Mesclun FAIL

[Robin Garr]

Bleah! Icky, slimy, unwashed mesclun, some rotted leaves, some wilted leaves, some dirty leaves with nuggets of black dirt hiding in the stems.

Come ON, folks. Just because the box says it's "washed," PLEASE have a little respect for quality - and for your customers - and re-rinse the stuff and pick over it before you slap it on a plate.

Too many otherwise fine Louisville eateries make this same mistake, to the extent that it's a rare treat - and a sign of particular attention to quality - when I find a place that does a good job with mesclun/field lettuces.

It doesn't really matter where this happened. I'm ranting about a general practice more than a single instance. (But yes, this will knock down my review rating a point or three.)

No, it doesn't matter where it happened. It's happened to me at various places, and it's sickening every time. Thanks for bringing it to light. It is one of my major restaurant pet peeves. You're being served rotting food, and under no circumstances is that OK. GROSS!

The very unique plate on which the mesclun sits pretty much gives away the place.

You need to send that to www.foodspotting.com

Yuck!

[Robin Garr]

The very unique plate on which the mesclun sits pretty much gives away the place.

It's white, it's square, it's hardly unique. No guessing, though, please. As Antonia concurs, this is a widespread issue and I don't want to turn it into a drive-by.

I know enough about life behind the kitchen door to get it that things move fast back there. And I know that stuff comes in packages that claim it has been "washed." But anybody who does any cooking at all knows what kind of crap comes out of those bags if you don't rinse and sort it.Cutting corners on cleanliness is not an acceptable efficiency measure.

This has happened to me more than a couple of times.

G R O S S.

The very unique plate on which the mesclun sits pretty much gives away the place.

It's white, it's square, it's hardly unique. No guessing, though, please. As Antonia concurs, this is a widespread issue and I don't want to turn it into a drive-by.

I know enough about life behind the kitchen door to get it that things move fast back there. And I know that stuff comes in packages that claim it has been "washed." But anybody who does any cooking at all knows what kind of crap comes out of those bags if you don't rinse and sort it.Cutting corners on cleanliness is not an acceptable efficiency measure.

...but the dark table was helping me eliminate possible guesses. I was down to roughly 112 guesses or so.

I must, though, do as Food Dad says.

...but the dark table was helping me eliminate possible guesses. I was down to roughly 112 guesses or so.

I must, though, do as Food Dad says.

It is elementary my dear Watson.

I agree. UNACCEPTABLE!

That's unfortunate, it looks like they were at one point some beautiful greens from grateful greens (haven't seen anywhere else around selling red veined sorrel, and lolla) that were improperly handled or had gotten a bit past their shelf life. If they were from grateful greens there wouldn't be any dirt on them as they're grown entirely hydroponically... Aka in a sponge. Which I have unfortunately found in my salad at more than one restaurant.. Hah.

[Robin Garr]

there wouldn't be any dirt on them as they're grown entirely hydroponically...

I wish Mary hadn't flicked it away before I thought about making a photographic record, but we did find one ort that looked a lot like a small blob of potting soil.

You have to ask yourself how much skill it takes to make sure there's no rotten greens in a small order of lettuces. Answer: almost none. So, to me, management is at fault. They haven't stressed that NO rotten lettuces are ever to leave the kitchen, and if they have a pantry worker who repeatedly sins in this category then the chef should be checking EVERY order that goes out.

Mistakes happen, but that one is almost unforgivable. I suppose I could let it slide if a fire alarm went off while a truck was being unloaded and two line cooks dropped apron and walked off the line five minutes previously and a bird got in the kitchen and was flying around and the health inspector was announcing himself out front. Otherwise, no.

Ya, pretty much past it's prime. On a side not, I got a buck that says not a single person (Robin excluded) on this forum can name the "origin" of Mesclun.....any takers? (note, I know the source here, no second hand tom-foolery, and, for a hint....it's in California.....and it was the early 70's??) No cheating via Wiki...I'll know. No dollar for you!

Ya, pretty much past it's prime. On a side not, I got a buck that says not a single person (Robin excluded) on this forum can name the "origin" of Mesclun.....any takers? (note, I know the source here, no second hand tom-foolery, and, for a hint....it's in California.....and it was the early 70's??) No cheating via Wiki...I'll know. No dollar for you!

Alice may try to claim it...

The name comes from Provençal (Southern France)—mescla, "to mix"—and literally means "mixture". The Italians have a name for it too, something like mixa(?)

Me thinks you are referring to mescaline which is entirely different.

I'm with you, David R. Pierce. I greatly admire Alice Waters but she can't claim the credit for this one!