Restaurant Supply Blog

by Ryan Loose

As we approach the Holiday season, I think that it's time to reflect on the most important things in the world like family, friends... mixed drinks. So, without further delay, my top three drink recipes for perfect Holiday festivities!

Holiday Punch

This one's great because you can make it with or without alcohol (now what fun is that?).

You'll Need: (2) 46 oz. cans of cranberry juice, (2) 46 oz. cans of pineapple juice, (2) 750 mL bottles of soda water, 'bout a half gallon of strawberry or raspberry sherbet, and a Big Punch Bowl!

Make It Sugary: Dump the liquid ingredients into your Big Punch Bowl! and mix. Put scoops of sherbet on top of the mixture to add color and awesome-ness. Add Vodka to flavor or, just put about 1 1/2 oz. in each glass, if you have drinking and non-drinking customers or guests.

Gingerbread Man

This recipe is rapidly becoming one of my holiday favorites!

You'll Need: Irish Cream, Goldschläger, Butterscotch Schnapps, Vodka

Make It Sweet: Combine the liquid ingredients in a shaker cup and shake with ice. Next, strain into shot glasses or a rocks glass, depending on how the evening is going. Captures the crunchy deliciousness of a fresh baked gingerbread man, without the crumbs!

IT BURNS!!!!! - The Cookie Monster

Rudolph, with your shot so bright, won't you guide me home tonight?

You'll Need: Irish Cream, Coffee Liqueur, 151 proof Rum, lighter, straws (preferably bendy straws)

Make It Sizzle:

Step 1) Get your bar spoon ready, 'cause this one's a floater! In a 2 oz. whiskey shot glass, and in this order, add - 1 part Coffee Liqueur, 1 part Irish Cream. Top with 1 part 151 proof Rum. Light that sucker up.

Step 2) Let your customer pick their favorite color bendy straw. Then, have them blow out the shot and drain it with the straw. Tastes just like a warm chocolate chip cookie. Honestly.

Special Thanks to Shaun MacDonald and Charlie Garber for their much appreciated input on this post. Couldn't have done it without you!

Have a favorite holiday drink I didn't cover? Maybe you tried one of my recipes and want to make a comment? Whether you love it or hate it, let us know! Share your recipes! Make a comment people - I guarantee it will put you in the Holiday spirit!

Need to restock your bar, but don't want to spend a lot of money? We've got all the bar supplies you need at the best prices on the web! Check out our great selection of quick mixers, garnishes, glassware, shakers and strainers, jiggers, pourers, and stirrers.

by Steve Ziegler

As the WEBstaurantStore gets busier, I have been called upon occasionally to help our customer service reps answer the many questions emailed to us daily. After 20yrs in the food service business, I thought I had heard every food service question possible. Boy was I wrong! Every day I have helped has been an education, but we do our best here to answer all of these questions. There is one type of question, however, for which I never have a good answer. This type of question goes like this: Can I use (insert name of restaurant supply/equipment) to do (insert name of something that supply or equipment is not meant to do)? I am going to illustrate, right now with a personal story, as to why we cannot really give you an answer to questions like this. Don't get me wrong, we love hearing about your novel uses for our products (those stories are a great way to get your $2 item review credit). But we cannot make those kinds of recommendations ourselves; for fear that some of you may be as dumb as me.

My Story--not for the squeamish

So after a visit to my doctor, where I had my ears cleaned with that forceful metal plunger that the doctor uses, I felt unsatisfied with the power of my little blue bulb hat I had bought at the drug store. The same thing happens to guys all the time--but usually when they drive a car that is more powerful than their own. Well, one day in our warehouse, I was passing our ketchup squeeze bottles. Care to guess where my thinking went from there?

