobody else will. That was a major thing. And I would say the second thing would be Ratios, numbers. That would be the biggest obstacle knowing how much you are, what your turnover rate would be for just food and how much yours business are going to be for the month, the day. Those kind of things are, I would say, the biggest.
Speaker 2:I bet that could be. You know I in this with the seafood, of course, it was all perishable, so I know firsthand what it, what it's like when you say how much. How much of this do I buy? Right, you know, last weekend was real good. Am I basing it on this? You have to look at, okay, what do you like down here? What events are happening this weekend? Am I gonna sell twice as much because this event is happening or because nothing's happened? The weather's bad? Do I purchase? You know, is all of that go into Account when you?
Speaker 4:it does. And I think a food truck is a little bit different than a brick and mortar. I feel like a brick and mortar should have a Surplus of food because they have the storage, they have the equipment for it to be stored properly and continue for it to be Used the next day, the next week. But for a food truck I would say it is okay to run short Because, yeah, to limit yourself, because you're gonna always have those people. I mean, I didn't get to try that because they sold out. So you're always gonna have another customer coming up to you because they never got to experience that part, because you sold out. As well.
Speaker 4:As just Storage wise, you don't have enough storage to have that many things With you at that time. But it just depends, like you said, on the event how many people are estimated to be there. You have to know your crown. If you know that this is a specifically for, like, an RB function or a Gathering of some sorts, you would have to particularly go to the interest of that crown. That's saying you have to change your home menu, but you can go in and be like okay, these group of people specifically like these things, and go from there right, yeah, yeah, that makes sense.
Speaker 2:So what about? What about? You know, I'm sure this is a pretty big obstacle to is dealing with permitting city. Yeah, health department, all of how, how much of a? Now I know a lot of. It's legitimate. Yeah, we have to have that because they do keep a lid on Just anybody jumping in and and doing something that's gonna hurt people, get people sick.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it'll be dangerous.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but but how much of it? Yeah, I don't want to put a number on it, but is it a major Obstacle just dealing with all of the bureaucracy?
Speaker 4:It really is, because sometimes you'll have to go from one city office to another city office, another city office, just for them to send you back to the first city office to get any kind of documentation or permits regarding food trucks, food services. Parking is a very difficult thing, especially here on the coast. I know some cities are more Adimate about how they want their food trucks to be set up, whereas some cities are more relaxed, and that's pretty good because you know you want the community to feel some sort of okay, our community is growing, we want more businesses, we want to support more businesses, so they allow that to happen, whereas certain cities, will you know, focus more on what they already have instead of growing a New community, a new opportunity for just anyone. So those permits are very difficult to get sometimes.
Speaker 2:And I guess it probably it's a fear on In my opinion unfounded fear on the existing restaurants that food trucks are going to come in and take your business. Right, they're going to take their business, but don't you find it's a totally different crowd that's going to go to a food truck?
Speaker 4:Yes, completely different Like. I mentioned earlier, it's going to be mostly when you see food trucks, festivals, events, something quick, whereas you have restaurants. You know people want to sit down. Everybody doesn't want to sit down every day. Some people just want to experience, you know, grabbing something to eat and join it while they're. They just bought it. You know it's just like fast food, but this time it's a little bit more shavigan items on the menu and you get to experience that immediately. It's like immediate gratification for the food truck.
Speaker 2:So I think a good example of that is like right here in Long Beach. We have the Long Beach Harbor, which extends a few different places right there, and there's a lot of people that come down from visiting from different areas or just in the surrounding area and they just want to come sit out on the beach.
Speaker 2:They want to sit on the seawall or whatever and just enjoy the evening at the beach and they'd love to just pick something up. Walk over, pick something up. You know whether it be like you your famous wings chicken wings you know, and just have your little meal, and they wouldn't go into a restaurant anyway. Right, that's what you're saying.
Speaker 4:They're not interested in that anyway, Not in ways you know you're on the beach, you want to enjoy the view. You want to eat and enjoy the view, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so anyway, yeah, that's a little thought for maybe some of the you know the permitting people to consider is that even out at the existing restaurants you're not necessarily losing business. These people probably weren't coming to you anyway. They would just say, hey, you're there, so they're going to take advantage of it and grab a little bite, see what you have right.
