Tips and Tricks

Our editors enjoy dining out as much as we like cooking at home. And because this is what we do for a living, we've got lots of experience at both. In this column we're sharing the ins and outs of dining in and out. Bon Appetit!

Dining Out Control Expenses Don’t give into $1,000 a plate chefs (Joshua Skens…)
Dining Out Matching wines during a multi-course meal The one before the next probably wasn’t meant to pair with what comes after.
Dining Out Tipping under pressure Really? 15% is the minimum on a screen where you basically ordered at the counter and cleared your own table. Tip in cash later if you feel like it.
Dining Out Relax, let it happen Save your food dislikes for your kitchen and don’t burden wait staff and kitchen with outrageous request.
Outdoor Grilling Watch for stray brush bristles It’s important to clean the grill top after every use and a top-grade wire brush is a must-have tool. However, over time they all deteriorate, shedding metal bristles onto the grill. Many is the story of innocent dinners who have gone to the hospital with abdominal pains, only to find a bristle from a wire brush lodged in their intestine. You don’t want this to happen. Be sure to watch for these bristles each time you clean the grill and replace at the first sign of shedding. If you wear reading glasses, wear them when you clean the grill to be sure your inspection is as thorough as it can be.

Dining Out

Control Expenses

Don’t give into $1,000 a plate chefs (Joshua Skens…)

Dining Out

Matching wines during a multi-course meal

The one before the next probably wasn’t meant to pair with what comes after.

Dining Out

Tipping under pressure

Really? 15% is the minimum on a screen where you basically ordered at the counter and cleared your own table. Tip in cash later if you feel like it.

Dining Out

Relax, let it happen

Save your food dislikes for your kitchen and don’t burden wait staff and kitchen with outrageous request.

Outdoor Grilling

Watch for stray brush bristles

It’s important to clean the grill top after every use and a top-grade wire brush is a must-have tool. However, over time they all deteriorate, shedding metal bristles onto the grill. Many is the story of innocent dinners who have gone to the hospital with abdominal pains, only to find a bristle from a wire brush lodged in their intestine. You don’t want this to happen. Be sure to watch for these bristles each time you clean the grill and replace at the first sign of shedding. If you wear reading glasses, wear them when you clean the grill to be sure your inspection is as thorough as it can be.

Have you got a tip or trick you'd like to share with out readers? Send it to sdeditor@seattledining.com. If we use it, we'll send you a copy of our Cooking with Class cookbook.

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