About In the Weeds on KCRW
In restaurant lingo, to be in the weeds is to feel overwhelmed in the thick of chaos. In pre-pandemic times, it often referred to drowning in orders. COVID-19 radically altered the restaurant industry, and brought a different kind of chaos and struggle to those who depend on it to survive. These intimate first person confessions are their stories.
Classic steakhouse fare at the Finishing Gourmet
Former Four Seasons chef and Bocuse d’Or head coach Robert Sulatycky and entrepreneur Paul Abramowitz recently launched a luxe delivery service that aims to re-create the fine dining steakhouse experience at home. Vacuum-sealed dry-aged ribeyes arrive seasoned and par-cooked; customers are tasked with searing them for a minute or two on a hot pan using the equipment provided, including tongs, a silicone brush, searing oil, herbs, finishing salt and a custom steak knife. Sides such as tortellini mac and cheese and jumbo shrimp cocktails arrive neatly garnished and plated in glass jars or ceramic bowls. Even the crème brûlée comes with a portable blowtorch for caramelizing the turbinado sugar on top. This experience isn’t exactly cheap, however entrées start around $70, plus a $30 delivery charge.
This year, our annual compendium of dining debuts looks very different. There’s no talk of buzzy scenes, dazzling design, and intricate plating. Instead, it’s takeout, shifting business models, and struggles to survive. We’ve lost loved ones and beloved businesses, but amidst the devastation and heartbreak of the past year, one thing that’s remained constant is the power of restaurants to comfort, to bring us together, even when we’re only able to order delivery and gather with the members of our immediate household. So we’re celebrating an exciting, eclectic array of establishments, new and old, that have nourished both our bodies and spirits. Bon appetit!