So my ketchup bottle worked great. It was much more powerful than that little blue bulb. Then one morning in the shower, something went wrong with my ear hygiene. When I squeezed my bottle (with great force, as always), the top of the bottle came off and shot into my ear. And stuck there. There I was: naked, wet, white with fear, blood dripping from the top of a squeeze bottle that was protruding from ear. I am sure I was quite a sight. After a minute, ear still ringing, I gingerly removed the top from my ear and saw the blood. I feared for my eardrum; and being a Saturday that meant a trip to the ER. Unfortunately, when you go in the ER with an injury, you have to explain why it happened. After enduring the humiliation of having all of the doctors and nurses laughing at me, and trying to cope with the special embarrassment of having my nurse be a female friend that I had not seen in ten years, I was told that the inside of my ear just had some bad scratches. You have no idea how sad and annoying it was to pay for those medical bills!

So, if you ever wondered why our hard working CSRs cannot give you a good answer when it comes to using items outside of their intended use, now you know!

By Leidra Granzow

I have good news for you, and I have bad news for you. Let's start with the bad news first.

The Bad News

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year an estimated 76 million people in the United States become ill from pathogens, or disease-causing substances, in food. Of these people, about 5,000 die as a consequence.

The Good News

Now I bet you’re wondering what good news I could possibly deliver after such a grim prediction. How about a way to show that bacteria who’s boss? A way to kill 99.999% of bacteria? WEBstaurantStore.com has that way to attack harmful bacteria and keep your food service establishment safe and healthy all year long. It’s a new product, that promises to work on anything from glassware and cookware to stovetops and appliances. So what is this miracle product? It goes by the clever name, QuikSan.

QuikSan

• QuikSan is perfect for use on:
• Glassware
• Utensils
• Cookware
• Dishware
• Food processing equipment
• Counter tops
• Chopping blocks
• Tanks
• Tables
• Picnic Tables
• Appliances
• Stovetops
• Food work areas

Its powerful formula is designed to destroy 99.999% of bacteria in only ONE MINUTE! Just think what you could get done in one day!

• Quickly attack:
• Campylobacter jejuni
• Escherichia coli
• Escherichia coli O157:H7
• Listeria monocytogenes
• Shigella dysenteriae
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Yersinia enterocolitica

How do I use it?

QuikSan is going to quickly become your favorite kitchen cleaner. Simply pre-clean the surface that you desire to sanitize. Then, immerse the mobile surface in QuikSan, OR, if immobile, spray QuikSan directly onto the surface. After one minute, allow to air dry. Don’t even rinse the surface! It doesn’t get much easier than that.

So How Do I Get QuikSan?

QuikSan is available on WEBstaurantStore.com. Just click this link to keep your customers safe from harmful food-borne illnesses!

by Steve Ziegler

Just in time for Thanksgiving, we are running a fantastic special on our Tablecraft EK7 Cordless Electric Knife. Unlike the junky electric knives you get from the hardware store, this knife is built for commercial use, is perfect for any location because it is rechargable, and carries an NSF and UL commercial approval. To put it quite simply: This powerful knife is built to last! Heck, the thing even has a headlight.

Electric Knife Special!

Thanksgiving begins the giving season, and in addition to the standard blade set that comes with this knife, we will give you 4 free blades when you buy our Tablecraft cordless electric knife!

Here are the FREE BLADES that you will recieve on your order (all you have to do is add the knife to your cart, these blades will show up with the word FREE in the price column!):

• Dual 7" Replacement Electric Knife Blades--these are the same blades that come with the unit. Now you'll have a spare set!
• Dual 8" Replacement Electric Knife Blades--these are similar to the blades above, but one inch longer. Now you'll have a spare for your spare. Because this electric knife is built so well, these spares will come in handy!
• Dual 9 1/2" Electric Fillet Knife Blades--these are the perfect blades for fishing season!
• Dual 12" Electric Carving Blades with Granton Edges--these knives are perfect for your Christmas Roast! The Granton edge makes for easier carving, as your slice will not cling to the rest of the roast.

The holidays are fast approaching, but you still have time to take advantage of this great deal! This special will only go as long as supplies last!

By Brian Montgomery

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. Why? The food, of course! I like to go for a nice long run and go to the gym on Thanksgiving morning so I don't feel quite as guilty for making a complete pig of myself later in the day.

