Italian Beef Sandwich

"I'd guess that 95% of the beef sandwiches I ate in Chicago were probably Vienna's anyway."

Notice "guess" and "probably." These are known as "weasel-words" and allow one to back out of almost any previously uttered words of wisdom.

Unfortunately, as someone stated, the old "everything fresh and home-made" places are diappearing, as it's hard work. I'd rather not disappear and will continue serving Vienna Italian beef as opposed to slaughtering and dressing my bulls from my ranch.

quote:

Originally posted by kensandyeggo
""everything fresh and home-made" places are disappearing, as it's hard work. I'd rather not disappear and will continue serving Vienna Italian beef as opposed to slaughtering and dressing my bulls from my ranch.

“As opposed to slaughtering and dressing my bulls from my ranch.” Why do you keep talking about slaughtering and dressing my bulls from my ranch? Why would you slaughter a bull?

LMAO

No one came close to suggesting that anyone should be slaughtering and dressing bulls or cows for that matter.

I think your dead wrong in your assumption that “everything fresh and home-made" places are disappearing”. I know I said they were more difficult to find, and that’s true. But that's becuase of the noise level from the chain restaurants. But look at the hundreds of restaurants if not thousands that are doing great business cooking from scratch. And I’m talking about the 5 star restaurants in major medium and even small cities all over the country. Many even grow their own gardens in order to have the very best vegetables during any given season. We have a local guy that travels about 100 miles each day just for the fruits, veggies, and flowers that he uses in his restaurant. Maybe that’s where you came up with the “{slaughtering and dressing my bulls from my ranch” You don’t even have a ranch do you LOL. What’s the name of you restaurant and where is it?
Jack

quote:

Originally posted by kensandyeggo

"I'd guess that 95% of the beef sandwiches I ate in Chicago were probably Vienna's anyway."

Notice "guess" and "probably." These are known as "weasel-words" and allow one to back out of almost any previously uttered words of wisdom.

Unfortunately, as someone stated, the old "everything fresh and home-made" places are diappearing, as it's hard work. I'd rather not disappear and will continue serving Vienna Italian beef as opposed to slaughtering and dressing my bulls from my ranch.

Yup, people are lazy.. Buy from a bag, and here's your future... Easy to train someone to repetition, ask McDonalds...

I know you run a concession stand, so the standards are a tad bit different.. But someone that hangs a shingle in front of their building.. Well, thats another story.

Remember, name of this site is Roadfood, not QSR... Suggestion would be is to buy one of the founders books (located on the main page), and get an idea of why we come to this site.

O.K., Jack. I don't have to take this lying (laying?) down.....I think I'll stand up. I own a 2357.648 acre ranch in Karjakistan that I inherited from my grandparents. If you didn't know, Vienna's dogs are made from bull meat, a fact that they willingly acknowledge. (true). Bull meat is better than cow meat (or penguin meat for that matter) because....er.....um......just because. I raise only bulls, no cows, on my ranch and make a fine income selling them to Vienna. I have a private airstrip and we ferry them in with Cessna 150s and a fleet of motorized hang-gliders.

Maybe because I've only lived in Chicago, San Diego and now Charlotte is why I'm not familiar with too many restaurants that do scratch-cooking. Does Huddle House count? I can't even list my grandma or mom as "scratch-cookers." Thank God for can openers or we would have starved. My grandma's chicken soup was so greasy, I'd use it to lube the chain on my bike when I was a kid.

Wife and I own Woody's Chicago Style in the Latta Arcade in uptown (downtown everywhere else) Charlotte, serving almost all of the fine Vienna products. Coming up on our 6 month anniversary in a few days.

Uncle Vic, my memory cells are leaving at a supersonic rate and I thought I was on the hot dog thread. I sort of drift around to the other threads and forget where I am.

I came to this site because it is the only FREE forum for restaurant professionals I have found. I guess you get what you pay for (grin).

There's no shame in serving food from a bag as long as it's a good product. Good food is good food no matter how or where it's prepared.
How many "roadfood" places do you think serve half their menu right out of a Sysco bag? Huh?

While we're suggesting reading material, how about reading Dave Thomas's book sometime. As he pointed out, restaurants are by definition small factories, and small factories are very inefficient. So it only makes sense to contract out as much of the manufacturing process as possible to larger factories(our suppliers) by buying a lot of stuff pre-prepared. That's not so much about laziness as it is simply sound business.

If I have to pay a kid $1.00 (10 minutes time @ $6.00/hour)to stand there and dice the onions, but it only costs me 50 cents more to buy the onions already diced, then it doesn't take a math whiz to figure how I'll come out ahead by half.

quote:

Originally posted by Dr of BBQ

quote:

Originally posted by fdaniels
I have to agree with Simon, a lot of Chicago places do serve beef from "Vienna Beef" Frank

I'm curious, how would you know that were true?
Jack

Well, see I grew up there. Any place that made their own beef was quite proud of that fact and would at least advertise that fact with a sign on their wall. If there was a Vienna Beef "BEEF" poster in the shop, you knew where their product came from.

Also, my brother-in-law, God rest his soul, was for many many years a route manager for the Gonella Bread company, and delivered bread to Hundreds, in not thousands of different restaurants and hot dog and beef stands over the years. He told me many times that Vienna was very territorial, and if you had a Vienna Sign, you better be selling Vienna product.

quote:

Originally posted by SimonD

I came to this site because it is the only FREE forum for restaurant professionals I have found. I guess you get what you pay for (grin).