Speaker 4:I know that's what I would do. Yeah, and even for the restaurants that are, you know, not mobile like food trucks are, they can open up a mobile department. So now you don't have to wait in line for an hour for food to be served. Now you have that restaurant that has now mobile options. They can go out and they can get more customers. They can go get more service. They can bring in more money as well.
Speaker 2:I know it's a big thing, it really is. And so, finally, is this what? And I want to put you on the spot on this, but just generally speaking, if, if you know, you have a someone like yourself, a young person, out there and they say you know, I really want to do this, you know, besides having your money in order and and and that sort of thing, what kind of advice would you give them? Would, would you tell them, hey, put the brains on it and and maybe just plan this thing out really well, I'm thinking even with with time of the year you're going to open.
Speaker 4:Yeah, um, I say, everything has its perks and disadvantages. When you're, you know, planning, uh, that's a huge process, process of owning or opening any business that you have. Um, because, especially with food service, um, like you said, time of year, there's going to be certain events, there's going to be certain crowds that are drawn. Um, I know, for the South, summer is absolutely the best time to be down here, so you're going to have a lot more things happening during the summertime. You're going to have more people come down, you're going to have more visitors, so you know they want to see all of that they can get at one time, and I wouldn't say rushing to anything either as well, because it's always going to be there. If you feel like, man, I'm going to miss this opportunity, somebody else is going to take it. There's always going to be an opportunity for you to learn if you just wait. Yeah, so it's, it's pretty cool.
Speaker 2:Good. Well, I know it's been a great experience for you and I tell you what I know firsthand, because I've always pretty much worked for myself and I know I know the the good and the bad agony, sometimes sitting up at night wondering all how am I gonna pay for this? I have to pay people, mm-hmm. You know they have no idea. They think you making all the money in the world. They have no idea you sitting up at night like yeah, how I want to go, how am I gonna?
Speaker 2:I have this food order. I have to buy mm-hmm and and, and you don't know if you're gonna get the customers mm-hmm. So yeah, it's. It's a challenge, but that's great experience for you, right? You're gonna be able so I know that you're also in a medical field mm-hmm and, and you're pursuing that a little bit now, but who knows, you might you might circle back there, you go you might or keep that entrepreneurial spirit and you might have your own little medical business. So whatever you're doing, you have a good head on your shoulders.
Speaker 2:So so, whatever you do, I know it's gonna be successful, hoping, yeah, well, it will. It will, because you're, you know, you just have that type of mindset. So well, thank you for sharing your, your experience with us. And so actually, both of us and jenny was speaking earlier and we kind of got off on his subject, on his conversation.
Speaker 2:It was pretty interesting about as young people, because you know both of you in your 20s and and it was it come up that, hey, when you go into a restaurant I'm not talking about, we weren't talking about mcdonald's and all of that you know, because both of you and you, first of all, you know what it is to go into a nice restaurant, you know what it is to eat in a nice place, you know what good food is, and so, when, when, when you go into a restaurant as young people, you and your friends, okay, and it doesn't have to be a particular place, but just generally speaking, what is.
Speaker 2:And I hope that the restaurants owners listening can kind of benefit from this, because we didn't rehearse this. We just kind of chatted a little bit about the idea and said, hey, that's a very good subject here, let's, let's see. And so here was the some of the questions. One is when, when you go into a restaurant as a young person, so let's say both of you are going in and say this for others, so there's a table of four or six that go in, what is, what is one of the biggest turn offs that that you get, generally speaking, and and of various range of restaurants, what would you say and it's open question for both of you- and I would just say me personally.
Speaker 4:Just, you know they see that we're young, I think, and then they treat us like we're young as well, like we know. You know, I know how it is. Young people come in there normally rowdy sometimes or they might not tip as much or as well, but I think respect goes across the board. You know you can always tell when somebody just doesn't generally want you to be there because of your age and you know they discriminate you against that kind of factor, so it.
Speaker 2:So I would say that's kind of fair in a sense. Right. What would you say it's it's for? For young person? Let's say you have this, a young crowd. It isn't that they bad, right, it isn't saying it bad, but not everybody is like you and jenny and and your friends. I know you guys are first class so, but but you do, you do have the rowdy group that comes in. You know, this table is important to this restaurant because they have to turn it a few times and I, in order to make money.