After the meal is over, the plates are cleared, and everyone is half asleep in their chairs, I'm already thinking about the leftovers. Sad, I know. Now, to some, leftover Thanksgiving dinner is just dragging all the containers out of the fridge, nuking them, and recreating the meal. That's OK, but sort of boring, and not nearly as satisfying.

Here's a sandwich I love to make with the Thanksgiving leftovers. It's a lot tastier than rubbery microwaved turkey and dried out mashed potatoes.

Turkey Cranberry & Cheddar Sandwich

• Ingredients
• Leftover turkey
• Cheddar cheese (slices or shredded, it doesn't really matter, whichever you prefer)
• Cranberry Relish (or sauce, but I think cranberry relish is better--I found a great recipe here: Link)
• Sourdough bread
• Butter (for grilling)

There's not really much to making it. Simply assemble the ingredients into sandwiches (I like the cheese to be on the outside so it melts), and spread some butter on the outside, and toast like a grilled cheese, until it's all melted and warm in the middle! The quickest, easiest way to do this is with a panini grill, but a good fry pan or cast iron skillet will do the trick too! I've seen similar sandwiches at a few restaurants I've been too (even the one I used to work out, which was my inspiration for this sandwich), and on TV too. Some even add some grilled stuffing--I think I'll try that this year...

Think this sounds gross? I don't care! Don't knock it until you try it! Do you have a favorite recipe for Thanksgiving leftovers? Share it with us!

By Steve Ziegler

All of our Coupon Codes and Promos, all in one place! I typically update this post on Tuesdays, so don't forget to check back often!

Need other ways to save?

• First, make sure that you are on our mailing list, as our weekly email will keep you apprised of specials, new promo codes, and new items that we bring into stock. Here is a link to sign up for our email specials: WEBstaurantStore Mailing List. If you missed this week's email flyer, here is a link to view: Current Flyer.
• Check out our Specials page, you can get to it from our home page, or you can just click right here: WEBstaurantStore Specials.
• Spread the word about this one: If you submit a review that is accepted, you get $2 off! If you submit a photo of one of our products in action, you get $4 off. Do both and get $6 off of your next order! Here are the instructions: WEBstaurantStore Reviews & Images
• If you want some ideas on how to minimize your shipping costs, check out Brian's blog post about shipping.

WEBstaurantStore Coupon Codes as of 11/17/2009

• Economy Chafer: A chafer for $26.99? But is it really a complete set? We used to get that question so often, that I had to write a blog post explaining that this chafer is indeed a complete kit. If you want more detailed info, here is that blog post: Choice Chafer FAQs.
  Link: 8qt Economy Chafer, $26.99 with the following coupon code: econchafe
• Deluxe Chafer: If you want a great and inexpensive step up from an economy chafer, our Deluxe Chafers, with their gold toned handles and knobs, are a great option.
  Link: Deluxe Chafer kit with gold toned handles, only $49.99 with coupon code: deluxe
• Classic Chafer: Another great option for upgrading your chafers on a budget is the Classic Chafers. With their traditional decorative styling and wooden handles, they make any buffet look terrific.
  Link: Classic Chafer, only $56.99 with coupon code: deluxe
• Supreme Roll Top Chafer: Big and bold, yet simple and elegant styling makes these Supreme Roll Top chafers the right choice for even the most fancy event. When I started selling restaurant equipment over 15 years ago, chafers like these were close to $1000. But the power of the Choice Brand, and our coupon makes this inexpensive enough even for home use.
  Link: Supreme Roll Top Chafer, only $124 with coupon code: rolltop
  
  The above chafer coupon codes are valid until 11/20/09, so do not delay!
• Still waiting on swine flu vaccine? The WEBstaurantstore is here to help with Free Hand soap Dispensers! This sale is going indefinitely.
  Foaming hand soap dispensers:
  Coupon Code for gray - KUTOLGY
  Coupon Code for black - KUTOLBK.
  Link: Kutol Foaming Soap Dispensers

By Ryan Loose

Well, we're getting to that time of year that "somehow" always convinces us to eat, drink, and be merry. So, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about something that I am eternally thankful for, BEER! In particular, products we have that can help you serve the best looking, best tasting, most frothingly fantastic glass of beer in town.

