Tuscan Portobello Melt

We are off the master plan. But it was kind of expected.

We woke up a bit late and by the time breakfast was done, it seemed like lunch was upon us. We went out shopping and decided we would grab something while out. Being away from home opened up some possibilities that wedo not normally have available to us.

The original plan was to go to Chuck E Cheese for Beetle’s sake. We quickly abandoned that idea. After doing what we were doing, it was 3:00 or so and we were ready to eat. We debated our options. I was looking for something different. We were pretty close to going to Famous Dave’s. I’ve never been there and one opened recently.

Gert reminded me there was another store at the Shore Dump Mall she wanted to go to. She asked if Chi Chi’s was still there. I did not know. I mentioned there was a T.G.I. Fridays, not that I was suggesting we dine there. But that reminded Gert that Betty Fraser’s Top Chef sandwich was on the menu. That interested me.

It’s been a while since I’ve been to a Friday’s. In my former life, I played in the Newbury St. location in Boston. I just tried to find it, and found out this location, the signature location of the franchise closed! Holy smokes!!! When did that happen? The restaurant I managed a block or two away was headed by two former Friday’s executives. We did things the Friday’s way, which I suspect is a lot different than whatyou dear reader may think.

The Newbury St. location was the draw of the franchise back before you could find these at places like the Shore Mall. Friday’s was a pilgrimage and the menu, the staff, and the service had a specialness to it. It was something to dine there. All that has apparently gone out the window now that the company has expanded. Today’s experience confirmed that for sure.

Erin was our waitress. She was not personable in the least. She was not particularly competent either. She brought our drinks right away. We asked for a little more time to order. Once ready she took our order. Beetle had the Mac & Cheese children’s portion although later she would ask for a grilled cheese. She’s so fickle. Gert ordered the cheeseburger and a cup of the broccoli cheese soup. I had the Tucson Portabello Melt.

We are fans of the Bravo show Top Chef. This year one of the episodes featured cooking for firehouses. Each chef created their meals and were evaluated by hungry firemen. Betty Fraser took home top honors. As a special reward for the winner, Stephen Bugarelli, the Senior Executive Chef at Fridays, would announce that the dish would find its way on the Friday’s menu. That’s a pretty kewl reward. Betty’s jazzed up grilled cheese and soup is indeed on the menu.

Admittedly, this is not something I would normally order. But I was eager to give it a try given my liking of the show. When I ordered it, I asked Erin if it is a popular dish. One would think so, but it’s placement in the menu seemed buried, so I wasn’t certain. I also noted that while Tuscan Portpbello Melt is on the menu, directly beneath it states:

Or try Friday’s® twisted Chicken version: TUSCAN CHICKEN MELT

To me that says Friday’s wasn’t truly sold on Betty’s dish. Erin stated that it did sell well. Then she added that no substitutions are permitted. Huh? She said because of copyright or something, the restaurant has to serve the dish exactly as it is written. We thought that odd, even though I had no desire to modify it.For a bit, it didn’t look like I would be able to enjoy this as the food seemed to take a bit to arrive. Eventually, a runner showed up with my dish and Beetle’s. Gert’s burger was MIA. And it remained that way for a few more minutes. Eventually Erin brought it, but forgot the soup. It was several more minutes before the soup arrived. Sheesh.

Beetle did not eat much of her lunch. :( Gert enjoyed her burger. She stated it was better than most burgers out. She really enjoyed the soup. Great!

For me, I was disappointed in the presentation of my dish. The soup filled but half the container it was in and had been slopped in. The parsley flakes were not sprinkled attractively and the sandwich did not look particularly great.

The appearance, however, was all that was disappointing. The meal was delicious! A meatless sandwich filled with mushrooms is not what I eat as a matter of course, but it was wonderful. The onions especially were outstanding. The soup was a perfect complement to the sandwich. Tomato soup is not my thing either, but this was “sparky”. I loved the roasted pepper punch it provided. Good stuff.

Beetle decided that if we were going to take home the macaroni and cheese, we should take home her mandarin oranges. She mixed the two together. Yuck!

I think I will attempt this dish myself in the future. I like how Bravo has Lee Anne (from the first season of Top Chef) demonstrate how to make the dish. Nice touch.

Also blogged on this date . . .

2 Responses to “Tuscan Portobello Melt”

  1. By A Fridays Employee on Jul 15, 2007

    Hello! I enjoyed reading this blog, and it meant a lot to me personally. I work at TGI Fridays and comment because I want you to know the service and presentation you received does not measure up to our standards in the least.

    Since I’ve been with the company, I’ve seen the ups and downs. Now, strides are being taken toward better training including this spring’s implementation of a type of evaluation system which allows us to identify areas of improvement in all areas of the restaurant and the means to act upon these opportunities.

    It is our highest concern to give excellent service that is personalized, timely, and informative as well as to serve excellent food that is as enjoyable to look at as it is to eat, all in a clean, comfortable, and entertaining environment.

    We’re working vigorously to build our staff to exemplify this ideal. I hope you’ll give us another try! Thank you for sharing your experience!

  2. By Bob on Jul 15, 2007

    Thanks for stopping by. I am not against Fridays. We tend not to dine in these types of establishments much these days, but I would return just for this dish. Of course, the two Fridays “near” us are a hike and not in places we usually shop.

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