Thanks to the way billions of people have interacted with food over the course of our existence the modern culinary world is filled with all sorts of tall tales and myths. From the idea that fish ordered on Monday will never be fresh to the notion that New York City’s water is the secret to great pizza there are countless myths that were once promulgated as common knowledge but simply have no basis in fact. For example chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Anthony Bourdain have instilled the belief that restaurant specials are nothing more than a way for kitchens to get rid of leftover ingredients at a higher price. In reality many restaurant specials are well-prepared meals prepared by professional chefs and are often worth trying.
| Channel | Publish Date | Thumbnail & View Count | Actions |
|---|---|---|---|
 TED-Ed | 2023-10-05 15:00:58 |  833,033 Views |
What Would Happen If Everyone Stopped Eating Meat Tomorrow? – Carolyn Beans
First and foremost even if the main purpose of restaurant specials is to get rid of meat and produce that is nearing its expiration date that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The restaurant industry generates tens of billions of pounds of food waste in the United States alone so any effort to reduce that number should be recognized.
No one wants someone else’s half-eaten leftovers for dinner but that’s far from what chefs do when they’re using up leftover ingredients. To be clear it would be illegal for an establishment to recycle a meal for a new customer so no restaurant would take the risk of making a dish from scraps (the same doesn’t always apply to restaurant bread baskets). Instead a restaurant will try to make the most of the ingredients it has on hand to make as much money as possible. Or in some cases a chef may have a surplus of ingredients that have been donated or purchased at a special rate so they’ll make a special dish to get the most bang for their buck.
It’s also important to remember that cooking is an art. Whether they work in a small restaurant or a Michelin-starred restaurant every chef has the ability to create interesting delicious dishes. Restaurant specials are often the result of these experiments and are a great way to experience a chef’s creative skills first-hand. This goes double for small family-run restaurants where chefs aren’t under the pressure of CEOs or a particular corporate brand so they’re free to play around with flavor and presentation as much as they want. Trying specials can be a great way to help these growing restaurateurs evolve their menu and support a local business at the same time.