Speaker 2:And now you have just a bunch of kids playing around playing around, yeah ice tea and they know you don't know if there's no money they losing money that way. So yes, I think we all understand that could be a downside to that. How do you think you overcome something like that?
Speaker 4:I'd say when I because I've worked in the industry before I just enjoy it. Okay, because you know you have to turn so many tables every so often. You have to keep the revenue of the business going, but you're not going to have every you can enjoy. You know, sit down and a rack with them because you know they are younger. They're obviously there to be on, you know, a friendship kind of thing they're out for. A group outing says to say enjoy it. You know, take your time with the table, be nice to them. You never know who they are and who they can or that is so true.
Speaker 2:You never know who you're, who you're waiting on, who's walking through. You do you never know? And never judge your cover because, boy, you might be surprised yes, definitely what about you? Genie any any thoughts on that? What is a? What is a turn off, something that just kind of I don't know, I don't, I didn't really like that. That didn't make a good impression on me. What would that be?
Speaker 3:um, I think I would have to say that over attentive waitress or waiter like you're like mid bite, you know, and your food can I get you? And you're like no, I just want to eat my food. Like I appreciate the attentiveness, but we're good here.
Speaker 2:I'm going to tip you like chill out no, I, I think, I think everybody and I could just be an over zealots waitress maybe, huh yeah, maybe.
Speaker 3:So it could just be like okay, she's new, she's excited, he's new, he's excited, which is great, but you just have to have some type of balance and you know it's not often that you have that happen, but I don't like it I don't think anybody does and I guess it just comes in training, you know.
Speaker 2:But here we are, see we, you know people listening. I know many of them are restaurant owners. That's training, right. You just uh, you know you have to go through that when you train them it. What else is, um, I don't want to say a turn off, but what would be a negative, a kind of a negative, uh, any other thing that that would you say, I don't, I don't really like that I think for me another negative would be like if you maybe have stopped eating for a little bit.
Speaker 3:So you're talking to your group and so the waiter waitress is watching you and they're like, okay, are you done? Like we can take this plate, and I'm oh no, I'm not done, I just, I just want to join the company. The. Those are like my top two pet peeves. If I had to say I agree.
Speaker 2:I agree with both of those and I'm not young, but I agree with them. What about you, leah?
Speaker 4:um, I would say, if the waiter or waitress does not know their menu, I'm like what do I need to walk out of the status because you know, I want to get someone else's opinion because, if I'm not familiar with the restaurant, I would like to hear exactly what you might think is good. And I've heard multiple times in any restaurant honestly, oh, I don't, I don't eat here, I don't know. And I'm like who that's a bad, I'm running I'm.
Speaker 4:I appreciate your honesty, but it would be in my favor if you at least told me something good that you might have liked all you think might like, or something of that sort.
Speaker 2:That, honestly, is a major turn off for me so an easy fix, for that would be the owner. So you hire waitress and guess what? The waitress of the waiter they get to eat at the restaurant for that week of training free yeah, definitely right they get to taste the dish and see, maybe see how it's made.
Speaker 4:Chat with the chef a little bit and you're going to come out with a first class waitress exactly and she had free lunch she's gonna definitely brag about that free lunch yeah yeah, so look, that's another way.
Speaker 2:What about? What about something that you really enjoy when you go to a place, from the moment you walk in and and and until the moment you leave. What are some of the things you really like about a good restaurant that stands out?
Speaker 4:um, I like consistency and honesty throughout the entire interaction, like if I I know normally when I go out I have large parties with me or you know, a pretty good group, like you said, six to eight people. Um, just consistency, from wait times, from how the menu set up, how the food is delivered, if it sounds and looks like the menu, because words can be very descriptive from how the service is given to us, attentiveness, everything that.
Speaker 2:Those are really good things that I look for in a restaurant and and to Jenny's point about the waitress being over attentive they could be pretty attentive, but not come up to your table right, I would say I contact.
Speaker 4:I've had waitresses or waiters that um have looked at me from across the room and just from I contact, they'll know if I need you know. Hey, yeah, I'm here.