The Perfect Glass for the Perfect Pint

Beer's a lot like wine, it just tastes better out of the proper glass. Now, not many people know this, but there are actually a ton of different beer glasses in the world, each designed with a specific purpose in mind - to make your beer look and taste its best. Here's a few examples of beer glasses that no self-respecting bar, pub, private club, or beer snob can live without.

• 

  Tasting Glass - Small Tasting Glasses are great for microbreweries and restaurants with a variety of beers "on tap." Allowing your guests to select a few beers to sample before they buy the whole pitcher is a great way to increase impulse sales and build your brand's name. Serve the sampling glasses on a Taster Glass Serving Paddle for added presentation points with your customers.

• 

  Mixing Glass - Perfect for Porters and Lagers, the Mixing Glass is probably one of the most popularly used glasses in the bar. They're often referred to as "pint glasses" in the US. The Mixing Glass features gently sloping sides for easy gripping and stacking, and a thick base.

• 

  Nonic Glass - Ideal for Stouts and Ales, the Nonic Glass is easily identifiable by the slight bulge at the top of the glass, apparently for an improved grip and better aeration. The ridge also helps in stacking, for easy storage.

• 

  Pilsner Glass - Great for Pilsners and Light Beers, the Pilsner Glass is typically a tall, slender glass that shows off the clean, sparkling quality of light colored beer while maintaining the beers head.

• 

  Das Boot - 'Nuff said.

Cool Beer Stuff You Need

The best way to make sure your customers are always coming in the door, and not running out covering their mouths, is to make sure your taps and glasses are perfectly clean. Here's two indispensable products you need to fight the battle against bitter beer!

Kleen Plug Beer Tap Plugs - Cleaning your taps can be a pain. With San Jamar's Kleen Plug Beer Tap Plugs, maintaining a clean tap is quick and easy. Just soak the plugs in sanitizer during the day and put them in your taps overnight. The plugs help eliminate the build up of bacteria and microorganisms that can cause bitter beer and health risks.

Beer Clean - Never serve a sloppy pint again with the Beer Clean bar glass cleaning system! This innovative cleaner and sanitizer system helps keep your beer glasses crystal clear and your beer tasting great. For more details, Click Here!

The Ultimate Question Answered

Finally, for all of you beer enthusiasts out there, through countless years of hypotheses, experimentation, and devoted research, I can answer one of the most common, yet mysterious, questions ever asked about beer (start drum rollllll...now!)

Question: Why is Beer so Good?

Answer: Because it is.

Wherever your travels may take you, from all of us at WEBstaurantStore.com, keep it safe and keep it jolly this holiday season!

Have some other pointers for the bartenders and beer enthusiasts out there? Maybe you prefer a particular kind of beer glass over another? We want your comments. Believe me, there's plenty of room on this blog for your thoughts too.

By Brian Montgomery

Steve recently showed me a blog on the New York Times' website called "100 Things Restaurant Staffers Should Never Do". You can check it out yourself here. In addition to frequently dining out myself, I previously worked in a restaurant for nearly 7 years in various capacities from lowly busser and dishwasher to server and host/supervisor. As a result, I looked forward to reading the article!

I found myself agreeing with many of the points the author made, for example #34: Do not have a personal conversation with another server within earshot of customers. My take: Rude and unprofessional. Or, #62: Do not fill the water glass every two minutes, or after each sip. You'll make people nervous. Along with #62a: Do not let a glass sit empty for too long. My take: Be attentive but not annoying. That also goes for pouncing on me as soon as I sit down to recite your specials and take my drink order...

That's not to say that I agree with everything the author said. Here are two that rubbed me the wrong way.

#17: Do not take an empty plate from one guest while others are still eating the same course. Wait, wait, wait.

Why?! As a patron I don't want an empty plate sitting in front of me. It's in my way and unappetizing. Get rid of it, I'm obviously done. I don't think the waiter is being rude, they're being efficient. If the table is full of empty side plates and dishes, the waiter is inattentive or lazy.

