The week we ran out of black garlic in the middle of a 60 cover tasting menu

Our supplier in Portland had a truck break down, so our whole delivery was two days late. We had to rework four dishes on the fly, and the sous chef ended making a quick fix with roasted shallots and a bit of balsamic. Has anyone else had a key ingredient just vanish like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

alex82023d ago

Used to see those stories as kitchen nightmares. Then our fish guy's van got towed with a whole halibut order inside. We had to sub in cod for a special and got more compliments than ever. Makes you realize how much a forced change can actually improve a dish.

kai83923d agoTop Commenter

Ever notice how the best recipes are basically a list of old mistakes? Like @alex820's cod swap, a lot of classic dishes were probably born from some delivery truck breaking down or a supplier forgetting an ingredient. It forces cooks to actually taste and adjust on the fly instead of just following a plan.

stella11123d ago

Yeah, that's so true what @alex820 said. Sometimes the best stuff comes from having your back against the wall like that. Makes you wonder how many dishes are just happy accidents.