Speaker 2:There you go that's look, and I like that too. I like that too because it went when I'm getting low on my drink, you know, and I'm like, okay, I can get three or more sips out of this, and I'm seeing I don't see the waitress for five, ten minutes, right. But if they're walking by and they give me a little eye contact, or they up at the bar or wherever they are and they're looking out and they kind of sometimes they'll, they'll look at you, nod their head or whatever.
Speaker 4:Right boy that's it's nice, that's somebody working on a big tip they got some good, really good, interpersonal skills. Yes, they're doing good yes, indeed.
Speaker 2:What about you, jenny? Same idea. What do you think?
Speaker 3:yeah, I definitely would have to agree with with what you guys were saying, but also something I really like and I'm sure just about anyone could agree. But I love a good happy hour. Like you go and, okay, like these are our drinks or this is our special with drinks. So I know, like I mean, you can order two drinks on non happy hour and that's pretty pricey. But If you have a nice happy hour, get there and just enjoy some drinks before having a nice dinner, I really like that. Like sometimes, when choosing a restaurant, I'll choose it by like that, if that's what I'm going for. Like, okay, I want to have a drink. Like there's a restaurant on the beach, they have a great happy hour. So I know, like, okay, that's what I want and go up there.
Speaker 2:Now we went to what was it, patio 44 last night, and so you were there and I know you had a bunch of young friends there. Yes.
Speaker 2:And us old folks. We were on another table, but we had just as much fun. But here's what I really enjoyed about the play. Well, first of all, you know, I, when I I've mentioned this before and shows, I went right into the bathroom. I like to see if they clean and where they were. That was a very clean, right, so that that really starts off my meal good, because now I know, okay, this place is, you know, this is, they are on top of things here. And so the other thing was this the, the, the two waitresses.
Speaker 2:Now we had a pretty, I'd say we had what 25 people there, yeah, 25, about 22, 25 people there, two waitresses, correct, right, and they were, they were on top of things, they were that, they were that, they really did they. You know, I didn't have to wait to have a drink refilled or request now. Nope, it was an interesting little gathering because one of our friends, your, your, your, one of your friends, all of our friends he, so he turned 21. So this wasn't a birthday party per se, that this was just a hey, this young man turned 21. Now, from what? From all you know everything that he said, he was going to have his first drink and he chose patio 44. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Now whether or not that's decay and I believe him because because he's a good young man, he really is so but at any rate, his first formal drink that he could buy, and he was really proud of it, you know. So we go there and and he's, he orders his drink. And the waitress was really nice about this because he didn't know, he really didn't know what type of drink. I had a whiskey sour and I said, ben, look, just taste this, because some were saying, hey, try a margarita. And I said, look, this is going to be something like a moderate margarita. They call it a Margarita, people margarita. So you take love. I had the whiskey sour. I said, ben, taste this, it's going to, it's going to taste a little bit like this, a little more better. And so he did. But the waitress was really nice because she kind of explained some of the drinks to him. You know what to expect, right, and that was nice.
Speaker 2:And so one of the one of the guests that was with us had a drink. Does anybody know what it? What? Do you remember what it was? It was a drink that they, that another restaurant, made. I don't know where it was, but at the name it was a. It was a pretty big name, whatever this drink was. And so we asked she was talking at the table, I wonder if the bartender can make this. I said, well, a good bartender will look it up and make it for you, right? And so the waitress come out and we said, hey, could you check with the bartender and see if they would make this and find out what it is and make this for our friend here? And guess what? They came out with it and it was good, you know, and I think that that speaks a little bit about a restaurant that that's willing to kind of go out on the limo, do a little something different. What a big deal.
Speaker 2:Sure, another thing wanted to wait. So the waitress found out about what, why we were there, you know, and it was kind of a little, I don't know, I guess just a celebration at that. Here's a young man that just really, you know, just played by the rules with everything and here he is ordering his first drink and so we got a picture of her ID in him with his ID and that was pretty fun. So the waitresses were really nice and that was right here in Gulfport, you know, just a few minutes from the house here, patio 44. A nice experience there.