#91: If someone complains about the music, do something about it, without upsetting the ambiance. (The music is not for the staff — it’s for the customers.)

Really? Come on. Some may say, "The customer is always right," or something like that. But really, in a case like this--sounds like the issue is with the customer, not the restaurant or its music selection, unless it's too loud. But then again, most restaurants are built around a theme or concept, and the music often reflects that. Chances are, if you go to the Hard Rock Cafe, you're going to hear loud Rock music. If you are that conceited and self-centered as a customer, you probably shouldn't go there in the first place to have a quiet dinner.

What do you think? What really bugs you when you go out to eat? What do you wish your waitstaff did or didn't do? By the way, we have a great selection of educational books to help you train your staff right!

by Steve Ziegler

When we have the lowest pricing on hot items, like our line of Bayou Classic Propane Turkey Fryers, we inevitably end up with lots of questions regarding those items. What kind of oil should I use for a turkey fryer? How much oil should I use in the fryer? What accessories do I need for frying a turkey? Well, Brian did a great job with the descriptions of the turkey fryers, and most of those questions can be answered just by clicking an item and reading those descriptions. Here is a link to our turkey fryers: Bayou Classic Turkey Fryers. Keep in mind, all of the fryers with burners also have spec sheets, which you can get to by clicking the "Spec Sheet" tab in the description of the item. Please keep in mind that your turkey fryer will come with instructions, and you should carefully read those instructions. But for now, here are some more tips and FAQ’s relating to our turkey fryers:

Safety Tips

• Important: always allow a turkey to thaw completely before frying. Never attempt to place a frozen or even a partially frozen turkey into a fryer, or you will have a violent boil over and grease fire!Make sure your thermometer is working properly before use.
• You must properly measure the amount of oil to use for each individual turkey. Turkeys are all different, even if they weight the same. So please measure the oil properly: we have instructions for oil measurement in every turkey fryer description.
• When placing the turkey in the fryer, it will cause the oil to come to an intense boil, therefore you should wear a long sleeved shirt, fryer gloves, safety goggles, and shoes.

Preparing a Turkey for Frying

• Clean and dry turkey inside and out before frying and trim away all excess fat and skin. Make sure the opening around the neck is wide and clear—this is important.
• Also important: make a 1" slit in the skin at the thigh-leg joints to allow oil to drain when the bird is done.
• If you wish, inject your bird with marinade. The folks at Bayou Classic recommend a mix of your favorite wine or beer with Worcestershire sauce. Although the turkey fryer kits come with an injector, it is a small one. We have a really nice one that holds 6oz here: Marinade Injector. When using an injector, depress the plunger as you pull out and you will evenly distribute the marinade.
• Rub the poultry with seasoning and/or salt and pepper. Here are some great Fried Turkey Seasonings: Cajun Spice, Country Chicken Blend, Big BBQ Blend, Caribbean Sunrise Jerk Rub. You can really turbo charge your turkey’s flavor by adding these to the liquid marinade as well.
• Place your turkey upside down on the rack, so your legs are facing up.

Peanut Oil and Turkey Frying FAQs

• Why do they recommend peanut oil for frying turkeys? Peanut oil has a higher flash point then other oils, so it is less likely to catch on fire. Its higher smoking point will insure long life and clean flavor. The best thing about it is that it is cholesterol free.
• How much oil do I need? That depends on the size of your pot and the size of the turkey. Be sure to follow the instructions for making sure you use the correct amount. Here are some typical amounts: 30qt Pot—3 gallons oil; 32qt pot—3 1/3 gallons oil.
• Where is the best place to buy peanut oil? Answer: At the WEBstaurantStore, of course. Peanut oil is expensive and you will need plenty to fill your pot. Peanut oil is often sold for two to three times as much as we sell it for. We have both 50% peanut/50% soybean in a bulk 35lb container and 100% pure peanut oil that comes in a case of 2-17.5lb containers. In addition, any extra peanut oil can be stored up to six months in a dark cool place. Here is a link to our peanut oil, you can choose the 50/50 or the 100% on the page: Peanut oil. Since, in order to ship this without it breaking, we ship via common carrier; small quantities are expensive to ship. But larger quantities ship very inexpensively for the same reason.
• What size turkey will fit in my pot? This is a very common question that we get about our turkey fryers. Here is your answer: 30qt pot: up to a 20lb bird, 32qt pot: up to a 22lb bird.

