Sunday, February 28, 2010

Dog day afternoon...where in the world is Gordon Ramsey...

It was suppose to be a fun day with lunch at a local culinary school with bloggers Sue at Rue-mouffetard and Rose from Santamakersjourney. Please see Sue's post HERE as no one can tell a story like Sue. She will make you laugh for sure.

It quickly turned into a dog day afternoon starting with Sue innocently taking a photo and being reprimanded by the manager of the dining room in the cooking school.

A picture is worth 1,000 words or in this case 1,000 dog howls!
This was my lunch.


I know what you are thinking. Pretty unappetizing presentation to say the least. Turning over just one of the burnt carrots and doing a minuscule sprinkling of garnish could not disguise this so called STEW. A complete and utter disaster. I bet Julia Child would turn over in her grave if she saw this atrocity. After being brave enough to consume a few bites of old shoe leather I had a strange sensation that I was growing a tale and had acquired a few fleas on my back. When I awoke this morning I had an obsession to to run after cars and drive with my head out of the car window.

Sue and Rose convinced me to call over the manager and send it back. The manager just asked if I would like something else and never said this should not have come to the table. How are students to learn if there is no communication? I watched as the plate was returned to the kitchen and the chef did not bat an eye. His lips never moved. No constructive criticism to the students. This does not surprise me as he had to have approved the presentation of the dish before it left the kitchen. Such a waste of the students time and money. How will they ever learn in such an environment?

After we leave Sue and Rose make a trip to the ladies room and I take out my little camera and start taking photos of empty classroom kitchens. I figure this is OK since the manager told Sue all one had to do is take photos without students or when students are present to ask their permission. Sounds fair to me. I snap away and am very impressed how spotless the entire facility is.


Sue is asking others for permission to take more photos and we are headed back to the elevator to leave and then it happens...

Sandra Lee and Betty Crocker and Rose are questioned by the Food Police!

We are confronted by not one security person but by two security officers.

The big guy asks Rose:

"What is the nature of your business here?"

Sweet quiet Rose offers no information. He says something about photos and I ask him if he thinks I am from a magazine with my little pocket camera. How ridiculous! I wonder if he thinks I am from the Board of Health? Sue comes around the corner and says we are just 3 crazy housewives having lunch. We have a sneaky suspicion that the totally unprofessional restaurant manager, who completely ignored us after the so called stew was politely returned, called in the Food Police. Luckily, the elevator doors opened and away we went NEVER to return to this gastronomical nightmare again.

MY THEORY:
I think the reason why they have such a large amount of security in the building is that they are holding Gordon Ramsey (my hero) hostage. He probably was also served the Beef Stew. They realize once he is let out and he talks about how dreadful his experience was the entire school will be TOAST!

27 comments:

  1. Oh my, what an outing!!! I'm going to look for your wanted picture at the Post Office!!!!!

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  2. That Stew looks disgusting! I read Sue's account and you had quite the adventure!!! Glad you all survived the Food Police!

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  3. Atleast you were kinder then me not to mention the name of the school....I don't believe in sparing feelings when I'm paying to eat horrible food...That school should be ashamed of itself for "teaching" students to send out food that looked like that....I like to think that we stepped in when Gordon couldn't to shake the place up a bit....Now go get your flea dip......

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  4. I'm going over to read Sue's account, but this is so funny. One thing for sure - you made a great memory to talk about! Sounded like fun.

    sandie

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  5. Saw your haircut on Sue's blog - I love it - you look great! sandie

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  6. Oh my goodness...Chelsea and I were just researching culinary schools. Hope we don't stumble upon this one!

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  7. That is so gross!
    I did read about at Sue's (your hair looks great) Those meals should have been condemned..Email those pics to the Head Master or whatever...Maybe they were trying out for that show "Worst Cooks"???

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  8. I love your new hair cut Joyce! Looks great;DD
    And the "STEW" looks awful~~:(

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  9. Oh baby, that plate of so called 'stew' looks like somethin' that came from a sick calf. Scary to think....our future chefs??? Made for a great post though! :o)

    May God bless your day, sweetie!!!

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  10. At least you were in good company and have a great sense of humor. I can't rid myself of the image of Gordon Ramsey that you planted in my brain. Have a wonderful day.

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  11. Great story! Except it wasn't a story. Wow. Some people. I wouldn't have served that "stew" to my dog! And, I love Gordon Ramsey too! Oh, love your background...it's just beautiful!

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  12. Smiles! Are there any plans for rescuing Ramsey? :-)

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  13. See .. another reason to be a pescatarian

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  14. Oh, my! How funny, Joyce! Remind me never to go there! Happy week!...Debbie

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  15. Yucky - boy did that ever look like a can of dog food - What an experience, indeed ! You should have asked those security people where they were when you were being poisoned.....LOL !
    Kammy

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  16. Hi Joyce

    What an experience! I was in stitches reading Sue's account last night and now you had me chuckling again. Did they think you were competitors, or maybe parents recording what a lousy culinary education the students were getting?
    Glad you both escaped unharmed!

    PS Lots of the snow we got Friday already melted and ankle boots should be fine. A few crosswalks may be flooded here and there but you should be OK. Another storm may be coming this Wednesday into Thursday..hopefully it will only be rain!

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  17. Thanks for stopping by Sweet Basil! I love getting comments. I cannot believe this experience though!! You are right, those students will never learn anything!

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  18. Oh, how I love this hilarious story. I already read Sue's and both of you are just too funny. I wish I had seen all this happen because I would surely have been busting a gut laughing. I hope y'all find a better place to eat next time. Thanks for stopping by so I could find your blog...Kim

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  19. If I go to Atlanta and hang around you and Sue, I'm going to make sure I have the phone number of a bail bondsman in my pocket!

    I thought my husband was going to have a stroke when I pulled out my camera in the motorcycle bar. (It was New year's and we went for the collards, like all true Southerners!) I didn't use the flash, so there wasn't a rumble. :)

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  20. Oh my, Joyce......makes Alpo look tasty!
    Showed the pic to my Yorkie and she thought it was time for dinner!

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  22. Loved the story ( and your haircut!)

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  23. Oh my gosh, what an experience! I just ran over to Sue's to read her account & you both had me laughing & smiling throughout. I think someone ought to send your links the the head of the CIA...the one in Atlanta, not Washington! LOL

    BTW, I'm going to make some Irish soda bread next week. Thanks for stopping by the Gazebo House. There is much more Irish coming up!

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  24. So glad to find your blog!! And you garden looks amazing. I dream of having a garden like that one day.

    Funny post too :)

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  25. LOL - no the stew didn't make me sick, although it sounds like it could have made someone sick! I put the comment on your blog that was meant for someone else's blog (trying to do too many things at once), so I came back and deleted it and never made my way back to comment on this post, which is hilarious!

    Wish I could join you at the real cooking school LeCordon. That sounds like so much fun!

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  26. Very funny post...I've been through Culinary school and you are correct, all the dishes are checked before going out for presentation. Tsk, Tsk, Your lunch outings sound really fun!

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