Speaker 2:And I can tell you this, we mainly had some of the appetizers, so I can't say I can't speak to the big dishes. When I go back, I want to try one of their steaks for sure. They looked great. We had, we had the crab claws and I thought they were great, had a good fry to them. The oil you could and you know this firsthand yeah, the clean oil, it was clean oil, yes, and and and you know it costs money, right, it does. It costs money to have that so they could fry and an old oil and save some money and people that know what they're talking about. So you know you can make yourself and the ones we were with you know right away Okay, that's old oil, and so I like that. You know we look for the stuff like that.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and it was later in the evening too, so definitely the taste clean oil later in the evening is quality, yes.
Speaker 2:So what did you have? By the way, I had a, I don't say a salad.
Speaker 4:No, I didn't have a salad, I had a fried green tomato beauty Okay. It was pretty good, all right Good. It was very smoky and it was cooked all the way through, because sometimes people don't cook bacon.
Speaker 2:And you get that rubber band stuff.
Speaker 4:Yeah rubber band now. It was crispy and it was smoky. It tastes really good.
Speaker 2:Good, good, yeah, I tell you, like I said, I'm going to, I'm going to go back and I think this time because this was more of a I don't know kind of a laid back gathering and so I don't think any of us ordered any carry and I split the steak sandwich and that was good. I wanted it medium rare. It came out medium rare.
Speaker 4:Yeah, that's all good. It's all good, yes.
Speaker 2:So but but next time I go I'm going to venture into some of their, their dishes to have a red fish on a half shell, half shell red fish they call it, I think, and I think what that is is is it's filleted, but the but, the scales and skin is on one side, okay and it's, and it's grilled like that. I'm pretty sure that's what it is. That's how it is in other places. So I'm going to try stuff like that. But anyway, that was our little experience there. I'd like to try their gumbo. Speaking of gumbo, speaking of gumbo, now we were talking about we went and had some, had some, some gumbo at radish. We've eaten there many times. But before we describe the description, jenny, you said the color. What did you say about the color of the root, the base, the rule, what was that about?
Speaker 3:So I, before you even taste the gumbo, you can look at the rule and like if it's super dark. I usually don't like those types of gumbo. This was like I can't really describe the color of it, but it was just a really pretty not too light of a brown, not too dark, but it was probably one of the best bowls of gumbo I have had.
Speaker 2:Nice. Now color, and you know I love these little facts about things. What was that one? And this is from the Great Food Almanac. What was that? Now? This really has a bad color, has a bearing on our taste buds and how we we taste them. What did that say, jenny, you took a picture of it. What did it say?
Speaker 3:It said, color affects our appetite. If we were offered a green steak or a brown orange juice, we would refuse it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it doesn't. It's simple, but doesn't it make sense? You know, you have the state come out and instead of it being charred, brown and dark, little burnt little crisp pieces, and it comes out green. It could be the same taste and everything, but we're going to say no, I don't. I don't think so. So the gumbo, and it was, and this is to other restaurants too. How did we find out about the special gumbo that we have? So this is for other restaurants to to hear.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so they Radish is really good about posted on social media. So their specials, anything that's new, it's always going to be up to date. So we just so happen to be looking on social media, saw the picture and it was like, okay, we need to go try this. And that's what we did.
Speaker 2:Yeah, jenny showed my wife and my wife showed me and I'm sitting at, I'm sitting there and I'm like, well, I'm retiring for the evening and watching the news and pool me a glass of wine and it's over. And I saw it and said, okay, let's go take a ride. In fact we took the bikes, so we we've rode up there and sure enough, the gumbo was great. They had a fried soft shell crab on it. It was. It really was good.
Speaker 3:They also put ochre in their gumbo which not everyone does, so I'm an ochre fan in gumbo and it was done to perfection.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was good. Do you do you now? I know you and your mother both a big gumbo fans. Do you prefer gum? Uh, ochre gumbo, or how do you do it?
Speaker 4:Um, I prefer ochre gumbo, but ochre can make things slimy, so not too much ochre, because that can really just mess up the whole entire pot. Um, but I do like ochre. It's pretty good in gumbo, yeah.