Whether you plan on eating your fried turkey outdoors or inside, or Thanksgiving paper roll tablecloth will be great on the holiday table. Link: Thanksgiving Roll Paper Table Cover. By the way, we offer $4 off of your next order for customer pictures--We would love to see your fried turkey pix! Happy Turkey Frying, and Happy Thanksgiving!

By Steve Ziegler

Planning a Thanksgiving Buffet? Then this is the coupon code update for you! On this week’s email flyer, we added promo codes for four more chafers. These are Choice brand chafers, and are prices are already incredibly low; in fact, with the discount from the coupon code, our Choice Brand Economy Chafer is only $26! There will not be a better time to upgrade or replace your old chafers this year! Here is a list of all coupon codes the WebstaurantStore is currently running:

• Economy Chafer: A chafer for $26.99? But is it really a complete set? We used to get that question so often, that I had to write a blog post explaining that this chafer is indeed a complete kit. If you want more detailed info, here is that blog post: Choice Chafer FAQs.
  Link: 8qt Economy Chafer, $26.99 with the following coupon code: econchafe



• Deluxe Chafer: If you want a great and inexpensive step up from an economy chafer, our Deluxe Chafers, with their gold toned handles and knobs, are a great option.
  Link: Deluxe Chafer kit with gold toned handles, only $49.99 with coupon code: deluxe



• Classic Chafer: Another great option for upgrading your chafers on a budget is the Classic Chafers. With their traditional decorative styling and wooden handles, they make any buffet look terrific.
  Link: Classic Chafer, only $56.99 with coupon code: deluxe



• Supreme Roll Top Chafer: Big and bold, yet simple and elegant styling makes these Supreme Roll Top chafers the right choice for even the most fancy event. When I started selling restaurant equipment over 15 years ago, chafers like these were close to $1000. But the power of the Choice Brand, and our coupon makes this inexpensive enough even for home use.
  Link: Supreme Roll Top Chafer, only $124 with coupon code: rolltop

The above chafer coupon codes are valid until 11/20/09, so do not delay!



• Deluxe Rolltop Chafer: This is our least expensive roll top chafer. The gold trim makes this an elegant, yet inexpensive choice. This is from last week’s email flyer, and is good until 11/17/09.
  Link: Deluxe Roll Top Chafer, only $84 with coupon code: rolltop

• Also from last week’s email, the Taylor AW1000 Perfect Temp Portable Food Warmer. Whether you are planning to bring pot luck entrees to Thanksgiving, or planning on catering into a client’s home, this is the perfect super-portable warmer. Also great for long distance catering, since it has a 12v car adapter! This discount is only good until 11/17/09.
  Taylor Perfect Temp Warmer only $109 with Coupon Code:
  Coupon Code-portable.
  Link: Perfect Temp Warmer

• Blog Only Coupon! As seen in our Airpot Guide Blog Post , we are running a Blog Only Coupon for two of our most popular airpots.
  Our 2.2 liter airpot, which is normally $19.49 each, can be yours for only $16.99 each with this code: airpot22
  Our 2.5 liter airpot, which is normally $20.49 each, can be yours for only $17.99 each with this code: airpot25
  These airpot coupon codes are good until November 16th, so buy now to take advantage of the savings!

• Hand sanitizing is a big deal these days. The H1N1 virus has everyone worried! The WEBstaurantstore has it covered with Free Hand soap Dispensers! This sale is going indefinitely.
  Foaming hand soap dispensers:
  Coupon Code for gray - KUTOLGY
  Coupon Code for black - KUTOLBK.
  Link: Kutol Foaming Soap Dispensers

Check out the rest of our Price Chopper special right here: Price Choppers!

If you are not currently receiving our specials in your inbox, just click here to sign up: Send me specials!