Carleigh Started Eating At 1:43 AM

Carleigh Started Eating At 10:22 PM

Took a short cruise to Nassau, Bahamas on the Celebrity Century ship. Great food, great drinks and went jet skiing for the first time! The cruise was amazing--- anything the has 24 hour food all the time is great in my opinion.!

Then I was off to NY where I had one of the best burgers of my life at burger bistro in the village. The guy above is a very close friend from college. Love him to peices!! I have to be honest, there is something about being in New York that is so inspiring. I am thinking I want to move there soon. I feel like everyone should at least try and live in NY at some point in their life. There is no place like NY. I will admit that the snow would suck though.

Then back to my hometown in NJ. Take a look at my parents! My mom is the best cook I know. She made my favorite: her cajun meatloaf! Plus she made this crab dip I have been in love with since I was a child. There is nothing like your mom's coooking. Ahhhhh I wish I could go back right now. :-( Miss you mommy!

Came back to Miami on Friday and now I am back to work. I have some great recipes to share, so come back next week for even more goodness!!



xoxo

Carleigh

Carleigh Started Eating At 1:15 PM

Review: Yes Pasta
14871 Biscayne Blvd, Miami FL33181 25.912736 -80.157176
(305) 944-1006
Overall Rating: 52 (F)



Last week, my roommate and I decided to grab some pasta for dinner. We were originally set on making lasagna but time got ahead and it was too late (story of my life). We ended up trying a new restaurant that just opened in our area, Yes Pasta.

I must be honest. The place confused me! The concept is set up as a quick service establishment. Step one, choose your pasta. Step two choose a sauce and step three add your toppings. Considering the low cost of pasta and other ingredients to make a sauce, I found the place to be over priced for what seems to be a quick service establishment.

The interior is set up with a “homely” vibe. Large blue shelving units line the walls holding wines, lemons, and other ingredients. The setting is European style and close together. I will admit, I found the colors used in the venue to be interesting. The aqua blue generally promotes a physiological idea of fitness and health. When I think of fitness, I am not thinking of eating pasta!

After waiting for 10 minutes just to get some water, I ordered gnocchi pasta that was served in a cream sauce with clams. A very different combination that I was not the biggest fan of. The gnocchi was undercooked and had to be sent back. The clams were of low quality and tasted fishy. The sauce was very enjoyable but not enough to make the meal a success. We were also given some crisp bread. Flat dough of some sort, not yummy.

My roommate ordered a salmon Panini; however, received a zucchini Panini, totally wrong dish. The server seemed shocked and although it was fixed (20 minutes later!) was unremorseful. I must say, with TGI Fridays next door, I would have preferred to eat there. Lets just say I will not be running back!

Rating:
Service: 2/5
Food: 3/5
Atmosphere: 2/5
Concept: 4/5
Overall Experience: 2/5
Overall Rating: 13/25 -or- 52/100 (F)

Carleigh Started Eating At 11:31 AM

Ideally, a top candidate has both an education and experience however; with price tags on university based education raising constantly, this is unusual. Also, as a college student, working in the restaurant industry is difficult when doors often close at midnight on a weeknight. Suppose you have two candidates applying for a line chef position. One has four years of experience on the line the other has a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts or food service management. Who is the better candidate? This is one of the most debated issues within the food industry.

I am very proud of my culinary education. I learned a lot and enjoyed being among peers who loved food. My education goes far past cooking; my school ensured students could handle the costing and other rigorous demands of owning a restaurant. My freshman year consisted of numerous labs, where we spent six hours a day in the kitchen. In reality, I felt like I spent most of the time cleaning, but maybe that is just me. At times, labs were filled. I recall many occasions where I was making small dishes with multiple partners. How many students does it take to make a pot of mashed potatoes? On many instances I was introduced to students who never worked in kitchens. These students lacked speed and consistency. In reality, I suspect them to crash and burn in the actual field.

In reality, I believe that a student with a culinary education will advance through the field faster and will succeed in many areas of the foodservice industry. I think these candidates will advance quickly and are ideal for larger companies looking to promote their employees. A chef who only has experience on the line belongs on the line and nowhere else. A nurse cannot become a doctor without the education necessary, no matter how good he or she is at their job.

Carleigh Started Eating At 11:09 AM