Speaker 2:And look, that's some creative way. There's ways that you can cook the slime. Yes, you can get rid of a lot of that, yeah, and then you and I don't think. I don't think that was slimy what we had. No, did you find it's slimy, jenny?
Speaker 3:I didn't um, but I did. I didn't order the gumbo. Can I tell you what I got?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, yeah, that's right, you did.
Speaker 3:You tasted it. But you tasted it and I was. I was almost, almost upset. But I had the butternut squash no key with crab meat on top and that's one of their seasonal items on their menu. So when I saw it was coming back I was like, okay, we, we got to go, like it is. If I could have a last meal, like if I was going to have a last meal, that that would be it, okay.
Speaker 2:Let's not talk about last meals. Second to last How's that? So? You don't do uh, you don't do the uh, you'd prefer the okra. Is that right?
Speaker 4:Yeah, I prefer okra.
Speaker 2:Now, if you had a dish to cook if you had a dish to cook, what? What is your favorite dish to cook?
Speaker 4:I would say like occasion pasta. I'm all big on seafood, so I like anything with seafood in it.
Speaker 2:So your cage in pasta? Um, now, I asked you about it early about. Well, about the pasta and what kind of pasta you use.
Speaker 4:I use fettuccine.
Speaker 2:You use fettuccine.
Speaker 4:You can really use any noodle, but me personally, I like fettuccine.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's something about the look of it it is. It's kind of like color thing, you know it's it's okay, this is flat, the other one's round, it tastes better. Yeah, we just think yeah, so, anyway, um, so I actually said okay. So so I like to boil my pasta and seafood stock and that way it absorbs all that seafood flavor. But you have an interesting little twist to it because you use a lot of flavor and all of the other seasoning, right? So how does the pasta, the fettuccine cooked and water help you?
Speaker 4:So it gives it a balance, because I never want an overly salty dish. So if I'm going to salt one thing to an extent, then something else has to be salted a lot less. So for the noodles, I just boil it in water and I'll salt it, but not too much for it to be overpowering or be um salty. So cause you know, the sauce is pretty heavy and I don't want the noodles to be heavy as well.
Speaker 2:So it gives you, it gives you a way to balance your your. You know, since you do, you're heavy on spices, and so once you have your dish, it is, I see how that would work well, just to kind of have you tone it down a little bit. Or if you add it and you hey, I need more, well, you can all. If it takes away too much, right, you can always add a little more flavor.
Speaker 4:Yeah, if you over salt noodles, you can just throw them away. At that point, you know, if you already salted the the sauce and you have salty noodles, one of the two have to go. You got to restart somewhere, um, so normally I just try to keep the pasta and pretty tame and just go there from the sauce and make that my showstopper.
Speaker 2:Nice, nice. Well, I tell you what. For the first of all, thank y'all for joining us today. This was a. This was a good educational show. I'm going to tell you, especially for you restaurant owners out there. You had a chance to listen to two unbiased you know, this is just the real world for them, what they like about a restaurant, what they don't like about waiters, waitresses the good, the bad, the ugly, everything. And it's rare that everybody gets to hear. You know, just just the raw truth about things. And it wasn't negative. You know, nothing was negative. So, hey, thank you for joining us. We and we enjoyed this. We really did. And, jenny, thank you, we will. We're going to see. I tell you what we'll have when you're up and coming on your next food experience, whether it's a truck or restaurant or whatever you're doing, aliyah, keep us posted, Okay, I think. I think you're going to have some pretty interesting travels in your life.
Speaker 4:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And so we want to hear all about them. Okay, all right. Thank you so much for joining us.
Speaker 4:Thank you.
Speaker 2:All right. So that concludes this show, but you know we're going to be back. We're going to be back later in now, I'm hoping. I'm hoping that later in the week. I have and we've been working on this. It's just a it's a schedule thing. You know, with with people in the restaurant business, it's tough to get them, you know, on board in certain times and what have you. And so we have a true someone who understands a Mexican cuisine very well, and they're going to explain to us we talked about it before why is it that some Mexican food here doesn't taste like Mexican food back home? There's some good reasonings for it, and and so, anyway, we're going to, we're going to talk about that and we're going to find out why. Until then, you know what's coming up next Ethan Langwood with Professor Longhair's Tipitina.