There's no shame in serving food from a bag as long as it's a good product. Good food is good food no matter how or where it's prepared.
How many "roadfood" places do you think serve half their menu right out of a Sysco bag? Huh?

While we're suggesting reading material, how about reading Dave Thomas's book sometime. As he pointed out, restaurants are by definition small factories, and small factories are very inefficient. So it only makes sense to contract out as much of the manufacturing process as possible to larger factories(our suppliers) by buying a lot of stuff pre-prepared. That's not so much about laziness as it is simply sound business.

If I have to pay a kid $1.00 (10 minutes time @ $6.00/hour)to stand there and dice the onions, but it only costs me 50 cents more to buy the onions already diced, then it doesn't take a math whiz to figure how I'll come out ahead by half.

Dave Thomas was a genius, and I highly respect the man. Are you starting a chain of restaurants though? Mom and Pops cook for the love of their food, along with the bragging rights they earn. Pre packaged stuff, you dont need the Restraunt Professionals forum here, any kid can open and heat a packaged item. Visit http://www.qsrmagazine.com/
Also, that kid you give a job to for 6 bucks an hour has a job, not thieving, and using his cash to improve the local economy.. Not to mention fresh chopped onions taste far better then anything out of a bag...
And on them onions, you better check your prices again...

SIMON
you don't dice your own onions.....thats pretty lame. and as for Sysco they suck. i've been in the restaurant business for 25yrs.
i wish ya luck but unless your the only guy in town i predict you fail.
and to comment on the made from scratch places to eat GREEK owned diners etc.around my area. they make almost everything from scratch....i've worked at a few...
ron

quote:

Originally posted by unabashed

SIMON
you don't dice your own onions.....thats pretty lame. and as for Sysco they suck. i've been in the restaurant business for 25yrs.
i wish ya luck but unless your the only guy in town i predict you fail.
and to comment on the made from scratch places to eat GREEK owned diners etc.around my area. they make almost everything from scratch....i've worked at a few...
ron

Actually Ron, I was just using that as an example. I do tend to favor chopping my own onions. I'm also not endorsing Sysco - again just using an example. Although we did use Sysco quite extensively at a friend's restaurant/bar that I used to help run, and I didn't find it bad at all for "bar food", especially when combined creatively with homemade ingredients. But that's beside the point.

My only real point to this whole thread is that Vienna Beef makes a fine product, and anyone (especially a hotdog vendor) wanting to serve an Italian beef sandwich should consider it.

ive been around chicago and vienna a long time, the best ital beef i ever had was definitely home made from a hot dog joint, but if you dont have the talents i say stick with the vienna and you will never have complaints, a vendor here in florida makes up 3 gallons of the juice a week at home and keeps it simmering on the cart, when you order he takes a handful of beef and throws it in there for 30 seconds and always a great treat

This is a very interesting topic, and I see many points of view.When I ran a deli, I used the Vienna beef as well.( My Sat. special was hot italian beef w/au jus)I, however, doctored it up a bit.The flavor was excellent, but rather plain looking in appearance.So I added peppers and onions, some additional spices.I have a very good homemade recipe, but it was too labor intensive for a fast paced deli.For the type of food place I was running, the Vienna was an excellent tasting product, good quality, and very popular.Families would buy pounds and pounds of it, and came back week after week.Just relating my experience with the product...

I have to agree about Scalas italian beef.When we had Jewel stores up here( they all just closed) I could get the frozen 5 lb tub-perfect for company.Having trouble finding it up here now.

I agree with all that say nothing is better than homemade..........Conveniece is for places that do not have the facilites..Perhaps at an airport feeding location, etc.

Saw some good shows on Italian beef several years ago on FoodTV and they highlighted the famous place in Chicago. This has got to be a real money maker.....Low food cost....Easy preparation...Virtually no waste....Holds up well, too

Have to add an update. I generally try not to nibble in the store because I'll be as big as a boxcar in a few months. Takes a lot of willpower, as I love everything from Vienna and the fries we sell.

Took out a Po'Boy roll last Thursday, cut it in half and prepared myself a half-beef sandwich, an item we offer. I toasted the roll slightly, dipped the ends in the au jus and then dipped the beef in the hot au jus for 10 seconds and placed it in the roll with a little extra au jus.

HOTDAMN!!!! It was delicious. I'm not kidding. For a quick-prepare beef sandwich, the Vienna beef and Vienna au jus are hard to beat. We have a woman customer that keeps coming in more and more often. She was in 3 times last week. She always orders a full beef sandwich "WET!!!" with giardinera. She almost always brings someone from her office in to try one. She brought 2 newcomers in last Thursday, both for beef sandwiches. Another guy she brought in previously came in twice last week for the same thing. The woman is originally from Chicago and almost always includes a Supreme tamale in her order. Wish I had about 50 more customers like her.

Bottom line....if you want to offer Italian beef sandwiches and can't do home-made, give Vienna a try. I don't think anyone will be disappointed in the quality or taste.

Just foundhttp://www.saveur.com/food/new-recipes/italian-beef-sandwiches-54022.htmlthis, thought it might be of interest.

Buddy

I agree with most. If you have access to stove/oven why would you not want to play around and try and knock it out of the park with your "own" Italian beef. Ya know with your own twist on it. And if you try and don't feel you can not at least make it AS good then buy it. But i am a big fan of Homemade opposed to pre prepared. jmo.

Thanks everyone for the great recipes! I agree on the homemade vs. store bought. That's what keeps them coming back.

has anyone read candide lately?