Do restaurants make food from scratch any more?

[Thinktank]

If all restaurants were divided into one star, two star and three stars,
I want to know how much food in the two star and three star category restaurants are made "from scratch?"

For example, are the pancakes for breakfast made with flour, eggs, butter, milk etc? Or do they come in a huge
package with twenty five chemical additives and preservatives, and the restaurant just warms it up?

anyone know how restaurants do stuff?
I would think the top best expensive restaurants make meals from scratch, but even that I don't really know.
Does stuff like chili con carne come in big pre-made five gallon pails? Or is it made from scratch?

[whatwhat]

I would say it depends on the restaurant.

I wouldn't be expecting scratch made pancakes from IHOP, but some of the smaller, independant breakfast places would probably have a batter from scratch.

I wouldn't say just because a restaurant is rated a high star restaurant that they are better. I am sure we have all been to a favourite fancy restaurant and realized that things have gone down hill.

Last year I went out to a "fancy" restaurant for a date with the BF and ordered fish and chips, but didn't ask if it was fresh fish. They literally brought me out fish fingers. I was disappointment, but I learned my lesson to always ask first.

[GordonH]

Only 1 place anyone can expect cooking from scratch, that is from there own kitchen. Of course that depends on if they started with raw ingredients or ordered takeout.

[GenesisGT]

I agree it depends on the restaurant, the only thing you can do is look at how they advertise, usually the menu on their website will indicate what is made in house, or ask your server.

My bias for breakfast, because I do like to know if the food is made from scratch, is The Boh downtown on Bernard because they make their own jam, oatmeal pancakes, sausages, back bacon, bread, bagels, chili, and salsa.

[w84u2]

What is today's definition of "made from scratch"? A sack of premade pancake mix and add some milk and eggs from a carton......and .....voilla! You have fresh made pancakes. Anything extra in the bowl will be added to the next order.
How can you tell if the bacon is fresh? It has been pre-cooked to 1/2 done, held until an order comes in and then finished off at the last minute.
Chile or any sauce is never made fresh, it might be made days/weeks in advance. It might also be sitting in a warmer for many hours before you get to eating it.
How far in advance do you expect them to make sausages? They have to hang and be smoked before finish cooked and served. Any idea how many weeks it takes to get bacon/ham made? It was 4 weeks old before it got to the meat packers, never mind to the restaurant freezer/cooler.
Don't even get me started about any place that sells chicken.....

[GordonH]

What is today's definition of "made from scratch"? A sack of premade pancake mix and add some milk and eggs from a carton......and .....voilla! You have fresh made pancakes. Anything extra in the bowl will be added to the next order.
How can you tell if the bacon is fresh? It has been pre-cooked to 1/2 done, held until an order comes in and then finished off at the last minute.
Chile or any sauce is never made fresh, it might be made days/weeks in advance. It might also be sitting in a warmer for many hours before you get to eating it.
How far in advance do you expect them to make sausages? They have to hang and be smoked before finish cooked and served. Any idea how many weeks it takes to get bacon/ham made? It was 4 weeks old before it got to the meat packers, never mind to the restaurant freezer/cooler.
Don't even get me started about any place that sells chicken.....

I was spoiled rotten growing up, pretty well everything either came out of our garden (strawberries, raspberries, potatoes, peas & corn etc.. etc) or the barn (milk, beef, pork, chickens & eggs)

[Queen K]

I used to work for the Stetson Motel. Hashbrowns were made from scratch.

Boiled a big pot of Russet potatos til skins are soft.
Cool with cold water.
Peel skins. Sometimes the potato was so hot I could hardly handle it.
Cool potatoes in cooler.
Grate with large tooth grater.

Made the best hashbrowns. Who does that anymore?

[w84u2]

I used to work for the Stetson Motel. Hashbrowns were made from scratch.

Boiled a big pot of Russet potatos til skins are soft.
Cool with cold water.
Peel skins. Sometimes the potato was so hot I could hardly handle it.
Cool potatoes in cooler.
Grate with large tooth grater.

Made the best hashbrowns. Who does that anymore?

NOW...THAT is the right way to do it!

[Tootsie]

WOW! Queen K ! The Stetson Motel ! Flash from the past or what !!!!!!!

Did that place at one time have a Chinese restaurant attached to it? I seem to remember that for some reason. And the most surly old waitress delivering our order ! But I can't remember exactly WHERE it was located...somewhere around Enterprise Way ?

I think parts of that old Stetson Motel are pieced together at the beautiful (yuck!) Lakeside Inn in Winfield.

[GordonH]

WOW! Queen K ! The Stetson Motel ! Flash from the past or what !!!!!!!

Did that place at one time have a Chinese restaurant attached to it? I seem to remember that for some reason. And the most surly old waitress delivering our order ! But I can't remember exactly WHERE it was located...somewhere around Enterprise Way ?

I think parts of that old Stetson Motel are pieced together at the beautiful (yuck!) Lakeside Inn in Winfield.

Stetson was located were former Blockbusters on Harvey & Burtch and former Swiss Chalet

[Tootsie]

YES....you're right! Did it have a Chinese restaurant attached to it? Do you recall ?

[GordonH]

YES....you're right! Did it have a Chinese restaurant attached to it? Do you recall ?

That I don't recall if they did

[Queen K]

WOW! Queen K ! The Stetson Motel ! Flash from the past or what !!!!!!!

Did that place at one time have a Chinese restaurant attached to it? I seem to remember that for some reason. And the most surly old waitress delivering our order ! But I can't remember exactly WHERE it was located...somewhere around Enterprise Way ?

I think parts of that old Stetson Motel are pieced together at the beautiful (yuck!) Lakeside Inn in Winfield.

If that's who I think you mean, ya, she was one tough person to work for, her daughter was there too. And yes, the old motel did become the Lakeside Inn and made fame in the news.

I can't be sure we'll ever get home made hashbrowns like those anymore, but this OP made me think of it.

[Frosty Tea]

There's no universal answer to your question. Depends on the specific restaurant and the food item in question. But since it takes more time and skill to make decent food from scratch it's usually the pricey restaurants that do it.

[Lady tehMa]

There is scratch, and then there is SCRATCH.

Let's talk about a cake. I can buy a cake. Or buy a cake mix and make it. Or buy all the individual ingrediants and make it. Or grow and grind the wheat, raise the chickens to get the eggs, etc. You see where I'm going with this? How close to the source are you?

I know for a fact that Waterfront Wines gets as close to the source as possible. The main chef - Mark Filatow - even makes his own chorizo sausages and porchetta!